Client's New Powder Room Revealed!

I think the main powder room of a house should have a little sophistication and at the very least a bit of flair! I know many decorators like to treat powder rooms like little jewel boxes, myself included. Client's on the other hand can be oh so apprehensive to go a little nuts. Such was the case with this client.

A graphic metallic wallpaper in the end brought the space to life!

This was how the space looked just after install and paint. Rather boring I thought. I originally proposed wallpaper, but the client got cold feet and couldn't commit.  



The room was newly created from a previous closet. The client also wanted to use an existing fixture and center it on the back wall and then add a long mirror to cover the wall from sink to toilet. In case you wondering how I felt about that, well you can read about it here. But let's just say I think a blank wall of darkness would be s a better option! My suggestion, albeit unconventional, was install a scone over the toilet. And, I knew just the one.

I thought the beautiful herringbone pattern marble floors needed to be a feature, not the toilet and sink! But sometimes you have to do things one way in order to get them done the best way. So everything was installed...

This is a very small room. I knew this oversized sconce would be a great addition to illuminate the room properly and distract from the loo. Same with the tall mirror, it had to be interesting and reflect as much light as possible. Adding these 2 items made a big impact, but the bland paint just wasn't doing anything for the gorgeous floors or going to yield the result I knew was possible with paper. So again, I showed my renovation weary- wallpaper phobic client 3 different papers that could work. She decided on a graphic metallic. No one was more surprised than me. She fell in love with the paper as soon as it went up. The outcome was thrilling for both of us! 

If this little jewel box isn't proof that papering the powder room is the way to go,
  I don't know what is then!!!

Sources:

Sink & toilet: TOTO

Wallpaper: Thibaut

Sconce: Corbett

Mirror & Accessories: RLI Interiors

Final photo: Hadley Photography

Reader Poll: Bedrooms, Bathrooms & Closets-How Big Is Big Enough?

When it comes to the master suite, I think most people fantasize about having it all: space, privacy and organization. But the real question is how much of each do we really need? Or perhaps after these 100+ degree temperatures and power outages, maybe you just want a small swimming pool in lieu of a bed or tub!? I thought it would be fun (and quite helpful for anyone who is considering a renovation) to break it down by each component.

The Master Bedroom: Do you want just enough room for the bed, bedsides table and lamps? Or do you want space for a chest, dresser or desk? What about a television-I know, so taboo in the design world, but I have to ask, so be honest? Or do you want a larger room that could accommodate seating, a fireplace, or bookshelves?

Simple elegance-Alessandra Branca

The Master Bathroom: Assuming it's an en-suite arrangement, do you wish yours was bigger or just more luxurious? In this case, luxurious is defined by the quality of materials. Do you want a great big shower with a seat, jets or a rain head? People are much more willing to give up a bathtub for a bigger shower these days-would you? If so, do you worry that it may would impact the resale value of your home? Do you require/wish the toilet to be in it's own room?  Do you prefer separate sink consoles or one long run with 2 sinks? A linen closet? Is a seated make-up area desirable? What about a television? Heated floors and towels bars? Or do you really want to separate spousal/partner baths with maybe only a shared bath tub and shower? The latter becoming a fantasy for many!


Classic- David Flynn

The Master Closet: Do you fantasize about a walk-in? Or would a well organized reach-in closet make you just as happy? If you share a closet, do you wish you didn't? Do you want a place to sit in your closet to put your shoes on or ponder the day's outfit? Do you like to see your clothes or prefer them hidden behind doors? Do you want a counter, table, or storage island to fold clothes and pack for trips? A window? Is this the ideal location to store the iron and ironing board or is that still the laundry room?

Serious luxury-designer unknown
The stuff that dreams are made of-mine anyway! 

Based on the above questions, if you were to design the master suite of your dreams or had the opportunity to change your current master suite, would you opt for:

1.) A bigger bedroom, bathroom or closet and why?
2.) What amenities in each category would you incorporate into your dream spaces?

I can not wait to hear your opinions and if I've left something out on your must have/or wish list tell me!

Bathroom Renovations: How To Get The Most Out Of Small Spaces!

When it comes to bathrooms, I think what most people want is a beautiful and organized space. Afterall, it's where we began and end every single day. I think the second thing people want from a bathroom is luxury. When most people think of luxury, they think of luxurious materials and expansive spaces. I do too, but I also think of comfort. And, for these bathroom renovations, the latter was the driving force.

The majority of the my client's renovation budget was spent on the kitchen, flooring and construction costs, so I knew the bathrooms would be a bit of a challenge. Not so much because of the budget, but because they were all very small. This townhouse had 2 full baths and 2 powder rooms. The 2 full baths were renovated 3 years ago. The full bath on the third floor, which was the largest, remained in good shape. It just needed a good cleaning, new cabinet hardware, mirror, medicine cabinet and lighting.

My focus was to overhaul the other three.  Not only did I want to bring the spaces up to date, but I wanted to try to find ways to add luxury in the form of comfort, which for this project translated to brightly lit and better organized spaces. The only way to do this, given their small footprints and budget considerations, was to select materials that would give the illusion of more space. In order to accomplish this, I would rely on pocket doors, good lighting, floor tile set on the 45, vanities that had feet, sliding glass shower doors and plenty of bright white field tile!

I headed to the bath section of my favorite big box store and found myself scanning the isles and repeating their slogan "let's build something together" in my head. Thankfully, Allen + Roth rolled out a new line of products for Lowes last fall. I sourced the vanities and lights from them, Moen's new line, off-the-shelf tile and simple space/cost saving slab mirrors for over the vanities from my local glass company.   

 The Master Bath: 

Before

 As much as I would have preferred a different vanity choice as I mentioned this one (just like the hall bath) was only 3 years old and in good shape, so it didn't make sense to allocate part of the budget to replace it.

After
New hardware was the only change for the vanity cabinet.



I seriously don't understand the point of uplighting in a bathroom.

Why not just add a torchiere behind the toilet?



After
Better lighting, bigger mirror.

 

During
 This shot really gives you an idea of the changes. I dubbed this bathroom "the box".
 This just may be the smallest bathroom I've ever seen in a master bedroom.
 The shower was the size of a phone booth! But, not for long. Just behind the plumbing and pink insulation is the
 hall linen closet, which was relocated so we could expand the shower.
I am a huge fan of pocket doors and this bathroom desperately needed one to free up valuable floor space.



Before
This in-swing door certainly contributed to the claustrophobic feeling. It was also a factor in the
 moisture problems since it touched the shower base, plastic curtain and inhibited air-flow!

After

Before

The before "before" from this post. Cruel, I know to show this again, but

 I really just wanted you all to have the full impact of the transformation!

After
Goodbye, tiny, creepy, moldy box.
 Hello, clean and pristine!



Adding a pocket door and sliding glass shower doors went a long way to help make this room feel more spacious.
 Relocating the linen closet that was previously behind the shower added over a foot to the length of the shower. It was absolutely worth the trade off to spend on construction costs instead of making any significant changes to the hall bath. This bathroom will now feel more luxurious simply because it's brighter and more comfortable to move around!

 
The Powder Room:

Before
1970's harvest gold laminate counter. Usually, a floating counter makes a bathroom feel bigger. Not in this case
because it was so dark and chunky. It looked like it came from a cheap motel from the same era!

After

 I thought this vanity cabinet by Allen+Roth had a lot of style for very little money.

 I loved that it had feet, curved doors, a shelf and a drawer. Plus, a big white porcelain sink. 

The drawer was a fantastic surprise at this price point!

 PS: I had so much trouble getting this post completed, so let me apologize now for all the irregular fonts and spacing.  I don't dare test fate (or my burning desire to toss the damn computer out the window) by trying to edit or add the other bathroom. I'm too afraid I'll lose it all, so I'll have to do in a separate post when I return.

The Bedroom Dresser: A Thing Of The Past?

It's been a busy two weeks and it looks like I may have the opportunity to work on a few new projects that involve construction. Of course, I am excited about that prospect! One project involves a master bathroom renovation. The space is already a decent size so there are a couple ways to tackle this particular renovation. Option 1 is to steal a bit of underutilized space from one end of a large master walk-in closet. There is a closet system in place, that will likely get an update as part of the project, and a dresser in the bedroom that is attractive, but merely stores a few sweaters and even has a few empty drawers! Expanding into the closet would allow for a larger bathtub and his and her sink vanities flanking the tub.



Franklin dresser by WSH


So it occurred to me, in the 21st century maybe our dresser's aren't really required to dress us anymore? Apartment dwellers have clothing storage issues that require careful planning and innovative solutions. And, of course in an old house where there may be no closets at all, I would think a large one and/or an armoire would be critical. But I wonder, how many who have renovated an old house have turned an unused bedroom or quirky space into a closet to eliminate a dresser taking up space in what may be a small master bedroom?

Mary McDonald.
Chests that double as clothing storage is smart in any size room.

So if the closet dresses the home's occupants, does the dresser (chest, bureau, armoire) just become an unnecessary thing to store a few extra sweaters or hold the television? I realized some time ago too that when you see bedrooms professionally photographed , rarely is a dresser shown in the room. Granted the bed is the focal piece of any bedroom, but is there another reason for their omission?

Victoria Hagen
On the left is what looks to be a French armoire presumably to hold the television.

When given the choice, I personally prefer the en suite set up where the closet is off the bathroom.  This way all of the routines of the morning/evening take place separately from the bedroom. Truly, a great luxury if two people share a room and are on different schedules! The only thing better...separate bathrooms and closets!


Unknown.
A desk on full view, but no dresser in sight for this modern scheme.

Do you think the dresser is falling out of favor and/or are closet systems rendering them obsolete? Could they possibly be deemed unattractive? Gasp...what would our ancestors say!

Guest Bathroom Reclaimed

When I first stepped inside this narrow bathroom, it was a bit like being trapped inside a lemon drop!  It was so confining and the space had been taken over by my client's product loving, messy, teenage son.


Before

What the clients asked for: A lighter, brighter space that their daughter could enjoy on visits home from college, but also a space that would accommodate visiting guests.  And, do it without using high end materials since most of the budget would be allocated to the master bath renovation.  The storage concerns would be partially addressed by relocating their son to his own little "man cave" in the the basement that already had a full bath.

After

What I proposed: Put a skylight in (agreed) to bring in some desperately needed natural light.  It's an interior space, so a small window was not an option.  Eliminate the door going into the son's former bedroom.  This was the worst layout for an ensuite bathroom I have ever seen.  There were literally 3 doors converging onto one another, all within mere inches of the next! The one that led into the bedroom, directly behind the main door entering into the bathroom (although surprised by this suggestion, agreed) needed to be eliminated.  And by making this change, the cabinet doors and drawers would no longer collide with the entry doors.  It would provide some sound proofing for the bedroom and also create some much needed wall space in the bedroom to place furniture.  A white (nixed) wood sink cabinet with deeper drawers for storage.  A slab mirror with a beveled edge (agreed) so nothing would protrude into this narrow space.  Wall mounted lights centered over each sink (agreed) versus their current location, which was in the middle of the wall.  Plus, add a light over the shower (agreed) and new exhaust vent.

There was another thing that really struck me, but in a comical way, when I first entered this space. Did you spot the bizzare feature?  The mirror extended beyond the sink console and over the toilet.  Charming.  We all had a good laugh about this "design" feature that builders employ to make small bathrooms appear larger. However, this certainly isn't the way to do it!

I suggested using a medium format subway tile in the shower with a green glass listello banding (nixed-the wife dislikes all brick patterns and the husband is not crazy for the color green) and a glass shower enclosure with gliding doors (agreed) to add more visual length.  Install a large porcelain tile on the floor and lay it on the 45 (agreed) to make the space feel wider.  Select fixtures and hardware in a brushed nickel (agreed) finish in a modern style.

The end result: A much lighter, brighter space with an airy feel to it.  We found a large white tile that was installed vertically in the shower and added a glass and marble mosiac band, a little splurge, flanked by the green glass listellos.  The daughter loved all the green! The mosaic originally had some blacks and grays mixed in, which I liked, but the clients did not care for the variations.   So I had the tiler remove them and replace them with the preferred tones.  I picked up the toffee color from the marble band for the sink console.

I really struggled with the paint on this project.  If you look at the shot of the back of the shower (above) you can see the clouds parted and there was a ray of light streaming through the skylight that illuminated the little fern on the back of the toilet.  Choosing the paint was challenging because of the lighting conditions, the size of the space, and the various materials to consider.  We did several large test samples and in the end settled on one the husband preferred that had a more gray undertone. In the daylight it is really lovely and calm. This was quite a transformation and the clients were pleased with the outcome and again vowing never to let their teenage son set foot in the space!

What could be better at the end of a bath reno than a stack of fluffy white towels!

Master Bath Renovation

My final project for 2009 was the renovation of three bathrooms for a husband and wife.  They were new clients and a pleasure to work for.  I worked primarily with the husband and that was a new experience for me, since most of my clients are either women or my main interactions are with the wife.  I would love to have more male clients. It is always refreshing to gain a new perspective.

The before pictures show what is a very typical bathroom for this neighborhood.  Most of the homes were built in the early 90's.  The lighting was dismal, storage not ideal, the sink console was very low, and the shower was extremely small for a master bath in a tradtional home that is over 4,000 sq. ft. And, then there was that awful roman tub.  A concept that I will never understand!

What the clients asked for:  Work within the current footprint to create a modern space.  Include plenty of lighting, better storage, but nothing too shiny, and no white cabinets or espresso stained wood.

What I proposed:  Eliminate the soffit over the sink console that contained the recessed lights (something they originally did not embrace) in favor of 3 sconces (nixed-they wanted them wall mounted over the mirrors) on the back wall between two rectangular mirrors.  Put in a free standing tub (nixed-the husband has a very stressful job and wanted a large jetted tub) in order to make the shower longer and more comfortable to move around.  A serene pallete of creamy marble and a spa- inspired blue,their favorite color (agreed-loved) and understated hardware and fixtures (agreed) so the tile would garner most of the attention. Shorten the counter run a bit to widen the shower as well as do a pony wall on this side too to let in more light (not sure initially because again it meant losing the soffit) as well as help with the ventillation issues.

The end result:  A modern space that is a serene, spa- inspired master retreat. The storage is now more efficient with lots of drawers, the lighting more than adequate (there are also seven 4" recessed cans in the vaulted ceiling), the ventillation issues addressed, as well as a wider and longer shower.  When the walls came down, there was a surprise waiting behind them ...isn't there always...but this time it involved 10 inches of prime real estate! The plumbing had originally been "cheated" to line up with the sink run.  I remember when the GC called to tell me of the discovery.  I was over the moon with excitement and rushed over to see the "find"!

As with any large renovation that involves many trades, it was an adventure in issues, errors, delays and compromises.  The final result was  a wonderful collaboration, two happy clients, and a project I am proud to put my name on.

Note: On load in day the two mirrors had not arrived!  Super disappointing because we had three people scheduled for this, all with very tight schedules...days before Thanksgiving!  I took comfort in knowing this has even happened the great Vicente Wolf!  See his blog for the story.  When I do my web site hopefully it will include the shot with the mirrors.