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Remodeling a bathroom (or kitchen) can be a daunting task, as these are, typically, among the more challenging and expensive transformations in a home. They require a lot of planning and detail-oriented thinking. And because of this, it is a good idea to create a new space that will have a really nice, long life. If you’ve followed me for a while, you will have heard my n° 1 motto: “Design a home you will love for 100 years.” Minor elements of the design can and will change, but it shouldn’t be the case that you are re-designing your space every 5-10 years. And interior design should work gracefully with the home and its architecture, especially when the home has strong architectural elements. This is the case study of a bathroom remodel done right.
In this particular case, we started with a bathroom that is part of an English cottage home in Maryland horse country whose original structure was built in the late 1700s. The original 250 year-old home was a small two-story, two-room home. The main floor where the kitchen and hearth were located would have been where the family spent their daytime hours when in the house. The only other room was a single room upstairs which they all shared for the night. Knowing this just goes to show how incredibly privileged and spoiled we are today. A gift, no doubt! Only in the 1950s was the rest added, including the bathroom that needed a full remodel.
The challenges: When the current owners bought the home, they were warned that this bathroom had a bad smell, probably due to plumbing work done wrong. The bathroom in question was also a quite dated space and showed serious signs of structural rot: detached and bouncy floor at two walls. There were several other design elements that were unappealing to the owners. In a bad design decision, the toilet had been placed right in front of the window facing the patio… Not the wisest design choice by any means. It also had a low-height popcorn ceiling that just added to the dated look of the space and horribly dated dressing-room style lighting. The last issue this bathroom presented was that the washer and dryer of the home were in this bathroom, and though they fit just fine, the new owners preferred these to be in the basement where there was plenty of space, allowing the bathroom to be just that: a comfortable bathroom.
The challenge: The owners wanted something interesting and sophisticated while respecting the style of the home, though they definitely did not want it to feel stuck in the past or fussy and old-fashioned, but actually of this day and age. And they also were only willing to work with noble materials as the beautiful home with its heavy structural beams and old wood floors actually merits. With this scenario, we set to the task of rethinking the entire space while also creating something that would be appropriate to the age and style of the home.
The changes required a full gut as well as digging out the basement several inches down as it was too shallow to get under the floor in case of need in the future. That solved, the new plumbing was put in. And all the elements were placed in their new spots. The toilet was moved to a discreet corner, the heat convector box was moved to sit under the window and was swapped out for a much more age and style-appropriate restored radiator, which also provides infinitely better heat. A semi-translucent, relaxed Roman shade softens an otherwise hard space. The cornered sink was removed and a new one set at the center of the wall commanding the space as one walks in. Finally, a walk-in shower was placed in the corner where the washer and dryer used to be.
The predominantly classic finishes chosen for the bathroom are a basketweave marble floor mosaic, black marble sink and black marble baseboards, grounding the space beautifully. The walls for the shower space were finished in micro-cement, a waterproof finish that resembles plaster which was ideal for this home. The rest of the room was covered in a gorgeous, classic Brunschwig & Fils block-printed wallpaper. The Anglo-Indian mirror was found at auction. A touch of charm and fun is added with the light fixtures resembling torches held up by little hands. To bring this quite classic design into the 21st century with some freshness we added small recessed ceiling lights, a glass single pane shower and a few contemporary details through the accessories and toilet.
The final result is a very spacious and comfortable bathroom that feels as if it had always been there, only that there are a few touches that bring in a fresh, contemporary feel.
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