The 515 Day Bathroom Remodel—Art Deco Accents

The Art Deco style originated in Paris before World War I, but didn’t make it to our shores until the 1920’s through the 1930’s.  It was the ultimate in the modern aesthetic and was the symbol of luxury and fine craftsmanship.  While Art Deco was predominantly used for office buildings, most notably the Empire State Building and Chrysler Buildings, our Los Angeles Union Station is a fine example of the style.

Residential homes sported furniture pieces and small kitchen appliances, but by the end of the 1930’s and the advent of World War II, the Art Deco style was dimming. 

In our 1938 home, the bathtub, and the front door handle set were distinctive of the Art Deco style.  Our house was built in the Modern Traditional style, interior corners are rounded, but the exterior is fairly plain without any curves, geometric details adorn the front porch.

As a prelude to entering our primary bathroom, I moved a 1933 Sunset Cover poster that we framed about 50 years ago.  I always loved the print, and it finally had a proper place.  

My fixture choices were directed by the simple but elegant style of the 1930’s.  We decided on black finishes and white tiles to coordinate with the dark soapstone countertop and slate floor.  Our splash of expense was on the rhomboid shaped marble for the niches, which reflect the geometry of the era.  I wanted to keep it simple, and let the small details define the room.

The chandelier has a definite Empire State Building look to it, and casts a beautiful pattern on the ceiling, which is painted a different color than the rest of the room.  

The small live edge shelf that is under the huge mirror, circa 1908, from my aunt and uncle’s house just off the Miracle Mile in Los Angeles, holds all I need.  The brackets are reminiscent of the curved and stacked style of buildings of that design.

As I have mentioned, the tub was the driving force for the bathroom design.  It is resembles the shape of many trains of the era.

The stencil in the toilet room was also inspired by one of the many geometric designs favored in the day.  It resembles a stylized sunrise or elaborate headdress from one of the flashy Broadway Shows.

The X pattern inlay on the cabinet drawers was a nod to the rhomboid shapes in the bath niches.  I left the center panel blank to keep it simple, but wanted the cabinets to have a little extra design interest.

Black and white colors were used in the 1930’s as they complimented the many bright to subdued colors used.  Colors ran from bright turquoise and pink and lots of teal, black and white featured everywhere.  Metallic’s were very popular, you saw them in wall coverings and inlays as well as furniture accents.

The Art Deco era was a fun and creative time.  It was bracketed by the sinuous botanicals from the Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts style that brought in more geometrics.  You can see elements of all these shapes in the Art Deco designs.

All of these little touches add just the right amount of interest to an otherwise plain bathroom.  And, the engineer did all the installations, which were tedious at times, but worth the effort.

The 515 Day Bathroom Remodel-Slate Flooring

Flooring—“the final frontier”, or so to speak.  When designing a room floors are always considered, but often people figure they’ll think about it more specifically as they get closer to installation time.  They will know roughly what kind of surface they want, i.e. carpet, tile, stone, hardwood, or vinyl.  An unfortunate truth is that by the time they get to choosing flooring, they’ve spent most of their budget on other things, and flooring is last.  Also, unfortunately, flooring is expensive. 

I had decided on slate years ago, when our daughter asked what I thought she should replace her kitchen flooring, which was alternating black and white vinyl squares.  A great look, but not practical with dogs tracking in mud and dirt from the yard.  She could have extended her hardwood into the space, but black slate was more durable—dogs, again.  

By using slate in our bathroom, it would not only be attractive and durable, it would help anchor the room and balance it with the soapstone countertop.  I was sick and tired of the light tile floor we’d been living with and it seemed dirty most of the time.  The slate only needs a quick sweep or light vacuum to keep it looking clean between washings.

If you’ve been reading about this 515 day remodel, you know how long we’ve had to live with the floor in bits and pieces. From the beginning, a two foot square hole cut into the floor to allow access under the house for plumbing.  A carefully cut piece of plywood was screwed in place until it was necessary to go under and then only a couple of screws had to be removed for access and replaced again.

The tile came up in stages and each time it was a little more unpleasant to look at and walk on, but it was only temporary.  I repeated this many, many times during the 515 days.  The first tile to come up was around the old vanity so that the new vanity could be placed on the new subfloor.  I must say, the backer board over the subfloor was lovely, it felt finished, or at least clean and level.

As we progressed through all the stages of this remodel, tile came up as needed.  Once the shower was demolished, that area needed backer board before we could continue.  The toilet room needed to be completely finished before the toilet could be installed.  It was nice to imagine how the entire floor would look with just that small room finished.

Onward to the rest of the floor, now the rest of the tile could come up and finally the hole in the floor could be permanently be closed up and nice, clean backer board was laid down.  We could see the light at the end of this long, long tunnel.

The engineer did spend a lot of time figuring out where the grout lines would fall in relation to the vanity’s opening and relative to the door to the bathroom.  This may not seem important, but believe me, you would notice it if it wasn’t lined up properly.  Not to mention having lots of small pieces to “fit” in to finish the floor.

After the floor was fully installed, we felt like we could dance in the room, so spacious, and level!  There were some tricky area’s to deal with.  As mentioned earlier, the tub has an Art Deco design.  The base has a small curve on either end with a panel in the center.  Fortunately, the original linoleum had been carefully cut and made a perfect pattern to cut the slate.  Not that cutting the pattern in slate was easy, but at least it didn’t have to be done by chiseling it by hand on the floor, but carefully cut on the tile saw while standing.

Of all the elements in the bathroom the slate flooring may be my favorite.

Next time:  Art Deco Details

The 515 Day Bathroom Remodel-Tile and Stone

Finally some pretty stuff.  The tile had been stored in the tub initially and now it was time for it to be applied to the walls, oh happy day.

However, first there were again many measurements to be made, while the vanity was in place and with the help of son-in-law and a helpful neighbor friend the ninety pound trough sink could be set in place so the stone counter could be set.  Plumbing in the wall had been completed for the two faucets and we had a fully functioning sink again.  We were only without a sink in this bathroom for two days.

The stone fabricator had picked up the soapstone slab, which we had stored for a couple of years in the garage after the kitchen counters had been finished, to be cut to fit the sink opening.  Once the stone masons came and got the slab cut and returned to set and caulk it, we could plan for the tile.

Measurements from the surface of the stone, allowing for grout lines, began and the engineer put a ledger board around the walls to ensure that the tile lines would be consistent all the way around the two adjacent walls encompassing the tub.

We decided the wall that held the sink and two windows would be fully tiled since one of the windows was partially over the tub.  We had taken both the windows out so they could be restored to proper working order.  Which meant they had to be stripped of eighty plus years of paint and the lift systems had to be replaced to function again.  

Once the windows were restored, I was concerned about having a wood window frame inside the shower area, which previously had only been a tub.  I came up with the idea that we could frame out the windows with marble chair rail and a marble window sill.  The niches were all marble and framed out similarly, so why not add the chair rail to the windows.

Naturally, this addition had to be considered before the backer board was installed, so the tile walls would be flush to the chair rail. 

A word about the niches.  We had decided that since the tub and shower were in one place, we would need a niche for the tub as well as for the shower.  The engineer designed a vertical niche to accompany the bottles of shampoo, body wash, etc., and a horizontal niche for the occasional tub soak.  To complete the experience he added a teak shelf that could be placed across the tub to hold a cup of tea or wine, and the niche would be an ideal spot for a scented candle.

The stone for the niches was selected long ago.  I had found a beautiful marble rhomboid shaped tile, while it was a bit of a splurge, it was a relatively small area.  The chair rail framed out the niches as well as the windows.  However, the window framing was a late decision and we needed more. As luck would have it we found just enough to finish the project, as the chair rail was discontinued.

It turned out that the chair rail had to be epoxied to the walls, which turned out to be a multi-day project.  Now that the niches and windows were installed the tile on the walls could begin.  The engineer started from just above the tub at counter height and went up and onto the adjacent wall before finishing below the ledger board.

At this point, we were feeling like we could see the light at the end of the tunnel and we were just under a year into this project, and only had two walls finished.  Albeit those two walls were heavy with plumbing and electrical stuff, and all that tile.  Those two walls held three of the four essential  components of a full bathroom.

Next:  Preparing the toilet room and stenciling

The 515 Bathroom Remodel-Cabinets

All remodels require many steps and, the different trades involved are separately working on their particular specialty, just waiting for their turn to do the installation.  This is where and why our bathroom remodel took the 515 days to complete.  There was only one very handy, engineer husband doing virtually all the work.  That is, he was demolition guy, plumber, cabinet maker, tile and stone mason, electrician, flooring installer, along with ordering all the parts for every one of the above tasks.  My engineer wears many hats.

One of the engineer’s favorite mediums to work in is wood.  I offered that we could have the cabinet maker I’ve used before make the vanity and linen cabinet for the bathroom, but he wanted to make them himself.  There was one caveat with the vanity cabinet.  I wanted a decorative detail applied to the drawers; again, offered a couple of different ways he could achieve the look I wanted.  One, was to apply a simple, thin molding to the outside of the drawers.  Two, we could paint the detail on the drawers, or three, he could inlay them with a thin ebony trim.  Naturally, he chose the latter, it was a new challenge for him, and he began researching materials.  Adding the trim would turn out to be one of the last things done once the bathroom was totally functional, since it required more exacting patience and skill.  He had made the drawer fronts so they could be removed to perform this task.

The first cabinets he worked on was the linen, drawers and laundry cabinet.  These three spaces all functioned independently, but had to occupy one space.  As you will recall from the previous post, the shower wall had to be created with the linen cabinet as a support wall.

We had decided on a simple flat faced, inset cabinet style.  This is a more precise style of cabinet to build, so it took more time.  Not to mention having to drive some distance to obtain the needed materials, remember this is in the time of Covid, with limited stock and access.

To maximize storage, the cabinet was built to the ceiling and several shelves were planned to accommodate towels, supplies and various and sundry bathroom items.

The laundry pull-out was a design the engineer devised to suit our needs.  He found a large wheeled laundry basket and built the pull out bin to be one that the wheels could just roll off the platform and onto the floor without having to lift the heavy basket.

Once the cabinets were built, they could be installed and the shower plumbing could be finished.  There is an access panel inside the linen cabinet to get to the plumbing should that be necessary.

The engineer then began working on the vanity cabinets, since he had purchased all the wood needed for both the linen area and vanity.  There was much measuring and figuring as he wanted to allow for the largest drawers and full extension.  This was the result of living with cheap, ineffective drawers on one half of the vanity and practically non-usable drawers on the other half.  

The inlay is one of the most noticeable details of the entire remodel.  The engineer built a jig for his router to be just deep enough so that the ebony wood would be flush with the surface of the drawer face.  The effect is dramatic.

I was so excited to be able to get those drawers organized.  I am not a fan of having a lot of things on the counter and with a huge trough sink, there isn’t much counter space to begin with.  At this point the bathroom was beginning to feel much more finished.  But, I’m getting ahead of myself, the tile couldn’t be started until the sink counter was set.

Next:  Tile and stone

The 515 Day Bathroom Remodel-Plumbing

Now that we are on the other side of the 515 day bathroom remodel, it is a bit easier to see the journey.  

Keeping in mind our primary goal was to move the toilet into the shower space and give us floor space and better function with the vanity.  It was tempting to just tear out the old shower and move the toilet and work on the rest at some point.  Fortunately, reason took over and planning the actual plumbing needs was the next order of business

We needed to remove the linen cabinet first, so that the plumbing for the tub/shower could go in behind the cabinet. My handy, engineer hubby tore out the linen cabinet and tub wall to the studs to begin his own schematic for the plumbing in the walls.

The bulk of the plumbing would go between the shower wall and linen cabinet, but, additional pipes were run in the wall adjacent to the end of the tub wall..  This was messy and difficult to remove because  the cement was so thick.  Removal and clean up took time.  

Once the walls were totally open, the pipe positioning could be thought out and installed.  First of all, framing of the end of the tub wall, where the linen cabinet had been, needed to be built to support the new pipes.  Fortunately, we had selected the fixtures for the shower assembly and we had them on hand.  Knowing the exact dimensions of all these fixtures was key to making them work in the space allowed.   

The finished space between the shower wall surface and the inside wall of linen cabinet, is three and three quarters of an inch wide.  That means the internal space in shower wall is even less, so the actual pipe placement kit critical.  We also replaced all of the plumbing at the tub fill end and took this opportunity to raise the valve positions which make reaching the valve handles much easier. 

Additionally, the two niches we had planned needed to be framed and positioned to avoid plumbing as well.  As a designer, I appreciate that form must follow function, but it’s hard not to want to rush this phase and get to the “pretty stuff”.

At this point, we are living like “campers”, with open to the stud walls and old tar paper exposed.  We were pretty excited to be able to close up the walls with insulation and fiber board, and feel like we were on our way to a finished project.  But, we still had window wall completely open to the studs, so we focused on the almost finished part to keep sane, and be able to move forward.  

While I’d like this to be the end of the “endless” plumbing, it was far from over.  Our son flew from the east coast to spend a week helping his dad with some under the house copper pipe cutting, connecting and pressure testing.  This exercise would bring the sink plumbing to the ready for the placement of the two foot by four foot trough sink.  With all the under the house piping complete to this point, it would make it easier for the plumber who would come and cut the cast iron waste pipe and connect the toilet in its new location.  But that exercise is still months away.

As I mentioned this bathroom was fully functional during 90% of the remodel.  As the picture shows, my husband cut a two foot square in the floor for easy access to the plumbing under the house.  It was tight as the floor joists are actually only eighteen inches apart, but it was far easier for the guys to scrunch their shoulders to wedge themselves through the opening, than it was to crawl about 50 feet on stomachs and elbows from the exterior access.  We were delighted to see the original 1938 linoleum, complete with gold metallic flecks.  Classy indeed.

Next time:  Cabinet Making

Bathroom Remodel:

When the Open Concept is Taken Too Far

We started the hall bathroom remodel several weeks ago, a bit backwards perhaps— with a door.  Years ago, I bought an antique leaded glass door with the hopes to use it as the door for the hall bathroom, since it was so pretty and the bathroom was not.  My main objection to the hall bath was that whomever added it on, placed the toilet smack in the middle of the doorway, with the door open, it was not a pretty sight, especially since you see it from the kitchen.

My handy hubby, the engineer did another stretching job to the door, it was wide enough, but not long enough to cover the opening and hang from the sliding mechanism.  Then, there was the task of filling holes from door knobs and dead bolts.  And finally, hours of filling, sanding, priming and painting!  A substantial header needed to be put in place to hold the heavy duty sliding mechanism to allow us to hang the door.

Next up was what to do with the leaded glass that offered lots of beauty, but little privacy needed for a bathroom.  I thought an antique mirror behind the leaded glass would offer the necessary privacy, and thought it would be interesting from the kitchen/hall side.  As for the bathroom side, I am planning on a sheet of wallpaper that will compliment the bathroom, or maybe blackboard paint.

The actual tear down of the bathroom or demo to the studs was next.  The house was built in 1938, when a 2X4 was exactly that, not today’s shaved down version.  When the bath was added, this factor was not taken into consideration, hence uneven walls with odd bulges and waviness.  My engineer decided the only way to fix it was to strip it down to the studs.  Besides, the reason for the remodel was to move the toilet from, “front and center”, to under the window and move the sink to where the toilet had been for a more pleasing view.

This bathroom was “carved” out of what we expect was a “laundry area” and stolen bedroom closet space on the common wall behind where the toilet was placed.  We decided to take more out of the closet area, by removing some of the upper storage, that had been left with the previous remodel.  We wanted the new sink area to have full ceiling height, rather than the lowered ceiling that was from the previous remodel.  This would allow for a nicer lighting fixture and a more spacious feeling in this tiny three quarter hall bath.

The demolition of the surrounding walls, left the toilet standing in my husband’s office; pretty convenient for him, but lacking privacy all around!  He is wasting no time getting the remainder of the closet walls reframed, thus closing in the bathroom from the office side, at least.

Next up will be further demolition of the shower tile and floor tiles.  Floor tiles have been ordered along with a mirror/medicine cabinet. Stay tuned.

Tempered Glass Bits

Several years ago, a glass shower door in our home spontaneously shattered.  What a racket!  Thankfully we were downstairs, and no one was near the door when it exploded.  Sadly, it was a week out of warranty.  The glass, was just bunches of broken bits, none of it was sharp because the glass was tempered.  Once we swept up all the bits, my question was, “what to do with it all?”  It was a pile of shiny, sparkly glass, like diamonds, I needed to find a use for it.

I have seen small bags of tempered glass in craft stores; now I had a five gallon bucket of it.  Christmas was the next holiday on the calendar, and I thought of ice, which made me think the glass was a good substitute.  My idea was to use the glass as a base for a small vignette: a cardinal bird, a bit of greenery and a nest sitting on the glass “ice”.

Earlier this year, my daughter and I were planting small container gardens using succulents, and I brought along some small stones, both natural and colored, and some of the tempered glass for added interest in the gardens.  I liked the contrast of colors and textures of the plants and glass in the copper colander, I used as a container.  The succulents can take the heat of the sun reflecting off the glass in the small gardens.

I have a simple glass container to which I added some beach glass from Kauai, and have a few pairs of earrings hanging from the rim; I added some tempered glass pieces for interest.  You could add layers of clear and semi-clear stones to a tall, glass cylinder vase; the stones would give your creation an interesting texture.  You might add the vase to a vignette.

I added some of the glass bits to a tall vase, with a single gerbera daisy; the combination makes a beautiful, simple statement.  A grouping of similar vessels would make a pretty centerpiece for a spring or summer table setting.

A “found” medium can create a fun opportunity to spark ideas for its use.

Salvaged Goods—New Uses

In recent weeks and months, I have felt like a small animal foraging in the world, collecting items tossed aside by others, to put in my own nest.  My daughter calls us, “roadside bandits”, but since these items are set out for pick-up by anyone, we are hardly bandits in the true sense of the word.

Some of these items are small, some are large, but all are useful and fun additions.  The smallest of these items was actually salvaged from our own stuff: a small shelf that was originally in the Hoosier Cabinet’s lower inside door.  I removed it years ago in order to make better use of the cavity under the pull-out counter.  I store all sorts of stuff under there, and the shelf was more in the way, so it has just been on a shelf in the garage for years and years.  The addition of the farm table allowed for much needed counter space and overflow eating space when needed, but using it as a landing spot for my husbands keys, sunglasses and change was not a good solution.  

I found the shelf and put it under the table top on the apron and discovered the space was exactly the right size to hold the shelf.  It just needed a backing, since it did not have the back of the cabinet door as a stop.  I knew we had some of the decorative metal screening we used to make the backyard lanterns for my daughter several years ago, and the screening turned out to be the perfect solution to keep all the loose change and keys from falling off the shelf.  The shelf is convenient and out of the way, not really even seen.  

While in Phoenix several months ago, my friend spotted some very cute shutters with the quarter moon cut out, and I had just the place for them!  Initially I thought I would put them on either side of the door inside the garage’s three piece bathroom, but there was not enough space.  However, flanking the bathroom window on the outside was more appropriate, and helped identify where a bathroom was located for a quick stop without having to go inside the house.

I put another salvage find under the bathroom window.  Along with the farm table, I had purchased a baby bathtub, and will be an ideal spot for washing my paint brushes outside, once the plumbing is extended through the exterior wall from the bathroom, in what had been a guest house addition next to the garage.   I will be able to attach a small hose to the drain spout and allow the tub to drain into an existing drain in the patio only a few feet away.  The tub is a great container for ice and cold drinks, when we have backyard parties.  The farm table journey was a positive one for sure.  I was able to pick up an old wash basin stand and enamel basin to use as a succulent garden and add a spot of color to a dull entry.

A number of friends now keep an eye out for me in my pursuit of doors for my fence idea.  A friend of my daughter’s spotted some french doors on the side of the road, and notified her.  My daughter picked up her Dad’s SUV and headed out to locate and load the doors; the bonus was an antique chair and some windows. 

I am currently using a couple of our old reclaimed doors as a backdrop for some climbing vines by attaching small nails to the door frame, allowing the vines to climb up the door and add interest to the plain garage wall.

All in all, these salvaged items have proved to be useful, sometimes simply as decorations, but at other times, providing a very useful function for my family.

Try to look at the ordinary with an open and creative mind; a simple box can be so much more than just a box.  Oh the possibilities!

Reclaimed Wood Shelves

The pretty bathroom that we added onto my daughter’s house a couple of years ago has been finished for sometime, with the exception of some reclaimed wood shelves she had always wanted to add.  We spent some time researching reclaimed wood, drove to a salvage business in downtown Los Angeles, and found what might be a good fit.  Then, as other projects moved forward, the salvaged shelves were put on hold.  

Finally, the wood was purchased, and the shelves were added to the area above the commode.  My daughter wanted this rustic look to relate to the natural weave of her laundry basket and to add some relief to the fancy turned legs of the reclaimed dining room buffet we made into her vanity with the addition of a vessel sink.   The beautiful faucet set and vanity, along with the custom tile band for the shower, are the show stoppers in the bathroom.

The ceilings are tall in her 1930s Spanish home, and my daughter felt the commode area needed a little special attention.  She added the stenciling on the commode wall for a little sparkle, which adds to the elegance of the rest of the bathroom; the rustic shelves are a juxtaposition to this design element.

Dressing the shelves was the next project.   We found a fun little wire basket at the “Junk Bonanza” in Del Mar a couple of weeks ago in which she could store her spare bath towel.  Then she added some of her favorite things from trips abroad and down under.  The memorabilia are a nice reminder of fun trips and outings with friends and family.

Additionally, we picked up some fun pieces during our salvaging outings.  We picked up vessels for planting succulents on the patio along with an old bedspring she will use as a planting screen for added privacy behind her outdoor patio furniture.  I will share more about these and other items in another article, so stay tuned for more of our salvaging exploits.

New Places for Some Old Favorites

Most people sooner or later, will get into a decorating rut.  They put the same things in the same places, either because they like the arrangements or are just too intimidated by the thought of changing.  I have been guilty in both cases.  Sometimes the geometry of a space dictates what will fit or create a reasonably balanced setting.  Other times, why change a pleasing setting?  Small changes can occur with seasonal decorating, and that is change is enough for me, as long as everything else suits.

I always suggest to clients to live in a space for a time to see how the space will work out for them, practically, to see how their life patterns will develop.  I am reminded of one of my earliest design instructors telling us how a New EnglandLandscape Architect allowed the pathways of a major University to be developed naturally, that is he allowed the students walking from class to class to set the pathways before setting them in stone.  What evolved was a pleasing and sometimes meandering paths, while other pathways were direct— that’s human nature.  It was just like seeing the paths blazed by the animals in the wild.

Moving forced me to consider what to save and what to let go— not an easy task, I admit.  The next step was to decide what artwork, family pictures, and the like would go where.  This decision-making took a bit longer than I expected, but then emptying boxes and finding space for what was most important took even longer.  More editing!

As a family, we have grown attached to many things. Some, while not great pieces of art, are important to our family’s history.  We all tried to remember where the five large Sunset posters had hung when our family was very young.  Thank heavens for the stronger memory banks of our children.  We sold a couple of the framed posters that our kids grew up with, more than 40 years ago, and we had several hanging in the home we had for 30 years.  It was gratifying to know that two young couples furnishing their first home, coincidentally enough, the California Craftsman style home that was our first home, were happy to hear our family’s story about the posters.  We are now down from five posters to two.  The placement of one of them in the bathroom may seem odd, but why not the bathroom? It feels fresh and fun.

Another grouping of framed art, is a set of three sketches of my husband’s first trip to Europe, on a cycling tour.  He turned 16 in a Paris cafe and met up with an artist from the San Fernando Valley— small world indeed.  After storing the sketches in a drawer for many years, I had them framed; they have hung somewhere in our home ever since.

This house is much smaller than our previous one, so I have had to think of ways to get our favorite pieces to fit and make some sense of what might be considered a diverse collection.

The three Paris sketches have made the cut and landed in the TV room.  Another important collection was of my father, as the “Fire-Fall” man in Yosemite National Park during his youth in the 1920s.  The pictures were always a treasure to me, because of the stories he told of those daring times.  Pictured in the background is Half  Dome, and there are scenes of him in his cabin, under what had been the Glacier Point Hotel, high above the valley, where guests of the Ahwahnee Hotel would marvel at the fiery logs being tossed over the falls.

I decided that the scale and coloring of both these two diverse collections could work together, since the black and white sketches were framed in a similar wood and style as the Yosemite photographs, which are in a sepia tone.  We have decided after much thought that this was a good choice, although not quickly made.

If you are moving, you certainly will be challenged with what to keep and where to place your things, but do not be hasty. Even if you are not moving, but are tired of your current displays, I say take them down, sort through what you have, keep only your very best and favorites and then find new places for them.  You will find it is refreshing to have familiar things in new places.

An Inexpensive Privacy Solution

The house we have recently moved to is what you might call vintage; it was built in 1938.  It has many great features; and over the years, some of the features have changed and others have remained the same.

I am certain the master bathroom has seen some remodeling; however, unlike other improvements in the home, the bathroom could use another refreshing.  We plan to make some changes in the near future, but our most important issue after moving in was privacy.  A prior owner had used a spray giving the window glass a frosted look with a clear border.  This solution seemed to be a good enough for the tenants who occupied the home while we were preparing to sell our home.  However, the last tenant removed the frosted part on one window, and the children must have picked away at the other window leaving it less than attractive.  Once we moved in, we needed the light, but needed the privacy more.  I had purchased some temporary blinds, and we lived with them for a couple of weeks; but I could only tolerate that for a short time.

In the mean time, I had been thinking of an inexpensive solution that would be attractive enough, private enough and easy enough for the short term until we make some major adjustments to this bathroom.

On a previous trip to IKEA, I had seen a new pattern of sliding panels and was thinking of different ways I might make the panel work for me.  The panels are only 24 inches wide, and fortunately the bathroom windows are about the same size.  The upper portion of the double sash windows provide enough privacy because of foliage outside, but the lower half was my concern.  I did not want to install the sliding frames that are available for these panels, but did want to keep the project simple.

I purchased small, slender, cafe curtain rods easily found in just about any hardware or big box store.  To give the panel some weight to hang properly, I purchased one- quarter inch steel dowels, and sewed a pocket on the top of my fabric and bottom of my panel fabric; slipped the curtain rod in the top and the steel dowel in the bottom; gravity did the rest, pulling the curtain down snuggly to the window sill.  

One of the reasons this was so easy and simple is that the fabric edges, a poly or plastic of some sort, will not fray; so there was no finishing to the edges, as there would be with other fabrics.  I liked this grid or checker pattern because it lent itself to a country or more modern style.  I had enough fabric left to do a similar treatment on the back door window that gives both our neighbor to the north, and us a bit more privacy.  The only change I made in the construction was to fix the same type of rods to the top and bottom so the bottom was firmly fixed, and would not bang on the door every time the door opened or closed.  With the bathroom windows, this was not an issue and, having the bottom of the window blind not fixed, makes opening the windows in the bath room easier.

Covering three windows for under $30 feels like a good deal to me.  I saved my dollars for the kitchen and dining room windows and went with linen top-down and bottom-up blinds that allow light and privacy, a win, win.

A Trip Back in Time

This is one of my favorite times of year because the Pasadena Showcase House Tour is running through May 17th.  I have been visiting this showcase for decades and always marvel at what designers can come up with in new and inventive ideas of the designers; I do not always agree with what I see, but I usually come away inspired.  This year was no different; there were some likes and some not so much.

One of my favorite rooms was the Artist’s Retreat.  I nearly gasped when I saw the quiet color palette, the same palette that I planned for my new office, and some of the same materials.  The designer who was responsible for this particular room, used very expensive oak planks on the walls and spaced them tightly together, while my plan is to use wide pine planks with a shiplap look instead.  Cost is always an issue for me.  I loved the use of cork for the floors, they actually looked like travertine.  I had planned to use travertine, but I think cork is the way to go.  With advances in the use of cork, you can find it in a variety colors.  You can mix and match to create designs such as the harlequin pattern in this room.  Cork is warm, quiet and renewable, therefore a very “green” product.

Another take away from this year’s house was the liberal use of Edison light bulbs.  No doubt you have seen them in many magazines, brochures and other advertisements.  One of the designers commented that the Edison lights used in the room he designed were from a local and well known lighting shop—Lamps Plus.  I guess even showcase designers have to find savings where they can.  Edison lights were used throughout the house in a variety of designs from industrial to elegant.

Pasadena Showcase House 2015, from Google Images

The color palette for this year’s house has some of my all time favorites and some new colors from Dunn Edward’s newest collection that I have already used—it is good to know I’m on trend.  There were some pretty bold colors but they were well balanced in the private rooms upstairs where the family stayed, while the more public rooms were much more neutral but had accent colors repeating some of the bolder colors used upstairs.  I found it to be a good exercise in the use of the color palette keeping it unified without creating a rainbow effect.

Pasadena Showcase House 2015, from Google Imagaes

As I mentioned, there were some “misses” for me.  I felt some of the bathrooms were a bit overdone with the use of stone, and I love stone in a bathroom; but I felt there was too much pattern conflict.  There certainly were a lot of bathrooms to choose from, something for every taste, and I had some favorites there too.

You can go online and see some of the photos from the Showcase House, this year and past years; but if you have a chance you should go and see it for yourself this year’s Tudor style house designed by Fernand Parmentier in 1910.  There is always something gained, besides the benefit to children’s music programs throughout the community that the Showcase House funds.

New Uses for Old China Cabinets

China cabinets have been a subject in my column before, I know, but this topic has a new twist.  Most china cabinets new and old come in two pieces; that is, the top or glass portion is usually a bit narrower than its base and secured by screws and possibly a bracket to hold it all together as one piece.  Years ago, I had a friend ask me what she could do with a piece she had inherited from her mother, a piece she really didn’t want, or need, but “Mother wanted me to have it”; so the need to keep and use it was strong.

My immediate idea was to take the top off (storing it until a use could be found for it) and to just use the base as a buffet, which is what my friend did.  The buffet sits in the dining room with the matching table, and the room is no longer overwhelmed with too much furniture.  I had suggested that if they had space in a bathroom, a metal base frame could be made for the glass portion and the piece could be painted and used to store pretty towels and toiletries.   The base being open, would not overpower a small room.  However the home really did not have space for.  Oftentimes, an older home ( 60 years or more) might accommodate such a piece.

Now, this friend is refurbishing a home that is from the turn of the last century, and I got to thinking about the upper cabinet piece that  hopefully being stored.  The piece might be a perfect solution to furnishing a century-old home, in either the kitchen or bathroom.

In the kitchen, it could easily sit on a counter top, making it look somewhat built-in, painted to match the base cabinet.  This situation would not have been out of the ordinary in those days, as pioneer folks really did use what they had or could find in a neighboring farmhouse.  Mix and match became a design trend; but back in the day, it was simply a way to make ends meet.  It’s funny, how somethings come full circle.

Alternately, this upper cabinet piece could be a great linen cabinet upstairs in the bathroom or hallway near the bath.  Again, it could be placed on top of an old dresser and secured to the dresser with brackets, or fastened to the wall as a permanent piece.   Depending on the decor sensibilities of the room, the pieces can be painted a fun color to enhance the bathroom, as an accent piece or painted to blend into the walls.  Bright colored towels can provide the accent color.  

If the glass has broken in the storage or transportation, a mesh or chicken wire can replace the glass.  Painted a silver, gold or black to match the other fixtures in the bathroom or kitchen to give it a true “farmhouse” feel, along with new handles or cabinet pulls.

Of course, both pieces could be re-united and painted and placed in the old farmhouse and given new life in a new space with a outlook for another hundred years.

There is usually a solution, if you can keep an open mind and are not in too much of a hurry for the finish line.   Remember that decorating is a journey; have fun along the way.

Tile to the Top

Whether you are remodeling or building from scratch, tile in the bathrooms and kitchen is a good choice.  While solid surface countertops still reign superior in most homeowner’s minds, the backsplash is another thing entirely.  Tile and stone pieces are a great option.  Stone pieces and mosaic tiles are usually mounted on a mesh backing, making installation much easier than was the decades ago fashion of placing the pieces one piece at a time.

In showers, more often than not, I am seeing tile or mosaic stone being used from floor to ceiling for a continuous look.  This process eliminates peeling paint in very moist environments.  It is also a cleaner look from a design aspect.  Allowing tile to reach the ceiling, gives you some more options for adding a design element, such as running subway tile in a vertical pattern, or alternating colors into vertical bands to give the room a greater appearance of height.  Running several contrasting  horizontal bands is another design option.  In small spaces use less contrast, but enough to add interest in what might be a dull and uninteresting space.

In kitchens, where you use tile as a backsplash behind a cooktop, you can create again a greater sense of height and you can highlight a fancy hood vent.  If you have a sink that does not overlook a window, adding an attractive tile with open shelves will feel less closed in than having cabinets above the sink.  This area can become a focal point for displaying some of your favorite decorative pieces or most-often used dishes and bowls; if they are colorful or unusual, they are not only useful, but pretty additions to the kitchen decor. 

Open shelving in kitchens over a counter-to-ceiling wall of interesting tile can add special interest while allowing for storage and display options.  In an eating area, where the kids sit, might be a great place to store materials that they can access easily, especially in a space-saving banquet area.

There are so many choices when it comes to wall tile.  Stone, glass, porcelain, and ceramic tiles are available in smooth, metallic, clear, solid and tumbled finishes.  I like to remind clients to consider the relationship between the counter and the backsplash choices, which need to be coordinated in both color and patterns.  Too often, clients choose a speckled countertop that may have a lot of color contrast, which they love, but then choose an equally busy backsplash over the counters; and are not usually very happy with the finished look.  It is best to choose one or the other to be the big splash of design or color contrast which is not to say you cannot have a dash of contrast in both places; but you need to use some restraint in one place or another.

Engineering Vanity Drawers

When you are considering using a piece of furniture as a bathroom vanity, there are a few things to consider.  Drawers were the major concern with the sideboard piece we selected for our vanity in the new construction bathroom in the vintage house about which I have been writing.  Drawers also may be a consideration for you, but you may have more drawer space to spare than we did with the sideboard, which was limited to two drawers.

We did consider the drawers when we first looked at the piece and hoped we could have some use of at least one of the drawers.  The engineer was able to allow for partial use of both drawers-- an added bonus. 

Once the vessel sink, and the faucet set arrived, the engineer was able to collect the various plumbing pieces needed and worked on construction of the drawers.  Using plywood, he was able to build a series of boxes that would accommodate the necessary plumbing and still allow for some interesting drawer space.  As you can see from the pictures, both drawers were compromised for the plumbing, but there is still quite a bit of useable space for useful storage.  With some modular vanity boxes for make up or jewelry, these drawers will function quite well.  

The two cabinets on either side of the drawers will store a hair dryer and various curling irons and other necessities the lady of the house will need.

The sideboard was not the least expensive part of the project, but it was a close third.  The vessel sink was quite affordable, and looks great.  The knobs were re-purposed from the kitchen and original to the house, so they cost nothing.   A few shiny new screws and a good clean up was all that was needed to make the knobs sparkle and add a touch of history to the piece.  Without a doubt the faucet set was the big expense; but in the end, it is so elegant it was considered, well worth the price.

The vanity was installed last weekend and it looks stunning; all parties are pleased with the outcome.  There are some practical things to consider with this piece, first of all, having a wood top is not the ideal surface for a vanity, a stone top would be more durable.  This homeowner knows the problems associated with a wood top and it will be up to her to maintain the surface by making sure any water drops are quickly wiped up.  While there are many, many coats of finish, it is still a good idea to keep the surface dry; I suggest a wipe up towel inside one of the cabinets for easy and quick access.  The vanity is certainly the showpiece of this lovely new bathroom.

Where to Save and Where to Splurge

The new-build bathroom is taking shape.  The next thing to do is install the tile on the floor and shower and, since that will begin next week, I thought I would talk about some of the saves and splurges, what to look for and how to save.

In this particular house, there was a custom window in the bedroom space where we wanted to put a pair of French Doors.  Trying to save as much of the budget for other things, we decided to re-use the window in the bathroom--a big save.  It is a rather large window, but it overlooks a particularly pretty floral garden and patio, so we felt it was a good move.   My client had to purchase a custom window for a wall in the new bedroom extension to match an existing window, and not having to buy two custom windows made good sense.

Having a large window in the bathroom made for some challenges for the vanity, described in earlier articles; the placement had to be fairly low to be level with the height of the vessel sink.  The length of the vanity also had to match the width of the window, so this furniture piece turned out to be truly perfect fit for a vanity.  The cost of the vanity was another big save.

Finding an acceptable faucet set for the vessel sink turned out to be more of a challenge that expected; after all, vessel sinks seem to be quite popular.  However, we did not find anything that met the criteria in the home centers, so we explored higher end retailers.  This purchase turned out to be one of the splurges we had been saving some of the budget for; but beauty has its price. 

Since the vanity is the real focal point of the bathroom in this instance, my client wanted it to reflect a certain elegance and grace.  The shower fixtures, while important, will not be so much on view as the sink, so those fixtures were a little less spectacular in both cost and aesthetics; however, they are made of a good quality metals instead of more standard plastic that most of the home centers offered-- another save.

​A special feature was the accent tile in the shower.  Since this house is of an older and  particular vintage style, we headed to Mission Tile in South Pasadena and, decided on a classic design in custom colors that will remain timeless.  While this could be considered to be on the splurge side of the ledger, the area was small and the cost was minimal.  Of course, we could have chosen something from the home center, and the cost would have been less, but the effect would have been less as well.

There are still a lot of details to attend to before we can call the job finished, but the major expenditures are in or nearly so.  Hopefully, this project will be finished in the next couple of weeks, and I can share with you some of the photos of the completed bathroom.  

Finding the Perfect Vanity

Grimy Find

The search for the perfect bathroom vanity set my client and me on a journey to the flea markets at Pasadena City Collage and  the Rose Bowl, into Orange County’s antiques streets and up to Main Street in Ventura.  Along the way, we were able to fine tune exactly what was needed to fit the space available and satisfy my client’s aesthetic sensibilities.   Keeping an open mind helps you find something and adapt it to your needs as opposed to having something custom built and incurring the additional cost.

It is important not to become discouraged when you head out on your search, because what you have in your mind’s eye is not likely to be found in the world of existing products.  My client had established the hard surface finishes, which are stone and tile; so she was looking for some warmth in natural wood for her vanity-- that is, not a painted piece.  Of course, a found, usable vanity could be stripped and refinished if otherwise worthy. 

We didn’t have any success at our first weekend out, which is not unusual.  However, when we hit the Rose Bowl, we were amazed to find a great, aesthetically pleasing dresser at the first stall we saw.  We especially liked its large, round mirror; usually mirrors attached to dressers are oval.  Even the color was perfect, had she wanted a painted piece.  The design added to its feminine appeal.  We assessed the piece with a practical eye: how much work it would take to add a vessel sink and the necessary plumbing, and how much drawer space would need to be sacrificed.  The vendor took our cell numbers and we moved on. 

Rennovation In Process

Our second find determined that a dining room server or sideboard might be a better choice.  We determined the central top drawer might be sacrificed for plumbing,  but the side cabinets would be perfect for keeping curling irons and a hair dryer for easy access.   We especially liked the turned legs of the piece adding to the feminine quality.  Unfortunately, detail work lost over the years needed to be replaced by a furniture restorer, ultimately adding to the cost.  The last problem was that the piece was painted; beautiful mahogany wood, but the missing detail work was key, so we moved on.

Our last option at this site was a pretty Bird’s Eye Maple dresser.  We loved the wood, but the piece was pretty plain and the top was damaged, so more work or a stone top would need to be added, increasing the cost.

The search continued the following week into Orange County.  Because we had little time and had honed in on what we wanted, we looked at a more limited number of pieces;  we found only one piece to seriously consider, but it was costly, and  reviewing our “option” pieces, we passed on it.

The next day we headed up north to Ventura, and BINGO!  We found the perfect server piece.  A previous owner had cut the legs down, so it was low enough to accommodate a vessel sink and, we didn’t have the anxiety of doing it ourselves.  It is  narrow in depth, which suits the available space nicely, and was not painted.  It did have decades of old stain and no doubt a variety of oils and grime on the surface, but that just means it needed to be stripped.  

The stripping down part was going to be messy and time consuming, but the price was negotiable, and that made it very appealing.  Unfortunately, the most effective stripping agents have been eliminated by the EPA over the past several decades, so the process is more lengthy.  If you do not do it yourself, stripping can be very expensive.

Completed Vanity

In the end, the search process was fun and, as usual, educational, as we fine tuned what would work best.  The stripping continues, but we are convinced that the search was successful, and it will become the perfect vanity.

Designing a Bathroom from the Ground Up

My current client project will be an ongoing one for some time; it is a bathroom addition from the ground up.  There are many things to consider when choosing finishes for a bathroom; there are so many choices and a tight budget can be constraining.  Making the right choices for a project depends largely on the individual and of course, on available funds.

First is the need to determine who will be using the bathroom:  is it a main bath for a family, a powder room for guests or a master bath for the homeowner?  Still, there are  many considerations, space being the biggest factor.  Is there room for a tub and a shower?  Will the commode be in a separate room?  Will there be a single or double sink?

My project is for a master bath for an older home, so keeping the new features in line with the age and style of the home is paramount, thus lessening the finish choices and, in this case, limiting the size of the working space as well.

Having limits is a good thing, but the choices of wants verses needs are dictated by budget and available space.  These limitations force consideration of what is most important and where best to spend dollars to maximize goals.

Early on, the client wanted simple elegance in a small space with room for only a three piece bath, and a shower was the third piece, since the original bath has a tub/ shower combination.  Stone was high on the list for must haves, setting the tone for the room challenging the budget with regard to the rest of the finish choices.

Choosing stone and tiles that will not overwhelm a fairly small space is important, and scale is paramount to getting it all right.  The next consideration is color.  This project is an expensive endeavor, it is important to keep it classic while resisting the urge to go dramatic or follow current trends.  We have all seen the results of that mistake, when you can determine the age of a bath by the color of the fixtures.  Who can forget the Avocado and Harvest Gold of the sixties and seventies, or the pink of the fifties?  

While style is important, function must reign; and keeping those two elements in balance requires careful planning.  For this client, the shower is the most important element, so it will be the focus for space and money as well as placement in the available space.

To maximize the appearance of more space, the floor and shower floor will be the same marble pattern.  Since the marble pattern is small in scale, it will be safe and suitable for the shower floor and, with a full glass door, it will appear seamless.  The client considering a variety of larger tiles to use as a border around the bathroom for added interest, a part of the on-going part of the process as homeowner has not yet determined what that detail will be.

Stay tuned.  Next time, I will discuss the hunt for the perfect vanity. 

Show Your Personality in Unexpected Places

There are so many places in your home in which you can show off your quirky or whimsical side.  I prefer the less obvious places where these little touches are subtle and give people a chance to determine if they really did see something odd or not.

My son has been going through his 1970s house and making it more about him and his lifestyle rather than about the very ordinary style of the previous owner.  When my son asked for some ideas for his outside lighting, I sent him a fairly large variety of styles that would enhance his exterior.  When he saw the Gargoyles, he naturally loved them, but thought, “this must be a test”; after looking over all the choices, he selected a few and sent them back to me, but asked about the gargoyles: was I really serious or was it a test?

While we appear to be a fairly plain and possibly dull family, we have our quirky side and express it differently;  Gargoyles are part of that quirky side; you will find several around if you know where to look.  When my son posed the question, I told him to go for it; it suited him, and with a click of his computer mouse, he purchased a pair for the front of his house.

I did caution him not to overdo it, and to limit the Gargoyles to the pair.  He chose something similar for some other areas that needed lighting at the front of his house, but the back deck is completely different with a different vibe going on there.

Lighting is very important to a home’s function and style.  Most overhead lighting is not particularly useful for tasks that we need to perform in a given room.  Table, floor and desk lights are more suitable for performing tasks, while track lighting is great for a dark hallway where you want to create a gallery wall of art or photographs, or just light the way in an interesting fashion.

Track or cable lighting is also useful in small rooms where there is limited space for table or floor lamps.  These inventive lights come in hight and low intensity, and they are very directional, giving you light where it is most needed.  Track lights can be very unobtrusive as well.  Cable lighting is particularly good in spaces where there is concrete construction, like in old loft spaces or newer condos.

Chandeliers have become big business in recent years, and people are using them in more unexpected places.  I applaud their use, but make them fit with the style of the room; and make sure they give you the light you need.  For instance, a pretty chandelier in a powder room is perfect, but in a bathroom where you need to shave or apply make-up, you will need more serious task lighting.  Add some sconces to either side of the mirror for more effective lighting.  By all means, add sparkle and whimsey whenever you can.

Contrast Adds Drama

While it is true that high contrast will add drama to a room, it is wise to consider how you use contrast.  A painted accent wall is fairly easy to change should you decide you cannot live with the drama the color created, but a floor or a tiled backsplash or shower enclosure is a bit more complicated in terms of expense and time invested.

When you are considering changing something more permanent in your home, like flooring and counter surfaces as well as backsplashes and tub/shower enclosures, try less contrast.  You will be living with these changes for a long time and a classic surface in these areas will serve you better.

Think of all the homes built in the early to mid-20th Century; for the most part, these homes were built with hardwood flooring.  Over the years, as wall to wall carpet became popular, these floors were covered with soft, colorful carpet.   Today, that carpet is considered undesirable and old fashioned.  Carpets in older homes are routinely being  pulled up, exposing those now treasured hardwood floors.  If the wood is in good condition, a simple sanding, staining and fresh coat of polyurethane to preserve its beauty for another half century or more.

Choosing a new color for the floor will be important and fairly permanent.  While it may be tempting to add or stain a border or pattern, think in terms of long term use and how you will feel about such a contrast as a wide, light or dark border verses a solid-colored floor.  An exception to this rule, would be if the floors cannot be successfully refinished, but can be painted instead; then I’d say, go ahead and paint a fun harlequin pattern or boarder.  While the traditional black and white pattern is always popular, you can use softer colors for less contrast, like shades of grey or spa colors like blues and greens; even shades of beige would be a calm and peaceful color combination. 

Tile and natural stone is an expensive and fairly permanent surface for kitchens and baths.  Tempting are the bright colors and fun patterns, but again, consider how long it will be in style, staying classic is wiser.

Unless your home is clearly in a particular style like a Spanish Revival or Spanish Colonial, the use of colorfully patterned tiles might be a bit risky.  Adding cute “accent tiles” to a kitchen backsplash will date your renovation very quickly and reduce its value at resale time.

If using these colorful and playful tiles is something you have your heart set on, use them in less permanent ways.  For instance you can make tile trivets and hang them on the backsplash to add some personality without risking the need to tear it out once you tire of it.

When considering high contrast, think about how long you will live in this home and consider the home’s style.  High contrast will give you high drama, but you can enjoy soft contrast too and it is often easier to live with in the long term.