No Tub, No Problem

We thought it was time to switch it up and introduce you to a bathroom remodel project. Find all the details behind this design based on my interview with Lead Designer, Katie.

First, what did this project entail?

This homeowner had a primary bathroom in need of major updates to bring it into the 21st century. With its carpeted floor, crimson red accent wall, huge jacuzzi tub being used only to store plants, and a shower stall measuring 3’ x 3’, it was time for change! Katie took advantage of the space by removing the (literal) garden tub, extending the shower, and creating a bench seat below the window for shoe storage. She also incorporated a custom vanity with lots of upgraded features, including open shelving for a nice towel display as well as some other favorites included below. She upgraded all of the doors to a 5-panel shaker style topped off with some beautiful wood finish work and updated all of the material colors, ushering in a lighter palette with a calming oasis effect, grounded with the black fixtures and darker veining in the tile floor and countertops.

Now, for some favorite features:

This time Katie didn’t even have to be asked for her favorites. She jumped right in with the following!

• Clever Storage: Most of the time a sink has a faux door underneath it with 2 cabinet doors below. Instead, Katie swapped out the standard for an inverted sink base, not only allowing products to be closer within reach but also gaining an additional storage drawer below. She created 2 counter-to-ceiling storage cabinets to house even more products as well as outlets inside those cabinets for electric toothbrushes and razors. Additionally, the trash can pivots out of the cabinet when the door is opened while the lid stays in place!
  

• Easy to Clean Design: Another favorite feature are the wall mounted faucets on the slab splash with the additional shelf sitting atop it. This makes the vanity so easy to clean!! Speaking of easy to clean, we left the bases out of the floor-to-counter cabinets so that when they are open, they can easily be wiped out!

• Patterns and Layers: We mixed brushed nickel hardware with black lighting and plumbing fixtures (provided by Ferguson) to create a custom layered effect. Another feature I love about this space is the Versaille pattern of the stone floor, which consists of mixing 4 to 6 different size tiles. That same pattern was carried into the shower floor, creating a beautiful seamless look. We selected a soft grout color so that it kind of fades into the background and lets the pattern and color variation of the stone speak for itself.

From That…

…To THIS!

Lessons to share from this project:

One tip for pulling off such a busy stone is to pair it with a mainly monochromatic look. If you want to add another contrasting element use visual breaks in pattern. In this case the neutral color of the cabinetry allowed for a mix of patterned materials like the countertop and tile floor, both with darker veining.

From Pillows to Parties

Read along for our latest installment of “Catching up with Katie!” This might be my personal favorite project reviewed to date.

As always, let’s start with a little background on this project:

This homeowner is a big entertainer and has guests over on the regular. He wanted space for friends to gather around comfortably, so the remodel took 3 previously small, compartmentalized rooms and turned them into an open concept kitchen, dining area, and front sitting room. All the dividing walls were knocked out, but the kitchen perimeter layout was maintained to save on cost. Those cabinets were given a fresh coat of paint, and an updated island was added. Coming in at a whopping 11', it was the largest Katie has designed to date. The range was relocated to the middle of the kitchen island with a freestanding hood.

In addition to the layout and design, Katie provided assistance with cabinetry hardware, lighting, backsplash, and countertop selections. This remodel took approximately 6 months to complete.

Now, for some highlights:

When asked about her favorite feature of this kitchen, Katie had a few to share!

• Backsplash: this favorite feature was a larger format tile with a blue metallic geometric shape unlike any Katie had seen before. She stumbled upon it at The Tile Shop and used it as the inspiration around which the entire space was designed. To complement that backsplash, she used Cambria’s Portrush, which has specs of blue and gold in its highly defined veining.

• Island: the island is loaded with storage and a mixture of organizational inserts such as spice tiers, utensil dividers, tray dividers, and drawer stacks. Additionally, the cabinets were painted with the bold Benjamin Moore’s “Hale Navy” to complement the backsplash and countertops. Finally, the hardware was all updated to a sleek brass to highlight the gold flecks found in the quartz.
  

• Functional Art: to enhance football get togethers, a large flat screen TV was installed. However, what makes this television special, is that it serves multiple purposes. When not in use, it displays live interchangeable art scenes. Katie and the homeowner selected an unframed version to align with the contemporary aesthetic of the design.

Any surprises?

Katie was amazed and how much bigger and functional the space feels. There was originally a room to the right that was so pointless that it literally served as the “pillow storage room.” Now, the pillows are gone, and there can be multiple cooks in the kitchen!

Lessons to share from this project:

When installing a large island, you always need to make sure that the countertop material is available in that size. There are certain quartz options that will come up to 120” and only a select amount that are offered in jumbo slabs which exceed that limit. If your island exceeds the available slab size, you are subject to having a seam in your countertop. Sometimes seams are necessary (like in L-shaped and long run countertops). If this happens in your project, work with your designer to make sure the seam is placed in an inconspicuous place.