Bathroom of the Week: A Fresh Take on Spanish Revival Style
When a couple’s plans changed, their designer, whom they found on Houzz, cut costs while maintaining a high-end look
This young couple bought their home in San Diego knowing they would need to remodel. So they looked to Houzz to find a local interior designer and hired KNC Design Group. “Their original primary bathroom was really small at 5 feet by 7 feet,” interior designer Kara Clark says. She remodeled this bathroom and a hall bath at the same time, borrowing space from a home office to enlarge them. The result in the primary bath is a fresh take on Spanish Revival style with an organic feel.
After: The remodel took the bathroom from 35 square feet to 81 square feet. The vanity is on one side, with the shower and toilet on the other.
During the design phase, the couple discovered their family would be growing soon. “Originally their budget included remodeling both bathrooms and the kitchen, and high-end finishes,” Clark says. “Once they found out they were having a baby, they put off remodeling the kitchen and we made adjustments to the budget while achieving the same look.” She kept track of costs with Houzz Pro software, using it for proposals and invoices.
Browse vanities in the Houzz Shop
During the design phase, the couple discovered their family would be growing soon. “Originally their budget included remodeling both bathrooms and the kitchen, and high-end finishes,” Clark says. “Once they found out they were having a baby, they put off remodeling the kitchen and we made adjustments to the budget while achieving the same look.” She kept track of costs with Houzz Pro software, using it for proposals and invoices.
Browse vanities in the Houzz Shop
The vanity is white oak with thin rail profiles. “We played around with putting a makeup station with a stool in the center, but ultimately my clients decided having hampers in here was more important to them,” Clark says. The two cabinets in the center are hamper pullouts.
“I like to minimize overhead light in a bathroom,” Clark says. “You get better light from eye level when you’re putting on makeup. But the vanity was so long that it really needed something in the center, so I added the glass pendant light there.”
The mirrors hide medicine cabinets. “Some of my clients are reluctant about medicine cabinets at first because they tend to all look the same. But these arched mirrored medicine cabinets are really pretty,” Clark says. The frames are brass.
“I like to minimize overhead light in a bathroom,” Clark says. “You get better light from eye level when you’re putting on makeup. But the vanity was so long that it really needed something in the center, so I added the glass pendant light there.”
The mirrors hide medicine cabinets. “Some of my clients are reluctant about medicine cabinets at first because they tend to all look the same. But these arched mirrored medicine cabinets are really pretty,” Clark says. The frames are brass.
Most of the value engineering on the project was through the tile selections. “Originally, we had the entire wall covered in a handmade tile,” Clark says. When this turned out to be a budget-buster, she pivoted. “I told them we could go partway up the wall and cap it with a really nice border. I assured them it would look just as good,” she says. She chose a ceramic tile that looks like handmade zellige and capped it with a border tile that gives it a custom look.
Backsplash tile: Cloé, Bedrosians; border tile: Moroccan Sea Salt and Natural, Zio & Sons + Clé
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Backsplash tile: Cloé, Bedrosians; border tile: Moroccan Sea Salt and Natural, Zio & Sons + Clé
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Originally, the jumping-off point was a terra-cotta floor tile that was on the pricey side. “We found this porcelain tile that looks like terra cotta to cut costs a bit,” Clark says. The variation in color and the geometry of the tile set the Spanish Revival tone in the room.
The plumbing fixtures are burnished brass that will patina over time. In fact, the process had already begun before installation. “The contractor called me after he opened the boxes to ask if I’d seen the finish and whether or not I was sure if this was what they wanted. He thought there was something wrong with them,” Clark says. “My client absolutely loves the imperfections of living finishes and the character that they bring. I assured him it was fine.”
The countertops are a durable quartz with a marble look. Installing matching integrated sinks brought in some modern style.
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The countertops are a durable quartz with a marble look. Installing matching integrated sinks brought in some modern style.
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The sconces are brass and onyx. The stone adds another natural finish to the mix.
Clark matched the wall color to the existing color in the house for continuity.
Clark matched the wall color to the existing color in the house for continuity.
This view through the bathroom door gives us a good idea of the layout. The vanity is on the left, the shower is on the right and the toilet is behind the shower wall.
“I didn’t want them looking at a blank wall when they opened the door, so I added an arched niche for interest,” Clark says. The niche also enhances the Spanish Revival feel.
“I didn’t want them looking at a blank wall when they opened the door, so I added an arched niche for interest,” Clark says. The niche also enhances the Spanish Revival feel.
By the time Clark went to order the tile she and her clients had picked out for the arch, it had been discontinued. Luckily, she found excellent craftspeople at Tile Collective who were able to re-create it for her. The white oak shelf plays off the vanity.
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
The shower is open and curbless. “Luckily we were able to make it deep enough to accommodate this,” Clark says. The shower floor slopes slightly toward a linear drain at the back.
Clark added two niches so the homeowners each have their own. “I also added a shaving ledge here below her niche,” she says.
Clark added two niches so the homeowners each have their own. “I also added a shaving ledge here below her niche,” she says.
The original plan was to use tadelakt, a waterproof Moroccan wall plaster treatment, in the shower. But to curb costs, Clark presented a shower tile from the same tile collection as the backsplash tile, in different colors and different proportions. Arranging them vertically in a grid added another modern element to the room.
Clark backed both niches in a different tile for interest, adding some curves to all the straight lines in the room. The wavy shapes within this tile nod to the arched mirrors and niche.
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Clark backed both niches in a different tile for interest, adding some curves to all the straight lines in the room. The wavy shapes within this tile nod to the arched mirrors and niche.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a bathroom remodeler
Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with a baby
Location: San Diego
Size: 81 square feet (7.5 square meters)
Designer: Kara Clark of KNC Design Group
Contractor: Craft Home Remodeling
Before: The couple purchased the house from a flipper, so the style was pretty generic. “I worked mostly with the wife on style and the husband was more involved with logistics,” Clark says. “She loves eclectic style and natural materials, especially living finishes like brass and terra cotta that will patina over time.”
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