Bathroom of the Week: Craftsman Style Meets Aging-in-Place Design
A design-build firm gives a 1923 home’s first-floor bathroom a timeless look and modern accessibility features
As they reached a certain age, this Newton, Massachusetts, couple decided it was time to make their 1923 Craftsman house work for them in the long term. Their bedroom suite was upstairs and their washer and dryer were in the basement — not ideal for aging in place. They hired design-build firm Steveworks to remodel the first-floor bathroom into one that could accommodate one-level living and include laundry facilities.
The design also needed to reflect the homeowners’ deep appreciation for their home’s original Craftsman style. “As soon as you walk into their house, you can see that they have been very true to its age and style,” designer Tova Greenberg says. “They have Stickley furniture, Tiffany lamps and William Morris wallpaper. Usually we use Houzz ideabooks to get an idea of what our clients want, but in this case, their house was the ideabook. It was easy to see the vibe they were going for.”
The design also needed to reflect the homeowners’ deep appreciation for their home’s original Craftsman style. “As soon as you walk into their house, you can see that they have been very true to its age and style,” designer Tova Greenberg says. “They have Stickley furniture, Tiffany lamps and William Morris wallpaper. Usually we use Houzz ideabooks to get an idea of what our clients want, but in this case, their house was the ideabook. It was easy to see the vibe they were going for.”
After: Greenberg reconfigured the layout, taking over the sink and part of the bathtub area to create a new walk-in shower and moving the sink across the room. With no space for the dresser, she selected a vanity that offered generous storage. The updated plan allowed for a roomy shower stall with a wide opening that could accommodate a walker.
Everything about the new shower makes life easier. It’s zero-threshold, with no curb to step over, and the barn-style glass door glides smoothly on a track. “It also has a large handle that’s easy for arthritic hands to pull,” Greenberg says. A towel bar on the door keeps things within easy reach.
The wife selected a botanical wallpaper that ties into the nature-inspired motifs of the Craftsman era. The tile design also stays true to the period. “My clients wanted traditional 3-by-5-inch subway tile, but we had to look quite hard for just the right cap. This one isn’t too clunky and has a profile that they liked,” Greenberg says.
The floor features matte white hexagonal tiles for maximum traction. “All the original bathroom floors in the house are white hex with black accents and we continued that pattern here,” Greenberg says. A slim black pencil tile around the room ties it all together. The many grout lines add slip resistance — another thoughtful aging-in-place feature.
Keeping the bathroom warm through Massachusetts winters was a key priority. The team refinished the original radiator, giving it a fresh look while retaining its powerful heat output. “That radiator pumps out a lot of heat and they love it,” Greenberg says.
The bath also includes a ceiling-light-fan-heater combo, a feature the homeowners appreciated in the original room. To make the space more energy-efficient, Greenberg’s team padded out the exterior wall for extra insulation and replaced the old window with a historically appropriate reproduction.
Wallpaper: April Blossom, York Wallcoverings
Everything about the new shower makes life easier. It’s zero-threshold, with no curb to step over, and the barn-style glass door glides smoothly on a track. “It also has a large handle that’s easy for arthritic hands to pull,” Greenberg says. A towel bar on the door keeps things within easy reach.
The wife selected a botanical wallpaper that ties into the nature-inspired motifs of the Craftsman era. The tile design also stays true to the period. “My clients wanted traditional 3-by-5-inch subway tile, but we had to look quite hard for just the right cap. This one isn’t too clunky and has a profile that they liked,” Greenberg says.
The floor features matte white hexagonal tiles for maximum traction. “All the original bathroom floors in the house are white hex with black accents and we continued that pattern here,” Greenberg says. A slim black pencil tile around the room ties it all together. The many grout lines add slip resistance — another thoughtful aging-in-place feature.
Keeping the bathroom warm through Massachusetts winters was a key priority. The team refinished the original radiator, giving it a fresh look while retaining its powerful heat output. “That radiator pumps out a lot of heat and they love it,” Greenberg says.
The bath also includes a ceiling-light-fan-heater combo, a feature the homeowners appreciated in the original room. To make the space more energy-efficient, Greenberg’s team padded out the exterior wall for extra insulation and replaced the old window with a historically appropriate reproduction.
Wallpaper: April Blossom, York Wallcoverings
The simple subway and black pencil tiles continue inside the shower. Grab bars were carefully positioned for ease of use and designed to blend seamlessly with the Craftsman style.
“She is petite and he’s at least 6 feet tall,” Greenberg says, “so I installed the main shower head for his height and a handheld shower head on a bar [past the shower niche seen on the right] for her height. The handheld will also allow for seated showering in the future if needed.”
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“She is petite and he’s at least 6 feet tall,” Greenberg says, “so I installed the main shower head for his height and a handheld shower head on a bar [past the shower niche seen on the right] for her height. The handheld will also allow for seated showering in the future if needed.”
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This photo shows the wife’s handheld shower head, which can be adjusted up and down the bar. Its placement beside the built-in shower bench allows for comfortable seated bathing.
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Because the homeowners loved their original medicine cabinet, the firm crafted a custom reproduction for them. They also repurposed the original towel bars, now flanking the vanity. One of the bars was too long, so they kept the original metal mounting brackets and replaced the glass bar with a shorter one.
While Greenberg suggested lever-style faucet handles for easier operation, the homeowners preferred traditional cross handles. She also had the wall reinforced for a toilet paper holder with grab bar. For now, the homeowners wanted these items to reflect the traditional style of the house, but they can be switched out later if necessary.
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While Greenberg suggested lever-style faucet handles for easier operation, the homeowners preferred traditional cross handles. She also had the wall reinforced for a toilet paper holder with grab bar. For now, the homeowners wanted these items to reflect the traditional style of the house, but they can be switched out later if necessary.
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
The new layout made room for a ductless all-in-one washer-dryer unit — perfect for smaller loads. The couple still have their larger machines in the basement for big loads, and their nearby daughter can help with those as needed.
Greenberg placed the compact unit on a pedestal base for comfortable access. “The cabinet above it gives them a place to store cleaning supplies, and the wife can reach it,” she says. A nearby hall linen closet holds extra towels and bathroom items.
Should the day come when the couple need to move into one of the bedrooms on the first floor, their bathroom is ready for them.
Elements that will help them age in place include:
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Greenberg placed the compact unit on a pedestal base for comfortable access. “The cabinet above it gives them a place to store cleaning supplies, and the wife can reach it,” she says. A nearby hall linen closet holds extra towels and bathroom items.
Should the day come when the couple need to move into one of the bedrooms on the first floor, their bathroom is ready for them.
Elements that will help them age in place include:
- A zero-threshold shower stall
- A shower bench with a handheld shower wand within reach
- A shower door that’s easy to grab and slide
- A shower opening that’s wide enough for a walker
- Slip-resistant flooring
- Ample lighting
- A pedestal base for the washer-dryer unit
- Blocking in the wall to support a grab bar by the toilet.
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos for ideas
Find design and remodeling pros
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple in their 70s
Location: Newton, Massachusetts
Size: 69 square feet (6.4 square meters)
Design-build firm: Steveworks
Before: The existing bathroom still had its original fixtures — the bathtub, medicine cabinet, radiator and glass-and-metal towel bars. The tub-shower combo was difficult to climb into, and the sink faucet leaked. Because the pedestal sink lacked storage, the homeowners had placed a chest of drawers in the room. “Having the dresser in here would have been OK, but we needed space to install a washer-dryer and a shower stall,” Greenberg says.
One piece the couple adored was the original medicine cabinet, though its placement wasn’t ideal. The new shower needed to go in that spot, and the cabinet’s location on an exterior wall made it difficult to insulate the room properly. They also wanted to keep the original radiator, which kept the room feeling nice and toasty in winter.
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