Search results for "Future usage" in Home Design Ideas

THE SETUP
This client lives in a great high-rise condo in downtown Chicago. Alicia has already remodeled a few areas of her home, including her kitchen and home office. The bathroom is one of the last big places the client wanted to update. The existing bathroom had a large, outdated whirlpool tub in the corner. It was a darker space that had a lack of natural light. There are no windows (due to the bathroom’s location within the high-rise building). So, the idea was to brighten up the space and give the client an updated, elegant primary bathroom that is more her style and tailor-made for her routines.
Design Objectives:
- Make the space brighter.
- Create different daily routine stations to maximize functionality while keeping things clutter-free – a makeup station, a blow-dry station, and a sink-needs station.
- Achieve the client’s specific style and function needs while also keeping the look and design open to future possibilities: different users of the space/resale clients.
Design Challenges:
- Toilet cannot be moved. (In a high-rise, you can’t really move plumbing around too much when reimagining a space)
- Existing bathroom had a soffit that hid a lot of electrical wiring, so completely removing the soffit wasn’t an option.
- The blow-dry station needs to accommodate the client’s preference for standing up.
- Finding a place for the make-up station, which the client wants oriented for sitting.
- Create storage within the shower that can eliminate the clutter of personal care products that are actually needed every day. Do this, while keeping the client’s favorite things about the existing shower: the shower bench, a tub filler faucet (for rinsing shaving cream when shaving legs) and a low niche for placing her foot when shaving her legs.
THE RENEWED SPACE
Design Solutions:
- Extended a bit of wall near the toilet to give the commode its own area within the space, but without closing it off into a claustrophobic WC.
- Worked within the reality of the existing soffit situation, reshaping it to align with the new shower. Can lights were also added. Installed a beautiful ceiling light fixture that works within the new soffit shape, commanding attention and adding light, as if the sofit shape was chosen for it.
- Created a nice, furniture-looking 42”-high cabinet with pullout drawers to be the blow-dry station, complete with a mirror and a nice top. The pullout drawers are all powered, concealing a Dyson dryer and curling iron (and all the accoutrements) while keeping them plugged in, which is ideal for easy usage and put away. A stylish mirror on the wall above the cabinet, and proper lighting, make this the perfect blow-dry station. The top has a grommet that can accommodate a power cord should the client ever want to have a powered device on top of the cabinet.
- Put the sit-down makeup station where the tub used to be, putting the mirror back into a new recessed wall just a bit, allowing the area to have more room.
- Created a niche in the shower’s inner wall so that you can’t see it unless you are literally inside the shower. At the client’s request, it also has a hook so she can hang her loofa. Hiding the utility niche in this way allowed us to use the full main wall of the shower as a canvas for a beautiful accent stripe of raised decorative tile. The new shower has her old favorites, too: the tub filler, foot niche and bench.
Alicia’s client loves her new primary bathroom, especially the blow dry area. It is very accommodating for her, as a tall lady, while being very easy to use. The drawers store everything. Being powered, they make using already-plugged in appliances very easy to use and put away.
Her previous makeup station was a freestanding vanity with a single drawer, so beauty products were all over the surface top. With her new makeup station, everything is nicely tucked away and organized in drawers.
The new lighting is fantastic and the colors are light and soft. The clients loves the overall look and feel of her new bathroom and raves about how well the functionality-minded design makes her morning routine – and her life – easier and enjoyable!

LEED Certification level: lEE FOR HOMES (V.3),SILVER.
In Oct 8,2015, USGBC honored a Brazilian Project with the First LEED FOR HOMES certificate of Brazil, awarded with a high Silver score, ((81.5 final ptos - 12.5( HSA) resulting 69 ptos)) due to green strategies applied in different areas of construction. This outstanding result could only be achieved with the collaboration of a well-integrated team of professionals, focused on unifying solutions suitable to all areas of construction, with materials that provide high efficiency and counted on an experienced and dedicated team, the support given by homeowner during entire process was essential to success of this project.
The owner, who embraced LEED concepts, found his incentive on his granddaughter, who must have the opportunity to grow in an environment with availability of all natural resources, and endeavored to gather the team and to find solutions that best fit each opportunity.
The consequence of this work was an exceptional residence, being an impressive showcase of green building strategies that have come together in a home. Alphaville Dom Pedro Residence, as the project was named, sets an example of quality and sustainability, achieving new standards required by condominium rules of construction in Campinas city, 80 miles from São Paulo, state's capital capital.
The construction was managed by LCP Engineering & Construction, using the innovative Ecogrid® technology, based on SCIP (Structured Concrete Insulated Panel) construction, which provided this home a high thermal-acoustic performance, reduction on waste generation during construction and minimal energy consumption. Furthermore, this project was planned to take full advantage of the sun’s potential, through the usage of solar and photovoltaic panels, designed to produce the energy needed to heat all water from house and pool, as well as generate part of the electricity consumed.
Being one of the most treasured resources, a special care was given by the project team to the water management system. Saving water plays a big role in this fascinating project: action was taken to allow all water used in showers, sinks and from the rain to be reused after the treatment through a natural process, phytoremediation by wetland, for irrigation and toilets. Also efficient faucets and showers that have a low flow rate were used. The irrigation and landscape design, fully done with native vegetation, demands a low amount of water to fuel the drip irrigation system implemented on 100% of the landscape area.
Separate zones of irrigation were installed according to watering needs, equipped with an automatic activation system, moisture sensor and pressure regulation devices, all programmed to minimize evaporation losses. Polypropylene Random Copolymer (PPR) pipes were used replacing the PVC as non-toxic material, guarantying the joints between pipes and fittings for total security system . Furthermore, a high degree of internal living quality was achieved minimizing the bacterial proliferation; mold, mildew and termite free due to the Ecogrid Technology.
All finishing used on this residence, like tiles, faucets, toilets have a high percentage of recycle materials, provided by local manufacturers, promoting the maturity of the local industries complying with the rating of the certification process.
This marvel project is extremely important to the national market, representing a significant milestone in the Latin in Brazilian Residential Building Sector, bringing the LEED for Homes certification and establishing sustainable parameters to future home builders for example:
The house produces 46% of the energy used, NET Zero,
Inverter Split air conditioning system,
100% of the hot water coming from solar panel,
PVC free, use PPR pipes,
Use phytoremediation process achieving 62% efficient water reuse,
95% efficiency in non construction waste,
Confortable and Healthy Interior Environment.
In rapids highlights,
*Inovation in the technologic process of construction , ECOGRIDE, witch besides the environmental comfort, regards for the salubrity and owner,s welfare.
*Exceeded average rates of energy efficiency with the use of photovoltaic panels, HVAC and home appliances with the inverter technology.
*Consolidated the importance of social and education environmental practices of the workers and owner.
*Reference on sustainable urban condominiums with quality and connectivity in the state of Sao Paulo and Contribute for the Brazilian market improvement and proved that actual market is already prepare to supply the sustainable construction.
But the must important was….
“Once Upon a Time“… there was a devoted grandfather, who believed in a better world for his granddaughter, seeking for solutions to leave a legacy of learning and achievements ways for future generations.
This beautiful love story has a happy ending, with the reception of First Leed For Homes Silver in Brazil and First Leed For Homes Silver in Latin America, for this wonderful residence.
A home full of love, affection and “sweet home” for many happy moments between this grandfather and his granddaughter.

LEED Certification level: lEE FOR HOMES (V.3),SILVER
In Oct 8,2015, USGBC honored a Brazilian Project with the First LEED FOR HOMES certificate of Brazil, awarded with a high Silver score, ((81.5 final ptos - 12.5( HSA) resulting 69 ptos)) due to green strategies applied in different areas of construction. This outstanding result could only be achieved with the collaboration of a well-integrated team of professionals, focused on unifying solutions suitable to all areas of construction, with materials that provide high efficiency and counted on an experienced and dedicated team, the support given by homeowner during entire process was essential to success of this project.
The owner, who embraced LEED concepts, found his incentive on his granddaughter, who must have the opportunity to grow in an environment with availability of all natural resources, and endeavored to gather the team and to find solutions that best fit each opportunity.
The consequence of this work was an exceptional residence, being an impressive showcase of green building strategies that have come together in a home. Alphaville Dom Pedro Residence, as the project was named, sets an example of quality and sustainability, achieving new standards required by condominium rules of construction in Campinas city, 80 miles from São Paulo, state's capital capital.
The construction was managed by LCP Engineering & Construction, using the innovative Ecogrid® technology, based on SCIP (Structured Concrete Insulated Panel) construction, which provided this home a high thermal-acoustic performance, reduction on waste generation during construction and minimal energy consumption. Furthermore, this project was planned to take full advantage of the sun’s potential, through the usage of solar and photovoltaic panels, designed to produce the energy needed to heat all water from house and pool, as well as generate part of the electricity consumed.
Being one of the most treasured resources, a special care was given by the project team to the water management system. Saving water plays a big role in this fascinating project: action was taken to allow all water used in showers, sinks and from the rain to be reused after the treatment through a natural process, phytoremediation by wetland, for irrigation and toilets. Also efficient faucets and showers that have a low flow rate were used. The irrigation and landscape design, fully done with native vegetation, demands a low amount of water to fuel the drip irrigation system implemented on 100% of the landscape area.
Separate zones of irrigation were installed according to watering needs, equipped with an automatic activation system, moisture sensor and pressure regulation devices, all programmed to minimize evaporation losses. Polypropylene Random Copolymer (PPR) pipes were used replacing the PVC as non-toxic material, guarantying the joints between pipes and fittings for total security system . Furthermore, a high degree of internal living quality was achieved minimizing the bacterial proliferation; mold, mildew and termite free due to the Ecogrid Technology.
All finishing used on this residence, like tiles, faucets, toilets have a high percentage of recycle materials, provided by local manufacturers, promoting the maturity of the local industries complying with the rating of the certification process.
This marvel project is extremely important to the national market, representing a significant milestone in the Latin in Brazilian Residential Building Sector, bringing the LEED for Homes certification and establishing sustainable parameters to future home builders for example:
The house produces 46% of the energy used, NET Zero,
Inverter Split air conditioning system,
100% of the hot water coming from solar panel,
PVC free, use PPR pipes,
Use phytoremediation process achieving 62% efficient water reuse,
95% efficiency in non construction waste,
Confortable and Healthy Interior Environment.
In rapids highlights,
*Inovation in the technologic process of construction , ECOGRIDE, witch besides the environmental comfort, regards for the salubrity and owner,s welfare.
*Exceeded average rates of energy efficiency with the use of photovoltaic panels, HVAC and home appliances with the inverter technology.
*Consolidated the importance of social and education environmental practices of the workers and owner.
*Reference on sustainable urban condominiums with quality and connectivity in the state of Sao Paulo and Contribute for the Brazilian market improvement and proved that actual market is already prepare to supply the sustainable construction.
But the must important was….
“Once Upon a Time“… there was a devoted grandfather, who believed in a better world for his granddaughter, seeking for solutions to leave a legacy of learning and achievements ways for future generations.
This beautiful love story has a happy ending, with the reception of First Leed For Homes Silver in Brazil and First Leed For Homes Silver in Latin America, for this wonderful residence.
A home full of love, affection and “sweet home” for many happy moments between this grandfather and his granddaughter.
Find the right local pro for your project

Recently I was called to a house in the very small town of Marton in Warwickshire which is known for its proximity to the medieval “Marton Bridge”, which lies just to the north, crossing the River Leam.
The entire downstairs flooring of my client’s house consisted of Quarry tiles apart from one room where the tiles had been covered by screed and then linoleum. Quarry tiles are a classic hard wearing tile used for both internal and external commercial and residential flooring due to its ability to withstand heavy usage. Reception areas, outdoor patios and porches, for example, are commonly tiled using Quarry.
My client wanted to restore the covered floor back to its original state so that it would match the rest of the downstairs. Realising that this would be a complex and physically demanding task, my client decided to call in Tile Doctor to carry out the restoration.
Removing the Linoleum covering was a relatively straightforward process, so I was able to do this relatively quickly. The main issue concerned removing the screed, which is far more difficult to remove, requiring a lot of physical scraping. Thus I opted to call in some extra manpower in the form of the Nottinghamshire Tile Doctor, Steve Carpenter. With the two of us armed with scrapers we set about removing the screed, taking extra care not to damage the Quarry tile underneath.
Once Steve and I had scraped off as much of the screed as physically possible, I applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go, a stripper with cleaning properties that is particularly effective at breaking down coatings such as adhesives, plasters and sealers. The product was left to dwell for ten minutes before I worked it into the stone with a scrubbing pad.
After cleaning the tiles, I noticed a layer of grout haze on the surface of the exposed Quarry tiles, so I applied Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to remove it. Once the cleaning process was complete I gave the floor a thorough rinse with clean water, before soaking up the resulting residue with a wet-vac machine. The first day of work was a gruelling 12 hours long, but I was very pleased with the results and left the floor to dry overnight.
On day two I returned to finish the job by sealing the newly uncovered Quarry tiles, but not before using a damp meter to check that they were completely dry. Any excess moisture left on unsealed tiles can potentially effect the performance of any sealers that are applied. I sealed the tiles using Tile Doctor Colour Grow, an impregnating, colour-enhancing sealer which gave the surface an aesthetically pleasing shine, as well as durable protection against dirt and wear for the future.
After two long days of work the job was done and the transformation was fantastic and highly rewarding to see, the house now has a fantastic looking Quarry tiled floor running throughout the entirety of the lower level.
Mick Gayton
Warwickshire Tile Doctor

For this master bath remodel, we removed a linen closet and bathtub and replaced it with a tall linen cabinet and a makeup area. The master vanity run was built out of cabinets and drawers and completed with matching lighted medicine cabinets. The master shower was rebuilt with a larger doorway, custom glass enclosure, roll in access for future wheelchair usage, two niches and all new fixtures, shower heads and hand shower.

From Mid-Century Classic to the Present
An iconic design updated with comfort, function, and flow for today.
A Remodel That Balances Past and Present
What started as a desire to update a classic Eichler soon became an exploration of how Mid-Century Modern design can successfully evolve for today. The client, a tech professional with a passion for scuba diving and underwater photography, wanted a home that would both honor its original character and feel tailored to his daily life. A lifelong technology enthusiast, he still owns the very first Mac desktop he saved up for as a teenager working at Radio Shack, a detail that underscores his appreciation for design that melds function and form.
Honoring Separation While Expanding Possibility
Unlike many contemporary remodels where walls are opened up to create expansive living spaces, this project took a more restrained approach. The client valued the defined rooms of the original plan and wanted to preserve as much wall space as possible for displaying his large-format underwater photography. The emphasis was not on dramatic spatial reinvention, but on thoughtful refinements. Klopf Architecture shaped a gallery-like backdrop while also expanding the primary suite, modernizing materials and fixtures throughout the home, and improving the functionality and layout of the kitchen. The finished home feels at once timeless and renewed, an Eichler that continues to inspire while fully supporting the lifestyle of its present-day owner.
A major turning point came mid-design. The original project brief had not included an addition, but as the reconfiguration of the primary bedroom and bath unfolded, it became clear that an expansion was the best approach to achieve the client’s vision of a more spacious suite. Fortunately, the adjustment came at a stage when revisions were still manageable and was integrated seamlessly, showing how thoughtful course corrections can strengthen a project rather than hinder it.
Navigating Challenges With Precision
The design development included multiple conceptual rounds, balancing preservation with subtle expansion. During construction, an existing post previously thought to be load-bearing turned out not to be. The structural engineer was able to pivot quickly, and both the post and the cross beam that had been intended to replace it could be omitted, allowing the original rhythm of the Eichler beam bays to be preserved.
Sustainability was not just a checklist item, but a way to align the home with the client’s values of simplicity, efficiency, and long-term functionality. R-38 roof insulation reduced energy usage, solar panels with battery storage provided independence and resilience, and passive comfort strategies eliminated the need forenergy-intensive air conditioning. An electric vehicle charger and an on-demand hot water recirculation system (with call buttons as opposed to having constant circulation) add to the home’s long-term efficiency factors. Together, these moves created a home that is quieter, more comfortable, and better equipped for the future, qualities that supported the client’s pragmatic approach to design and living lightly.
Details That Respect the Eichler DNA
The remodel carries forward the Eichler’s original spirit while introducing new layers of modern livability. Originally, the house was approached along a deep, narrow walk, with the garage on one side and the house on the other, leaving the front door tucked far back within this chasm-like space. By pulling the entry forward, the design reshaped the arrival experience, creating a clearer threshold and a natural drop-off zone for bags, shoes, and keys. This shift also made room for a custom bench at the entry that extends seamlessly through the glass sidelight. The bench and drop-off zone now work together as a single, integrated sequence that supports everyday living while offering a tactile reminder of Eichler’s philosophy of connectedness.
At the client’s request, Klopf reintroduced a classic Eichler gesture by extending the exterior siding into the entry and living room. The detail reinforces a sense of indoor/outdoor continuity while providing a subtle architectural surface that allows the client’s photography to take visual precedence.
The signature concrete masonry wall at the front was reconstructed using blocks sourced to match the originals, now strengthened with rebar for seismic resilience while maintaining a private outdoor courtyard, visually extending the kitchen outward. A decorative trellis element, a detail borrowed from a neighboring Eichler, restores a familiar mid-century modern architectural motif. At the courtyard entry door, a custom etched glass sidelight with an ocean-themed design featuring kelp and jellyfish serves as a subtle homage to the client’s passion for deep-sea diving.
Landscaping became an integral part of the overall transformation. The homeowner engaged landscape architect Randi Johnsen of Third Nature Studio to shape a series of calm, inviting outdoor rooms that read as a natural extension of the interiors. While technically outside of the core construction scope, the landscape design proved central to achieving a sense of completeness and connectedness across the property. Such whole-property considerations often emerge as design ideas take shape, underscoring the importance of flexibility in planning and budgeting, as well as close collaboration among the design team starting early in the process.
The Value of Evolving Scope
As with many custom residential projects, the scope evolved during the design process. What began as a targeted remodel grew to include a new/expanded primary suite, a rebuilt CMU patio wall for strength and longevity, and a solar panel array and battery storage for energy resilience and carbon-reduction. Each thoughtful decision represented a conscious investment in the home’s performance and character, rather than a cost overrun.
The result was a project delivered on schedule, tailored precisely to the client’s lifestyle, and positioned to add long-term value both functionally and aesthetically. By embracing scope evolution as an opportunity rather than a challenge, and relying on good design paired with transparent communication, this remodel demonstrates how Eichler homes can be adapted for contemporary living without erasing their DNA.
Klopf Architecture project team: John Klopf, AIA, and Klara Kevane, Elise Webb and Nicholas LaNasa.
Contractor: Golden Cove Construction
Landscape Design: Third Nature Studio
Structural Engineer: Daniel Bastiao Design
Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2024
Location: Sunnyvale, CA

For this master bath remodel, we removed a linen closet and bathtub and replaced it with a tall linen cabinet and a makeup area. The master vanity run was built out of cabinets and drawers and completed with matching lighted medicine cabinets. The master shower was rebuilt with a larger doorway, custom glass enclosure, roll in access for future wheelchair usage, two niches and all new fixtures, shower heads and hand shower.

From Mid-Century Classic to the Present
An iconic design updated with comfort, function, and flow for today.
A Remodel That Balances Past and Present
What started as a desire to update a classic Eichler soon became an exploration of how Mid-Century Modern design can successfully evolve for today. The client, a tech professional with a passion for scuba diving and underwater photography, wanted a home that would both honor its original character and feel tailored to his daily life. A lifelong technology enthusiast, he still owns the very first Mac desktop he saved up for as a teenager working at Radio Shack, a detail that underscores his appreciation for design that melds function and form.
Honoring Separation While Expanding Possibility
Unlike many contemporary remodels where walls are opened up to create expansive living spaces, this project took a more restrained approach. The client valued the defined rooms of the original plan and wanted to preserve as much wall space as possible for displaying his large-format underwater photography. The emphasis was not on dramatic spatial reinvention, but on thoughtful refinements. Klopf Architecture shaped a gallery-like backdrop while also expanding the primary suite, modernizing materials and fixtures throughout the home, and improving the functionality and layout of the kitchen. The finished home feels at once timeless and renewed, an Eichler that continues to inspire while fully supporting the lifestyle of its present-day owner.
A major turning point came mid-design. The original project brief had not included an addition, but as the reconfiguration of the primary bedroom and bath unfolded, it became clear that an expansion was the best approach to achieve the client’s vision of a more spacious suite. Fortunately, the adjustment came at a stage when revisions were still manageable and was integrated seamlessly, showing how thoughtful course corrections can strengthen a project rather than hinder it.
Navigating Challenges With Precision
The design development included multiple conceptual rounds, balancing preservation with subtle expansion. During construction, an existing post previously thought to be load-bearing turned out not to be. The structural engineer was able to pivot quickly, and both the post and the cross beam that had been intended to replace it could be omitted, allowing the original rhythm of the Eichler beam bays to be preserved.
Sustainability was not just a checklist item, but a way to align the home with the client’s values of simplicity, efficiency, and long-term functionality. R-38 roof insulation reduced energy usage, solar panels with battery storage provided independence and resilience, and passive comfort strategies eliminated the need forenergy-intensive air conditioning. An electric vehicle charger and an on-demand hot water recirculation system (with call buttons as opposed to having constant circulation) add to the home’s long-term efficiency factors. Together, these moves created a home that is quieter, more comfortable, and better equipped for the future, qualities that supported the client’s pragmatic approach to design and living lightly.
Details That Respect the Eichler DNA
The remodel carries forward the Eichler’s original spirit while introducing new layers of modern livability. Originally, the house was approached along a deep, narrow walk, with the garage on one side and the house on the other, leaving the front door tucked far back within this chasm-like space. By pulling the entry forward, the design reshaped the arrival experience, creating a clearer threshold and a natural drop-off zone for bags, shoes, and keys. This shift also made room for a custom bench at the entry that extends seamlessly through the glass sidelight. The bench and drop-off zone now work together as a single, integrated sequence that supports everyday living while offering a tactile reminder of Eichler’s philosophy of connectedness.
At the client’s request, Klopf reintroduced a classic Eichler gesture by extending the exterior siding into the entry and living room. The detail reinforces a sense of indoor/outdoor continuity while providing a subtle architectural surface that allows the client’s photography to take visual precedence.
The signature concrete masonry wall at the front was reconstructed using blocks sourced to match the originals, now strengthened with rebar for seismic resilience while maintaining a private outdoor courtyard, visually extending the kitchen outward. A decorative trellis element, a detail borrowed from a neighboring Eichler, restores a familiar mid-century modern architectural motif. At the courtyard entry door, a custom etched glass sidelight with an ocean-themed design featuring kelp and jellyfish serves as a subtle homage to the client’s passion for deep-sea diving.
Landscaping became an integral part of the overall transformation. The homeowner engaged landscape architect Randi Johnsen of Third Nature Studio to shape a series of calm, inviting outdoor rooms that read as a natural extension of the interiors. While technically outside of the core construction scope, the landscape design proved central to achieving a sense of completeness and connectedness across the property. Such whole-property considerations often emerge as design ideas take shape, underscoring the importance of flexibility in planning and budgeting, as well as close collaboration among the design team starting early in the process.
The Value of Evolving Scope
As with many custom residential projects, the scope evolved during the design process. What began as a targeted remodel grew to include a new/expanded primary suite, a rebuilt CMU patio wall for strength and longevity, and a solar panel array and battery storage for energy resilience and carbon-reduction. Each thoughtful decision represented a conscious investment in the home’s performance and character, rather than a cost overrun.
The result was a project delivered on schedule, tailored precisely to the client’s lifestyle, and positioned to add long-term value both functionally and aesthetically. By embracing scope evolution as an opportunity rather than a challenge, and relying on good design paired with transparent communication, this remodel demonstrates how Eichler homes can be adapted for contemporary living without erasing their DNA.
Klopf Architecture project team: John Klopf, AIA, and Klara Kevane, Elise Webb and Nicholas LaNasa.
Contractor: Golden Cove Construction
Landscape Design: Third Nature Studio
Structural Engineer: Daniel Bastiao Design
Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2024
Location: Sunnyvale, CA

For this master bath remodel, we removed a linen closet and bathtub and replaced it with a tall linen cabinet and a makeup area. The master vanity run was built out of cabinets and drawers and completed with matching lighted medicine cabinets. The master shower was rebuilt with a larger doorway, custom glass enclosure, roll in access for future wheelchair usage, two niches and all new fixtures, shower heads and hand shower.

In today’s world of smart interiors and luxury-inspired home décor, LED Mirror backlit designs have become a defining trend. From elegant bathrooms to sophisticated dressing areas and premium commercial spaces, LED Mirrors are now more than just reflective surfaces—they are statement pieces that combine technology, style, and functionality.
Whether you are renovating your home, upgrading a salon, designing a hotel, or creating a modern workspace, investing in a high-quality LED mirror can instantly elevate the atmosphere. The perfect balance of illumination and aesthetics makes these mirrors one of the most sought-after interior additions in contemporary architecture.
This blog explores everything you need to know about LED Mirror backlit solutions, their benefits, applications, features, and why they are becoming essential in modern living spaces.
What Is an LED Mirror Backlit Design?
An LED Mirror backlit system refers to a mirror equipped with LED lighting installed behind the mirror surface. Instead of visible front-facing bulbs, the light gently radiates from the rear edges, producing a soft halo effect around the mirror.
This indirect illumination creates a luxurious and ambient glow while providing practical lighting for everyday tasks such as grooming, makeup application, shaving, and skincare routines.
Unlike traditional mirrors, LED Mirrors offer:
- Energy-efficient illumination
- Elegant visual appeal
- Better light distribution
- Enhanced functionality
- Modern smart features
- Bathrooms
- Bedrooms
- Dressing rooms
- Salons
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Retail stores
- Reduces harsh shadows
- Improves visibility
- Enhances facial clarity
- Creates a comfortable lighting experience
- Reduce energy bills
- Lower electricity usage
- Support eco-friendly living
- Increase long-term savings
- Turn lights on/off
- Adjust brightness
- Change color temperature
- Bright white light for makeup application
- Warm soft light for relaxation
- Neutral lighting for everyday grooming
- Bluetooth speakers
- Digital clocks
- Temperature displays
- Voice control
- Motion sensors
- Better lighting for shaving and makeup
- Enhanced bathroom aesthetics
- Increased property value
- Luxurious visual appeal
- Salons
- Spas
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Retail stores
- Compact rectangular mirrors work best
- Oversized backlit mirrors create a dramatic statement
- Rectangular
- Oval
- Round
- Square
- Custom geometric designs
- Warm White (cozy ambiance)
- Cool White (bright and crisp)
- Natural White (balanced daylight effect)
- Improve visual appeal
- Increase perceived luxury
- Enhance property value
- Small bathrooms
- Compact apartments
- Narrow dressing areas

We increased safety and improved usage in the deep back yard by carving out a path following the natural swaleway. Incorporating the same honeycomb boulders and blackstar gravel used throughout the property, the home how has a beautiful path leading down to the greenbelt beyond the gate. The area has also been cleared for future wildflower seeding and future utilization of the back acreage.

We increased safety and improved usage in the deep back yard by carving out a path following the natural swaleway. Incorporating the same honeycomb boulders and blackstar gravel used throughout the property, the home how has a beautiful path leading down to the greenbelt beyond the gate. The area has also been cleared for future wildflower seeding and future utilization of the back acreage.

THE SETUP
This client lives in a great high-rise condo in downtown Chicago. Alicia has already remodeled a few areas of her home, including her kitchen and home office. The bathroom is one of the last big places the client wanted to update. The existing bathroom had a large, outdated whirlpool tub in the corner. It was a darker space that had a lack of natural light. There are no windows (due to the bathroom’s location within the high-rise building). So, the idea was to brighten up the space and give the client an updated, elegant primary bathroom that is more her style and tailor-made for her routines.
Design Objectives:
- Make the space brighter.
- Create different daily routine stations to maximize functionality while keeping things clutter-free – a makeup station, a blow-dry station, and a sink-needs station.
- Achieve the client’s specific style and function needs while also keeping the look and design open to future possibilities: different users of the space/resale clients.
Design Challenges:
- Toilet cannot be moved. (In a high-rise, you can’t really move plumbing around too much when reimagining a space)
- Existing bathroom had a soffit that hid a lot of electrical wiring, so completely removing the soffit wasn’t an option.
- The blow-dry station needs to accommodate the client’s preference for standing up.
- Finding a place for the make-up station, which the client wants oriented for sitting.
- Create storage within the shower that can eliminate the clutter of personal care products that are actually needed every day. Do this, while keeping the client’s favorite things about the existing shower: the shower bench, a tub filler faucet (for rinsing shaving cream when shaving legs) and a low niche for placing her foot when shaving her legs.
THE RENEWED SPACE
Design Solutions:
- Extended a bit of wall near the toilet to give the commode its own area within the space, but without closing it off into a claustrophobic WC.
- Worked within the reality of the existing soffit situation, reshaping it to align with the new shower. Can lights were also added. Installed a beautiful ceiling light fixture that works within the new soffit shape, commanding attention and adding light, as if the sofit shape was chosen for it.
- Created a nice, furniture-looking 42”-high cabinet with pullout drawers to be the blow-dry station, complete with a mirror and a nice top. The pullout drawers are all powered, concealing a Dyson dryer and curling iron (and all the accoutrements) while keeping them plugged in, which is ideal for easy usage and put away. A stylish mirror on the wall above the cabinet, and proper lighting, make this the perfect blow-dry station. The top has a grommet that can accommodate a power cord should the client ever want to have a powered device on top of the cabinet.
- Put the sit-down makeup station where the tub used to be, putting the mirror back into a new recessed wall just a bit, allowing the area to have more room.
- Created a niche in the shower’s inner wall so that you can’t see it unless you are literally inside the shower. At the client’s request, it also has a hook so she can hang her loofa. Hiding the utility niche in this way allowed us to use the full main wall of the shower as a canvas for a beautiful accent stripe of raised decorative tile. The new shower has her old favorites, too: the tub filler, foot niche and bench.
Alicia’s client loves her new primary bathroom, especially the blow dry area. It is very accommodating for her, as a tall lady, while being very easy to use. The drawers store everything. Being powered, they make using already-plugged in appliances very easy to use and put away.
Her previous makeup station was a freestanding vanity with a single drawer, so beauty products were all over the surface top. With her new makeup station, everything is nicely tucked away and organized in drawers.
The new lighting is fantastic and the colors are light and soft. The clients loves the overall look and feel of her new bathroom and raves about how well the functionality-minded design makes her morning routine – and her life – easier and enjoyable!

Sponsored
Delaware, OH
Buckeye Basements, Inc.
Central Ohio's Basement Finishing ExpertsBest Of Houzz '13-'21

We increased safety and improved usage in the deep back yard by carving out a path following the natural swaleway. Incorporating the same honeycomb boulders and blackstar gravel used throughout the property, the home how has a beautiful path leading down to the greenbelt beyond the gate. The area has also been cleared for future wildflower seeding and future utilization of the back acreage.

THE SETUP
This client lives in a great high-rise condo in downtown Chicago. Alicia has already remodeled a few areas of her home, including her kitchen and home office. The bathroom is one of the last big places the client wanted to update. The existing bathroom had a large, outdated whirlpool tub in the corner. It was a darker space that had a lack of natural light. There are no windows (due to the bathroom’s location within the high-rise building). So, the idea was to brighten up the space and give the client an updated, elegant primary bathroom that is more her style and tailor-made for her routines.
Design Objectives:
- Make the space brighter.
- Create different daily routine stations to maximize functionality while keeping things clutter-free – a makeup station, a blow-dry station, and a sink-needs station.
- Achieve the client’s specific style and function needs while also keeping the look and design open to future possibilities: different users of the space/resale clients.
Design Challenges:
- Toilet cannot be moved. (In a high-rise, you can’t really move plumbing around too much when reimagining a space)
- Existing bathroom had a soffit that hid a lot of electrical wiring, so completely removing the soffit wasn’t an option.
- The blow-dry station needs to accommodate the client’s preference for standing up.
- Finding a place for the make-up station, which the client wants oriented for sitting.
- Create storage within the shower that can eliminate the clutter of personal care products that are actually needed every day. Do this, while keeping the client’s favorite things about the existing shower: the shower bench, a tub filler faucet (for rinsing shaving cream when shaving legs) and a low niche for placing her foot when shaving her legs.
THE RENEWED SPACE
Design Solutions:
- Extended a bit of wall near the toilet to give the commode its own area within the space, but without closing it off into a claustrophobic WC.
- Worked within the reality of the existing soffit situation, reshaping it to align with the new shower. Can lights were also added. Installed a beautiful ceiling light fixture that works within the new soffit shape, commanding attention and adding light, as if the sofit shape was chosen for it.
- Created a nice, furniture-looking 42”-high cabinet with pullout drawers to be the blow-dry station, complete with a mirror and a nice top. The pullout drawers are all powered, concealing a Dyson dryer and curling iron (and all the accoutrements) while keeping them plugged in, which is ideal for easy usage and put away. A stylish mirror on the wall above the cabinet, and proper lighting, make this the perfect blow-dry station. The top has a grommet that can accommodate a power cord should the client ever want to have a powered device on top of the cabinet.
- Put the sit-down makeup station where the tub used to be, putting the mirror back into a new recessed wall just a bit, allowing the area to have more room.
- Created a niche in the shower’s inner wall so that you can’t see it unless you are literally inside the shower. At the client’s request, it also has a hook so she can hang her loofa. Hiding the utility niche in this way allowed us to use the full main wall of the shower as a canvas for a beautiful accent stripe of raised decorative tile. The new shower has her old favorites, too: the tub filler, foot niche and bench.
Alicia’s client loves her new primary bathroom, especially the blow dry area. It is very accommodating for her, as a tall lady, while being very easy to use. The drawers store everything. Being powered, they make using already-plugged in appliances very easy to use and put away.
Her previous makeup station was a freestanding vanity with a single drawer, so beauty products were all over the surface top. With her new makeup station, everything is nicely tucked away and organized in drawers.
The new lighting is fantastic and the colors are light and soft. The clients loves the overall look and feel of her new bathroom and raves about how well the functionality-minded design makes her morning routine – and her life – easier and enjoyable!

We increased safety and improved usage in the deep back yard by carving out a path following the natural swaleway. Incorporating the same honeycomb boulders and blackstar gravel used throughout the property, the home how has a beautiful path leading down to the greenbelt beyond the gate. The area has also been cleared for future wildflower seeding and future utilization of the back acreage.

We increased safety and improved usage in the deep back yard by carving out a path following the natural swaleway. Incorporating the same honeycomb boulders and blackstar gravel used throughout the property, the home how has a beautiful path leading down to the greenbelt beyond the gate. The area has also been cleared for future wildflower seeding and future utilization of the back acreage.

THE SETUP
This client lives in a great high-rise condo in downtown Chicago. Alicia has already remodeled a few areas of her home, including her kitchen and home office. The bathroom is one of the last big places the client wanted to update. The existing bathroom had a large, outdated whirlpool tub in the corner. It was a darker space that had a lack of natural light. There are no windows (due to the bathroom’s location within the high-rise building). So, the idea was to brighten up the space and give the client an updated, elegant primary bathroom that is more her style and tailor-made for her routines.
Design Objectives:
- Make the space brighter.
- Create different daily routine stations to maximize functionality while keeping things clutter-free – a makeup station, a blow-dry station, and a sink-needs station.
- Achieve the client’s specific style and function needs while also keeping the look and design open to future possibilities: different users of the space/resale clients.
Design Challenges:
- Toilet cannot be moved. (In a high-rise, you can’t really move plumbing around too much when reimagining a space)
- Existing bathroom had a soffit that hid a lot of electrical wiring, so completely removing the soffit wasn’t an option.
- The blow-dry station needs to accommodate the client’s preference for standing up.
- Finding a place for the make-up station, which the client wants oriented for sitting.
- Create storage within the shower that can eliminate the clutter of personal care products that are actually needed every day. Do this, while keeping the client’s favorite things about the existing shower: the shower bench, a tub filler faucet (for rinsing shaving cream when shaving legs) and a low niche for placing her foot when shaving her legs.
THE RENEWED SPACE
Design Solutions:
- Extended a bit of wall near the toilet to give the commode its own area within the space, but without closing it off into a claustrophobic WC.
- Worked within the reality of the existing soffit situation, reshaping it to align with the new shower. Can lights were also added. Installed a beautiful ceiling light fixture that works within the new soffit shape, commanding attention and adding light, as if the sofit shape was chosen for it.
- Created a nice, furniture-looking 42”-high cabinet with pullout drawers to be the blow-dry station, complete with a mirror and a nice top. The pullout drawers are all powered, concealing a Dyson dryer and curling iron (and all the accoutrements) while keeping them plugged in, which is ideal for easy usage and put away. A stylish mirror on the wall above the cabinet, and proper lighting, make this the perfect blow-dry station. The top has a grommet that can accommodate a power cord should the client ever want to have a powered device on top of the cabinet.
- Put the sit-down makeup station where the tub used to be, putting the mirror back into a new recessed wall just a bit, allowing the area to have more room.
- Created a niche in the shower’s inner wall so that you can’t see it unless you are literally inside the shower. At the client’s request, it also has a hook so she can hang her loofa. Hiding the utility niche in this way allowed us to use the full main wall of the shower as a canvas for a beautiful accent stripe of raised decorative tile. The new shower has her old favorites, too: the tub filler, foot niche and bench.
Alicia’s client loves her new primary bathroom, especially the blow dry area. It is very accommodating for her, as a tall lady, while being very easy to use. The drawers store everything. Being powered, they make using already-plugged in appliances very easy to use and put away.
Her previous makeup station was a freestanding vanity with a single drawer, so beauty products were all over the surface top. With her new makeup station, everything is nicely tucked away and organized in drawers.
The new lighting is fantastic and the colors are light and soft. The clients loves the overall look and feel of her new bathroom and raves about how well the functionality-minded design makes her morning routine – and her life – easier and enjoyable!

Beautiful natural light streams in through this horizontal window upwardly positioned for privacy. A frameless clear glass “floor level” shower provides for safe and convenient usage by our retired homeowners today and into the future. The handheld shower and grab bar complete this aging-in-place friendly design build remodel by The Buckingham Group.

THE SETUP
This client lives in a great high-rise condo in downtown Chicago. Alicia has already remodeled a few areas of her home, including her kitchen and home office. The bathroom is one of the last big places the client wanted to update. The existing bathroom had a large, outdated whirlpool tub in the corner. It was a darker space that had a lack of natural light. There are no windows (due to the bathroom’s location within the high-rise building). So, the idea was to brighten up the space and give the client an updated, elegant primary bathroom that is more her style and tailor-made for her routines.
Design Objectives:
- Make the space brighter.
- Create different daily routine stations to maximize functionality while keeping things clutter-free – a makeup station, a blow-dry station, and a sink-needs station.
- Achieve the client’s specific style and function needs while also keeping the look and design open to future possibilities: different users of the space/resale clients.
Design Challenges:
- Toilet cannot be moved. (In a high-rise, you can’t really move plumbing around too much when reimagining a space)
- Existing bathroom had a soffit that hid a lot of electrical wiring, so completely removing the soffit wasn’t an option.
- The blow-dry station needs to accommodate the client’s preference for standing up.
- Finding a place for the make-up station, which the client wants oriented for sitting.
- Create storage within the shower that can eliminate the clutter of personal care products that are actually needed every day. Do this, while keeping the client’s favorite things about the existing shower: the shower bench, a tub filler faucet (for rinsing shaving cream when shaving legs) and a low niche for placing her foot when shaving her legs.
THE RENEWED SPACE
Design Solutions:
- Extended a bit of wall near the toilet to give the commode its own area within the space, but without closing it off into a claustrophobic WC.
- Worked within the reality of the existing soffit situation, reshaping it to align with the new shower. Can lights were also added. Installed a beautiful ceiling light fixture that works within the new soffit shape, commanding attention and adding light, as if the sofit shape was chosen for it.
- Created a nice, furniture-looking 42”-high cabinet with pullout drawers to be the blow-dry station, complete with a mirror and a nice top. The pullout drawers are all powered, concealing a Dyson dryer and curling iron (and all the accoutrements) while keeping them plugged in, which is ideal for easy usage and put away. A stylish mirror on the wall above the cabinet, and proper lighting, make this the perfect blow-dry station. The top has a grommet that can accommodate a power cord should the client ever want to have a powered device on top of the cabinet.
- Put the sit-down makeup station where the tub used to be, putting the mirror back into a new recessed wall just a bit, allowing the area to have more room.
- Created a niche in the shower’s inner wall so that you can’t see it unless you are literally inside the shower. At the client’s request, it also has a hook so she can hang her loofa. Hiding the utility niche in this way allowed us to use the full main wall of the shower as a canvas for a beautiful accent stripe of raised decorative tile. The new shower has her old favorites, too: the tub filler, foot niche and bench.
Alicia’s client loves her new primary bathroom, especially the blow dry area. It is very accommodating for her, as a tall lady, while being very easy to use. The drawers store everything. Being powered, they make using already-plugged in appliances very easy to use and put away.
Her previous makeup station was a freestanding vanity with a single drawer, so beauty products were all over the surface top. With her new makeup station, everything is nicely tucked away and organized in drawers.
The new lighting is fantastic and the colors are light and soft. The clients loves the overall look and feel of her new bathroom and raves about how well the functionality-minded design makes her morning routine – and her life – easier and enjoyable!
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