An Arts & Crafts Bungalow is one of my favorite styles of homes. We have quite a few of them in our Stockton Mid-Town area. And when C&L called us to help them remodel their 1923 American Bungalow, I was beyond thrilled. As per usual, when we get a new inquiry, we quickly Google the project location while we are talking to you on the phone. My excitement escalated when I saw the Google Earth Image of the sweet Sage Green bungalow in Mid-Town Stockton. "Yes, we would be interested in working with you," I said trying to keep my cool. But what made it even better was meeting C&L and touring their home, because they are the nicest young couple, eager to make their home period perfect. Unfortunately, it had been slightly molested by some bad house-flippers, and we needed to bring the bathroom back to it "roots." We knew we had to banish the hideous brown tile and cheap vanity quickly. But C&L complained about the condensation problems and the constant fight with mold. This immediately told me that improper remodeling had occurred and we needed to remedy that right away. The Before: Frustrations with a Botched Remodel The bathroom needed to be brought back to period appropriate design with all the functionality of a modern bathroom. We thought of things like marble countertop, white mosaic floor tiles, white subway tile, board and batten molding, and of course a fabulous wallpaper. This small (and only) bathroom on a tight budget required a little bit of design sleuthing to figure out how we could get the proper look and feel. Our goal was to determine where to splurge and where to economize and how to complete the remodel as quickly as possible because C&L would have to move out while construction was going on. The Process: Hard Work to Remedy Design and Function During our initial design study, (which included 2 hours in the owners’ home), we noticed framed images of William Morris Arts and Crafts textile patterns and knew this would be our design inspiration. We presented C&L with three options and they quickly selected the Pimpernel Design Concept. We had originally selected the Black and Olive colors with a black vanity, mirror, and black and white floor tile. C&L liked it but weren’t quite sure about the black, We went back to the drawing board and decided the William & Co Pimpernel Wallpaper in Bayleaf and Manilla color with a softer gray painted vanity and mirror and white floor tile was more to their liking. After the Design Concept was approved, we went to work securing the building permit, procuring all the elements, and scheduling our trusted tradesmen to perform the work. We did uncover some shoddy work by the flippers such as live electrical wires hidden behind the wall, plumbing venting cut-off and buried in the walls (hence the constant dampness), the tub barely balancing on two fence boards across the floor joist, and no insulation on the exterior wall. All of the previous blunders were fixed and the bathroom put back to its previous glory. We could feel the house thanking us for making it pretty again. The After Reveal: Cohesive Design Decisions We selected a simple white subway tile for the tub/shower. This is always classic and in keeping with the style of the house. We selected a pre-fab vanity and mirror, but they look rich with the quartz countertop. There is much more storage in this small vanity than you would think. The Transformation: A Period Perfect Refresh We began the remodel just as the pandemic reared and stay-in-place orders went into effect. As C&L were already moved out and living with relatives, we got the go-ahead from city officials to get the work done (after all, how can you shelter in place without a bathroom?). All our tradesmen were scheduled to work so that only one crew was on the job site at a time. We stayed on the original schedule with only a one week delay. The end result is the sweetest little bathroom I've ever seen (and I can't wait to start work on C&L's kitchen next). Thank you for joining me in this project transformation. I hope this inspired you to think about being creative with your design projects, determining what works best in keeping with the architecture of your space, and carefully assessing how you can have the best life in your home.

Living room - modern beige floor living room idea in San Francisco with white walls, a ribbon fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Example of a trendy floating open staircase design in Turin

Country powder room photo in Minneapolis with black walls and a wall-mount sink

Example of a huge classic look-out dark wood floor and brown floor family room design in DC Metro with beige walls

Denver Image Photography - Tahvory and Billy Bunting
Family room - industrial concrete floor family room idea in Denver

Example of a large transitional u-shaped dark wood floor kitchen design in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz countertops, beige backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, white appliances and an island

This project, an extensive remodel and addition to an existing modern residence high above Silicon Valley, was inspired by dominant images and textures from the site: boulders, bark, and leaves. We created a two-story addition clad in traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban burnt wood siding that anchors home and site. Natural textures also prevail in the cosmetic remodeling of all the living spaces. The new volume adjacent to an expanded kitchen contains a family room and staircase to an upper guest suite. The original home was a joint venture between Min | Day as Design Architect and Burks Toma Architects as Architect of Record and was substantially completed in 1999. In 2005, Min | Day added the swimming pool and related outdoor spaces. Schwartz and Architecture (SaA) began work on the addition and substantial remodel of the interior in 2009, completed in 2015. Photo by Matthew Millman

Kitchen pantry - small traditional medium tone wood floor kitchen pantry idea in Charlotte with wood countertops and white backsplash

Kids' bedroom - bedroom contemporary girl medium tone wood floor kids' bedroom idea in Miami

Fun and lively guest room. Grace Home Design. Photo Credit: David Agnello
Example of a mountain style master carpeted bedroom design with white walls

The former mudroom became the pantry. A glass partition allows for the light to flow through.
Inspiration for a small industrial ceramic tile enclosed dining room remodel in Los Angeles

Mid-sized trendy open concept gray floor and light wood floor living room photo in Phoenix with gray walls, no fireplace and no tv

Michael J. Lee Photography
Elegant brick floor front door photo in Boston with a blue front door and beige walls

AFTER - This drone shot of their finished project, sent to us by the Morris family at Wrightsville Beach, gives a new perspective in relation to the plan. We hardly ever get to see our work from this viewpoint. Thank you! Photo Credit: Morris Family

A fresh and modern design upgrade to the existing interior of this mid-century modern home created the perfect compliment to the owner's taste and lifestyle. Furniture layouts and detailed specifications for the living room provided the starting point and primary focus for the project, and influenced the selection of related materials and finishes throughout the house.

Example of a beach style beige two-story wood exterior home design in New York

Craig Kozun-Young/f8images
Inspiration for a timeless l-shaped light wood floor kitchen remodel in Baltimore with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Images by: McNeill Photography Design/Build by Betz pools: https://www.betzpools.com/