Master bathroom is filled with natural light and materials. Glass tiled shower, marble mosaic tile and cumaru wood floors blend to create an elegant oasis with modern fixtures. Photo by Whit Preston

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.

Designed by Cameron Snyder, CKD and Julie Lyons. Removing the former wall between the kitchen and dining room to create an open floor plan meant the former powder room tucked in a corner needed to be relocated. Cameron designed a 7' by 6' space framed with curved wall in the middle of the new space to locate the new powder room and it became an instant focal point perfectly located for guests and easily accessible from the kitchen, living and dining room areas. Both the pedestal lavatory and one piece sanagloss toilet are from TOTO Guinevere collection. Faucet is from the Newport Brass-Bevelle series in Polished Nickel with lever handles.

Marble mosaic floor with a border to frame the space. White subway tile wall with finishing cap piece to complete the look.
Elegant white tile and subway tile freestanding bathtub photo in Little Rock with a pedestal sink and gray walls

It’s always a blessing when your clients become friends - and that’s exactly what blossomed out of this two-phase remodel (along with three transformed spaces!). These clients were such a joy to work with and made what, at times, was a challenging job feel seamless. This project consisted of two phases, the first being a reconfiguration and update of their master bathroom, guest bathroom, and hallway closets, and the second a kitchen remodel. In keeping with the style of the home, we decided to run with what we called “traditional with farmhouse charm” – warm wood tones, cement tile, traditional patterns, and you can’t forget the pops of color! The master bathroom airs on the masculine side with a mostly black, white, and wood color palette, while the powder room is very feminine with pastel colors. When the bathroom projects were wrapped, it didn’t take long before we moved on to the kitchen. The kitchen already had a nice flow, so we didn’t need to move any plumbing or appliances. Instead, we just gave it the facelift it deserved! We wanted to continue the farmhouse charm and landed on a gorgeous terracotta and ceramic hand-painted tile for the backsplash, concrete look-alike quartz countertops, and two-toned cabinets while keeping the existing hardwood floors. We also removed some upper cabinets that blocked the view from the kitchen into the dining and living room area, resulting in a coveted open concept floor plan. Our clients have always loved to entertain, but now with the remodel complete, they are hosting more than ever, enjoying every second they have in their home.

Bethany Nauert
Mid-sized cottage white tile and subway tile cement tile floor and black floor bathroom photo in Los Angeles with shaker cabinets, an undermount sink, brown cabinets, a two-piece toilet, gray walls and marble countertops

Spectrum Studio
Alcove shower - transitional white tile black floor alcove shower idea in Chicago with shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, a two-piece toilet and gray walls

Large gray sectional paired with marble coffee table. Gold wire chairs with a corner fireplace. The ceiling is exposed wood beams and vaults towards the rest of the home. Four pairs of french doors offer lake views on two sides of the house. Photographer: Martin Menocal

Renovation of 1960's bathroom in New York City. Dimensions, less than 5"-0" x 8'-0". Thassos marble subway tiles with Blue Celeste mosaic and slabs. Kohler shower head and sprays, Furniture Guild vanity, Toto faucet and toilet Photo: Elizabeth Dooley

Tiny House bathroom Photography: Gieves Anderson Noble Johnson Architects was honored to partner with Huseby Homes to design a Tiny House which was displayed at Nashville botanical garden, Cheekwood, for two weeks in the spring of 2021. It was then auctioned off to benefit the Swan Ball. Although the Tiny House is only 383 square feet, the vaulted space creates an incredibly inviting volume. Its natural light, high end appliances and luxury lighting create a welcoming space.

Description: Bathroom Remodel - Reclaimed Vintage Glass Tile - Photograph: HAUS | Architecture
Example of a small transitional green tile and glass tile mosaic tile floor and white floor tub/shower combo design in Indianapolis with a vessel sink, open cabinets, black cabinets, wood countertops, green walls and black countertops

Designed by Banner Day Interiors, these minty green bathroom tiles in a subway pattern add just the right pop of color to this classic-inspired shower. Sample more handmade colors at fireclaytile.com/samples TILE SHOWN 4x8 Tiles in Celadon

Children's tub and built in shelves. Yorgos Efthymiadis
Inspiration for a coastal multicolored tile and glass tile mosaic tile floor alcove bathtub remodel in New York

Luxurious modern take on a traditional white Italian villa. An entry with a silver domed ceiling, painted moldings in patterns on the walls and mosaic marble flooring create a luxe foyer. Into the formal living room, cool polished Crema Marfil marble tiles contrast with honed carved limestone fireplaces throughout the home, including the outdoor loggia. Ceilings are coffered with white painted crown moldings and beams, or planked, and the dining room has a mirrored ceiling. Bathrooms are white marble tiles and counters, with dark rich wood stains or white painted. The hallway leading into the master bedroom is designed with barrel vaulted ceilings and arched paneled wood stained doors. The master bath and vestibule floor is covered with a carpet of patterned mosaic marbles, and the interior doors to the large walk in master closets are made with leaded glass to let in the light. The master bedroom has dark walnut planked flooring, and a white painted fireplace surround with a white marble hearth. The kitchen features white marbles and white ceramic tile backsplash, white painted cabinetry and a dark stained island with carved molding legs. Next to the kitchen, the bar in the family room has terra cotta colored marble on the backsplash and counter over dark walnut cabinets. Wrought iron staircase leading to the more modern media/family room upstairs. Project Location: North Ranch, Westlake, California. Remodel designed by Maraya Interior Design. From their beautiful resort town of Ojai, they serve clients in Montecito, Hope Ranch, Malibu, Westlake and Calabasas, across the tri-county areas of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles, south to Hidden Hills- north through Solvang and more. Eclectic Living Room with Asian antiques from the owners' own travels. Deep purple, copper and white chenille fabrics and a handknotted wool rug. Modern art painting by Maraya, Home built by Timothy J. Droney

The full bathroom is complete with a "his and hers" style vanity. One of the most distinct textures, the exposed stonework, is visible in both the bedroom and bathroom area.

Inspiration for a small transitional 3/4 white tile and subway tile porcelain tile, single-sink and multicolored floor bathroom remodel in Phoenix with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, gray walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, white countertops and a built-in vanity

The clients, a young professional couple had lived with this bathroom in their townhome for 6 years. They finally could not take it any longer. The designer was tasked with turning this ugly duckling into a beautiful swan without relocating walls, doors, fittings, or fixtures in this principal bathroom. The client wish list included, better storage, improved lighting, replacing the tub with a shower, and creating a sparkling personality for this uninspired space using any color way except white. The designer began the transformation with the wall tile. Large format rectangular tiles were installed floor to ceiling on the vanity wall and continued behind the toilet and into the shower. The soft variation in tile pattern is very soothing and added to the Zen feeling of the room. One partner is an avid gardener and wanted to bring natural colors into the space. The same tile is used on the floor in a matte finish for slip resistance and in a 2” mosaic of the same tile is used on the shower floor. A lighted tile recess was created across the entire back wall of the shower beautifully illuminating the wall. Recycled glass tiles used in the niche represent the color and shape of leaves. A single glass panel was used in place of a traditional shower door. Continuing the serene colorway of the bath, natural rift cut white oak was chosen for the vanity and the floating shelves above the toilet. A white quartz for the countertop, has a small reflective pattern like the polished chrome of the fittings and hardware. Natural curved shapes are repeated in the arch of the faucet, the hardware, the front of the toilet and shower column. The rectangular shape of the tile is repeated in the drawer fronts of the cabinets, the sink, the medicine cabinet, and the floating shelves. The shower column was selected to maintain the simple lines of the fittings while providing a temperature, pressure balance shower experience with a multi-function main shower head and handheld head. The dual flush toilet and low flow shower are a water saving consideration. The floating shelves provide decorative and functional storage. The asymmetric design of the medicine cabinet allows for a full view in the mirror with the added function of a tri view mirror when open. Built in LED lighting is controllable from 2500K to 4000K. The interior of the medicine cabinet is also mirrored and electrified to keep the countertop clear of necessities. Additional lighting is provided with recessed LED fixtures for the vanity area as well as in the shower. A motion sensor light installed under the vanity illuminates the room with a soft glow at night. The transformation is now complete. No longer an ugly duckling and source of unhappiness, the new bathroom provides a much-needed respite from the couples’ busy lives. It has created a retreat to recharge and replenish, two very important components of wellness.

The goal of this project was to upgrade the builder grade finishes and create an ergonomic space that had a contemporary feel. This bathroom transformed from a standard, builder grade bathroom to a contemporary urban oasis. This was one of my favorite projects, I know I say that about most of my projects but this one really took an amazing transformation. By removing the walls surrounding the shower and relocating the toilet it visually opened up the space. Creating a deeper shower allowed for the tub to be incorporated into the wet area. Adding a LED panel in the back of the shower gave the illusion of a depth and created a unique storage ledge. A custom vanity keeps a clean front with different storage options and linear limestone draws the eye towards the stacked stone accent wall. Houzz Write Up: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/inside-houzz-a-chopped-up-bathroom-goes-streamlined-and-swank-stsetivw-vs~27263720 The layout of this bathroom was opened up to get rid of the hallway effect, being only 7 foot wide, this bathroom needed all the width it could muster. Using light flooring in the form of natural lime stone 12x24 tiles with a linear pattern, it really draws the eye down the length of the room which is what we needed. Then, breaking up the space a little with the stone pebble flooring in the shower, this client enjoyed his time living in Japan and wanted to incorporate some of the elements that he appreciated while living there. The dark stacked stone feature wall behind the tub is the perfect backdrop for the LED panel, giving the illusion of a window and also creates a cool storage shelf for the tub. A narrow, but tasteful, oval freestanding tub fit effortlessly in the back of the shower. With a sloped floor, ensuring no standing water either in the shower floor or behind the tub, every thought went into engineering this Atlanta bathroom to last the test of time. With now adequate space in the shower, there was space for adjacent shower heads controlled by Kohler digital valves. A hand wand was added for use and convenience of cleaning as well. On the vanity are semi-vessel sinks which give the appearance of vessel sinks, but with the added benefit of a deeper, rounded basin to avoid splashing. Wall mounted faucets add sophistication as well as less cleaning maintenance over time. The custom vanity is streamlined with drawers, doors and a pull out for a can or hamper. A wonderful project and equally wonderful client. I really enjoyed working with this client and the creative direction of this project. Brushed nickel shower head with digital shower valve, freestanding bathtub, curbless shower with hidden shower drain, flat pebble shower floor, shelf over tub with LED lighting, gray vanity with drawer fronts, white square ceramic sinks, wall mount faucets and lighting under vanity. Hidden Drain shower system. Atlanta Bathroom.

curbless, infinity shower with handheld and nooks.
Bathroom - large modern master beige tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile and beige floor bathroom idea in Sacramento with a hinged shower door, dark wood cabinets, white walls, a vessel sink and quartz countertops