Carrie Acosta
Large elegant dark wood floor hallway photo in Detroit with white walls

Small 1960s ceramic tile and single-sink bathroom photo in New York with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, an undermount sink, solid surface countertops, white countertops and a freestanding vanity

Photo by William Enos
Study room - mid-sized traditional built-in desk medium tone wood floor study room idea in San Francisco with blue walls

Talk about your small spaces. In this case we had to squeeze a full bath into a powder room-sized room of only 5’ x 7’. The ceiling height also comes into play sloping downward from 90” to 71” under the roof of a second floor dormer in this Cape-style home. We stripped the room bare and scrutinized how we could minimize the visual impact of each necessary bathroom utility. The bathroom was transitioning along with its occupant from young boy to teenager. The existing bathtub and shower curtain by far took up the most visual space within the room. Eliminating the tub and introducing a curbless shower with sliding glass shower doors greatly enlarged the room. Now that the floor seamlessly flows through out the room it magically feels larger. We further enhanced this concept with a floating vanity. Although a bit smaller than before, it along with the new wall-mounted medicine cabinet sufficiently handles all storage needs. We chose a comfort height toilet with a short tank so that we could extend the wood countertop completely across the sink wall. The longer countertop creates opportunity for decorative effects while creating the illusion of a larger space. Floating shelves to the right of the vanity house more nooks for storage and hide a pop-out electrical outlet. The clefted slate target wall in the shower sets up the modern yet rustic aesthetic of this bathroom, further enhanced by a chipped high gloss stone floor and wire brushed wood countertop. I think it is the style and placement of the wall sconces (rated for wet environments) that really make this space unique. White ceiling tile keeps the shower area functional while allowing us to extend the white along the rest of the ceiling and partially down the sink wall – again a room-expanding trick. This is a small room that makes a big splash!

Beautiful open plan Napa Farmhouse with a kitchen fireplace, white oak wire brushed floors, views.barnwood pantry sliding door, antiques limestone tile Open Homes Photography

Elevated Focus, Brian Colby, Marc Lisak
Example of a beach style single-wall light wood floor eat-in kitchen design in San Diego with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, concrete countertops, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Sandi Lanigan Interiors Beck Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless galley light wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Boston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, red cabinets, granite countertops, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

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.

Mid-sized danish medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen photo in Raleigh with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, quartz backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

You'll see a variety of influences reflected in the Newbury collection, notably from jewelry. Crystal spheres are very glamorous and old Hollywood. But we've made some changes to the traditional design. The most dramatic is our use of round faceted hand cut crystal beads. It reads as more contemporary, perfect for today's interiors. Measurements and Information: Width: 10" Height: 11" adjustable to 83" overall Includes 6' Chain Supplied with 10' electrical wire Approximate hanging weight: 9 pounds Finish: Antique Brass Crystal: Hand Cut Beads 1 Light Accommodates 1 x 60 watt (max.) medium base bulb Safety Rating: UL and CUL listed

Christopher Nelson photos
Trendy multicolored tile and ceramic tile alcove shower photo in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, an undermount tub and a two-piece toilet

DIY cable railing kit installed by the client on this beautiful east coast home. Stainless steel railing posts with powder coat, stainless steel cable infill, and natural wood top railings. The ultimate in corrosion resistant post systems. Photo submission by client Railings manufactured by www.sandiegocablerailings.com

Example of a small transitional galley medium tone wood floor kitchen pantry design in Chicago with shaker cabinets, no island, a single-bowl sink, black cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Open concept kitchen with rift cut oak and white acrylic cabinets, wire brushed white oak floors, quartz tops, waterfall tops on island, buffet at breakfast, 15' ceilings, floating shelves, toe kick lighting, mid century pendant lights.

bianco carrara, chevron tile, chrome faucet, gray, gray and white bathroom, gray vanity, marble, plantation shutters, single sink, steam shower, subway tile, white

Taryn DeVincent
Example of a small farmhouse travertine floor and beige floor entryway design in Philadelphia with green walls and a white front door

The tall dining table doubles as a kitchen island. The same flooring material was used throughout most of the unit to increase the visual flow of space and make the unit appear larger. Folding chairs for overflow seating are "stored" as wall hangings.

We partnered with Custom Creative Remodeling, a Phoenix based home remodeling company, to provide the cabinetry for this beautiful remodel! Photo Credit: Custom Creative Remodeling

Combination of kitchen, great room and dining room within double vaulted space. 2-sided (gas and wood burning) stacked stone fireplace. Client produced hog-wire paneling in lieu of traditional railings. Custom standing seem metal hood.