photography by Anice Hoachlander
Inspiration for a large modern master gray tile gray floor alcove bathtub remodel in DC Metro with gray walls

ASID Design Excellence First Place Residential – Kitchen and Bathroom: Michael Merrill Design Studio was approached three years ago by the homeowner to redesign her kitchen. Although she was dissatisfied with some aspects of her home, she still loved it dearly. As we discovered her passion for design, we began to rework her entire home for consistency including this bathroom.

Transitional kids' white tile and subway tile alcove bathtub photo in Los Angeles

Inspiration for a coastal white tile and subway tile mosaic tile floor and multicolored floor alcove bathtub remodel in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, black cabinets, a two-piece toilet and recessed-panel cabinets

Painted Crystal Cabinets in Stone Bluff with a matte finish are understated, elegant and provide lots of storage.
Inspiration for a large transitional master blue tile and glass tile marble floor freestanding bathtub remodel in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, a two-piece toilet, blue walls, an integrated sink and solid surface countertops

Alcove bathtub - transitional alcove bathtub idea in Dallas

Photography: Stephani Buchman
Alcove bathtub - mid-sized contemporary master gray tile and subway tile marble floor and gray floor alcove bathtub idea in Toronto with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets and gray walls

Small mid-century modern 3/4 white tile and ceramic tile porcelain tile and white floor alcove bathtub photo in Vancouver with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, white walls, a vessel sink and wood countertops

The layout of this bathroom was reconfigured by locating the new tub on the rear wall, and putting the toilet on the left of the vanity. The wall on the left of the existing vanity was taken out.

Elegant modern kitchen created by combining custom cabinets, ceasar stone counter tops, Artistic Tile backsplash and Gregorious Pineo LIght Fixture. Custom cabinets all finished by hand with custom color and glaze by Fabian Fine furniture. Photos by Christopher Stark

Photos by Darby Kate Photography
Alcove bathtub - mid-sized cottage master gray tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile alcove bathtub idea in Dallas with shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, a one-piece toilet, gray walls, an undermount sink and granite countertops

This cool bath showcases 3D wall tiles (OXO Deco Blanco 12 x 35 tile) and sparkly glass tile in shower in Blue Sea. Freestanding tub is beautiful and functional.

Design by #JGKB in McLean, Virginia. Photography by Bob Narod.
Large transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen photo in DC Metro with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

The kitchen is glossy and modern, but off-set by the rough concrete block wall pattern on the interior wall. The block wall is replicated from the existing exterior concrete block wall to bring the outdoor inside. Photo by Elon Schoenholz

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.

This stylish update for a family bathroom in a Vermont country house involved a complete reconfiguration of the layout to allow for a built-in linen closet, a 42" wide soaking tub/shower and a double vanity. The reclaimed pine vanity and iron hardware play off the patterned tile floor and ship lap walls for a contemporary eclectic mix.

Separate water closet provides privacy and porcelian tile floor creates subtle movement in the bathroom.
Example of a large transitional master blue tile and glass tile marble floor freestanding bathtub design in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, a two-piece toilet, blue walls, an integrated sink and solid surface countertops

This fun shower has blue glass tile above giving it a bit of sparkle, and cool 3D tile on the lower half which continues onto the lower half of the wall behind the tub.

By Thrive Design Group
Mid-sized transitional 3/4 white tile and ceramic tile marble floor and white floor alcove bathtub photo in Chicago with blue cabinets, a two-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops and recessed-panel cabinets