The Double Bath Remodel Everyone Was Waiting For

We were pretty clear about the scope from the beginning: stylishly & functionally update two mid-20th century bathrooms in a much older farmhouse, that were bogging down this family’s sense of fully inhabiting their home. Eventually we tacked on an office door upgrade, wallpaper seal & wall retexture (mostly smooth) the main entry hall and stairwell, and repainting the front-visible sides of the house and outbuildings. This project was a full gut, save the upstairs period-porcelain tub, which we relocated to the downstairs (an equally stunning period console sink was found to make the pair).

A tight timeline was needed to minimize the amount of the time these two key bathrooms were out of comission. Fortunately there were other options on-site, and we were able to get the basic functionality of both baths up and running within three weeks. Outside of some important product delays, the project came in at a budget and timeline that felt fair to the adjustments we were making, and really not that far from the mark we initially aimed. Everyone is quite happy with how things turned out. Had a tremendous design ally in our client, Gwen, and her persistence is what gave us this winning tile combo, elegant light fixtures, and striking plumbing hardware. An interior-designer in her heart, and a real-life artist, her design eye offered a cohesive and well-curated jewel to the crown of this wonderful project.

Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC all had upgrades, while we had the walls open. New upstairs window and reclaiming some of the adjacent bedroom’s closet, in order to get us more space for the shower. Had some water damage from the upper shower to the lower bathroom, but fortunately no structural damage (although we did have to reinforce the upstairs floor to accommodate a new cast iron claw foot tub). Tile was our biggest rodeo, but in the end, successful! Mostly b/c we went with several vendors, some out-of-state, and ordering enough within our scheduled timeline, got a bit nail-biting. Always give tile time! Time to decide and order BEFORE your installer is on-site. Tile with style generally requires care and attention and knowing what is going on, well in advance — and attentive management as the work is being done. Your tile installer will need to know the layout and how complicated, and whether they are up to the task.

There are too many favorites to list, but some highlights: The opposing grout in up and downstairs tile brings a whole other level of texture and spacial definition that feels foundational to this design aesthetic. The two-tone cast iron claw foot tub comes from some great folks in Missouri, USA (The Tub Connection); they can match Sherwin Williams paint colors, for that extra mile of design cohesion. Our stone cutters found a single slab of this exquisite caramel quartz, and cut our waterfall vanity, window & shower sills, and the door thresholds from it. The floating vanity and refurbished antique doors.

Floating vanity & builder boots-on-the-ground: Greg Slain. Tile install: Javier Lopez. Plumbing install: Josh Nance. Lighting install: Jesse Reichow. Wall finish: Manual Saez & Gary Riffel. Stonecutters: Stone Distribution Center. Paint: Luke Wahlberg. Woodwork refinish: Mya Bea. Design collaboration: Mya Bea, Greg Slain & Gwen Pollara.