Pilcher Residential

Paul Vu

Mike and Anne of Barrington Hills desperately needed to update and renovate both their kid’s hall bath and guest bath, and in their 1980’s home each project presented a different set of unique challenges to overcome. When they set out to identify the right remodeling company to partner with, it was important to find a company that could help them to visualize design solutions for the bath renovations. When they came across Advance Design Studio’s website, they were immediately drawn to the solution-oriented remodeling process and the family friendly company. They say they chose Advance Design because of the integrated approach of “Common Sense Remodeling”, making the design, project management and construction all happen in one place. When they met with Project Designer Michelle Lecinski, they knew they chose the right company. “Michelle’s excellent work on the initial designs made it easy to proceed with Advance Design Studio,” Mike said. Like most homeowners anticipating a big renovation project, they had some healthy fears; with two bathrooms being remodeled at the same time they worried about timeframes and staying within budget. With the help of Michelle, and the “Common Sense” guidelines, they were confident that Advance Design would stay true, orchestrating all the moving parts to stay within both the estimated timeline and budget. The guest bath offered the biggest design challenge. A dormer obstruction made the already cramped shower awkward to access. Mike and Anne also wanted the shower size to be expanded, making it more accommodating. Working with Advance’s construction expert DJ Yurik, Michelle relocated the shower concealing the original dormer and creating a larger, more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing guest shower. The unsightly and not at all user-friendly closet was removed and replaced with elegant White Maple Dura Supreme cabinetry with much improved function featuring dual tall linen cabinets, a special makeup area and two sinks, providing a dual vanity which was extremely important for better guest use. The Fossil Brown quartz countertop is in pleasing contrast to the white cabinetry, and coordinates nicely with the mocha porcelain tile gracing the shower for an accent. The decorative glazed turquoise tile backsplash, tile border, and bottle niche adds a taste of marine green to the room, while marble-looking porcelain tile makes guests feel they are staying in a 5-star hotel. Polished nickel Kohler plumbing fixtures were chosen to add a touch of sophistication. This renovated guest bath is comfortable and elegant, and Anne and Mike’s house guests may never want to leave! “The end result was updated and restyled bathrooms that the client will enjoy and increase the value of their home,” Designer Michelle said. The children’s hall bath had its own set of challenges. The current placement of the sink was not conducive to the best use of the existing space, nor did it allow for any visual interest, something Advance’s designers always work to achieve even within the tight confines of a small bath. Advance removed the linen closet and used the gain in wall space to create a dramatic focal point on the vanity wall. They also took additional space that wasn’t being used for new Storm Gray Dura Supreme tall built-in linen cabinets, creating functional storage space that the former bath lacked. A customized glass splash panel was created for the bath, and the high ceilings with skylights were accented with a custom-made track lighting fixture featuring industrial pipe and cage materials. Authentic cement encaustic tile was used wall to wall surrounding the vanity to create a dramatic and interesting back drop for the new elegant and stately furniture-like double sink wall. Hand-made encaustic tile originated in Western Europe beginning in the 1850’s and reminded Mike and Anne of tile they had seen and loved from their travels overseas. Today, encaustic tile has made a re-appearance in today’s modern bath design with its wide array of appealing patterns and artistic use of color. Oil rubbed bronze Kohler fixtures echo the black accents in the beautiful tile pattern and reflect the matte black of the unique lighting detail. Easy to maintain Blanca Arabescato Quartz countertops add practicality and natural beauty and compliments the warm wood porcelain tile floors. This handsome bath has generated praise from friends and family even before it’s complete unveiling as photos of the space leaked out on social media! It’s not only completely functional to use, but especially pretty to look at. “Advance Design Studio did a terrific job for us. We really appreciated how easy it was to work with them on a complex project of the complete remodeling of two bathrooms. They very capably handled all the details from design, to project management, to construction. It is a great group of people to work with and we would welcome the opportunity to work with them again anytime,” Mike said.

We wanted to have a little fun with this kids bathroom. The pattern geometric tile was fun and playful and adds a little flair. In keeping with the geometric theme we added the round mirror and sconces and the square shower head to compliment the floor. A simple vanity highlights the floor and shower pattern tile.

Mountain View Modern master bath with curbless shower, bamboo cabinets and double trough sink. Green Heath Ceramics tile on shower wall, also in shower niche (reflected in mirror) Exposed beams and skylight in ceiling. Photography: Mark Pinkerton VI360

This was a dated and rough space when we began. The plumbing was leaking and the tub surround was failing. The client wanted a bathroom that complimented the era of the home without going over budget. We tastefully designed the space with an eye on the character of the home and budget. We save the sink and tub from the recycling bin and refinished them both. The floor was refreshed with a good cleaning and some grout touch ups and tile replacement using tiles from under the toilet.

Susie Brenner Photography

Alan Jackson - Jackson Studios

This bathroom cabinet has white doors inset in walnut frames for added interest and ties both color schemes together for added cohesion. The vanity tower cabinet is a multi-purpose storage cabinet accessed on all (3) sides. The face is a medicine cabinet and the sides are his and her storage with outlets. This allows for easy use of electric toothbrushes, razors and hairdryers. Below, there are also his and her pull-outs with adjustable shelving to keep the taller toiletries organized and at hand. Can lighting combined with stunning bottle shaped pendants that mimic the tile pattern offer controlled light on dimmers to suit every need in the space. Wendi Nordeck Photography

Art Gray, Art Gray Photography

Tropical Bathroom in Horsham, West Sussex Sparkling brushed-brass elements, soothing tones and patterned topical accent tiling combine in this calming bathroom design. The Brief This local Horsham client required our assistance refreshing their bathroom, with the aim of creating a spacious and soothing design. Relaxing natural tones and design elements were favoured from initial conversations, whilst designer Martin was also to create a spacious layout incorporating present-day design components. Design Elements From early project conversations this tropical tile choice was favoured and has been incorporated as an accent around storage niches. The tropical tile choice combines perfectly with this neutral wall tile, used to add a soft calming aesthetic to the design. To add further natural elements designer Martin has included a porcelain wood-effect floor tile that is also installed within the walk-in shower area. The new layout Martin has created includes a vast walk-in shower area at one end of the bathroom, with storage and sanitaryware at the adjacent end. The spacious walk-in shower contributes towards the spacious feel and aesthetic, and the usability of this space is enhanced with a storage niche which runs wall-to-wall within the shower area. Small downlights have been installed into this niche to add useful and ambient lighting. Throughout this space brushed-brass inclusions have been incorporated to add a glitzy element to the design. Special Inclusions With plentiful storage an important element of the design, two furniture units have been included which also work well with the theme of the project. The first is a two drawer wall hung unit, which has been chosen in a walnut finish to match natural elements within the design. This unit is equipped with brushed-brass handleware, and atop, a brushed-brass basin mixer from Aqualla has also been installed. The second unit included is a mirrored wall cabinet from HiB, which adds useful mirrored space to the design, but also fantastic ambient lighting. This cabinet is equipped with demisting technology to ensure the mirrored area can be used at all times. Project Highlight The sparkling brushed-brass accents are one of the most eye-catching elements of this design. A full array of brassware from Aqualla’s Kyloe collection has been used for this project, which is equipped with a subtle knurled finish. The End Result The result of this project is a renovation that achieves all elements of the initial project brief, with a remarkable design. A tropical tile choice and brushed-brass elements are some of the stand-out features of this project which this client can will enjoy for many years. If you are thinking about a bathroom update, discover how our expert designers and award-winning installation team can transform your property. Request your free design appointment in showroom or online today.

This SW Portland Hall bathroom walk-in shower has a large linear shower niche on the back wall.