A small hall bathroom got a full makeover with new porcelain floor tile and elongated white subway tile on the walls. A frameless shower glass + integral curtain rod keeps the small space feeling open and bright. We brought a touch of natural warmth to the space with a cherry vanity.

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Lakefront property in the northwest suburbs of Chicago is hard to come by, so when we were hired by this young family with exactly that, we were immediately inspired by not just the unusually large footprint of this 1950’s colonial revival but also the lovely views of the manmade lake it was sited on. The large 5-bedroom home was solidly stuck in the 1980’s, but we saw tons of potential. We started out by updating the existing staircase with a fresh coat of paint and adding new herringbone slate to the entry hall. The powder room off the entryway also got a refresh - new flooring, new cabinets and fixtures. We ran the new slate right through into this space for some consistency. A fun wallpaper and shiplap trim add a welcoming feel and set the tone for the home. Next, we tackled the kitchen. Located away from the rest of the first floor, the kitchen felt a little isolated, so we immediately began planning for how to better connect it to the rest of the first floor. We landed on removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and designed a modified galley style space with separate cooking and clean up zones. The cooking zone consists of the refrigerator, prep sink and cooktop, along with a nice long run of prep space at the island. The cleanup side of the kitchen consists of the main sink and dishwasher. Both areas are situated so that the user can view the lake during prep work and cleanup! One of the home’s main puzzles was how to incorporate the mudroom and area in front of the patio doors at the back of the house. We already had a breakfast table area, so the space by the patio doors was a bit of a no man’s land. We decided to separate the kitchen proper from what became the new mudroom with a large set of barn doors. That way you can quickly hide any mudroom messes but have easy access to the light coming in through the patio doors as well as the outdoor grilling station. We also love the impact the barn doors add to the overall space. The homeowners’ first words to us were “it’s time to ditch the brown,” so we did! We chose a lovely blue pallet that reflects the home’s location on the lake which is also vibrant yet easy on the eye. Countertops are white quartz, and the natural oak floor works well with the other honey accents. The breakfast table was given a refresh with new chairs, chandelier and window treatments that frame the gorgeous views of the lake out the back. We coordinated the slate mudroom flooring with that used in the home’s main entrance for a consistent feel. The storage area consists of open and closed storage to allow for some clutter control as needed. Next on our “to do” list was revamping the dated brown bar area in the neighboring dining room. We eliminated the clutter by adding some closed cabinets and did some easy updates to help the space feel more current. One snag we ran into here was the discovery of a beam above the existing open shelving that had to be modified with a smaller structural beam to allow for our new design to work. This was an unexpected surprise, but in the end we think it was well worth it! We kept the colors here a bit more muted to blend with the homeowner’s existing furnishings. Open shelving and polished nickel hardware add some simple detail to the new entertainment zone which also looks out onto the lake! Next we tackled the upstairs starting with the homeowner’s son’s bath. The bath originally had both a tub shower and a separate shower, so we decided to swap out the shower for a new laundry area. This freed up some space downstairs in what used to be the mudroom/laundry room and is much more convenient for daily laundry needs. We continued the blue palette here with navy cabinetry and the navy tile in the shower. Porcelain floor tile and chrome fixtures keep maintenance to a minimum while matte black mirrors and lighting add some depth the design. A low maintenance runner adds some warmth underfoot and ties the whole space together. We added a pocket door to the bathroom to minimize interference with the door swings. The left door of the laundry closet is on a 180 degree hinge to allow for easy full access to the machines. Next we tackled the master bath which is an en suite arrangement. The original was typical of the 1980’s with the vanity outside of the bathroom, situated near the master closet. And the brown theme continued here with multiple shades of brown. Our first move was to segment off the bath and the closet from the master bedroom. We created a short hall from the bedroom to the bathroom with his and hers walk-in closets on the left and right as well as a separate toilet closet outside of the main bathroom for privacy and flexibility. The original bathroom had a giant soaking tub with steps (dangerous!) as well as a small shower that did not work well for our homeowner who is 6’3”. With other bathtubs in the home, they decided to eliminate the tub and create an oversized shower which takes up the space where the old tub was located. The double vanity is on the opposite wall and a bench is located under the window for morning conversations and a place to set a couple of towels. The pallet in here is light and airy with a mix of blond wood, creamy porcelain and marble tile, and brass accents. A simple roman shade adds some texture and it’s top-down mechanism allows for light and privacy. This large whole house remodel gave our homeowners not only the ability to maximize the potential of their home but also created a lovely new frame from which to view their fabulous lake views. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Full guest bathroom converted from a little used sewing room. Completed in tandem with master bathroom in adjacent room. All new plumbing, flooring, and tile. Traditional clawfoot tub by windows. Large hex tile floors. Subway tile walls and shower with glass enclosure, black penny round tile shower floor with hidden drain. New pedestal sink with traditional faucet. Brand new two piece toilet.

Large master bath with freestanding custom vanity cabinet designed to look like a piece of furniture

The client derived inspiration for her new shower from a photo featuring a multi-colored tile floor. Using this photo, Gayler Design Build custom-designed a shower pan that incorporated six different colors of 4-inch hexagon tiles by Lunada Bay. These tiles were beautifully combined and laid in a “dark to light” pattern effectively transforming the shower into a work of art. Contributing to the room’s classic and timeless bathroom design was the shower walls that were designed in cotton white 3x6 subway tiles with grey grout. An elongated, oversized shower niche completed the look providing just the right space for necessary soap and shampoo bottles.

Guest bathroom in Denver, CO. Classic white subway wall tile in the shower and used as the wanes coating, gives this a classic city look. Complete with a free-standing vanity with an undermount sink and gray quartz top.

The added master bathroom features subway herringbone matte black tiles on floors and shampoo niche, white subway tiles on walls and floating bench (all from Spazio LA Tile Gallery), vaulted ceilings, a freestanding tub and Signature Hardware vanity.

This elegant white bathroom remodels features a gorgeous white subway tile and a glass-enclosed shower.

Photography: Garett + Carrie Buell of Studiobuell/ studiobuell.com

The classic archway is the highlight of this room and helps retain a sense of the home’s era. It also serves to section off the walk-in shower area and subdue the natural light from above. The Caesarstone vanity top and recessed drawer profiles tie in with the classic archway moulding and, by keeping the fixtures simple and streamlined, the room meets the brief for a contemporary space without disrupting the classic style of the home. The inclusion of a double herringbone wall tile pattern in the shower recess creates a luxurious textural subtlety and, to meet the client’s request for an element of blue, a stunning Moroccan floor tile was used.

The basement bathroom had all sorts of quirkiness to it. The vanity was too small for a couple of growing kids, the shower was a corner shower and had a storage cabinet incorporated into the wall that was almost too tall to put anything into. This space was in need of a over haul. We updated the bathroom with a wall to wall shower, light bright paint, wood tile floors, vanity lights, and a big enough vanity for growing kids. The space is in a basement meaning that the walls were not tall. So we continued the tile and the mirror to the ceiling. This bathroom did not have any natural light and so it was important to have to make the bathroom light and bright. We added the glossy tile to reflect the ceiling and vanity lights.