Renovation files: a Warm Modern Mid Century Fixer Bath + Closet Renovation Plan
Today I wanted to share a look at a bathroom project plan for a close friend in her 1960’s mid century fixer upper. The house needed pretty much everything and they are making their way through the projects one by one. The ensuite bath space was seriously dated but not in a good mid century kind of way. Our goal was to create a warm and inviting space that spoke to the style of the house and gives them better function.
The design of the small space was guided by the couples desire to incorporate the following into the space:
-Steam Shower with Seating
-Double Sinks with Storage
-Ample Natural and Added Lighting
-Wall Sconces Flanking Mirror
-Modern Warm Aesthetic with Mid Century Elements
When approaching the overall design the first step was to lay the space out to provide highest function. In small spaces there are typically limited spatial layouts that will work. In this particular space the goal was to squeeze in a large double vanity and large glass enclosed steam shower, which was a lot to ask of the small space. Being that the bath adjoins the closet we were able to steal a bit of space to accommodate what was needed.
When laying out such a small space and asking so much of it, compromises have to be made. In the case of this space, the addition of a knee wall to support shower bench, floating vanity and steam system was required. In an ideal world the feature wall would have been uninterrupted by a knee wall. Particularly because the knee wall poses all sorts of challenges when finishing with tile. Pro tip: if you have a knee wall make sure you choose tile that has accompanying trim or bullnose pieces to finish the edges.
The area above the vanity was quite tight between finished wall and shower glass, therefore we had to work within that space to accommodate three sconces flanking mirrors. This was particularly important to my friend for getting ready in nice lighting. In order to make this happen, we had to search for a slim enough fixture and ultimately had to place fixtures on the sides closer to mirrors than they technically should be. For more info on lighting placement check out out lighting guide here.
To save on the budget we looked for lower to mid range tile. Check out our tips for elevating inexpensive tile here.
Stay tuned for the before and after reveal of the project.
