This post is a photo essay of a small project I designed and managed for a friend. I don’t normally do projects this small, but he talked me into it because of our friendship and my interest in historical preservation. The project was to remodel a bathroom in a 1920’s era, 6-unit apartment building in Ann Arbor. The design challenges included:
- Restoring a 1920’s bathroom after gutting it to repair water and structural damage
- Using new materials to create an old world appearance
- Improving functionality in a tight space
- Raising the bar on quality finishes, with a long-term outlook to improving the entire unit
To address these challenges:
- The room was re-configured to eliminate a space-wasting closet and to replace a bathtub with a nice shower with a smaller footprint
- Handmade tiles were selected to retain the original look of the floor tile
- A replacement sink was selected to expand the width (to provide more “counter” space) and retain the shallow depth (to add floor space), and to replace the base cabinet with a 4-leg console base (to make it appear to take up less space)
- The storage closet was replaced with a smaller, more usable furniture piece
- The combination of materials – tile, cabinetry, fixtures and colors – resulted in a space that feels both updated and fitting to the 1920’s architecture of the building
The photos below show some of the details described above (best I could photograph this narrow space). This is a fun example of how design can improve a space, both functionally and aesthetically.
Ross
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- AFTER: The new sink and tile backsplash adds beauty and functionality
- AFTER: The new shower, with accent tile to compliment the floor tile
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