While NKBA member Leah Connolly CID, LEED GA, principal designer and owner of Sacramento, Cal.-based Studio Connolly reworked all seven (!!) of the bathrooms in this 1998 single-story 6,652-square-foot home, infusing them with the Art Deco flavor beloved by the homeowners, only the awkward primary bathroom ended up with major changes in layout. Located against a windowed wall, the original decked tub was hard to access, and the shower – quite strangely positioned in the center of the room – had glass panels enclosing it on two sides.
To correct the floorplan of the 24 x 13 room, Connolly swapped the tub and shower locations, resulting in a more functional and open space. She did not change the placement of the vanities, but did make the new custom units taller than the 32-inch height of the original cabinets. The bathroom had two water closets, an amenity that the clients wanted to keep.
Tiles and Tribulations
The inevitable bumps in the project’s road were related to surfacing. “We had ordered (and received) a beautiful marble mosaic tile for the shower walls, and then the installer decided that it would be too difficult to use it, due to the number of cuts needed on the angled window walls and the small size of the mosaic pieces,” said Connolly. The team tried to find a way to make it work, but ultimately returned the tile for store credit. “The alternate tiles we selected looked great in the end, but the project completion date had to be pushed out a bit to allow for the revisions to be made and new tile to be shipped,” said the designer.
The porcelain floor tiles have a marble pattern. Several of the tiles had some dark spots or veining, which the client did not like – especially in the shower. Connolly removed those and replaced them with lighter toned tiles from the leftover stock. For the herringbone flooring in the main part of the room, she laid the darker tiles underneath the freestanding tub, saving the best pieces for the prime real estate in the central part of the bath.
The takeaway for the designer? “Always have the installers confirm that all selections will work for the intended application before ordering product,” she said. “And make sure everything has been received and inspected prior to starting demolition, to avoid unnecessary delays after the tearout has begun.”
Art Deco Ambiance
Finding consensus on the wallpaper design for the water closets was another challenge. Happily, it was resolved in a way that surpassed the expectations of both the clients and Connolly. The homeowners were big fans of deep teal tones and brushed gold, so the designer opted to create a custom covering using that palette. “Working with Astek, we ended up designing our own Art Deco-influenced pattern and color combination,” said Connolly. “It turned out even better than we expected. It’s really high quality paper and it’s also moisture resistant, which makes it perfect for a bathroom application.”
—By Leslie Clagett, KBB managing editor