Classic Black & White Bath Revival | The Design Board
Who doesn’t love a solid classic?! Well, this precious bungalow bathroom is soon to embark a revival—a dream of mine for eight years time!!
I’m restoring my petite 1934 Craftsman Bungalow bathroom to its original glory with a modern twist plus natural sunlight, the likes of which it hasn’t seen in a millennia.
Without further adieu, feast your eyes on the design board!! 👀
THE DESIGN BOARD
BEFORE & AFTER (2017)
In its heyday, this five-by-eight-foot bathroom featured a black-bordered, white subway tile alongside a gorgeous marble hex tile floor. Tragically, the original floor was removed in its entirety (please tell me WHY?) and an eight-by-eight square tile took its place.
Talk about teases: this marble tile artifact was unearthed during my One Room Challenge kitchen renovation:
BRIGHAM BUNGALOW FUN FACTS
The builder of my home constructed several of the surrounding homes. In each one, unique details from the past remain. One of those particular details is the subway tile, the very inspiration driving this old-brand-new, classic black and white bathroom design.
The following photos were taken in my previous neighbor’s home where remnants of the O.G. tile walls and floor live on (and I just so happen to know the black and white wall tile is hiding behind that beadboard 😏):
THE DESIGN PLAN
In lieu of an alcove tub, a freestanding soaking tub will sit atop a one-by-one, black-bordered, marble hex tile floor. The shower and tub area will be tiled from floor-to-ceiling featuring a black marble skirting, three-by-six-inch white subway tile, capped with a fine, black pencil and white bullnose border.
A custom, contrasting niche will feature a vintage, cloud-like mosaic design and ample space for store bought bottles.
A luxe, hunter green velvet shower curtain will highlight the high ceilings while amplifying the striking wallpaper design. Chosen for it’s Hollywood Regency vibes, this wallpaper has a personal sentiment attached—my Ma’s lifelong silly moniker for me is monkey. Needless to say, palms and monks; I had to have them. 🐒🌴🐒
The current pocket door will be replaced with my last and final reclaimed single-panel wood door. The coolest part: the center panel will be replaced with an acid-etched (frosted and tempered) glass featuring a goddamn sexy af custom gold leaf lettering. Uhhh, I die.
Lastly, and quite possibly, the most exciting feature: natural sunlight!!! The one and only window was hidden away when the basement walkout was built—now my revived mudroom. The bathroom’s boxed out on all four sides, so a ten-inch prismatic light tube will due. And the lawd said, let there be light!!
Looking back: my modern boho bathroom refresh still stands as one of the best $500 I’ve ever spent. A spunky curtain, painted floor tile, and modern artworks elevated the space for five years. Over this course of time, the painted floor’s taken a good and noticeable beating. Nonetheless, this budget refresh was worth every cent, sweat and tear; I certainly got my money’s worth.
