After too much time spent living with an outdated and dysfunctional bathroom, Dietta and her husband decided it was time to undergo a complete transformation. With our tile and the help of a few professionals, the couple was able to turn one space into two, a master bathroom and a powder room, all while honoring the 50's Spanish-style found throughout the rest of their home.
"The original master bathroom was adorable, with pink and blue tiles, a 50's blue corner tub, and pedestal sink" says Dietta, "I loved the retro look but soon after moving in, my husband and I realized one itsy-bitsy sink would not cut it for both of us trying to get ready at the same time every morning!" The original bathroom design was a large empty square with a horribly planned closet the couple had to walk through to get to the bathroom from their bedroom. There was also another entrance to the bathroom from the main hallway, making it the only logical guest facility for the house.
The couple enlisted the help of designer, Judy Smith of Lifestyles Kitchen and Design to help figure out how to make better use of the wasted floor space, and dysfunctional design. Judy was able to make a plan for how to effectively use the entire space based on the couple's needs. In the end they ended up with not only a wonderful private master bath and walk-in closet, but a separate powder room for guests. "She also helped us design the custom Brookhaven cabinetry built by Wood-Mode that provided the storage and double sink vanity we desperately needed," says Dietta.
Dietta first heard about Fireclay Tile from searching around the web for bathroom ideas, and stumbling upon our profile on Houzz. "I was interested in tiles that were NOT perfect, and with an old world and handmade look," she says.
After deciding on our Tile, it was time for a visit to the showroom! "It happened that my husband and I were planning a work related trip to San Fransisco last summer and I rented a car to go visit the Fireclay San Jose showroom, SUCH A THRILL!" says Dietta. After spending most of the day browsing all the samples and colors, Dietta made her final choices. "The Star & Cross design reminded me of my child hood visiting my Grandmother's house in Burlingame, California and friends in Palm Springs, California who had Moorish-style tiles in their homes" she says,"and I particularly love the Engobe glazes because the white under the colored glaze creates beautiful clear colors and interesting crackling that seems old and soulful."
Dietta hoped to create movement in the design by using subtle colors. She chose our soft hues, Butter Cream, Fennel, Spanish Moss (discontinued), and Cyclone and installed them in a random order. "This helped achieve that sparkle I envisioned without being too blingy," she says. Fennel was used again on the floor in a large Hexagon pattern, which corresponds with the 2" Hexagon Recycled Glass tiles in the shower.
For the counter top Dietta chose our Tile color, Spanish Moss discontinued). "I did not want an all green bath, but a soft, rich look that could change depending on the wall color and accessories chosen" Dietta says, "Right now the walls are grey and I have put out deep blue towels that pick up on the blue Cyclone tiles from the shower walls." 4x4 Tile in Butter Cream line the top half of the shower walls.
"I am frankly amazed I made all those decisions in one visit to your showroom! All's well that ends well even if I was a bit frantic. It is good to trust your instincts and leave the second guessing alone," Dietta says.
Along with their very patient tile installer, Gary from George's Carpet, the project was largely done by the couple's friend and contractor, Tom Howe who tore down the original bath to the studs and built the new walls, echoing the original house's trims and arches. All the fixtures and porcelain came from Dahl Distinctive Design in Denver, Colorado.
"All in all, my husband and I are so happy to use our bathroom every day and constantly comment on why we did not do this sooner. Having lived with an outdated bath for so long has made us really appreciate our new Casbah all the more!" says Dietta.
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