Installation Stories: Chase Daniel's On Point Bathroom Remodel

Using a trio of colors in our triangle tiles, Austin-based designer and photographer Chase Daniel, has created one beautiful bathroom. Chase and his wife Lauren's home hadn't seen any updates since it was built in the 1960s and they've been working together to transform their space. We were thrilled to work with them on their bathroom (which was previously full of pink tile) and were especially excited that they opted for our favorite shape of the moment, triangles.

Continue on to see more of this beautiful bathroom remodel (just wait until you see the before image):

Can you tell me a little about what you do for a living?
I am a project designer at Michael Hsu Office of Architecture in Austin, TX. The firm works on a number of projects ranging from residential to hospitality. I'm also a freelance photographer specializing in travel, commercial, and architectural photography.

Being a creative, do you find it more or less difficult to to make decisions in your personal projects? 
My dad would always say, "If you're going to do something, do it right." I find making design decisions more difficult at times because I won't enjoy a project unless it is done well.

Can you tell me a bit about your home? Have you done a lot of work to it? What did you most want to change about the bathroom? 
Our home was built in 1960 and had not been updated since. We bought the house with the intention of a complete cosmetic overhaul, and ended up doing quite a bit more work including spatial rearrangement. The bathroom had original mauve pink tile, a leaky toilet, and was overall dated. Since it's a tight fit, we decided on a free standing tub and floating vanity to open up the space and make it feel bigger.

Here's the before and after:

Tile Shown: 6" Triangles in Frost, Rosemary and Salton Sea.

Did you and your wife make all the decisions together? Any disagreements along the way? 
I think we did a great job working together to create a space we both love. My wife Lauren also works in the design field at an ethical fashion brand in town so she certainly has an opinion when it comes to the aesthetics of our home. When we bought the house there was two showers and her one request was that we have a bathtub, so I insisted on a clawfoot tub. This actually turned out to be a bit more of a challenge then I had planned since the average clawfoot is 5 feet in length and we were just short of that. After some research, I came across a tub that needed refinishing but would fit perfectly. This is one of Lauren's favorite things in the house.

Below, Chase and his wife, Lauren in their home.

Teamwork makes the dream work; their beautiful home (and this serene bathroom in particular) is a testament to that:

A trio of 6" triangles in Frost, Rosemary and Salton Sea make up the shower walls, while Rosemary triangles stand alone as wainscot on the surrounding bathroom walls.

Glazed edge triangles make for a clean corner where the shower wall and wainscot wall meet:

What type of look or aesthetic were you going for? What inspired the color scheme and design? 
Lauren and I both enjoy a modern look that still feels warm and inviting. When we began to dream about what the bathroom would like, we knew we wanted it to have a pop of color since the majority of our house is white. After seeing several samples and color combinations, we decided on a tri-colored tile scheme which included Rosemary, Salton Sea, and Frost. The tones are muted but add the perfect touch of color with the white tying together the floor tile, built-ins, and vanity.

A close up of the hardware chosen for the shower:

We love seeing all those triangles reflected in the his and hers mirrors:

How did you settle on the shape and pattern? 
A common theme throughout our home is angles and geometric shapes. After consulting with Fireclay on possible options, the newly launched triangle shapes seemed like a perfect fit. We didn't want to have a visible pattern, so the we had the installers randomize the colors to create a more organic look.

Image: Chase Daniel; Tile Shown: Frost, Rosemay & Salton Sea 6" Triangles.

Below is the digital rendering we did for Chase and his wife so they could get a feel for what a randomized triangle pattern might look like:

Any advice (either tile or design related) for people working on a project? 
I think my best advice would be to do your research. We put in a few solid weeks of searching through precedent images to figure out our taste. Getting an idea for what you like and dislike helps to narrow down your options but also allows you to imagine how you would do it differently. On a practical level, understanding your space constraints is important for realistic expectations.

How did you first hear about Fireclay Tile? What did you enjoy about the experience? 
I first learned about Fireclay through my firm where a large part of our work is sampling finishes. We use Fireclay in many of our projects and the craftsmanship and handmade quality of each tile gives each install a personal look.

Any challenges during installation?
This was actually the only project in our entire house that we did not do ourselves. We remodeled the rest of the bathroom including floor tile, window replacement, vanity, fixtures, and plumbing. Because of water and termite damage, we had to demo and prep the walls for installation. The biggest challenge with an older home is the unexpected discoveries that complicate and delay a project's timeline.
 

Image: Chase Daniel; Grouting the shower walls.

Are you loving the colors Chase used? Order color samples online now. Need some help? Simply call, chat, or fill out our Design Assistance Form and one of our talented Design Consultants will get back to you shortly.