Client Install: The Master Bathroom

Many of my faithful readers will recall the master bathroom I referenced in a previous blog that I was working on with my fantastic client.  Here's a peek at the results of months of meticulous, yet very exciting, planning and execution. (Drum roll, please......)  "I feel like I'm in a 5-star hotel," she says.  Music to my designer ears.  Enjoy browsing as you take some time to contemplate your design desires.

Natural elements create a relaxing botanical spa atmosphere

You'll recall that the adjectives : cave-like, spa, modern, not too trendy all needed to be part of the final product.  Having to work around existing windows and walls were a tiny hinderance but the results are beautiful!  (after all, a few boundaries never hurt anyone, right?)  Since there were other tubs in the house, we removed the master tub and dropped in a luxurious shower.

Polished nickel for the finish throughout the bath provide that much needed sparkle in the room.  Faucets from KIVA in Dallas.  Countertop from Ann Sacks called Idyllwild.  All of this declared "Victory!" in our quest for a master bath worthy of spa jealousy.

Careful not to overlook knobs, these choices are substantial and truly hum with design potential.  Towel bars complete the duo.  Both sets from Restoration Hardware.

I think my absolute favorite part is the plank flooring from Ann Sacks.  Each piece is so unique.  Another fave is the "Suede" tile glistening in the light.  Combined with the ovesized flooring planks, the bath seems to be so much more spacious.  We combined both existing taupe towels with some crisp new white ones to add that punch of pizazz.

Although we did covet a mirror from Ann Sacks,  it was a bit outside our budget and we much preferred the gorgeous tile so Restoration Hardware provided a gorgeous substitute.  Matching the stain on the mirror to the cabinetry in the bath was just what we needed to put this project into overdrive.

Although original artwork was out of the question this time around, we discovered just the perfect compliments to our project at ZGallerie and Crate & Barrel.

Dual shower heads and xl- cubbies were carefully thought out in the awesome shower!

While my clients were enjoying a night game with the Rangers, I snuck in a few finishing touches from Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel. You can imagine how fun it was to receive texts with their excitement later that night....

My top three lessons learned on the job:

* Contractor Communication - I was under the impression the contractor was doing all the CAD drawings and measurements.  He wasn't and it caused a few issues.  I would have probably gotten a different contractor or did some more detailed drawings myself. Never assume anything.

* Limits - I had to increase my credit limit on my company credit card from all the purchases I did on one day. Little did I know how quickly things add up when you are ordering as fast a possible.  :)

* Final Touches - The rooms looked great when the cabinets, flooring and hardware was complete.  But the real dazzling part is always the night the final touches are added.  The touches, the accessories and the pops of color that really make all the difference in the room.

Many, many thanks to my wonderful clients!  It was a spectacular experience and one that I look forward to repeating many times over with other individuals.  Remember, bathrooms are more complicated than we give them credit for being -- plumbing, lights, water and cabinetry all factor into this circus.  BUT... the payoff on the other side is great!  And so worth it all.

With gratitude-
C

My current client: Master Bath Redo

Billy Wilder (a genius hollywood motion picture director from the 1940's and 50's) sums up what I consider to be the standard for bathroom redesign - "I would rather sleep in a bathroom than another hotel."  One of only 5 people to ever win and Academy Award as writer/director/producer of the same film, Wilder knew what he was talking about....his travel schedule was crazy.  But would we say the same thing about our hotel stays today?  Many of the amenities available to us in this decade at a hotel bog box are startling -- exquisite shower heads, yummy tile and a soothing spa experience greet most of us travelers.  Then we come home exhausted to our ho-hum digs.  Oftentimes our own bathrooms provide little if any sense of excitement for us.  This is why I was so pumped to work just recently with my sweet friend on her master bath redo.  The energy is building inside of me so much that I can't stand it!

Our first order of business was to re-work the space design.  With "cave-like spa" as my marching orders, I set out to add some modern touches to the bathroom for her.  This all came to fruition by her actually tearing out magazine pages of bathrooms that appealed to her so that I could get a strong idea of her tastes.  I even sent some pictures her way via email until she found something that was both suitable and interesting for her.  Below is the inspiration picture and we built her bathroom from there:

Although an advertisement for Lutron Electronics Maestro dimmers, this proved to be "the one"

After an initial meeting with the contractor (which I mentioned a few blogs back and am SO thankful for), we hit the pavement for a countertop.  Being that natural countertops are not only pricey but also limited in color, I thought that this was the most logical starting point.  Whereas the choices for matching paint is almost limitless.  Once the counter was chosen (which was fairly drama free because that my client is very decisive), coordinating the other items in the bathroom were breezy.  A few stops by kitchen and bathroom showrooms in the Big D design district as well as the Dallas area and we were on our way to bathroom nirvana.  The client absolutely fell head over heels for an amazingly complicated and beautiful tile from Ann Sacks called Idyllwild for the countertops.  I'm completely jealous! (in a good way, of course...)

Idyllwild will grace the countertops -- gorgeous, an I right?

While browsing the design district, we also picked an elegant tile to grace the floor of the master bath.  Aptly named "Suede" this tile will be placed in an 8x24 pattern on the floor - exactly like the picture above.  My biggest concern?  Ordering the correct amount.  With that in mind, we were careful to measure twice due to the cost of the pieces.  They are expensive and I wanted to make sure that we got our numbers exact so that the tile guy could have enough to match patterns but not so much we could redo another room!

To keep the tub they never use (for resale value) or to replace it with a double head shower?  That was our next stumbling block along the redo road.  After much discussion, we decided that the point of this bathroom was to simulate a spa experience at her home without giving up valuable space.  Why fret over resale at some point in the future?  Good choice!  Plus, there was another tub in the guest bath anyway....So, off we traipse to KIVA in Dallas for shower heads and the like for her custom built dual master shower bay.  It came down to: polished chrome or polished nickel or satin nickel.  Lucky for all of us, Joanne (our wonderful sales rep at KIVA) did a superior job of showing us all the options for the shower pieces as well as the toilet pieces. We left there happy campers.

Nothin' says sexy like picking out a new toilet to meet local codes.  Hot!  This Toto Eco Drake model meets code and only used 1.28 GPF - that's gallons per flush for you newbies.

Our next step was getting the cabinets switched out.  Armed with an primary CAD drawing of potential cabinets, we ended up in desperate need of changing out some of the layout.  With no cabinet guy there to do it for me, enter the drafting skills that I so bitterly complained about in my classes at AI.  TA-DAH!  My prof always said that these skills would come in handy and boy was he spot on.

My creations for the contractor to make some changes to the cabinets.  Think of how much easier this will be with CAD course under my belt?

Albion Single Sconces from Restoration Hardware- another great choice...

Finally, hardware and accessories for the bath. She chose a mirror from Restoration Hardware and sconces to boot.  Monogrammed towels (a personal favorite lavish upgrade) and paint along with stain and we are just about near completion.  "Without further adieu...May I present to you Rhonda's bathroom?" (Excuse the Candice Olson reference but can't a girl have some sense of accomplishment?)

Sure, I have done other projects with designers at my work but this is my first job under my own name and I am thrilled.  Stay tuned.....in 3-4 weeks I should have some before and after pictures of my first official master bathroom.  If she smiles after "reveal", I will be happy.  If she cries, I may just have to ask to come try out that new custom built shower. So, here's to making your bathroom at your house into a place that you can be proud to call your own - whatever that may look like.  Using a step by step process and thorough space planning, you can turn your space into something that even Billy Wilder would want to spend the night in!

Off to soak with some bubbly-
C

My first official install...

I did it.  I actually did it.

I think I mentioned that along with school and family, I do have a few clients.  I can’t really count my own home, or the few friends I have helped here or there with a few small items.  But I can now officially say its real.  My first actual client is a friend, who was willing to pay for my expertise and re-work her dining and living rooms a bit, and totally change up the media room.

With school and family, I am a bit hesitant to take on new clients, unless of course, I know them well.  And with Lisa W., I really do.   I get her, she gets me, and we can work together.  When she suggested we get this thing cranking before Memorial Day, I rose to the challenge.

Lisa loves maroon and beige.  We stuck with that in the living and dining rooms.  But for the media room, I decided to push her a little.  How do you feel about green?  (Absolutely not!)  How about a little orange?  “Orange”, she says, “hmmm…can we stick with maroon..or how about cranberry? “   Here were a few of the ground rules she set:

1. Keep all the furniture
2. Don't buy all this designer stuff.  IKEA and Pottery Barn are fine.
3. Involve me, I want to pick out the items
4. Get it done by Memorial Day

BEFORE

"Keep the couch and the coffee table...I'm ok getting rid to the rug on the wall, "she said, "and not to mention the dart board next to it."

"And keep this chair...but you can do whatever on the windows and walls...just nothing too crazy...."

"The TV stand stays..but a new tv is coming..."

At my initial meeting, I went through all the pricing and got an idea of what she needed.  I snapped a few pictures of her home and then took off.   We met several times after that.  One meeting at Starbucks I hauled out rolls of fabric and several pillows for her to look at - she laughed hysterically at the fact I would even do such a thing.   I completed a few items in the kitchen and living room and them we implemented the entire media room on the Friday before Memorial Day.

I had been a bit worried about the deadline because I had to purchase a chair, and most places can’t ship that fast.  But thanks to Z-gallerie being in the area, I managed to get it on one of their trucks for the next week and agreed to have my husband pick it up at the warehouse.  And speaking of my husband, he deserves a huge prize.  He agreed to be my implementer.  Hang drapery rods, install seat cushions, hang mirrors and art.  And even put together some West Elm bookshelves that were so complicated, it took him several hours….all while Lisa, I and my kiddos were enjoying a quick bite to eat.

AFTER

I painted the back wall a darker brown than the corresponding walls...some punches of orange in the pillows and accessories livened it up...

The comfy chair, quick ship from Z-gallerie...and I love the fun pillow from Pier One...and yes, those are the challenging bookcases, but they look great once together.

Another view at night, showing the “ember” drapes from Pottery Barn.  “That name is much better than orange," Lisa told me, “that name I can swallow”.

It's always good to make the accessories personal to the client.  Lisa loves dogs and has one of her own who helped oversee the install, so I thought these bookends would fit perfectly (along with a few hardcovers from Half Price Books $1 aisle)

And, unfortunately this photos didn’t’ focus well on my iphone, but Lisa did bring a few accessories she wanted to work in, including the snow globe from Chicago.  Ha! I have to say, I love the moss balls with the orange candles.

All in all, I learned a ton - Lowe’s is open late, so it's easy to get those extra drapery rings.  And although bookshelves might look easy, they not always are.  Vendors are willing to work with you if you are nice and willing to pick things up on your own.  Yes you can design a room quickly and inexpensive, if you are willing to look (everything was from Horchow Finale, West Elm, Pottery Barn, Zgallerie, IKEA, Pier One or Lowe’s).  And clients are open to new things if you push them a little...but be sure to stick to nice sounding colors...which is exactly why paint companies spend so much time naming their paint swatches!  

The downside?  I do need a better camera to capture the before and after pictures…and would someone please help me get everything right in Quickbooks already?

So much to learn…but I’m having the time of my life.  Thanks Lisa!