Phase 1: Midcentury To Modern...

This project has been the most incredible overhaul start to finish and the most intensive project we have taken on to date, and we are so proud to share phase one of this two phase project with you!

This home belongs to an older couple who are very close with our owner Victoria. After forty wonderful years of living in the same home, with minimal updates, they took a chance on an up and coming designer and allowed her to use their home as a launch point for what is now Alderwood Interiors!

Originally the couple had contractors come out to get an estimate for new flooring throughout their entire home. During the consultation, while checking the state of the flooring, the contractors found an undetected leak in their primary bathroom that had started under the bathtub, spread under the bathroom vanity, and saturated the bottom plate of the wall to the adjoining laundry room. The contractors on site let the couple know there was extensive and structural damage to their bathroom and advised them to immediately prioritize their primary bath remediation over the requested flooring installation. At this point they consulted Victoria as they knew the hidden leak had created quite a mess that ensured (to the wife's delight) that this room would require a full gut out alongside of the rectification of the room's structural elements (for visualization, see the damage in the video below and in our gallery at the end of this post).

As far as the structural components and hard surfaces in the bathroom were concerned, we had quite a bit of work cut out for us. There was only an overhead ceiling fan light and a recessed light over the vanity, so the room was very dim and had no external ventilation. The leak began under the bathtub essentially wiped out the entire left side of the bathroom. The vanity had extensive damage and wood rot which had caused a crack in the sink furthest to the right, the floors had given way between the bathtub and the vanity, and the vanity cabinets were crumbling at the base. Unbeknownst to us until demo, there was also damage to the floor plate of the wall that ran the entire length of the left side of the bathroom, and we assumed correctly that mold remediation would also be needed.

The biggest saving grace of this reno was that we were able to start completely from scratch! Because the contractors would be ripping out everything in the bathroom to replace and correct the damage from the leak, we had free reign over the new layout. We sat down and discussed with the homeowners their desires for their bathrooom and were thrilled to find they shared our preferred traditional and classic design style! They did however have one irregular request. Because of the costs of the leak and mold damage, we would need to complete this update in two phases to satisfy their wants and their budget. The first phase would consist of the "bones" of the project, aka, getting the bathroom safe and functional. This would mostly be us designing the layout and selecting hard finishes, while working with the contractors to ensure our design was implemented.

Since this bathroom would need to be gutted top to bottom, we wanted to really maximize the layout and allow for it to suit the needs of the homeowners for years to come. The original layout of the room needed some serious re-working, it did not at all maximize the functionality of the room. The bathroom's "shell" was square but all of the furnishings, countertops, fixtures, and plumbing were set into the room in an octagonal shape in accordance with the popular arrangements of the late 80s. The right rear corner housed an odd shaped closet that took up a quarter of the 15' x 11' bathroom, the vanity contained a false rear wall that consumed 4 feet of useable space, the bathtub was surrounded in carpet and angled on a slant while closing off three feet of space on its rear and left sides each, and the shower was incredibly tiny. In short, the original floor plan had way too many corners and wasted almost half of the bathroom.

After dicussing with our clients, we decided a transitional style bathroom would be the best option for their design style and day to day needs. Transitional style blends modern conveniences and traditional elements together. We also wanted to maximize every inch of useable space possible. We redesigned the layout by eliminating the unused closet and the bathtub and created what we call "useage zones". We made a zone for bathing, for storage, for getting ready, and for the more private moments that are the reason bathrooms were ever invented! We really wanted the shower to be the focal point of the room as it is the first thing you see when you enter the rather spacious bathroom, and wanted the shower to mirror the built in look of our water closet. We also wanted the shower to be as big of a showstopper in size, beauty, and functionality as the budget would allow. Needless to say this was the design point of the entire bathroom.

In our original consultation our client expressed a need for the primary bath to be mostly neutrals. After spending the last forty years in a 1980s wood paneled home, they wanted something bright and refreshing but still warm. As phase one of this project for Alderwood Interiors would mostly be furnishing the bathroom, installing the floor, and painting the walls, we still needed to create an overall design plan for the fully finished project so that our large furnishing selections were in line with the design. The bathroom design would consist of creams, a teeny tiny smattering of warm greys, unlacquered brass, browns and touches of black. We would include items that were modern and items that had historical style detailings. There were items we would spurge on and others that we got for a steal.

As construction continued, we worked closely with the contractors through every step. We discussed each purchase, the tile orientation, paint selections, sheen selections, room dimensions, trim types, inswing doors vs. outswing doors, lighting style and orientation, grout colors, fixture heights, stylistic differences, water drainage and runoff, layouts (and problem solving a very stubborn support beam that directly interrupted our plans), ventilation, sconce height and orientation, and every detail possible to ensure our clients received a bathroom worth all their remediation troubles.

Once the herringbone floor tiles had been set and the shower tile work completed, we were so excited for install! All of our shipments arrived with no damage (which is a literal miracle) and we had been storing them for about a month while the contractors finished up demo and finalized the renovation. We were over the moon excited to finally install our Calcutta marble topped vanity with inset cabinetry, fluted glass sconces, STUNNING unlacquered brass faucets, custom cut glass shower doors, and the most beautiful toilet ever (yes toilets can be beautiful too!). With all the walls and floors put back in place, trim installed, plumbing and electrical moved, and everything trimmed, install was a breeze that was almost completed too quick! Once everything had been placed and the merchandise packaging disposed of, phase one of our midcentury to modern project was complete!

Without further ado, Alderwood Interiors is proud to present the project that started it all and that blessed us with the opportunity to follow our God given talent everyday!

Please check out our phase one reveal video below and leave a comment to let us know what you think!

Click through our complete project gallery below!