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August 25, 2007
First time renovating bathroom- What inspires you in the design process??
After three years in our coop, we are ready to gut reno one of our small, rundown bathrooms.
I took a visit to Nemo and Home Depot this afternoon, to begin the education process.
How to narrow down the hundreds of choices to one toilet, one tub, one vanity and sink, etc.?
I have never read design magazines.
Where do you find your inspiration? What do you read/watch as you mull over the infinite possibilities in a project??
Our bathroom is tiny, in an older building. We're hoping to create a pre-war vibe in a pre-war building with none of the architectural character.
Comments
Retro bethrooms are now in vogue, so you are lucky as far as choice and availability. Look at waterworks.com and stthomascreations.com for inspiration. Waterworks is very expensive, but you can recreate the look with much cheaper fixtures. You mentioned that your bathroom is tiny - I would go with a pedestal sink over a vanity because it gives you more floor space (and therefore, the feel of a larger room), and I would stick to white because it never goes out of style. Brownstoners love subway tile, although, personally, I'm not convinced. However, you can find it everywhere, at all prices, depending on complexity.
Good luck.
Posted by: RG at August 25, 2007 12:54 AM
A few years ago we renovated our circa 1929 bathroom in our 1 br Manhattan co-op. Our goal was to keep the look but slightly updated. Luckily the original tiles etc. still there (unusable, but good for matching). The best way to describe what we did was to look for a more "horizontal" effect, by using longer subway style white tiles with a thin black border, using a square profile top cap, and art deco style light fixtures from Restoration Hardware. The sink/toilet was Kohler, forget the name of the series but they were a bit more classical in style with sharper edges. We also added a black marble threshold and windowsill for interest. If you need inspiration perhaps your neighbors have renovated. most people are proud to show off their homes...
Posted by: guest at August 25, 2007 12:39 PM
Our architect finds inspiration for us through magazines and past projects.
Posted by: guest at August 25, 2007 1:33 PM
You could also look at the site of restoration hardware. Even if you do not buy their over-priced fixtures, they have some nice pictures of complete bathrooms with the vibe you want. Once you see a picture of a completed bathroom, it is easier to take that picture to a salvage shop or hardware store to pick out what you want. Good luck.
Posted by: bheightsejp at August 25, 2007 2:00 PM
Even the Pottery Barn catalog has nice bathrooms, or go on line to their site. Classic shapes, colors and accessories.
You might want to spring for a couple of magazines. There are plenty that just have kitchens and bathrooms, and maybe one or two for just bathrooms. Barnes and Noble or Universal Newstands have the best selections.
Posted by: guest at August 26, 2007 12:41 PM
Thanks for the suggestions.
I agree with RG that we are best off with a pedestal sink; we can find the lost storage in other parts. I found a great spider tile from Nemo with a black border for the floor; white subway tiles with black accent for the wall; simple pedestal sink; and nice, inexpensive retro fixtures.
It has been suggested that we use the same brand for toilet and sink, so the whites will match. Anyone had problems with mis-matched whites from different brands?
I'm getting excited. If I figure out how to post pictures, I'll send along some thoughts.
Posted by: Rev at August 28, 2007 12:35 PM
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