Behold, the master bathroom at Jennifer Hendrix’s 1929 Arcadia abode. I’d be pretty happy spending life here. Like, I could sleep in that bathtub.
Yesterday, we covered part one of Jen’s remodel: the kitchen, dining, and powder. In Jen’s house, we were focused on staying true to the original Spanish vibe, but wanted to update it with some modern bohemian notes.
To us, this meant lots of vintage and handcrafted elements, like her bathroom’s Granada Tile floor.
Yes, these tiles are crazy popular. Want to know why? Here’s cement tile 101:
Sometimes called concrete tile, or encaustic tile, the pattern and color on these tiles comes from different colors of clay that go through the tile, instead of just sitting on top of it. So as the floor wears down over years of use, the pattern remains. And they take on a really cool look as they age — there are 200-year-old cement tile floors all over Paris, Morocco, and Spain that still look gorgeous, like so:
The cement tiles have a matte finish, which also makes them a great application for a shower floor. And anytime you can extend the bathroom floor material into the shower, you make your bathroom look that much bigger.
In Jen’s shower, she kept things simple with simple cream wall tile to let the floor be the superstar.
With the tile in place, we looked for ways to add vintage touches to the bathroom. And in a bathroom, unless you’re bringing in vintage mirrors or vanities, this can be hard. In master bathrooms, you generally need two matching vintage mirrors and vanities, and yikes. That’s hard. It’s time to look for lighting.
Jen found this vintage empire chandelier in town, fell in love, and hung it in her stairwell. Upon first sight, I began my crusade to get her to move it to the bathroom, above the tub, where it now lives. And neither of us can imagine this bathroom without it.
Ready for the before and after?
Before:
After:
And how lucky is this bathroom, because every day, it gets to hang out next to this master bedroom:
The bedroom is Jen’s favorite room in the house, and for good reason. It’s her perfect bohemian-modern mix, with just enough Spanish underpinning. Not to mention wood floors that came with the house. The vibe is relaxing and pretty – exactly what a bedroom should be.
And can we talk for a minute about those nightstands? Jen wanted campaign-style nightstands something fierce, but all of the vintage ones are petite shrimps — far too short to reach the height of today’s boxspring-pillowtop-mattress situations.
When Jen sent me a photo of these nightstands in their original state, they were brown and short but fabulous. We had them lacquered white, and the collector who was selling them even built on that base to bring them up to the mattress height.
The same vintage collector was the source of the turquoise lamps, which are probably our favorite lamps ever. We call him “Jen’s Furniture Drug Dealer.” He sends texts and photos late at night, and the source of his wares is always a mystery — but oh, do his pieces make us feel good.
A few other pretty moments in Jen’s home:
Vintage keys purchased from my dear friends at Vallone Design rest on her desk — the lucite bases kill me. (Seriously, though — those Vallones are kind, good, helpful, encouraging people — with amazing style and warmth, to boot. Love them.)
Jen had these fantastic original built-in bookcases all over the house. She’s a pharmacist with an awesome collection of vintage mortars and pestles, and this bookcase was just the right place to show them off.
Lastly, a fresh magnolia we brought in for the photo shoot that rests on a table near her tub.
(Do you want to know what a girl’s got to do to find a fresh and open magnolia blossom in Phoenix? You cannot buy them, which means you pack your garden shears, put on your tennis shoes, and go on an urban hunt. It’s dangerous and insane — I assure you.)
Big thanks to Jen for being my wish bone — the client I’d dreamed of finding. And I’m extra lucky, because our work together also brought me a wonderful and dear new friend.
Sources
Bathroom – Floor tile, Granada Tile. Countertop, Calacatta Gold Slab from Arizona Tile. Plumbing fixtures, Kohler. Bathroom chandelier, vintage. Bathroom sconces, Restoration Hardware. Bathroom Mirrors, One Kings Lane. Bathroom Side Table, Regina Andrew, To The Trade. Towel on Bathtub, Turkish T. Standing Vanity Mirror, Noir Furniture, To The Trade. Bathroom cabinet pulls, Restoration Hardware. Wall color, Dunn Edwards Whisper.
Master Bedroom – Rug, nightstands, lamps, and bench, vintage. Bedframe, no longer available. Solid linen bed duvet cover and pillowcases, Restoration Hardware. Pink paisley pillow, custom by Jaimee Rose Interiors in a Peter Dunham fabric. Window shades, Smith and Noble. Wall color, Dunn Edwards Whisper.
