This Designer Worked Her Layout Magic in Her Bathroom, Making Room for a Double Shower

Katie Betyar, founder of Solstice Interiors, embarked on a significant renovation of the primary bathroom in her new San Diego home. The previous bathroom featured a cramped corner shower, which was impractical, especially given Betyar's pregnancy at the time of purchase. Despite the house being approximately 1,900 square feet, the primary bathroom was the only area requiring extensive remodeling. The couple purchased the home in August 2023 and allocated two months for the renovation, living in their old residence to expedite the construction process. Betyar emphasized the importance of committing to quick-ship materials to adhere to the tight timeline, opting for re-selection if any chosen items were out of stock or faced long delivery delays. A key aspect of the renovation involved a strategic change in the bathroom's layout. Betyar identified two reach-in closets in the hallway leading to the bathroom as wasted space, deciding to remove them. Additionally, space was borrowed from an adjacent water heater closet by switching to a tankless water heater system. The clothing closets were fully relocated into the bedroom. These changes effectively expanded the bathroom's footprint, allowing for the inclusion of a double shower, a private toilet room, and a more expansive vanity. The original skylight in the bathroom was retained, as it was the only element Betyar wished to preserve from the existing structure. For the bathroom's color scheme, Betyar initially considered green tiles but shifted to a honey-yellow zellige tile from Cle at her husband's suggestion, who preferred to avoid green due to childhood memories. The chosen yellow zellige tile offered a subtle yet earthy aesthetic. An unexpected but beneficial change occurred with the flooring. Betyar had planned to use limestone from Zia Tile, but due to its unavailability, she selected a 2x8 option from Eco Outdoor. This alternative proved to be more cost-effective and equally appealing. A notable advantage of this selection was the leftover material, which was ingeniously used to create more interesting baseboards by cutting the tiles in half and lining the walls. The vanity was a significant upgrade, designed to maximize storage. Given their previous experience of sharing a single floating sink, Betyar and her husband opted for a large, storage-rich vanity. It included an open niche at the bottom for storing extra towels. To enhance the sense of space and light, a 66x36-inch singular mirror was installed above the vanity, reflecting natural light from the skylight. A pared-back gray terrazzo countertop from Concrete Collaborative was chosen to maintain an earthy and neutral material palette, avoiding overtly trendy designs. Custom millwork represented the largest investment in the renovation, extending into the couple's bedroom. This included two dedicated closets for hanging clothes, a built-in dresser, and a wardrobe with additional shelves for folded items. Betyar consciously chose custom millwork over off-the-shelf options, believing it would contribute to the longevity and elevated feel of the space. To prevent the new units from appearing uniform against the oak wood floors, the wardrobe was painted a creamy white, and adorned with sculptural pulls from the Australian brand Linear Standard. The comprehensive renovation transformed the bathroom and adjacent areas, making daily routines more enjoyable for the designer. #BathroomRenovation #HomeRenovation #InteriorDesign #LayoutTransformation #CustomMillwork #MaterialSelection #SanDiegoHome #BeforeAndAfter #BathroomRenovation #HomeRenovation #InteriorDesign #LayoutTransformation #CustomMillwork #MaterialSelection #SanDiegoHome #BeforeAndAfter

5 months ago

Read Full Article