The key to this bathroom makeover was modernizing the space—while sidelining any trends that would quickly date it in the future. That, and function. “My clients’ focus was on storage,” interior designer Velinda Hellen says. “They wanted general bathroom storage (for toiletries, makeup, shampoos, toilet paper, etc.) and hoped for a covert hairdryer holder, more vertical storage, a medicine cabinet, and a fold up ironing solution—all of which we were able to create within the new custom vanity design.”
The home is a Craftsman-style, located in a Los Angeles neighborhood with a lot of classic, historical homes. “While our client’s tastes tended a bit more clean-lined-Scandi, we wanted to pull in elements to nod at the history of the home, which in that time would have likely included customized cabinetry, an earthy/nature-inspired color palette, potentially interesting tilework, and warm woods,” Velinda explains. “While we pulled in all of these details, we did so with an updated execution while still avoiding anything too trendy.” The lower level of the house is filled with walnut built-ins and detailed paneling original to the home—including a green tile surround on the fireplace. This color was repeated in lead designer Julie Rose’s wall tile selection (from Fireclay), while a vintage rug from Blue Parakeet sits atop the Bedrosians floor tile.
Keeping budget top of mind was important, so all plumbing and windows stayed in place—the transformation occurred without moving any major elements while incorporating handmade materials alongside engineered, affordable options. “Changing the windows would have created exterior cladding work in addition to the window cost and labor, so we made sure to work around that added expense,” Velinda explains. “Similarly, rather than moving plumbing (and duplicating the cost of the sink, plumbing fixtures and installation), we kept a single ‘wash zone,’ giving duplicate ‘prep’ spaces instead.” For the countertop and backsplash, they selected an engineered stone from Vadara. “It’s beautifully printed to have a hint at that classic marble veining,” the designer shares.
The clients were thrilled with the results, saying it has become their favorite rooms in the house—and ave tapped the Velinda Hellen Design team for round 2. “They ended up calling on us to do their ADU addition, inspired by this aesthetic direction, which we also appreciated,” she says. “That project is still underway.”
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