Old Town Remodel

INTRODUCTION

I am so excited to reveal one of the most dramatic before and after transformations we’ve worked on to date! This client came to us with a new condo in an older, classic building that had a very unique and complex floorplan. The kitchen was poorly laid out, with minimal room for circulation and an island and column right in the middle of it. The master “suite” was the most comical, with a vanity right in the bedroom at the foot of the bed! This place needed a huge update and was a really fun one to study and design. We came up with a new solution for the floorplan, effectively creating a larger master suite with a full en-suite bathroom, a walk-in closet and a modern yet moody palette and still managed to keep a second bedroom in the layout.

BEFORE

The original kitchen was a solid yet failed attempt at making the layout work given the awkward column right in the middle. The column housed some important electrical connections so we weren’t able to remove it. However, we found a way to add even more storage and countertops while also making a more functional layout and circulation path.

The best part of this before reveal is the original master bedroom which literally had the bathroom vanity at the foot of the bed! The toilet and shower were just behind it, separated by a sliding barn door (which left little to the imagination).

The original master bathroom was so tight that you literally couldn’t even open the shower door all the way! It hit the toilet at the half-way point. This was a challenge to reconfigure, because in condo buildings it’s almost impossible to move plumbing connections, but we made it work!

THE DESIGN PROCESS

We always start each project with a moodboard to communicate the vision for the design before we get started. For this particular design, we pulled in rich accents with navy cabinets, black metal trim and marble textures throughout. We wanted this apartment to be modern yet warm and inviting which we achieved with sleek profiles and warm, textural materials.

The new floorplan that we came up with maintained the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms but completely reconfigured the apartment! Off of the living room, there had been an extra den space that opened up to the room with no door. We closed that off, and created an entryway from the side, creating a new second bedroom and a larger living room. Then in the back of the apartment, we split the existing master bedroom (which originally had the bathroom INSIDE of it) into a larger master bathroom and a huge walk-in closet. We then converted what was originally the second bedroom into the new master bedroom. In order to update the master bathroom without moving any plumbing, we left the toilet in it’s original location and replaced the existing shower with the vanity, giving some breathing room between the two. We used the plumbing hookups for the original vanity and replaced it with a larger, glassed-in shower.

THE REVEAL

The next step after determining the new layout was to select finishes for the palette. We started with lighter, ash-colored floors throughout the condo to brighten the space up and bring in some warmth. In the kitchen, we introduced navy cabinets with flat panels on the uppers and shaker below. Brass hardware and plumbing fixtures add a feminine touch and balance out the cooler tones. Dark cabinets can feel heavy if there are too many of them, so we removed some from the corner and installed some floating wooden shelves which we stained to match the dining table in the adjacent room. To complete the kitchen, we chose quartz countertops and carried a matching large-format porcelain tile up the backsplash to mimic the look of continued countertops for a fraction of the cost!

We carried the new, lighter floors into the master suite to contrast the moody, dark bedroom. The bedroom opens up to the new walk-in closet and en-suite master bathroom.

With the new layout of the bathroom, we were able to create a larger walk-in shower where the vanity originally was. We carried in marble-looking porcelain tiles with black metal accents and frosted the window for privacy without blocking natural light.

The new vanity tucked in where the shower originally was. We pulled in some warm wood tones and modern, clean lines to keep the space feeling fresh and spacious.

This was such a fun project to work with and we’re thrilled with how it came together. It’s rare that we get such a unique challenge to work on but it makes the final result so much sweeter when we have to get extra creative!

I hope you enjoyed this home tour! -dgw

Design by Devon Grace Interiors

Photos by Dustin Halleck