Name: Enrique
Location: Los Angeles
Amount Spent: $10,000-$15,000
The Blogcast Interview:
Slideshow:
The Pitch:
I guess it's put up or shut up time...
First off, this bathroom rightfully belongs in the big bucks renovation category since I purchased this condo shortly after it was completely gutted and reno‘d.
Full disclosure--the tilework, plumbing, new tub, new sink, new toilet, recessed light fixture, hanging pendant lights and re-plating of the two ceiling exhaust fans were all the work of the previous owners.
(They purchased the place 5 months prior to listing it, specifically to renovate and flip. My guess is that the renovation was probably in the $10-15,000 range.)
By Los Angeles apartment standards, this is a slightly smaller bathroom. The big downside is that there are no windows--so, no natural light or ventilation. The previous owners addressed the lack of natural light issue by keeping the color palette light--white tile, white paint, white marble, white cabinets, creamy beige travertine floors, and painting one side of the bathroom a soft, buttery yellow as an accent.
I can tell you that the cabinetry and light fixtures are IKEA, the toilet is Toto, the shower plumbing fixtures are Kohler, the sink fixtures are Franz Viegener, the sink is Ferrum. (The previous owners saved all the paperwork for me.)
I wanted to visually expand the space and spread the throw of the pendant lights, so I replaced a small round wall mirror behind the sink with ceiling-height mirror, custom-fitted to the width of the cabinet and hung an oversized mirror on the opposite wall.
But the placement of the mirrors was staggered to avoid a funhouse/hall-of-mirrors effect. With the mirrors reflecting the light, I was able to lower the wattage of the halogen bulbs (by 15 watts each) in the pendant fixtures, but still have more light than before.
Initially, I had only the large mirror, the stool and the bathroom toiletry items pictured in the space. But after living with it for 2-3 months, the space felt a little spartan and void of character. It didn’t really feel like MY bathroom. That’s when I decided to hang the photos (which were just sitting in my closet).
The paintings were purchased shortly after that. For me, the art added the much-needed visual interest to the windowless room. And the teak bowl and rug were really more afterthoughts, but I really like the visual balance and weight they add to the space.
One note on the art, I do shower with the door open and both ceiling exhaust fans running. So far, no humidity mishaps.
I already owned the 3 framed photographs and found the 3 small tree paintings ($225 total) at a café shortly after moving in. For texture, I placed a rectangular Thai teak bowl ($90, L.A. import store Jaipur) in front of the large wall mirror ($99, IKEA) and next to the Starck La Boheme stool (which I already owned from my previous place), and threw down an inexpensive faux Persian rug ($24, purchased from a discount rug store on S. La Brea Blvd.).
The custom mirror was $170 installed. The total cost of the accessories--mostly Jonathan Adler Happy Home--was probably around $200 (purchased mostly at Bed Bath and Beyond on a 20% off coupon). The shower curtains are actually 2 fabric shower curtain liners--I couldn’t fine any curtain designs I liked better than the simple liners.
The ceramic pot was hand thrown by potter John Scott and is one of my favorite pieces--something I‘ve owned for 4-5 years. The “red coral” hook was $24 (Anthropologie). The metal alarm clock was bought on sale ($9, Garden District), as was the elephant sandstone votive holder (99-cents, Cost Plus World Market). So, my total budget spent was around $850--excluding the previous owner’s renovation costs and pieces I already owned.
I really love my bathroom because it has a pleasant feel without being boring or “cookie-cutter“. I like the fact that the room doesn’t make one strong, singular design statement. It’s a bit more mixed-up.
It has a clean utilitarian feel, but doesn’t lack visual or textural interest. I’m pretty happy with the overall result. Ultimately, the space feels completely like my own, and that‘s a good feeling for me… What you see is pretty much what it looks like every day. (So, please forgive the water stains on the shower plumbing fixtures. I took these photos the day before cleaning day.)
Enrique
OK...this is the bathroom I want!
Absolutely gorgeous! Like you said, lots of visual interest. But it doesn't feel cluttered.
I love, love the ceramic pot.
Lovely. It doesn't get me emotionally, the way HH's and Guido's do, but it still rocks. I like (as Enrique does) the way it "doesn't make one strong, singular design statement," in spite of the fact that it's tidy and has had design thought put into it--that makes it more relaxing, as far as I can tell, and avoids the showroom-esque look. I also like the art, the circular tiles in the shower, and the rug. Basically, I like your taste, Enrique!
I love it, especially the art, but I don't think the rug fits at all.
Overall, nice job.
I was thinking happy thoughts about the space until I saw the toilet seat up. Was that the owner's way of keeping real. That's a little too real for me.
Also, such a nice space deserves a better looking shower curtain.
ta
I absolutely adore the three tree paintings above the towel bar. Can you please tell me who the artist is?
Enrique,
Your bathroom ROCKS, big time. I loved it. I am at work and did not read your whole novella about the renovation process. I will surely comment later. Kudos.
Call me crazy, but I kinda like that sink, and in a world where I would ever have an apartment that weren't pre-war or something, I'd at least be thinking about something like that.
HA! Take THAT, all you vessel-sink haters! Care to spread your venom *here*....? ;)
Thanks for the nice comments, folks. I'm also curious to hear from people who weren't crazy about (or just plain hated) the room. Honestly, I just like the flow of ideas--good, bad, indifferent.
aquarabbit-The little paintings are by a local artist named Mark Brunner. www.markbrunner.com
hshppy-Whoops, seat is kept down when folks are visiting. (I live alone, so it's normally up.) But you're right, keeping it up may have been a bit too real for the squeamish. Re: Shower curtains. I haven't found a simple white fabric curtain that has the slight sheen of these liners. And I'm not a damask-stripe kind of guy. Any suggestions?
Enrique continues to manage to deftly handle (or stumble upon, lucky b@stard!) what could fail in the hands of others... an Ikea-based cooler-than-cool kitchen, an over the top Moroccan-themed crash pad, and now, a vessel sink (that fits in a beauty of a bath), and may even age gracefully (so, yes pphillipp, I slightly ammend my previous vessel-sink-stand...!)
I think he does it with an impeccable eye, a daring sense of mix-and-match, knowing a great shell when he sees it (or in the case of his way-cool Morroccan patio, knows how to create it), and adding a highly personal (and enviable) art collection to the whole thing.
Enrique, if you are the least bit handy, find fabric you love and make your own. You can pick up a grommet set at the hardware store. I made mine out of a sari that was the exact color I was looking for.
Your bathroom is very serene. I wouldn't mind facing Monday mornings there.
Enrique--
Get thee to your local Calvin Klein shower curtain purveyor. (and have wads of money in hand. :)
Or, try an really open weave, natural fiber over-curtain, keeping what you have as a liner.
I think Kelly Hoppen could offere some further style inspiration (not that you need it!!)
I really love the tribal touches and punctuation of dark materials against the light, so I'd just say a little more of the same will still work nicely (and may make more sense of the rug for Michael)
What's the artist/source for the photo above the commode? (I just can't say "art" and "toilet" in the same sentence...)
okay, i really like this bathroom. i especially like the dot tiles in the shower. i agree about the shower curtain, it takes away from everything else. you can keep one of the liners and get any kind of curtain... not just ones made for the shower. there must be tons of white curtains around (we found a west elm one that we really liked and got it on ebay for way less than catalogue). and something about the rug doesn't fit... at first i thought it should be more centered with the sink, but i think the way the sink is right next to the tub would make any rug look a little off.
i have a question about the sink- with those angular nooks, does grime get in there? it's an odd choice for a bathroom counter. and i still don't like vessel sinks.
i really like the accessories, your contributions to the bathroom are awesome.
As an alternative to the Starck La Boheme clear vase/stool, maybe Starck's Prince Aha or Maya Linn's Stones, to get a little more tribal, and/or relate directly to the vessel sink. The Aha also comes in a sweet orange color. There is also another Starck stool, a tapered shape with a lid, on three integral legs, that would also work and echo the vessel shape, but can't find a name for it yet.
In the case of the Starck stools, they could also hide some storage, too.
Okay, I'll stop now. I can't help myself sometimes.
ps-- Hilarious (to me) that two bathrooms have featured Starck pieces so far! What does this say?!
Patrick-Thanks so much for the many, many kind words. Means a lot coming from the champion of the "Smallest, Coolest Apartment" competition! I like your suggestions, particularly to tie in the rug with the curtain a little more. I do like Maya Linn's stones too, but may just live with the La Boheme for now. Regarding the "commode" art, that photograph of the torso tattooed with a "me-tag" (name, rank, serial #, blood type, religious affiliation) and the the close-up of the primary red t-shirt covered in mud (photo over by the sink.) were taken by my friend Patrick Lee at the annual Marine mud-run a few years back. Patrick normally does really involved drawings (graphite on paper) of male portraiture. Heres the link to his gallery... www.western-project.com/lee/lee.html . I think you'll like his work, knowing the kinds of pieces you collect. The other larger photo of the moonlit "Garden of Eden" was done by '60s-'70s physique photographer James Bidgood. Pierre et Gilles have cited him as an influence. Taschen published an oversized volume of his work about 6 years ago. This image is similar to the opening shot of his underground film "Pink Narcissus."
Michael-Even though the rug was an after-thought and doesn't quite fit the overall vibe, I may keep it in there and find some way of tying it in better visually.
Ali-Thanks for the suggestion for curtain options. I'll probably address this in the next few weeks. You're right there are lots of options out there, and not all of them are expensive. It is weird that the sink counter is bi-level. But no, grime doesn't collect on the lower surface. (I pretty much wipe it up after each use, and do a pretty thorough cleaning/disenfecting at least once a week.)
Lori-Great suggestion with the Sari fabric! I guess the challenge is to find a pattern that ties in with the rug, but doesn't visually overpower the room. I love Sari fabrics--very third-world bling. If that doesn't work, I'll go in the direction suggested by Patrick and Ali.
Regarding the vessel sink, it was there when I moved in. And I love it. I'm pretty good about not splashing outside the rim, so clean-up is easier.
Okay, one more stool idea and then I'll REALLY stop... any of the Eames Walnut stools. Yes, an aspirational price tag to be sure, but (to me) the right mix of mid-century LA cool and warm tribal that I already love about your mix-ability.
enrique, you just gave me a new name to throw around, "third world bling," and i love you for it.
I love the eames walnut stools and have been looking for an affordable variation with no luck at all--although I'm considering those Room&Board side-tables that look like they are made in a similar fashion. They're just not as nice though, and still pretty expensive. But I think what's great about the starck pieces in the bathroom is their transparency--they add interest without taking up too much visual space in a small room. (Also, if I had an eames walnut stool I would definitely not put it in the bathroom!)
I love the eames walnut stools and have been looking for an affordable variation with no luck at all--although I'm considering those Room&Board side-tables that look like they are made in a similar fashion. They're just not as nice though, and still pretty expensive. But I think what's great about the starck pieces in the bathroom is their transparency--they add interest without taking up too much visual space in a small room. (Also, if I had an eames walnut stool I would definitely not put it in the bathroom!)
Hope this isn't getting posted multiple times--I keep getting asked for new security codes.
whoops! sorry!
Why is that whenever we see these slideshows no one can ever take the time to put the toilet seat and lid down?
My design sense is not as sophisticated as some here, nor is my knowledge of resources as encyclopaedic - but just wanted to say I *really* like your bathroom; it's a great mix of elegance and earthiness, very streamlined but also very warm.
You, like HH, inherited "good bones," and really made them pop. Personally, I like both the Starck stool and the rug - and the shower curtain doesn't bug me at all. I'm sure it's impeccably clean ;)
I would love to see something in a deep, burnt-orange color in here - something small, even - to bring out the warmth even more. It might tie in with the colors of the rug (which, admittedly, I can't see particularly well), and would be really beautiful with the wall color.
Two questions (which, of course, don't need to be answered):
1. I love the custom cut wall mirror over the sink, and am thinking of doing the same thing (read: copying) for my bath. Just wondering where you put all the daily bath needs, and if it's onerous not having them at mirror-level.
2. I've always been afraid of yellows or greens for bathrooms, because it seems they have a tendency to make skin tones jaundiced (and I need all the help I can get). Do you find this a problem?
Again, really, really nice. (But the ex-painter in me still worries about the art/moisture combo...)
martha broke AT! martha broke AT! ;)
Hmmm.. Boring!
I also think the rug ruins the room. My feet cringe at the idea of stepping on it.
Okay, I am obsessed...
tho no longer available via Target, Mssr Starck also designed the Ethno plastic stool for Target:
www.detnews.com/2002/decorating/0206/05/e03-498596.htm
(Assuming you could find it on Ebay...) that would give you hidden storage, give pphillipp his hit of burnt orange, and give me my ethno-contemporary fix.
jenny--
One person's simple, adult, sophisticated and elegant is another's boring, I guess. I think the surprises here are subtle. But worth the time to find.
for a shower curtain, try earth runnings - www.earthrunnings.com. they're in california too! seriously, she makes shower curtains to order, and they are really simple, clean, and quality.
i agree with others on the rug. i don't think that it's the orientation or positioning, i think it's the rug itself. it may be sort of small and dark in such a bright airy room. i would go with some deep pile chenille. also, if that rug is wool, doesn't it get really wet and gross?
otherwise, i think this bathroom is GORGEOUS! you've done a really nice job.+
btw - i know it happened a while ago, and my attention might have lapsed, but could seomone tell me what's up with the code?
yeah, p(2), but you know i'm right! ;^)
I think the code was intended to prevent martha form posting, but she seems to have cracked it. ;)
Hey--why does everyone act as if a toilet seat being up is the equivalent of a big turd in the middle of the floor? as long as the bowl is clean who cares? I don't think a toilet actually looks that much better with the seat down. Is it because rats might come out? I think it's weird. But then, I thought it was weird when a friend told me she always flushes with her foot when using a public loo. Now I have to too, in case she was there before me.
okay, I got another error after having typed in the code correctly. I hope this only goes up once.
well, twice is better than thrice, anyway. by the way, Enrique, love your bathroom! the dot tiles especially. and the transparent stool!
And now you see why they want to keep me out!
Found it!
Starck's Xo BuBu stool...
http://themagazine.info/products/-/887.html
Okay, NOW I'll stop. :)
I do hate it when the toilet seat is up in my house, but I confess I haven't noticed it in any of the slide shows on AT.
Also, I assume that Enrique uses a bath mat, so he doesn't step on the rug with wet feet.
Love the room, hate the rug. I think something more mod would go a lot better.
Cynthia-I addressed the toilet seat issue in an earlier comment. I'm not sure if your question was directed at me specifically, or if it was just a rhetorical one.
pphillipp-You're right. I was lucky enough to inherit good bones with this bathroom. (It wasn't my favorite room when I got the place, but I love how it turned out). Love the burnt orange idea, but don't want to overkill on the color. (The entire back wall of the bedroom is painted orange.) And, frankly, I'm kind of skittish about introducing another strong color, especially if I go with a crazy sari-fabric shower curtain, as Lori suggested. Right now, the colors feel pretty balanced to me. To answer your questions... 1) The cabinets flanking the sink have more than enough storage for me--and an extra shelf for guests. 2) For some reason, I don't have the jaundiced-look problem because I lowered the wattage of the halogen lights by the sink, and the bulb in the overhead pot light (in the shower) casts a warmer hue. If you go for a yellow wall color in your room, maybe you should try a warmer-hued bulb to balance it out?
Jenny/Andrea-Yeah, the rug ain't everybody's taste. That's for sure. I think to go with a more mod rug would have been a safer route to go, and presented a more unified "modern" statement. But that's not what I was going for. I really wanted to mix things up--and will continue to mix things up in the future. Good or bad, hate it or love it--it's something that I try to have fun with. Makes it a little more interesting for me. To me, a floor covering is a floor covering. And my bathroom has a floor! Jenny, I'm sure your bathroom rug works well for you and is not cringe-inducing for you.
Joan-You are correct. There is a terrycloth bathmat that I use after showering. (You can see it hanging on the side of the tub.)
Seema-Wow, the hemp shower curtains at earth runnings are pretty dope. ("Rimshot! Thank you very much, I'm here all week. Try the veal.") But, I suffered a bit of sticker shock. Really nice, though. Regarding the rug, it's aligned more towards the sink and not the bathtub because of the bathmat.
Martha. Martha. - Thank you! Thank you! (The code threw me for a loop, and I double-posted the first few times too.) Initially, the only thing I LOVED about the bathroom were the round tiles. (The previous owners must have had a hell of a time cutting those custom tiles. But the end result is a nice update of a mid-century bathroom design cue.) Now I think you and Patrick should stop with all the potty talk of turds and stool. ;D
Patrick-My god, man. I'm exhausted by looking at all of your links. I'd never seen Starck's Ethno stool for Target. That's some groovy, er, sh**.
I'm so ashamed, so ashamed
Love the vessel sink for once. The cabinets look to be a modern update on the style of an antique basin vanity. Now that we've seen the bathroom, kitchen and patio is there anything not to like about this apartment?
Did you see those Jonathan Adler towels with the dots in the weave that are featured today? I'm wanting them for Enrique's bathroom, REAL bad.
I was asleep at the switch, so all of my observations have already been made... except that I love the "red coral" hook. (Apres P(too), naturally.)
Doug-I've got the Adler "dots" soapdish, toothbrush holder and lotion dispenser and the Adler lacquerware tissue dispenser--all on the sink counter. So, Johnny A is well-represented here.
jimkk-Thank you!
Whoops, comment addressed to Doug was actually meant for Curtis.
Enrique--
Hey, keep your doting fans straight, will you please?! ;)
Doug--
Good memory!
Just re-read Enrique's intro notes, and see he mentions the Persian being a $24 faux. Given the fact that many "dedicated bath mats" cost more than that, not sure why people freaked about stepping on it with wet/bare feet. I might be somewhat nervous about color-bleed, but that would be easily solved with an underliner.
I also like the idea of seasonality with rooms, and a bathroom like this would be SO easy/cool to "redo"... dark and tribal (saris or kilims for inspiration) for the cooler months, light, spa-inspired and "hempish" when the mercury climbs outside, shower-dot-inspired, Alder-esque and bubbly for Spring... just by changing out the towels, rug and the "statement" accessories like the teak bowl.
Enrique, thanks for letting me have so much fun in your bathroom. Wait... that didn't come out quite right...
i don't really have anything useful to add to all the helpful comments people have already posted above...just wanted to chime in w/ my admiration for the thought & care you've obviously put into your bathroom, it really shows! those dots in the shower tile are so cool, & i really like those pendant lights too.
i've posted elsewhere about vessel sinks being a pet peeve of mine, but i'd like to point out that i also said that in some situations they can look very nice. (maybe i should have said the *indiscriminate use* of vessel sinks was the pet peeve.) although it still wouldn't be my first choice, enrique's sink works perfectly well here, & it sounds like he has no problems w/ it functionality-wise. so, congrats enrique on a warm, soothing, yet interesting bathroom!
ok...i tried checking my earlier comments re vessel sinks & it appears i did NOT include the part about thinking they do work in certain situations. oops. but i DID have that thought, i swear!
Patrick-You read my mind. Of course I will continue to switch out the look of this room--because, hell, it's fun for me to keep re-inventing the space. And, yes, you can continue to play in my bathroom. Just put the toilet seat down on your way out, for chrissake. I don't want to get docked points for that.
sooj-I'm pro-vessel sinks. If it ages badly in a few years, well, then, time for another renovation! But I do think it works well in the context of this room. And, it's surprisingly very practical and user-friendly. That badboy fills up with water in a flash.
martha--
a potential alternative to your Eames-stool-lust... DWR's cork table and stool, designed by Jasper Morrison...
dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=6602
Obviously not exactly the same vibe, but something I really like about them, one of which is the reduced-from-Eames pricetag of under $300.
There is another cork stool I've seen like this but lighter in color, just can't find now.
And Cedric, if you're listening, these would also be way cool in your home (as I continue to try to woo you into hiring me to furnish your pad...)
i love this. nice details, great taste in art from the wall art to the pottery to the handsome shower buddy. i agree with the comments about the shower curtain, you need one. i know there is a fabric out there for you. one more comment about the open toilet, TOTAL feng shui no-no (all your money will run down the drain). keep it closed.
I actually like the faux-Persian rug. It's an unexpected, yet understated, pleasure. I think you may have mentioned this in your intro, but I love the contrast of the very airy, transparent stool and the dark weight of the bowl next to it. Great job!
Lovely colors and light. Was never much of a fan of that style of sink, and it's really a marked feature in a lot of submissions. It's nice how the vanity dips in the middle sort of as a counterbalance, but it still just looks wrong, somehow. And it looks as though it creates cleaning surface areas that sinks that are...um, sunk..en don't. But the rest of it feels warm, although hotelly in some of its accents. I wanna love it, yet it doesn't really speak above a very conventional whisper.
Really lovely choices - especially that sink, and I hate vessel sinks.
Love love LOVE that you went for real art in the bathroom.
And LOVE the dot tiles in the shower.
About the shower . . . can I send you my (reviled) dot-alicious one?
Oy . . .
Kellyo. Thanks for the feng shui tip! Of the many things I'd like to flush down that toilet, money is not one of them. You have successfully shamed me into closing the toilet lid!
AK. Thanks! I actually digested all of the feedback and have tweaked a few things that people questioned, specifically shower curtain and rug. (Yellow and off-white striped curtain that looks like mattress ticking, 30"x50" butter yellow rug--better proportions). These small changes I've already made have already made a huge improvement!
Rachael. Yeah, the staggered sink cabinet isn't something I've seen before, but I really like it. I never thought of it, but agree with jimkk's comment that it's like a modern update on an antique basin vanity. Cleaning it is a breeze. (But I tend to wipe up after every use.) I take your "hotel feel" assessment as a compliment because that's what I was going for--it's the only bathroom in my place, so I wanted it to have a pleasant powder room-feel for my guests. (I stay at a lot of nicer hotels for business, so I often take design cues from them.) I disagree that the bathroom is a just whisper above conventional, but hey, maybe you have higher standards when it comes to convention.
Guido. Thanks for the kind words. I sent you a gushy email about your bathroom. I'm in awe of your rockin' DIY prowess!