Bathroom of the Week: New Master Bath for a 1935 Cottage
Designers go for a timeless look to complement the vintage feel of a Tulsa, Oklahoma, home
Danielle Palm and Rocci Chandler hate to see the historical homes that make the neighborhoods of Tulsa, Oklahoma, so charming torn down and replaced by large new homes. So they’ve taken things into their own hands. They scoop up the houses, plan respectful renovations that will appeal to buyers, then serve as the general contractors. One area that consistently needs extra attention is bathrooms. “We like to update them to make them functional, but we mix old and new to make them timeless,” Palm says. In the full renovation of this 1935 cottage, the pair mixed old and new to respect the home’s vintage feel while making it functional for today.
The goals were to make the master bathroom functional for a couple, blending newer features with classic vintage elements that would suit the cottage’s age. The layout includes a custom vanity with two sinks, a separate toilet room and a wet room that encloses the tub and shower in clear glass.
“We wanted the vanity to feel more like furniture, so we used drawers instead of doors,” Palm says. “They are more functional and prettier.” The bottom of the vanity is open, lending an airy feel to the room. It also provides storage for extra towels.
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“We wanted the vanity to feel more like furniture, so we used drawers instead of doors,” Palm says. “They are more functional and prettier.” The bottom of the vanity is open, lending an airy feel to the room. It also provides storage for extra towels.
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The bathroom’s style is a transitional mix of traditional and modern elements. “We like to mix old and new, and we kept the 1930s in mind throughout the house,” Palm says. The vanity’s drawers are traditional Shaker-style, and while the countertop resembles classic marble, the designers chose a more modern quartz for its durability. The double sconce has a traditional look, but the tall mirrors lean more modern. The faucets, hardware and light fixture are all champagne bronze, a newer finish that also skews vintage.
Custom cabinetry: Woodstock Cabinet Co.
Browse rectangular mirrors in the Houzz Shop
Custom cabinetry: Woodstock Cabinet Co.
Browse rectangular mirrors in the Houzz Shop
Also lending an airy feel is the new picture window, which overlooks the largest dogwood tree Palm has ever seen. She and Chandler named this project “The Dogwood House” in its honor.
Next to the vanity, a freestanding bathtub and shower share the wet room area. The clear glass enclosure lets the whole bathroom enjoy the natural light from the window.
The flooring is hexagonal Firenze Carrara marble. “We carried the same flooring into the wet room for a seamless look,” Palm says. “And we chose hexagonal knobs to pull the hexagons from the floor onto the vanity.”
Cabinet knobs: Emtek
Next to the vanity, a freestanding bathtub and shower share the wet room area. The clear glass enclosure lets the whole bathroom enjoy the natural light from the window.
The flooring is hexagonal Firenze Carrara marble. “We carried the same flooring into the wet room for a seamless look,” Palm says. “And we chose hexagonal knobs to pull the hexagons from the floor onto the vanity.”
Cabinet knobs: Emtek
The marble on the floor is a traditional element, while the sculptural bathtub adds a minimalist piece into the mix. The wall tile is a mix in itself: a subway style typical of the 1930s but with elongated dimensions that are more contemporary.
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Shop for freestanding bathtubs
Here’s the opposite side of the wet room. “We both love contrast and we also used black-and-white contrast in the kitchen,” Palm says of the accent wall in the shower. “Black is classic and it’s also bold.”
The matte black door handle of the wet room picks up on the accent wall. Two niches and a ceramic stool provide space for shower products. And a hook on the narrow wall next to the shower is handy for a towel or robe. The door to the left leads to the toilet room.
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The matte black door handle of the wet room picks up on the accent wall. Two niches and a ceramic stool provide space for shower products. And a hook on the narrow wall next to the shower is handy for a towel or robe. The door to the left leads to the toilet room.
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The tile is Nero Marquina marble, laid in a classic herringbone pattern. The shower kit from Delta Faucet’s Trinsic collection rides the line between traditional and modern. It’s also in the champagne bronze finish, which provides a lovely contrast to the black marble.
The designers were able to carve out enough room for a dressing table and linen cabinet across from the vanity. The countertop and hardware match the vanity, creating a cohesive look. The scalloped detail at the top of the mirror adds some glamour and helps the area stand out as a special spot, while its beveling relates it to the vanity mirrors.
Finally, the pair added a pair of circa 1900 doors between the master bathroom and bedroom. They mounted them on a barn door track — another combination of old and new.
Here’s a sketch of the layout of the 10-by-12-foot bathroom. The toilet room is at the bottom left.
“Unlike tearing down and building new, there isn’t a ton of money in renovating like this,” Palm says. “But we are both passionate about saving these houses and it’s worth it to us.” The renovating duo have found through their sales that there are many others who appreciate saving and living in charming older homes.
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“Unlike tearing down and building new, there isn’t a ton of money in renovating like this,” Palm says. “But we are both passionate about saving these houses and it’s worth it to us.” The renovating duo have found through their sales that there are many others who appreciate saving and living in charming older homes.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Find a bathroom designer
Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom at a Glance
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Size: 120 square feet (11 square meters); 10 by 12 feet
Designers: Danielle Palm and Rocci Chandler of Rose Rock Properties
Before: This isn’t going to be one of those stories where the before-and-after photos match up nicely, but this picture provides a good idea of the scope of the renovations.
Before, the only full bathroom in the house was a 3-by-5-foot shared hallway bath. The new master bathroom was created from this powder room, a closet and a portion of a second living room. The rest of that living room was turned into the master bedroom.