As they reached a certain age, this Newton, Massachusetts, couple decided it was time to make their 1923 Craftsman house work for them in the long term. Their bedroom suite was upstairs and their washer and dryer were in the basement — not ideal for aging in place. They hired design-build firm Steveworks to remodel the first-floor bathroom into one that could accommodate one-level living and include laundry facilities.
The design also needed to reflect the homeowners’ deep appreciation for their home’s original Craftsman style. “As soon as you walk into their house, you can see that they have been very true to its age and style,” designer Tova Greenberg says. “They have Stickley furniture, Tiffany lamps and William Morris wallpaper. Usually we use Houzz ideabooks to get an idea of what our clients want, but in this case, their house was the ideabook. It was easy to see the vibe they were going for.”
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple in their 70s
Location: Newton, Massachusetts
Size: 69 square feet (6.4 square meters)
Design-build firm: Steveworks
Before: The existing bathroom still had its original fixtures — the bathtub, medicine cabinet, radiator and glass-and-metal towel bars. The tub-shower combo was difficult to climb into, and the sink faucet leaked. Because the pedestal sink lacked storage, the homeowners had placed a chest of drawers in the room. “Having the dresser in here would have been OK, but we needed space to install a washer-dryer and a shower stall,” Greenberg says.