An interior designer’s bathroom cost $23,000, featuring a new shower and a special black and white floor tile

• Homeowner: Interior designer Chelsea Albright posted her small bathroom remodel in Washington DC on Sweeten
• Where: The Kalorama neighborhood
• Primary renovation: Remodel the bath in a 550-square-foot unit, replacing the old tub with a modern, glass-enclosed shower
• With: Sweeten general contractor in DC
• Homeowner’s quote: “We were in a pinch regarding the timing of our renovation—every other contractor was busy during the timeframe when we needed the project to happen,” said Chelsea. “I felt confident in our choice thanks to Sweeten having already vetted this contractor.”
• Our role: Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering guidance, tools, and support—for free. 

Written in partnership with homeowner Chelsea. “After” photos by Tyler Hooks for Laura Metzler Photography.

Bringing boutique style to a bathroom

Our condominium in the Historic Kalorama neighborhood is in an old hotel, built in the 1920s. There was a vision for this small bathroom remodel in Washington DC: to make it feel like a hotel bathroom. We love staying in boutique hotels and have been gathering inspiration from our travels for awhile. We wanted something that felt dimensional.

The fixtures and other features of the bathroom were worn down; it felt ready for an upgrade. A renovation by the previous owners had been poorly done—the tile was incomplete, the toilet was mounted improperly, the flooring wasn’t level and the fixture finishes didn’t match. We wanted it to feel luxurious and new.

I am the principal interior designer at Places Studio. I live with Corey, my spouse, and Milo, our child, in the 550-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bath unit. Since moving in, the bathroom was the one space we hadn’t yet renovated.

Finding the right contractor in the nick of time

I was excited to use Sweeten’s remodeling services for the first time after meeting the team at a trade show in New York. We were in a pinch regarding the timing of our renovation—every other contractor was busy during the timeframe when we needed the project to happen. After posting the project on Sweeten, I got connected with our contractor right away. We reviewed our quote through the platform and the G.C. was able to get us on the calendar quickly. I felt confident in our choice thanks to Sweeten having already vetted this general contractor in DC.

Plans for our small bathroom remodel in Washington DC

Our goal was to make the space feel bigger and more open by replacing the bathtub with a tile-and-glass shower. Hallelujah! I am just not a tub person. We otherwise planned to maintain the layout, but to change the current swing door to a pocket door to gain space. More than anything, we felt excited about getting rid of the shower curtain.

I had some contractor questions but, as a designer and an experienced renovator, I mostly wanted to be clear on how the construction team was going to work in and around the space, and how our personal items would be protected during construction. The biggest challenge for us would be having to move out during the project, and for the contractors, it would be just navigating a renovation in the small space.

"Our contractor was amazing and we worked well together to solve problems as they arose."

Nostalgic touch: patterned black-and-white shower tile

We got started choosing materials, which needed to arrive before construction started. The most notable pick was the concrete black-and-white tile for the floor, which has a sentimental association for us. When we got married, we stayed in an historic home in the heart of Panama City’s Casco Viejo. This pattern was on the floors and was something we’d wanted to use.

We decided on a white Zellige tile to line the shower walls, and we extended it out into the main space on the lower half of the wall so we would have tile behind our toilet and sink. It was a perfect opportunity to double it up as a sink backsplash, and we decided to do a wall-mounted sink faucet to call attention to it.

I remember that tile delivery arriving. We were literally hiding tile boxes in every nook and cranny around the apartment so they weren’t in the way. Installed, the tile brings back memories of our wedding for me. Once it was finished, it was so cool to see how it transformed the space. Sometimes a sample piece of tile just doesn’t do it justice.

A snafu leads to a perfect accent finish

Our contractor was amazing and we worked well together to solve problems as they arose. Being a designer, I was able to tap into my sources when we needed to get missing items quickly. When we made a mistake and needed to locate and buy the schluter—or edging—midway into the job, our Sweeten contractor and I worked together to find the dream finish—brass!—in stock. It was a miracle but we kept our schedule.

Throughout the bathroom, we mixed two metal finishes, that brass and matte black. The shower and sink faucet are in black and the light fixture, towel bars and our tile edge is in brass. While we love a modern style, the black and white tile is already bold—it needs a warm accent to add character and balance out the graphic tile. We went with a dark plum paint color to add depth to the mostly white tiled room.

Our cost to remodel a small bathroom in Washington DC

In the end, we did not stay within our bathroom renovation budget. The contractor’s renovation quote was for $13,000 and we ended up spending $17,000, due to a few unforeseen electrical items. We also spent about $6,000 in material costs outside of the contractor’s price, so the total was approximately $23,000, while we had budgeted $20,000.

Despite the extra expense, our contractor was transparent throughout the process, so we felt comfortable with our overall costs. 

Designer tip: Pad the schedule

My biggest tip for other renovators is to budget an extra week or two into your job, because it’s hard to avoid shifts in your schedule. Even being extremely prepared, we had some problems that added a few days here and there throughout the project. Leaving a little buffer helps you guarantee the project will be finished well. Being adaptable when things change also goes a long way. And we love our new bathroom. It feels luxurious, clean, and spacious. Just like one at a cool hotel.

Thank you, Chelsea and Corey, for sharing your new bathroom with us!

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When you’re ready to get started on your bathroom or home remodel, work with Sweeten to renovate with the best contractors.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog, Sweeten Stories, for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation with Sweeten.

Renovation Materials

• 8” square Zellige shower and wall tile and concrete black-and-white floor tile: Zia Tile
• Matte black shower glass panels: Vigo
• Pfister shower and sink fixtures: Appliances Connection
• Hardware and Laney sconce lighting: Anthropologie
• Phoenix white sink: Concretti Designs
• Brayden Studio vanity: Wayfair
• Matte black sink faucet: Signature Hardware
• Toto toilet: Home Depot
• Black mirror: Target
• London Clay paint: Farrow & Ball

The post Travel Inspires a Small Bathroom Remodel in Washington DC appeared first on Sweeten.

Nature's colors and tranquil views turn this beach house into the ultimate chill space

• Homeowners: An NYC couple posted their project to renovate a 2,000-square-foot Amagansett beach house on Sweeten
• Where: Long Island, New York
• Primary renovation: A complete redo of the kitchen and bathrooms, floor refinishing, and wall resurfacing and painting throughout
• Sweeten general contractor in the Hamptons area
• Sweeten’s role: Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering guidance, tools, and support—for free.

“After” photos by Lena Yaremenko

Gathering the renovation team

When the homeowners of this wood-shingled house in the Hamptons began their renovation journey, their main goals were to update the kitchen and bathrooms, along with an overall aesthetic modernization, including some minor changes to the existing floor plan.

To start, they hired designers, Charlotte Sylvain and Shikhar Thakur of Studio Fauve in Brooklyn. The couple then hired a general contractor to turn their vision into reality, and “help maximize the impact of dollars spent,” their Sweeten post read.

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Charlotte took charge of the interior design for the four-bedroom, two-bathroom Amagansett House, which had been purchased as a summer home. In addition to a more modern feel from room to room, they wanted to update the home’s color palette.

A minimal interior with natural materials would connect with the property the home sits on, which is wildly populated by maple, oak, beech, and sycamore trees. The designer’s goal was to create a neutral, light-filled space with a subtle beachy feel where the homeowners could watch the seasons change outside.

Natural wood kitchen cabinets, regionally sourced

To accomplish this, she looked to design wide, open spaces in the Amagansett beach house. Beginning in the living room, with its spacious layout and high ceilings, Charlotte used inspiration from the Hamptons’ oceanside.

White textures and blonde plank-wood detailing combined with soft, comfortable furniture in quiet colors. Designs were kept minimal; its warmth would come from different materials in natural tones. The designer chose and sourced the materials regionally when possible, and chose small furniture designers and builders.

The kitchen has an airy feel but is solid with its Douglas fir joinery and cabinetry, and matte-finish white countertops. A stain-proof quartz was a perfect work-surface choice to top the natural wood kitchen cabinets; the homeowners wanted a durable kitchen for entertaining.

The home needed to be a relaxing place, a weekend and summer-season escape from the owners’ primary residence in New York City. To this goal, Charlotte painted the natural-wood window framings white to make them disappear.

Installation of additional new windows as well as vertical columns of glass at the top and bottom of the enclosed staircase offer views-as-art glass framings throughout the house.

Waterproof bathroom materials

The centerpiece of the upstairs is in the master bathroom—a giant picture window that overlooks the house’s rear woods and flanks a giant soaking tub. Waterproof tadelakt plaster walls and teakwood planking allowed use of the same surfaces in the bathroom’s wet and dry areas.

The designer pulled more tadelakt plaster into the guest bathroom for the vanity, pairing it with handmade zellige tile. Accoya wood plays a key role in this bathroom as well. 

Throughout the home, hints of black connect with the white canvas for a modern feel. Original oak floorboards received a color-corrective refinishing to lessen the honey tones. Additional teak and Accoya wood accents round out the natural wood hues in various interior spaces.

The biggest challenge of this renovation was working on it remotely. Despite this, Amagansett House was completed giving the homeowners the serenity they were looking for.

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When you’re ready to get started on your kitchen or home remodel, work with Sweeten to renovate with the best contractors.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog, Sweeten Stories, for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation with Sweeten.

Renovation Materials

KITCHEN: Douglas fir cabinets: Reform. Flooring: Dinesen. Bertazzoni professional induction cooktop and electric oven in Bianco: Appliances Connection. Puccio 712 stool: Billiani.

MASTER BATHROOM: ​​Natural large wicker ball lamp: HKliving. Vivid slimline fixtures: Phoenix Tapware. Wheat Fields flooring: Royal Oak Flooring. 

LIVING AREAS: Vertigo suspension lamp: Constance Guisset. Mags soft sofa: HAY. Sand, natural, and black rug: Pampa Paloma.

The post Natural Wood Throughout in an Amagansett Beach House appeared first on Sweeten.

Project: A bathroom remodel jumpstarts after a leak is discovered

Before: Katie and Lance knew when they bought their Park Slope condo that their bathroom needed a new look. That bathroom remodel became urgent and more extensive when they discovered a leak in the tub with water damage spilling into their bedroom closet. “I would say to anyone buying to keep an eye out for water damage on your inspection, even if you have to move some shoes out of the closet to do it,” said Katie. With the opportunity to rethink the design, the couple, who are both actors and writers, wanted to swap out cumbersome elements such as two tiled storage vanities and a standalone pedestal sink for a sleek yet warm look.

After: The discovery of the leak meant Katie and Lance had to divide their focus and budget between aesthetics and function. They used Sweeten, a free service matching homeowners with general contractors to find their general contractor and got started. The couple was eyeing intricate floor tiles and a teak vanity, but the increased scope of the work meant some sacrificing elements. One thing Katie really wanted were round bathroom mirrors for “a look that was brighter and more fun than rectangle ones.” In a priority pivot, she’d originally hoped to remove the glass partition between the bath and toilet but was dissuaded by the possibility of more water damage. Unlike the previous partition, the one they installed is elegant and sturdy. It also has a black rim, which nicely echoes the black edge of the mirrors as well as the faucets and fixtures. The family of three lived in the apartment during construction; this is something Katie definitely does not recommend especially when there is a toddler in the home and you’re sleeping on “a mattress on the floor surrounded by bags of caulking materials.” However, the couple’s Sweeten contractor kept things moving at a good pace, and clear communication made for realistic expectations of a “done” date.

Bonus: The couple had to stick to the original layout, which meant keeping a built-in storage niche by the window. It was covered in a sticky paper that made cleaning difficult and the saloon-style doors were not hitting the mark style-wise. With new tiles and the doors removed, the niche became “a breath of fresh air” to the new bathroom, Katie said.

Style finds: White hexagon 2” porcelain floor tile: Classic Tile. Bevel subway wall tiles: Arizona Tile. Black hardware and shower fixtures: Brizo. Miseno toilet: Appliances Connection. Vanity/countertop: Appliances Connection. Round mirrors: CB2. Lighting: Cedar & Moss. Shower curtain: Urban Outfitters.

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Black matte fixtures can take a bath from standard to stunning. Meredith and Jason incorporated black matte fixtures and a floating wood vanity in their bathroom renovation for a modern upgrade.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

The post A Park Slope Couple Rewrites an Uber Chic Bathroom appeared first on Sweeten.

Project: Renovate an outdated brown and beige bathroom

Before: Meredith and Jason knew when they bought their Chelsea home in 2015 that a bathroom renovation was in order. “Everything about it was old and ugly,” Meredith said. The plumbing was malfunctioning, the tub was worn, and the original designer hadn’t configured the layout to maximize the room. A bulky medicine cabinet and vanity gobbled up space. “The drawers would hit the radiator when you pulled them out,” Meredith remembers.

After: They turned to Sweeten, a free service matching homeowners with general contractors to implement a few key elements in the design that really helped make a small space behave like a big one. The couple’s Sweeten contractor made a custom medicine cabinet that wrapped around some problem pipes behind the wall, enabling it to be recessed. A smaller vanity allowed the doors to open all the way, providing more functional storage space, while a new wall-hung toilet worked wonders: “You basically gained six to seven inches more by putting the tank into the wall,” Meredith said. The aesthetic needed to match the rest of the apartment, which was clean and current without being too modern. Against a bright background, the faucets and shower fixtures really popped with a black matte finish.

Bonus: The Sweeten contractor suggested some floor tiles that the couple say they would never have considered on their own. The result tied together the black matte of the fixtures and the rest of the bathroom’s design.

Style finds: Floor and wall tiles: Artistic Tile. Fixtures and faucets: Watermark. Toilet: Appliances Connection. Light fixture: Cedar and Moss. Vanity: Blu Bathworks. Medicine cabinet: Custom-made by Sweeten contractor.

Thank you, Meredith and Jason, for giving us a peek into your bath transformation—and kitchen. We hope you love your new home.

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Tile that’s fun—whether colorful or laid out in an interesting pattern—can really take a bathroom from nice to knockout. A colorful mosaic of blue tile in this bathroom renovation transforms the shower into a showpiece worthy of admiration.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

The post A Couple Injects Personality into a Monotone Bathroom appeared first on Sweeten.