Reviving an Outdated Family Bath
The primary upstairs bath was cramped and lacked storage. A new layout fits this 1940 Tudor.
With its arched openings and period lighting, the bathroom looks original to the 1940 Tudor Revival house in Portland, Oregon. Yet it’s the result of a sensitive remodeling that included moving the toilet and the sink and installing new tile and fixtures. The room is within the original footprint but it feels larger now.
The existing bath, which served all the upstairs bedrooms, was awkward and cramped and offered almost no storage space. With the intention to make the new bathroom fit seamlessly, the family hired Craftsman Design and Renovation, a local design–build firm specializing in vintage homes. Their design divides the space into three zones: a toilet alcove that includes a tall storage cabinet, a tub and shower enclosure, and between those two alcoves, a lavatory with a vanity. Tudor arches echo the style of the house.
Artisan-made tile joins natural materials including wood and soapstone to create a space that won’t become dated. The floor’s larger hexagon tiles and wall tiles in a 2 x 6 size subtly update historical one-inch hexes and classic subway tiles.
DIVIDED BY ARCHES Tudor arches separate the lavatory area from the toilet alcove and again from the tub and shower space. Both the division of functions and the arches match the era of the Tudor Revival house.
TIMELESS MATERIALS Natural cherry wood, soapstone, and brass are featured in the room along with tile inspired by historical installations. The soapstone countertop echoes the arch. The vanity is furniture-like.
ELEVATED STYLE NOTES Period-inspired lighting fixtures and hardware accompany a suite of tiles by local maker Pratt + Larson, custom inset cabinets, and faucet and shower trim in a Champagne Bronze finish.
Be Inspired
Inspired by American art tile from a century ago, Pratt + Larson’s textural Craftsman Glaze is shown in color C330 on 3" hexagon mosaic floor tiles. The linear 2x6 variant on subway tile is shown in the W7 crackle glaze with Praline grout.
Delta’s Dorval two-handle, wall-mount faucet with cross handles is shown in Champagne Bronze (also in chrome and stainless). Find it through easyplumbing.com
The Eastmoreland series 4"-fitter pendant is from Rejuvenation. Solid brass and damp-rated, the period fixture is energy-efficient and customizable. In your choice of 10 metal finishes, and 22 clear or opal glass shade options.
Victoria + Albert’s Barcelona 55 Oval 21 Vessel Lavatory is a rimless countertop sink of cast volcanic limestone and resin. It’s 21 5/ 8" wide with a 3" inside depth. Priced through online sellers, more at houseofrohl.com
Patricia Poore is Editor-in-chief of Old House Journal and Arts & Crafts Homes, as well as editorial director at Active Interest Media’s Home Group, overseeing New Old House, Traditional Building, and special-interest publications.
Poore joined Old House Journal when it was a Brooklyn-brownstoner newsletter in the late 1970s. She became owner and publisher and, except for the years 2002–2013, has been its editor. Poore founded the magazines Old-House Interiors (1995–2013) and Early Homes (2004–2017); their content is now available online and folded into Old-House Journal’s wider coverage. Poore also created GARBAGE magazine (1989–1994), the first unaffiliated environmental consumer magazine.
Poore has participated, hands-on, in several restorations, including her own homes: a 1911 brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and a 1904 Tudor–Shingle Style house in Gloucester, Massachusetts, where she brought up her boys and their wonderful dogs.
