Llanfair Master Bath

One of the final projects we took on at Llanfair was the very outdated master bathroom. The room had been renovated at some point, likely in the 80's, and included hideous terracotta floor tiles, a shower/tub which was so small that my husband could hardly fit in it, a single sink vanity in white laminate, and a toilet which sat directly under two windows facing the street.  Lovely. 

The shower/tub combo and white laminate vanity

Small storage area next to the shower.

This picture shows the toilet right under the windows to our street

View from the master bedroom into the bathroom

I wanted to design something which was classic, warm, spacious, and luxurious.  In order to achieve this, especially the "spacious" part, we took space from two adjacent rooms in the house. One was a narrow and basically nonfunctional master bedroom closet and the second was another closet from a second floor home office which wasn't needed.

By using this space, we were able to double the square footage in the bathroom, add a shower area large enough for a tall husband, and move the toilet to a much more private location. Finishes like carrara marble and hardwood floors give the room a classic but still warm feeling.


Here were a few fun "in process" pictures that I took while construction proceeded.  Demo moves quickly but creates an amazing mess, especially with the lathe and plaster found in all old houses.  

Shower/tub area at far left

More of the mess - can't even see the floor

Cleanup in progress

AAH - that's better!  View to area of future vanity

All plumbing was updated and reconfigured so we could eliminate the
soffits and open up the overall headroom in the bathroom to a full 8' high.

Framing out the shower - new plumbing located behind the shower controls

View to windows facing the street - in progress.  Glenveigh knows how to keep it NEAT!

Door to the master bedroom - the old toilet has now been moved away from this window

All new HVAC and ventilation

Shower pan being added and the all important water test!

Insulation - getting ready to drywall (somehow I missed capturing this step)

Tile in progress...attention to detail is absolutely KEY 

And, finally, here are my snapshot "after" photos.  Now I just have to finish up with mirrors, some cafe curtains for privacy, and a few strategically placed accessories and I'm done.  

Revamped shower area (in former bedroom closet)

Still looking for the perfect mirrors for over the vanity

View showing moved toilet and shower area

Knee wall separating toilet from shower 

The toilet used to be at the far right under the windows

View from the window wall back

Oversized niche and 1 x 1 accent detail

Construction was handled by Glenveagh who tackled a tricky rework in an old home and a very involved designer/project manager (moi!) with grace, humor, professionalism, and the cleanest job site I've ever experienced.  I highly recommend them if you're in the greater Philly area.  

Llanfair Kitchen, Family Room, Mudroom/Powder Room

I love looking and before and after photos to remind yourself how much things really have changed.  I recently went back through my files and found some amazing shots of my house and the renovations which have been ongoing here for the last several years.

We purchased our c. 1910 home knowing that a full head to toe renovation was in the cards for us once we moved in.  Despite the fact that my boys were very young at the time and life was busy, it was thrilling for me to be able to sink my teeth into a fantastic design project on a historical home and one where the design could really reflect everything that I love.  

In partnership with my builder (J. Schwartz Construction) and architect (JFA Architecture), we came up with a plan for a complete overhaul and expansion of the outdated kitchen and the addition of a family room and the addition of a family-friendly mudroom and powder room which ran along the entire backside  of the house.  Here are some of the "before" shots:

A small cooktop area, the pantry, and the back staircase

A tiny powder room sat to the right of the fridge.  It was so small that you could sit
on the toilet and easily reach the sink to wash your hands!

This was the small eat in kitchen - only three could fit
at once and we ate in "shifts" with our kids

The little breakfast room is behind the half wall

Here is the Living Room before.  Remember, the house had no family room at all so this functioned as both family and living room.  All furniture is from the prior owner - took these shots during our final walk-through!

Right bookshelf ultimately removed in renovatin

Looking towards the street

This is a view from dining room into butler's pantry.
The doorway was expanded and this is now the new kitchen pantry.

The renovation was extensive and took nearly 10 months to complete.  I can always sympathize with my clients who are living through a renovation since I have "been there and done that", but ultimately the oversight that this provided me was well worth the hassle (and dust!).


My focus was on the design and overall interior flow and orientation, making this new space work for our family down to every last little detail.  I selected all of the finishes (paint, countertops, backsplash, cabinets), appliances, and handled design and sourcing of the critical interior details which give our house real soul such as the reclaimed wood beams in the family room, the custom designed copper island, and the honed, locally-sourced slate floors. 

Here are a few of my (non professional) shots of the living room showing the new furniture, finishes (white trim!) and the new entry into the family room.

Good view of the new entry to the family room for
a totally circular flow of traffic through the house

A game table and chairs will eventually
be placed at the front bay windows

Here are a few shots of the kitchen after.  Please excuse the darkness of the pictures - again, not professionally shot or staged!  Some of my favorite features are the custom copper island, the indestructible slate floor (go ahead kids and dog, just try to destroy it!), and the vaulted ceilings in the breakfast room - a big improvement from our three seater table.  

Good view of the 12 x 12 slate floor tiles

Formerly the old butler's pantry, this is now a new
pantry area, broom closet, and integrated fridge

Another view showing the new widened
opening to the dining room for easy flow

This gives a good sense of the height
and sense of openness in the breakfast area 

New powder room.  The stone is from the
original exterior of the house.

Decorative shelves flanking the powder
room with pocket door on other side of mudroom

The family room is on the other side
of the mudroom/powder room area

This room also has 15' ceilings and
reclaimed barnwood beams, one of my
favorite elements in the room

This is the original exterior fireplace wall.
Apologies for the glare!

The large closet holds the kids' games and toys

Hope your enjoyed the tour through the Llanfair renovation.  It was a true labor of love and the best reflection of Elements' design aesthetic that I could possibly show.