Oh, I know I’m not supposed to say this, but I LOVED the colored tile in the “before” bathrooms!

To be completely honest, I’m feeling kind of heartbroken about those bathrooms. Maybe there was irreparable damage/decay to the original bathrooms that doesn’t come through in the “before” photos, but to me, it looks like fairly pristine examples of classic, American mid-century bathrooms were demolished in favor of something that looks extremely contemporary. The work is very nice, but it’s also a bit tragic.

As the owner of a house much older than this one, I know how difficult it is to balance the importance of preservation/restoration with the desire to renovated and bring personal, updated style into a space. Ultimately it’s the choice of the person who lives there, and I appreciate that fact — but I certainly don’t think that the renovation that was done here, while attractive, is at all true to the “mid-century spirit” of the home.

Beautiful! I love, love the kitchen wallpaper. Can I ask where it is from? Thanks for sharing.

I don’t think the chandelier above the bath tub could possibly be to code..

How long ago did he do this? Some of the “trends” seem dated (and not mid-century dated).

The bathrooms look great nonetheless.

Frankly, in my opinion, he ruined it. The retro was cute and much more could have been done to keep it as it was. I understand the desire to have functional things. But the blue in the kitchen and the tile and sinks in the bathrooms was fabulous. Sorry, I’m more of a purist when it comes to this.

that tub is amazing! What a great space!

Nice and Clean! I bet that cost a pretty penny!

I agree with Dana I loved the rooms so much BEFORE the makeover :-(

I am absolutely in love with that bathtub. I want that exact one in my house. Where did he get it from?

I love the sinks and counter tops in the before bathrooms. I would have worked around them.

I agree that the bathrooms were better before. Sorry. That tile was so cute, he should have kept it or tried to salvage some of the original character. I am not a fan of that style of sink (whatever it’s called). I think it looks very trendy. I do like the tub though.

While the bathrooms look nice in the after photos, I think it is a real shame that all that original tile and playful color was completely gutted out of it.

The kitchen was great in the before shot, and dull and uninspired in the after. Are you sure they weren’t switched?

It seems as if all the soul was sucked out of the house and replaced with something you might see anywhere.

I usually LOVE the projects shown here, but this one left me a bit sad.

oh i have to agree with the dissenters here. if i hadn’t seen the before photos, it would seem like a perfectly fine (and well done) example of the contemporary style seen in so many condos these days, but it hurts a little to see what it used to be.

I only wonder when those enormous bathroom sinks will be as outdated as seafoam green tile.

Holy optical illusions. In the very first kitchen picture the counter and cupboards look extremely slanted!!

I loved all the before pictures, especially the cabinets in the kitchen and the colored bathrooms. I think the life and character got sucked out and now everything looks cheaply trendy – like it was all ikea or target-ized.

The kitchen is lovely, particularly the unexpected lavender walls. And I appreciate the fact that he retained the existing cabinetry and layout (or so it appears).

But the bathrooms — yikes. They incorporate some of today’s worst trends: Faux retro lighting, black chandelier, basin sinks (impractical and unattractive). The bathrooms already look dated — and not to the mid century.

Note to tasha: You’re correct about the fixture over the tub. Not to code in the City of LA (and probably not in Glendale). Reading shelter magazines, I’m always struck by how many of the design concepts shown are simply not feasible due to building codes — at least in LA. Often, a contractor will change out ’small’ things after the fact, such as lighting. But lots of the “impossibilities” pictured are major built-in elements such as fireplaces. It is interesting, to say the least…

Loved the light green bathroom too…
Where’d the chips go in the kitchen?

i’m sad the 50’s bathrooms are gone :(

I agree – I liked the 50’s tiling in the bathroom. It would have been neat to see it updated Anthropologie-style.

I do like what they’ve done with the kitchen, although I didn’t see the need to paint the ceiling beams.

i like how this designer has remained true to the ideals of the mid-century movements, although i think he’s taken a very pure and sterile approach in his updating…not saying i don’t like it, just that its lacking a certain edge or personality…adore that chandelier above the bathtub!

oh no!! Another 50’s bathroom destroyed! :(

I knew there would be backlash from the purists out there, believe it or not I’m one of you!

However, as a professional designing a home for a young family, I do have to accomodate their wishes & allthough they do love mid-century aesthetics, they wanted some 21st century bling.

The wallpaper in the kitchen area is from http://www.wallpaperfromthe70s.com
We still have all of the original groovey sinks if anyone wants to buy them from my client, please contact me.

You know, in this case I really liked both the Before and the After.

I love the before bathrooms! So many people get rid of the brightly tiled bathrooms and kitchens from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s in favor of more “modern” styles that look the same as everything else done right now, boring! (I might have repainted the bathrooms so the walls didn’t match the tile, but otherwise would have kept them pretty much as is).

Bryan, I like what you did to the house…the bathrooms are amazing!

I think that ever since the economy jumped the shark (to borrow a TV biz expression). certain design trends—particularly those that signal over-the-top-spending have instantly become dated. This bathroom is a prime example.

For some of us, the total demolition of a cheery late 1940s-early 1950s bathroom that appears to be in fairly decent condition is like a punch in the gut.

The chandelier over the bathtub is really a Marie Antoinette moment. While many working people in the Los Angeles television industry are hurting due to layoffs, threats of a strike, lack of work or fear of losing their jobs (and their health insurance) this executive is luxuriating in a deep tub with an opulent lighting fixture above it.

There seems to be a design disconnect between what’s going on in the real world and what’s showing up in shelter books and blogs. It’s as if this recession (or depression) doesn’t exist.

CLF

I totally disagree! Maybe magazines are still disconnected but that’s exactly why I like blogs right now.

They always have cheap DIY projects or something like the other before and afters today- painting chairs and sewing isn’t expensive. I don’t mind a little bit of fancy-ness if it’s mixed in with other inexpensive stuff.

I’m on the “Before” team. I liked those rooms so much more – the colours, the retro feel, the charm. To me, it feels like they took something original full of life and covered it with blahness and beige.

Bryan, thanks for adding your perspective to the thread. As I said in my previous comment, I do think you did some very nice work here. My sadness is really only over the loss of the original bathrooms, as good examples from that era are becoming increasingly rare. (I say this as someone who has painted ALL of the woodwork in an 1885 Victorian WHITE, which I’m sure would horrify wood-purists everywhere!)

If you are looking to sell any of the original materials, I suggest contacting Pam at Retro Renovation — she may be willing to post a listing on her blog.
http://retrorenovation.com/

Bryan-Thanks for stepping in and taking some of the heat! Perhaps you can tell us some more about your take on mid-century (either here in comments or later in a Q&A with Grace). It’s always interesting to know what goes on behind the scenes.

Janet- The world of blogs is quite vast. Perhaps we are reading different blogs. Out of respect to this blog, I won’t mention the other blogs I follow. (Besides, if we got into that too deeply, we would probably be off topic for this thread anyway.)

I do think that due to our bleak economy, “bling”—whether real (as in the black chandelier) or faux (as in the black DYI rococo-inspired headboard)—will give way to a more subdued, naturalistic/earthy style of decor.

Call me crazy, but the “before” bathrooms were so much cooler. Now perhaps the space was limited, and there were certain ‘weird’ features – but the tilework and colors are so classic – it’s sad to see it turned into an ugly, mass-produced “Magazine Modern” look that too many wealthy folks are obsessed with. Magazine Modern – yep. Money can’t buy style, that’s for sure.

Living in an old house, I can understand people feel the need to banish ancient grime, and to have cabinet doors that open and close well.

However, I think they sucked the soul right out of that house.

Yup, I’m on the before team as well. It now has that extremely bland ‘looks-like-a-high-end-hotel’ look. It’s utterly devoid of character, whereas it had oodles of personality before.

I like the before and the after.

Unlike magazines, blogs allow us to voice immediate feedback.

Designers really put themselves out there for critique when they submit their work to blogs – its an exhiliarating experience for the reader and the designer.

Oh no! I agree with many others here, and actually think it was gorgeous in the before, and kind of bland now. Too bad.

Looks like one more pink bathroom causality, which always makes me sad.

http://savethepinkbathrooms.com/

How much do I love before and after photos? Ohh, sooo much. Thank you! I’m inspired.

In not so many years, I bet the “After” pictures here will turn into “Before’s” themselves.

I had to demo a pink bathroom that I loved due to a plumbing leak and a very poor design (no way to get to the pipes except demo! My dad (contractor) was ecstatic, because he didn’t understand the pink bathroom. I loved it and was so sad to see it go. It had so much character before. We were on a tight budget so I have a pretty typical stone tile and white bathroom now.

I liked some of the before features better too. But I also liked Bryan’s non-defensive response to all the criticism.

I think the lack of soul is reflected in the fact that it doesn’t look like anyone lives there…before or after. Not everyone wants to live with quirky colors and creaky 40 year old cabinetry. As someone who lives in a large mid century home, the original tile and cabinetry can really make a room look tired, even if you try to work around it. On the other hand, found in small doses, such as a small apartment, the original features could be quite charming.

cooler before. especially the kitchen. sorry.

I have never written in to comment to ds before, but I was so shocked by this I had to write. You had a unique mid-century modern home! I thought the first photo of the kitchen was the “after” shot. The designer turned the home into the cookie-cutter, hotel like, spa-luxury-condo look that I am so bored with. Sorry to be so brutal, but honestly, where’s the creativity??

I don’t want to be mean, or negative, but OUCH. I just have to say… this makes me really SAD. Call me crazy, but believe that houses have identies. In this one, they’ve remodeled the heart and soul right out of it. Before definitely looked better. Love the Jonathan Adler light fixture, but the chandelier is real over the top. What happened to the discarded kitchen hardware? I hope it went to a good home. Sigh.

I love the bathrooms! The tube is awesome and the chandelier above it ties modern and the old together so well.

You know what? I’ve been reading other comments and I agree in regards to the kitchen, I thought it was great before, but the after photo is just blah, they made it into a very boring space.

The painted beams in the ceiling make me WEEP. Ugh. The loss of the bathrooms is tragic, too. But I guess what else do you expect from a network executive? They are so short-sighted.

For me the biggest sin was painting the wood beamed ceiling in the kitchen–you’ll never get that back again.
p.s.
“We still have all of the original groovey sinks if anyone wants to buy them from my client, please contact me.”
bah! the owner should donate them to the Habitat for Humanity thrift store in Pasadena, where they will find a better home.

i know… i agree with the people who are saying they liked the bathrooms beforehand. they went from cute, quirky and so fun into boring, personality-less and looking like they were poured from a mould. i find it quite sad that they were changed..:(

It’s so nice to read all the like minds here re: the ‘before’ bathrooms. It is sad to see such beautiful old tile go away. Maybe it was salvaged? I can dream.

Soooo sad. I liked the before so much better. I thinks it’s a crime. Now it’s just boring.

Dude. Look at the new tub. A-MAZ-ING!

Yea I am crazy about that tub and I love LOVE the kitchen!

By the way I actually love the bathroom before but I also love it after…..it’s an awesome bathroom retro or modren.

Sigh. They ruined PERFECT bathrooms that obviously were original to the space with faux-retro modern stuff that is going to look trendy and “over” in about two seconds…wait, it already does. : (((( SO SAD. I thought the kitchen looked better before, too. *cries*

I love the black chandelier. Where can I get it?

I think we should applaud the decision to renovate, whatever we think of the style choices. So many of these houses are torn down without getting a second chance.

i am with whoever said this feels like a punch in the gut. i would have changed very little about the home, and now i’m even sadder that i still can’t afford to buy a house here in soCal. by the time i can, all the good old houses will have been stripped and left like this. waaaahhhh!!

Goodness! The bathrooms? They were dark, awkward and not exactly optimally functional. I keep hearing that the renovated spaces will look “dated” very quickly. So what? Had we not all recently jumped on the midcentury bandwagon, we’d be retching at the sight of that “gorgeous” pink tile! If you like the rooms before, fantastic. I don’t. Nor do I care for the renovated spaces. I commend Brian for a job well done though, and hope that the people who call this place home enjoy what he has created for them, take care of it and little by little make it their own.

I also hope that they figure a way to take that paint off the kitchen ceiling:)

I much prefer the “before” kitchen and bathrooms. The “after” shots don’t seem to have any real character.

I too prefer some of the before, but I am assuming that the home owner is pleased and proud of his newly renovated home.

It makes me sad that rich people keep swooping in and uglifying all of the cute quirky personality out of older homes. The truly awful thing about this renovation is not so much that it is out of touch with the economy, but how ecologically unsound it is. They ripped everything out, including things like those tiles that could (and should, in my opinion!) have been salvaged and replaced it with all new stuff that will probably end up in a landfill alongside that beautiful pink and yellow tile in 10 years. The reason I follow this section of the blog is that it warms my heart to see things with plenty of life left in them repurposed prettily instead of discarded. Boo, richies! Boo!

I am obviously in the minority here but I liked the “afters” a lot. They kept the kitchen pretty much the same except for colors, which I like much more (sleeker). As for bathrooms, my in-laws live in a 60’s house and the old tile colors can be harder to live with than you think by looking at a pic. And having new plumbing and cabinetry must be nice after outmoded and barely functional stuff decades old. I’m not sure we should be slavish interpreters of any period. We spend so much time in our homes, shouldn’t they reflect our tastes and desires? And at least this home wasn’t razed for a McMansion. They kept what they liked about the house and updated what needed to be updated. I don’t see this as any different from ripping upholstery off and changing the tenor and look of a piece. It’s what works for us, and that’s the whole point of interior design isn’t it? It’s not elitism, it’s as democratic an impulse as any we have.

Maybe Bryan could tell us whether or not he salvaged the old tile as he did with the sinks. If he did, maybe he can share some tips with us on how to remove them without causing damage. Does the guy get any points for installing new plumbing fixtures which are no doubt more efficient than the originals?

As far as the “richies” are concerned, I’d rather see an affluent family purchase an existing structure and remodel it to suit their tastes rather than leave it to rot (or tear it down) and build something new. They don’t deserve a “boo!” any more than the millions of families for whom “green” is just not always within reach. Do I deserve to be scolded because I purchased a $0.99 bottle of regular ol’ dish detergent at the grocery store rather than the $2.49 petroleum-free, biodegradable version and used my savings to buy more food?

Tandy and Leslie, I think you missed my point. I was merely expressing my frustration with excessive remodeling. I have been looking at buying 1920s era homes and have been disappointed to see so many of the original details gutted in favor of a total remodel. I think you probably know that my comment was not meant to make anyone feel guilty for buying 99 cent dish soap. The “boo” was supposed to be funny, but I guess it wasn’t. I have no intention of seriously discussing class issues on a design blog that is supposed to be fun!

I liked the before stuff. new stuff is too busy.

Oh dear, I liked it soo much more before. I especially loved the warm yet subtle combinations of color , wood and tile. (Sigh)

I’m weeping over this . BEFORE BEFORE BEFORE.

the absolute worst has got to be the wallpaper in the kitchen. it looks like a target bedspread!!

bryan, i love your work. i live in a 1948 house in sherman oaks. one bathroom is brand new, shiny white (our remodel) and the other is original and we’ve been living with it for 16 years. the original bathroom is SO HARD to keep clean. the burgundy tiles are very cool, but the room is dark, the layout is inconvenient and we agonize over changing or not changing all the time. sometimes i think change is the right move.

so – i’m the dreadful network executive and owner of the home. crucify my now!

let me start with this, i’m not sure what my job or financial situation have to do with our house, how we decided to decorate it or even our taste.

but so you know, we made the decision to purchase this home and renovate prior to the large economic slide. had i known it was going to be this bad – i might not have started. but now that i did – i’m glad we did what we did. and the fact the house looks so stark is because we haven’t actually done decorating – only some bathroom renovation.

we loved this house for its feel and style. it had fantastic bones and a wonderful layout. its a single story, built in a U, with a courtyard entry, a pool in the back, glass everywhere and spectacular panoramic views of most of LA.

there were several bidders on the house. and one of them, a cash offer, was to knock it down and build some monster mcmansion – we didn’t want that to happen to the house so we went way above and beyond our budget to get into our dream home.

when we got it, we found out that everything was still original. the hvac, the plumbing, the electrical, the fixtures – everything was just like it was in 1950s. which meant that just about everything mechanical – the stuff you can’t see – needed to be replaced.

we also asked bryan, who’s work we had seen before to help us bridge the bones of this great house but make it a tad more useable. and he did a great job of helping us make the most of our new home.

let me answer the few questions that i have seen…

we painted the ceiling because frankly it looked a tad too ponderosa. we kept waiting for hoss and little joe to come stop over for dinner.

the only other thing we did in the kitchen was paint some cheap 1980’s faux wood cabinets white so they would pop better against the floors and ceilings.

btw – we took the asbestos filled kitchen flooring out in favor of a cleaner polished concrete floor that ran over most of the home.

the bathrooms – it was tough to take the sinks out. i had a difficult time with that. but we took care to save them for a better home. the cabinets were mostly rotted, the tiles mostly cracked and frankly the showers were very cramped, closed off and dark…not at all mid-century in feel.

so – we took the shower stall walls out, put glass in and tried to keep the impact of materials minimal. subdued tiles, soft colors, shinny fixtures and a way over the top tub that is actually cheaper that you might think. the reason for the chandelier is because everything else was so muted that we wanted to have it for contrast…and yes, it is within code.

many of you mentioned a hotel look – perfect. we actually talked about a W hotel look for the bathrooms. i know some of you think that sucks. i also think victorians suck – but thats just an opinion right. we are all allowed to have opinions

in terms of the total project. we protected the integrity of the house by not demolishing it or even adding on to it. we updated, at great cost, all the stuff you can’t see so that the house is around for at least another 50 years. and yes, everything we put in had some green element – be it low flow, no flooring materials (can’t get more sustainable than that) or lights on dimmer to conserve less energy.

don’t blame this on bryan – he did what we asked. he did it on time, mostly on budget and with style.

we know our house isn’t for everybody – but its not suppose to be, it was built for us and we love it.

thanks for you input and god bless america for the ability to have free speech.

now somebody buy some TV time so i can make the mortgage payment this month – please.

Wow! I just happened to be looking at my project again & realized that my client, joe vegas, posted a comment. I am a very lucky designer to have a client like joe! if a fraction of my clients were as great & supportive as joe & his family were & are, I will be in very good shape!

bryan and joe-

that bathtub is BEAUTIFUL. and i’d really like to know where you got it, if you don’t mind my asking. :)

thank you!
so