2016 Design Excellence Award Winning Bathroom

2016 Design Excellence Award Winning Bathroom 

After moving in, the new owners of a ninety two year old traditional center hall colonial quickly realized it was essential to rework the awkward second floor bedroom with attached bathroom.  The existing bathroom ran directly through the middle of the room, creating two compartmentalized bedroom spaces with a cramped, disconnected bathroom that included a small fiber glass shower stall.  Two floor plan options were presented to the owners.  After careful consideration and collaboration, it was decided that the bathroom would now be absorbed by the front of the house, where the previous owner placed the bed and dresser.  Conscientious of the young families’ needs and future resale marketability, the floor plan needed to include an apron front, cast iron tub to accommodate bathing youngsters.  The original window was in good shape, however its panes were replaced with tempered glass due to its proximity to the bathtub.  Also original to the space is the entrance door, hung using the refurbished brass hinges and hardware retrieved during renovation.  Interest was added to the space with the choice of flooring, Carrara Marble hexagonal tiles, mindful of the homes Colonial Revival backdrop.  Open storage shelving, open sink base and white walls were chosen to maintain a line of sight to every inch of the room’s footprint.  The decor was chosen to add pops of color throughout the room, which resulted in a fun child’s bathroom that plays nicely with the adjoining bedroom’s design.  

Designed for Living

Drawn to the elegant simplicity inherent to most Colonial Revival homes, the new owners were eager to modify the small third floor bathroom to accommodate the daily needs of a young child and the occasional guest.  Due to its size, it was imperative to design a space that efficiently utilized every inch of the small bathroom without sacrificing period style.  The overall installation of a shed dormer and squaring off the awkward room helped in gaining the necessary square footage to create a floor plan that increased mobility, both vertically and horizontally.  In its infancy, the design hope was to include the cast iron claw foot tub that was currently housed in the bathroom.  We soon realized that the tub was not in any shape for continued use.  With a clean slate, we were then able to create a nicely sized custom Carrera Marble tiled shower stall, closing off the shower with a frameless sliding shower door.  The added space also allowed for the installation of a 30 inch, period specific sink and base and custom heavy gauge baked on enamel radiator cover for extra table top space.

http://www.northjersey.com/community-news/home-and-gardening/a-colonial-revival-bath-1.1566993

http://www.northjersey.com/community-news/home-and-gardening/a-colonial-revival-bath-1.1566993

Energy Star Rated Home

In 2008, The Repurposed Home was hired to spear head a team of design and professional contractors to convert a three story, four unit, century old apartment building into a one family luxury brownstone.  Working together the team's objective was to incorporate as many energy efficient systems and building materials afforded by the budget to create a home that was not only comfortable but also energy conscience.

"To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.energystar.gov/?c=new_homes.nh_features)."  If a home meets these standards - is deemed ENERGY STAR rated - it runs at least 15% more efficiently than a typical home.

"ENERGY STAR certified homes can include a variety of 'tried-and-true' energy-efficient features that contribute to improved home quality and homeowner comfort, and to lower energy demand and reduced air pollution (http://www.energystar.gov/?c=new_homes.nh_features)."

Specific to the brownstone conversion, close attention was paid to choosing effective/higher standard insulation and air sealing of the home's envelope and ducts, installation of high performance windows, choosing properly sized, high efficiency heating and cooling systems.  Other features that added to the homes efficiency ranged from the inclusion of a programmable thermostat, IC rated lighting fixtures, Solatube - tubular daylighting device, Water Sense rated toilets and plumbing fixtures and an exterior water drip irrigation system for the back yard.

Beginning with the planning and prioritizing and ending with implementation and completion of project, the results clearly illustrate lower ownership cost - tax credits, resource efficiency, supplemental incentive, utility bills quantified to be significantly less than structures of similar size in Northern New Jersey.  However, the larger environmental impact far exceeds the individual gain.

http://www.energystar.gov/?c=new_homes.nh_features

Indoor Air Quality - Baby Nursery

Preparing for baby is much like preparing for spring. We work hard leading up to spring's arrival to prepare our yard for the birth of new growth. Throughout the 9 months leading up to the birth of baby, parents work nonstop to ready their home for this, the sweetest of arrivals. Most soon-to-be moms and dads are focused on getting the essentials: crib, changing table, car seat, stroller, diapers and clothes. Often, the air quality of indoor environments is overlooked. This fundamental and often critical aspect of home readiness should be viewed as important when preparing for baby.
The facts leave no doubt as to why special attention needs to be paid to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Per the Environmental Protection Agency, we spend 90% of our time indoors with 65% of that time being spent at home. Moreover our indoor air contains higher concentrations of hazardous pollutants than the outdoor air, sometimes as much as 25% more polluted and occasionally more than 100 times as much. With this, it is easy to understand why indoor air pollution is listed as one of the top five public health risks.

As an interior designer, I approach this task with expectant parents by looking first at their overall home health. We begin by taking a close look at their Building Envelope and Systems. Through this lens, we are looking at the physical shell of the home and the mechanical systems as related to climate control, making sure all are functioning efficiently and effectively. From there, we move on to Material Selection. Anything and everything that’s brought into the home environment is scrutinized based on function and overall health impact. The final phase is putting together a Systems and Material Maintenance Plan for future home health.

The need to create a warm and welcoming and, most importantly, healthy home for baby is clear. Considering Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as part of the readiness process ensures that your home becomes the optimal backdrop for thriving growth.

For more information on this topic, I have found the most accessible and reliable resources focusing on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) housed on the EPA’s web site at www.epa.gov. A great starter’s guide is located on the site at www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/careforyourair.html. For more information visit http://www.pregnancy.org/article/toxic-indoor-air-pollution-in-your-babys-nursery and http://www.greenguard.org/uploads/images/GGCertification_Nursery_Checklist.pdf.