Clad in marble and soaked in natural light, this bathroom exudes California-cool style, true to its Los Angeles location. Originally constructed in the 1950s, this mid-century home had barely been touched since, leaving it in need of some pretty major reconstructive work before Jamie and Chad Braverman, the young couple who'd purchased this home, could move in.
Calling on Christie Ward and Staver Gray from Ward + Gray, the team set out on a mission to maintain the mid-century charm that made this home so special to begin with, while modernizing it to fit this young family's lifestyle — a goal that's as clear in this modern bathroom as it is through the rest of the home.
"All the changes that we made to the property stemmed from our main goal — to transform the home from something that was rather compartmentalized and dated into a true family home that reflects the way the owners live," says Christie.
The Brief
When designing this space, Christie Ward and Staver Gray had to create visual continuity with the modern bedroom it directly leads on from, while still ensuring the bathroom design was as functional as possible.
"The primary focus was reconfiguring the layout for both functionality and the way the couple wants to live," explains Christie. The home, which had barely been touched since it was built in 1956, was rich in architectural details and mid-century charm, but lacked the flow and cohesion the young family was looking for.
Through a full gut renovation, the home was reconstructed with the family in mind, and this room was no different. "We designed a spacious wet room featuring a soaking tub and dual shower heads, along with his-and-hers vanities and a separate dry vanity for Jamie," says Christie.
This sense of separation, with dual vanities and two shower heads, allowed the couple to have their own space as well as plenty of bathroom storage — another priority for the couple to ensure the space would be clean and uncluttered, explains Christie.
The Process
When modernizing period properties, there is a constant battle between the desire to preserve and the need to update. In this room, a pre-existing skylight provided beautiful natural light, but also created some tricky constraints to work around. "We wanted to preserve it at all costs," says Christie
But, as much as they wanted to keep this feature intact, this did not come without its struggles. "Its presence led to some angled walls and carefully placed, swagged light fixtures, but the effort was well worth it: the skylight fills the space with warm California sunlight, creating a bright, uplifting atmosphere inside the bathroom," explains Christie.
Emphasizing and maintaining this light was a core part of the design process and came through in every aspect of the design, from the materials to the bathroom layout. Because the bathroom is directly connected to the bedroom, creating some sense of cohesion between the two rooms was another important aspect in the design process.
"We maintained a sense of aesthetic continuity by carrying key materials throughout — white plaster, white oak flooring, and burnished brass — while the spaces themselves are separated by a long hallway. This separation allows the bathroom to feel serene and private, a space unto itself," says Christie.
The Design
Surrounded by the California landscape, referring back to nature was a leading principle for this home. "We aimed for this space to feel like a natural extension of both the home and the outdoors," Staver says, "To reinforce that connection, we added a door providing direct access to the backyard, inviting in fresh California air and seamless indoor-outdoor living."
That California cool design style is consistent throughout the home, in the earthy color palette, relaxed style, and crucially, through the materials. In the bathroom, Patagonia Stone forms the primary base of the design, used for the vanity counters, the wet room, and the trim surrounding the conservatory-style shower.
"Patagonia is striking for its rare combination of granite and quartzite, offering translucent crystal veining alongside rich, deep black areas," explains Christie. "I think it has the unique quality of feeling luxe without feeling overly traditional. We used a honed finish to allow it to feel more at home in a casual, California environment."
While the rest of the home had to be consciously designed around the young children, in the parents' rooms, they took the opportunity to explore more experimental design choices.
"In the primary suite, we allowed ourselves to prioritize style over strict practicality, since kid-friendly materials were less of a concern," says Staver. "That said, we still used all outdoor-performance fabrics to ensure durability without compromising elegance. A standout detail is the fabric on Jamie’s vanity stool, a favorite sourced from Maria Flora."
Shop the Look
While these frosted glass wall lamps aren't an exact replica of the ones used in this bathroom, they offer a similarly romantic effect.
This beautiful oak vanity, with a marble top and ribbed base, offers a cool, quiet luxury feel to this bathroom.
A gold-trimmed bathroom mirror brings an extra touch of luxury, and this simple design looks far more expensive than it is.
If you love the look of this bathroom, you're bound to fall in love with the rest of this Ward and Grey mid-century Los Angeles home.
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