How We Renovated Outdated Bathrooms for a Family of Six
A More Than Pretty Family Series
Jackie Barnes Design redesigns and renovates family homes to create spaces that are more than pretty; they are functional, mindfully designed, and fit to last for many years to come. The Kyle family story is one of new beginnings and taking a true leap of faith.
Margie Kyle’s husband, Matthew, did what most families do before they move to a new community. He performed a quick search on the local Wyoming (Ohio) Parents and Friends Facebook Group for help in finding an interior designer.
Thankfully I was recommended and he reached out. Matthew and Margie were moving from their home in Texas to head up the Cincinnati branch of IDEA Public Schools, so they purchased a new home in the nearby neighborhood of Wyoming, Ohio.
My family and I have lived in and loved this community for 13 years. Needless to say, I was overjoyed to have met Matthew and Margie and welcome them to the area while helping them renovate their new home!
To make the transition into their new home easier, the Kyle family chose to renovate the kid’s and owner’s bathrooms first.
They were eager to get the remodel started. So eager, in fact, that we were collaborating remotely for the majority of the design phase while Margie was still living in Texas.
They wanted their spaces to not only be functional for everyday use but also modern and pretty.
Using Matthew and Margie’s self made inspiration boards as a jumping off point, we went for a cool, retro black and white design for the kid’s restroom. We commissioned a local carpenter to create a 121” long custom vanity that accommodated three under-mount sinks, with adequate countertop space to boot. There are four boys in the Kyle family, making this three-sink bathroom a perfect functional fix for washing up as a group.
For the owner’s bath, the Kyles wanted something spa-worthy and soothing. Adding in a large closet was a must. We completely reworked the floor plan to combine the hall closet and the bedroom closet into one space, allowing for 25 square feet of wardrobe space in addition to a generous linen closet accessible from inside the bathroom.
We relocated the toilet to be positioned under the window, replaced the tub with an enlarged walk-in shower, and incorporated a 72” custom vanity with ample storage. We chose colors and textures that are classic, warm, and luxurious. We wanted the Kyles to feel like they were on vacation every morning.
In an interview with Margie, she said:
“Really, we wanted the spaces to update the entire home. Even though they are just restrooms, they really do make our home more modern and even complete.”
This was such a rewarding and exciting project for me because the Kyles allowed me free reign of the design plans. When we asked Margie if the space was what she imagined it’d be, she said:
“I don’t know if we can say it is what we imagined because we honestly did not know what to expect. We trusted Jackie and her team 100% and love how [the bathrooms] turned out.”
She continued with:
“Our spaces make us feel more at home. Before, they were so outdated that they were difficult to look at and enjoy. Now, we enjoy the spaces and really love the way they turned out.”
Thank you to the Kyle family for putting their trust in my skill and allowing me to welcome them to the Wyoming, Ohio area. It was truly a pleasure to see this project come to life!
Wow! Good result! May I also suggest installing eco-friendly plumbing fixtures? For example, a high-efficiency toilet. Older toilets can use up to 7 gallons a flush. Most high-efficiency toilets use only 1.5 gallons of water per flush or even less. Not only do you help the planet by installing them but also reduce your water bills. Maybe such items will give you more benefits if it’s installed in bathrooms that you use daily.