Old Hollywood Style for a Newly Redone Los Angeles Bath

When actress Renée Felice Smith booked her first regular series role on CBS’ NCIS: Los Angeles, she moved from New York to Los Angeles, bought her first house and enlisted the help of Laura Schwartz-Muller, principal at Four Point Design+Construction, to design and manage a remodel of the 1920s bungalow.

“This house is so old Hollywood,” says Schwartz-Muller. “You can imagine someone like Lana Turner moving into it back when she was a starlet.” Smith and her interior designer are currently working on remodeling the whole house, but they’ve already completed the main bathroom, which preserves the charm of the original room while adding a fresh take on old Hollywood style.

Photography by Riley Jamison

The original bathroom had many charms, including celadon green tile and a gorgeous art deco mirror with lights down the side. However, the layout was awkward and all but guaranteed crashing one’s knees into the toilet immediately after opening the door.

Unfortunately, the tile couldn’t be saved, because the original framework of the space required too much structural repair. But they saved some accent tiles and the tub, sink and mirror to use in the remodeled powder room and guest bathroom.


AFTER: Smith’s preference for a shower-tub combination made laying out the 10- by 12-foot room easier. This allowed for a generously sized deep soaking tub.

A hexagonal marble floor is a nod to the 1920s. It has a honed finish to prevent slips.

The team was able to save the original windows by repairing and replacing the original pulleys. They repaired and dipped all of the window hardware in chrome, then put it right back where it belonged.

Countertop: Pure White, Caesarstone


Reusing and repurposing as much as possible drove a lot of the remodel. “Renée is very hands-on and creative, loves sentimental items, and she loves to hit the swap meets and consignment stores,” Schwartz-Muller says. The two spent a lot of time on vintage treasure hunts together.

Smith cherishes this framed cross-stitch piece she picked up at a Brooklyn stoop sale. This gave Schwartz-Muller insight into her client’s personal style and provided inspiration for the room. In addition to sentimental softer pieces, Smith likes to throw rustic and industrial touches into the mix. “My style is pretty eclectic,” Smith says.


Schwartz-Muller cleverly made the most of every inch by including niches and extending the tub surround from wall to wall. Now there’s plenty of room for candles, bath salts, a glass of wine, a bath caddy and more.


Because Smith preferred the shower-tub combo, this walk-in shower became unnecessary.


AFTER: So the toilet moved into the alcove — no more knees bumping.


Vintage-looking floral hooks from Anthropologie nod to the room’s original celadon tile.


Schwartz-Muller also paid homage to the original tile via the green band tile detail above the baseboards.


One of the best scores from Smith and Schwartz-Muller’s treasure hunts was this vintage pendant light, found at Melrose Trading Post for $50. They had it cleaned and refurbished to code, then hung it in the toilet area. “Every person who has worked on this fixture has tried to buy it from me,” Schwartz-Muller says. Many believe it’s a vintage Tiffany fixture.


At some point during past ownership, the original register covers had been removed. Schwartz-Muller sent Smith on a hunting expedition at Liz’s Antique Hardware, where she found several that were just the right fit. The designer had them sanded and sealed to retain a time-worn appeal and prevent further rusting. The other registers will be used in other parts of the bungalow.


Another vintage treasure: A chair with the weathered patina of green chipped paint holds a vintage wire basket full of towels. The chair came from a consignment shop; the basket, from a flea market.


“My client loved the idea of using reclaimed wood, and we are using it all over the house,” Schwartz-Muller says. The custom vanity, tub surround and tub caddy were crafted from reclaimed wood remnants.

“It’s important to realize that the wood is a living, breathing thing,” she says of leaving a ⅛-inch gap between the sides of the tub and the walls, and beneath the tub top. Flexible silicone caulking allows room for the wood to swell and contract.


To maintain the essence of the wood’s rustic character while protecting it from moisture, Schwartz-Muller sealed it with polyurethane, waiting long enough between each of the three coats for it to cure.


The built-in medicine cabinet is a vintage-style Restoration Hardware find.


The sconces were originally little table lamps, scooped up at Melrose Trading Post for $10 each. Schwartz-Muller had them cleaned and upgraded to meet codes for bathroom lighting. She then added new cages from Rejuvenation that are reminiscent of the original cages that might have accompanied this type of base. Even including all of the refurbishing work, the total cost for lighting fixtures for the bathroom came to only about $280.


Having saved money on the lighting, Schwartz-Muller could splurge elsewhere. “Using repurposed fixtures can be really tricky, and it’s often better to buy new,” she says. Thus, she looked to Lefroy Brooks for top-of-the-line fixtures that look like they came straight out of the 1920s.


Smith found the vintage pulls for the custom vanity on Etsy. Both sides pull out to reveal long stacks of shelves, which maximize storage space and help her keep things organized.

The shower curtain is simple stonewashed Belgian linen panels. “Renée’s special touches really bring the room to life,” Schwartz-Muller says. “When a client really takes possession of a project and makes it her own, it makes the whole process so worthwhile.”

More: A Seattle Family Bathroom Gains Privacy and Polish

URL: Old Hollywood Style for a Newly Redone Los Angeles Bath http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-23047.html