Handsome Face-Lift for a Dated Bath

Making a Bath Fit

The personality—even ghost—of a home's former occupants often lingers most in the master bath. A floral-Colonial specter haunted the one in Phil and Peggy Reitz's 1920s house in Wilmette, Illinois. Avid collectors of Arts and Crafts furniture, the couple saw the frilly bath as "a total mismatch" with their home, Peggy says. Just as bad, the heat was inadequate, and the standard-height vanities were unsuitable: He's six two; she's five eight.

Shown: Earthy green granite, wood cabinets, bronze fittings, and tiles with a handcrafted look give a bath Craftsman style.

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• Gallery: Best Bath Before and Afters 2009
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