For all their charm, old houses can be a tad peculiar. Take, for example, the central area on the second floor of Saba and Adam Kadlec’s 1926 Tudor in Wauwatosa, WI. “It was this weirdly fragmented space that wasn’t suitable for how we wanted to live,” Saba says of the small bathroom and disconnected, decidedly skimpy closets. “We had to keep our clothes in different places, all over the house!” The good news? Two underused, decent-sized rooms on either side made the location ideal for renovation into a primary suite.
Step one meant gutting that muddle in the middle, turning it into a sumptuous, spacious 150-square foot bath—almost twice the size of its predecessor. A double vanity sink replaced the single the couple formerly shared, and a deep clawfoot tub became the room’s focal point.
The challenge of an outdated bath layout is a familiar one for This Old House. In a similar primary bath renovation featured in This Old House Magazine, designer Emma Legg bemoaned the wasted space of a jetted tub surround that “jutted out into the middle” of the room, creating what her design partner Sydney Foley called “a victim of leftover ’90s design.” The overscaled tub deck not only hogged precious space but also posed a safety risk—homeowner Bill Hurt recalled, “They were a slipping hazard. We feared for our safety getting in and out.” Swapping that dated footprint for a more thoughtful layout, as Adam and his partner did here, is one of the most impactful changes a couple can make.
Pro Tip: For couples building out a dressing closet, consider bridging off-the-shelf closet components with stained-wood trim that matches the rest of the home. Shelley Pelliccione of Savannah, who created a 14-by-7-foot-8-inch dressing closet between her bedroom and bathroom, says: “The trim makes it look a lot more expensive than it is.”
The smaller room on the south side of the house was converted into a his-and-hers dressing room, with built-in pull-outs, shelves, and storage for hanging garments and shoes along the perimeter. While the room on the north side became the Kadlec’s sleeping quarters, its ample 240 square feet allowed for a sitting area. “We use it as a reading nook, and our kids find themselves in there fairly often,” Adam says, adding happily, “They like to be near Mom and Dad!”
Still, these parents of three have grownup taste. They set their sights on a unifying look of modern glam with an Art Deco influence that also paid tribute to the era and architecture of the house. “Tudors are known for their rustic charm, while Art Deco and modern glam bring polish, geometry, and gloss,” says Mary Best of the Milwaukee-based firm Mary Best Designs. “Every decision was made with an eye toward intention and balance so that nothing felt out of place.”
Pro Tip: When upgrading a couple’s bath, maximizing storage is just as important as the layout itself. In a recent This Old House Magazine feature, homeowner Laura shared the impact of swapping a one-sink vanity for ceiling-high cabinetry: “We quadrupled our storage. Now all our supplies are organized by frequency of use and are easy to find.” It’s a reminder that personalized storage—like the large compartments in Adam’s custom double vanity—can transform a bathroom’s daily functionality.
The result is a refined mix of clean lines and curvy contours, lush materials and interesting textures, for a suite that’s welcoming without being overly cozy. The Kadlecs describe it as beautiful, approachable, and comfortable. “It’s where we start our day and also where we finish it,” Saba says, “so feeling great about the space is a huge boost to our quality of life!”
Tricks for Using Tile
Using a variety of tile can be a bathroom’s style signature. Here’s how to pull it off successfully.
- Limit colors: A maximum of three tile colors tends to work best. In the Kadlecs’ primary bath, rich gold tones warm up black and white.
- Embrace your era: When updating the bath in an old house, replicate a bit of the original tile work—such as bullnose trim or historically correct colors—for authenticity.
- Size matters: Choose a variety of tile sizes for a dynamic look. For example, one-inch hex tile on a shower floor and four-inch hex for the rest of the room.
- Play with pattern: There’s no rule that subway tile must be laid like brick! Slim rectangles installed vertically, for instance, can make a low-ceilinged bathroom look higher and airier.
- Make a statement: Create a unique mosaic on the floor or do up a wall niche in an eye-catching way.
For shower floors, slip resistance is critical. Look for small tiles — about 1½ or 2 inches in diameter — which are naturally skid-resistant because of all those grout lines. If you prefer larger-format tile, look for the “dynamic coefficient of friction” (DCOF) rating: a score of 0.42 or higher when wet indicates good slip resistance, according to This Old House Magazine.
