The story below is from our September/October 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
A homeowner brings her inspiration boards to life in her bathroom, thanks to great planning, communication and a clear vision.
Taylor Reschka
The accent wall of matte black chalkboard tile in herringbone pattern is brightened by brushed gold fixtures.
Kitty Moss bought her 1950s bungalow in Roanoke’s Greater Deyerle neighborhood in 2006. With four bedrooms and two and a half baths, it was a cozy place for her family of four, but Moss always had a vision for slow renovations to create the perfect home. “I’ve been working on updating it piecemeal, one room at a time,” she says.
Taylor Reschka
The former utility closet now houses a storage cabinet.
By not rushing and giving her family time to live in the space first, Moss was able to approach all house projects thoughtfully, forgoing trends they might outgrow or making changes that wouldn’t actually benefit her family’s lifestyle. With her intentional approach, each undertaking (like updating the kitchen and renovating the basement) had a bigger and longer-lasting impact on their home life.
“Working on each room one at a time lets me give my full attention to each detail, not to mention making it more manageable to keep to my budget,” Moss says.
A bathroom project became a high priority in 2020. “The bathroom was my pandemic project,” Moss says. “I started a Pinterest board and designed my ideal space.”
She researched everything, pinning down even the smallest details of her vision, which included chalkboard tile to replace the pastel blue walls. She was so well-prepared that by the time she’d hired Blue Ridge Restoration & Construction to execute her plans, Director of Operations Daniel De Souza credited her as a co-designer.
“We were able to go shopping for tile and appliances right away, because I knew what I wanted,” Moss says.
With a few renovation projects under her belt, Moss had a great sense of what she was looking for in a contractor. She’d already had experiences where she’d met with contractors to discuss a project, only for them to disappear or not call her back later.
After putting out feelers, she finally connected with Blue Ridge. “Daniel actually reached out to me,” Moss says, “and after we met, he sent a follow-up email summarizing everything we’d discussed so I knew we were on the same page.”
De Souza says it’s important for him to get to know his clients as well. “Just as a client evaluates us, when I meet with potential clients, I evaluate them as well. When I met Moss for the first time, I knew I wanted to be her contractor.”
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Taylor Reschka
Brushed gold finishes make functional fixtures stylish.
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Blue Ridge excelled at communication for the duration of the project, Moss says, creating a clear paper trail that made it easy to track and update all progress. She was most impressed with their use of an app to manage everything from day-to-day progress reports to cross-referencing tile samples that she could upload directly from her phone.
Taylor Reschka
The light fixtures are clean and modern.
“Communication is the key to a successful project and with so many moving parts in any construction project, it’s critical to rely on technology and to work as a team to resolve challenges,” De Souza says. The app was especially helpful for when Moss wasn’t able to be on-site at the same time as the crew, ensuring that she was always in the loop on the status of the project.
With two older boys sharing the bathroom, she had a specific vision to upgrade the space into something both functional and also modern, in a style that was versatile enough to appeal to her aesthetics without offending the boys’ sensibilities.
Some of the changes were simple upgrades: the closet that once housed a washer and dryer unit had been turned into a makeshift linen closet, its storage capacity obstructed by the various pipes and wiring leftover from the old appliances. Other changes were according to lifestyle choices, like replacing the old bathtub with a large walk-in shower, and shrinking down the space-eating double vanity into a single unit. “My boys aren’t taking baths or using the sinks at the same time,” she says.
The tile choices are the star of this bathroom. Matte black chalkboard tile in a herringbone pattern creates a striking accent wall, complete with a cobblestone grout color that complements the gray accents in the floor tile. Leftover pieces of the wall tile were used in the shower niche, creating a nice balance. Large hexagon tiles on the floor are echoed in a smaller scale in a similar style and color on the shower floor. Brushed gold fixtures and mirror frame instantly brighten the dark tile, adding a touch of drama to the small space.
Blue Ridge projected four weeks for the project. But even with the smooth start, the project hit a few minor hiccups, including a supply order and a water leak. “Plan, plan, plan,” Moss advises. “Double the time projection in case anything happens, and always put a cushion in your budget.”
Even with minor delays, the crew stayed on top of it and the project was completed relatively quickly. Moss couldn’t be happier with the final look. Though they had to make some adjustments on materials, the bathroom was exactly what she’d hoped and planned for.
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Taylor Reschka
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Taylor Reschka
The herringbone chalkboard tile pattern from the accent wall is repeated in the shower nook.
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Taylor Reschka
Reducing the double vanity to a single sink saves much-needed space.
Executing a carefully designed vision can be a challenge if you don’t find the right contractors. And while Moss says that it’s important to speak up and stand your ground when you know what you want, it’s equally as important to compromise. “A good contractor will work with you,” she says.
Daniel echoes the compliment. “Moss is an awesome individual who is reasonable and a great communicator.”
The story above is from our September/October 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!