“We spent nearly two decades pondering how we wanted the rooms to function,” says Jennifer Parker-Stanton of the office and adjoining main bath in her 1958 South Pasadena home. “The spaces flow from one to another, so we knew the remodel needed to be consistent, streamlined, and, of course, beautiful.”
Jennifer is a busy real estate agent who works from home, and to enable her and her husband, Sanders, to finally take the next steps, Jennifer’s best friend, interior designer Kirsten Blazek stepped in. Kirsten runs the Los Angeles firm A1000XBetter (and is the author of the recent Rizzoli book, A 1000 X Better: A Rebel By Design). Her dramatic recommendation of cloaking the two rooms in modernist slatted walnut paneling accented by glossy green tiles took Jennifer and Sanders’ ideas in an all new direction.
The plan required some convincing—and splurging—but if you’re wondering if it was wise for friends who are like family to do business together, take a look at the results. “We wouldn’t have dreamed this up ourselves and had to be encouraged,” admits Jennifer, “but we are grateful every day that Kirsten had this vision.” Scroll to the end for a glimpse of the setup as it was—and see if you agree that it’s a thousand times better.
Photography by Michael P.H. Clifford, courtesy of A1000XBetter.
The Home Office, Reinvented
Above: “The house is midcentury and we wanted that to carry over without feeling retro or kitschy,” says Jennifer. “We were inspired by 1970’s Big Sur influences,” adds Kirsten. What had been a dressing area-turned-cramped workspace is now Jennifer’s handcrafted lair. The walnut desk, custom built to a design by Kirsten, faces out to overlook the backyard and pool. The classic leather desk chair got saved in the shift from Before to After (see below).
Above: Custom shelves display pieces from Jennifer’s midcentury studio pottery and paintings collection, “all treasure hunted by me,” she says. The small desert landscape is a thrift store find.
Above: Kirsten included walnut cabinets that hold Jennifer’s files and printer. The two found the circular 1970s painting on an outing in the Yucca Valley.
The Upgraded Bathroom with Washing Machine and Dryer
Above: In the adjacent main bath, Kirsten combined the warm paneling (finished by her millworker to work in a damp space) with Heath square tiles in a glossy green called Jade Manganese and Clé’s cement-based Forage Terrazzo tiles. Note the half wall design to offer a framed glimpse of the adjoining room.
Above: The bathroom had been divided by pocket doors. Explains Kirsten, “We chose to clad these on both sides with paneling, so that when they’re closed, the paneling is continuous and not interrupted by painted doors.”
Contemplating your own paneling? See Remodeling 101: The Ultimate Guide to Shiplap, Beadboard, and V-Groove Paneling and Trend Alert: The Return of Retro Wood Paneling
Above: A stoneware pendant light by LA ceramic artist Heather Levine fits in well with Jennifer’s vintage pottery and paintings. Kirsten used a gray grout on the green tiles.
Above: A Dekton Pietra Kode counter and backsplash in Avorio, wall-mounted California Faucets fixtures, and a 1970s ceramic sconce. “We were able to save on lighting by finding a mix of vintage, handcrafted, and bespoke (but inexpensive from a vendor on Etsy),” says Kirsten.
Above: The toilet is neatly tucked next to the shower.
Above: The paneling continues into the laundry area is in the back of the room, divided from the bath by pocket doors. For a touch of formal whimsey, Kirsten added a panel of Zak + Fox wallpaper in a foliage pattern Creatures of the Night (look closely: those are eyes staring out from the greenery).
Before
Above: Jennifer’s long lacquered desk fit awkwardly in what was designed to be a dressing area between the bedroom and bath.
Above: “The spaces were in need of both a functionality upgrade and an aesthetic one,” says Kirsten.
Above: Kirsten gave the bathroom a dramatic makeover while preserving its general flow.
Above: Everything was once on view in the laundry.
- For more work space inspiration, here are 19 Home Offices That We Love.
- Browse our Bathroom of the Week archive for more ideas, including The Reclaimed Bath: 8 Favorite Retrouvius Designs Featuring Vintage Components.
- And for utility rooms, go 10 Clever Laundry Rooms, Space-Saving Edition.