Much like the post-war exuberance of days gone by, homeowners are embracing this post-pandemic period by updating their homes to include loads of style and luxury touches
By Patricia Nugent
It’s estimated that at least five million of the more than 20 million homes built in the United States between 1946 to 1966 had one thing in common: They were pink.
From blush to bubblegum, rosy to rouge, fuchsia to flamingo, historians point to the many shades of pink as a celebration of post-war exuberance in mid-century design. It may have had a moment, but pink’s time is well past due.
Bob Potocar and Bob Gallese, of Acclaim Renovations & Design, have seen their fair share of pink bathrooms. The master bathroom rehaul seen here is a perfect example of taking a design stuck in a time warp into the now. Pink tile floors, pink tile walls, pink tile shower, pink tub, peeling pink wallpaper…it all had to go.
“This homeowner has excellent taste and creative vision. The job was a nice collaboration,” says Bob G. “It’s been a pleasure working with her on several renovations over the years. Built in the 1960s, this one-story ranch, overlooking Lake Erie in Euclid, is extremely well kept. The bathroom was one of the last rooms to update.”
Gorgeous Mosaic Custom Tilework
Visually opening up the space was the main goal here. They also modernized with high-end tilework in soothing spa-shades of creams and grays.
“The first thing we did was tear out the soffits, which made it appear more spacious,” says Bob G.
“And as we do in most master bathroom renovations nowadays, we got rid of the bathtub to make room for a larger shower. That also created more space for her to have a little sitting area with a bench.”
Moving the shower forward by creating a diagonal half wall with glass allowed for loads of natural light to enter the space from the adjacent window.
“Custom tilework is really where our craftsmen shine,” says Bob P. “As you can see in the floor, we created an intricate mosaic pattern with different geometric tiles.”
They also enlarged the vanities and hung bigger mirrors to open up the room.
The homeowner opted for Boost Pro porcelain Virginia tile in taupe for the floor, larger 12-inch-by-24-inch tiles for the shower walls and smaller, darker square tiles for the shower floor.
“We replaced the old aluminum frame pre-fab shower unit and designed a luxury shower experience by installing both a rainwater shower head from above and adjustable slide bar body sprayer on the wall that makes for easier cleaning,” he says.
The designers chose to add a touch of personality, texture and depth with by adding a leathered finish to the granite countertops. Named Sunset Canyon, the granite features a neutral beige backdrop with sprinkles of white and taupe along with gray and black veining for a cohesive look.
“Leathered finishes offer richer, more tactile interest,” says Bob P. “We are also seeing a return to more pronounced patterns and movement with natural stone.”
Keeping Up with the Workflow
“We are fortunate,” says Bob P. “Unlike many firms that are struggling with the labor shortage, we have kept the same loyal crew of craftsmen.”
He says 2022 has already been one of their busiest on record.
“With our protocol of not starting a job until all the materials have arrived, homeowners like that once we begin a job, there are no work shortages. We are booked several months out as of now and hope that if people are thinking about having a kitchen, bath or home addition done by the fall and the holidays, they call us soon.”
Acclaim Renovations & Design is located at 8550 East Avenue in Mentor. The design-build firm has won numerous industry awards. Call 440-974-8082 or visit AcclaimReno.com.