PHOTOS BY TYLER NORMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Designer Christine McCall says it’s always fun to think outside the box.

That’s exactly what she did when designing the bathroom of an Aspinwall home, which judges named their Best Renovated Bathroom for 2022.

The owner of Christine McCall Home says she was motivated by the 116-year-old home’s original architecture, which included “beautiful” dark woodwork and original tile.

“I was inspired by all the original touches that the house had,” she says. “I didn’t want to lose sight of that.”

The goal was to embrace modernity by adding clean lines and a delicate color palette while honoring the home’s authenticity by incorporating a vintage element into the design — something McCall calls a “moment of drama.”

With that in mind, she chose an Old World-inspired wallpaper for the water closet, bringing balance to the otherwise airy and modern space. Judges appreciated the contrast between light and dark, old meets new.

Judge Stephanie Schill Hayden, an architect at Cleveland-based Schill Architecture and a designer at House of L Interior Design, adds she was drawn to the bathroom’s soft, spa-like color palette and “unexpected” dark accents.

She also praised McCall for selecting furnishings that optimized space. Among them was a floating vanity, which Schill Hayden says makes the room feel larger.

McCalls notes that working with a smaller space such as this one limited her design options, which called for some ingenuity.

“We had to get creative in the way we created the new layout … but I think we reached a beautiful conclusion,” she says.

She calls the bathroom’s shower the pièce de résistance. Tiled floor to ceiling with porcelain and ceramic, the curbless walk-in piece marked the first time her firm has installed this type of shower.

“It just turned out so luxurious,” she says.

The clients, who asked to remain anonymous, asked McCall to keep a black clawfoot tub previous homeowners had left behind in the final design — something she was excited to do.

“I have a soft spot for vintage pieces like that,” she says. “I still wanted to keep a touch of that architectural integrity of the home and I think that piece really spoke to that. It was the perfect fit.”

BEFORE PHOTOS

Vendors
Interior Design: Christine McCall Home
General Contractor: Frampton Remodeling
Electric: Red Beard Electrical
Plumbing: Tedeschi Plumbing
Cabinetry: Wockenfuss Custom Wood and Metal Furnishings
Fixtures: SPLASH Kitchen Bath Home
Lighting: Circa Lighting
Countertops: Premiere Granite & Stone
Windows and Doors: Allegheny Millwork & Lumber
Wallpaper Installation: Cliff Hayes Paperhanging Co.
Tile: Bedrosians Tile & Stone.