Learning to Backstroke Midstream

(Or Please Forgive the Blue Tape).....





One of the most difficult moments in a designer's career is when you are forced to shift aesthetic focus mid-job, which is sometimes (more often than one would like) the case when you are designing a spec home. When a house is bought before it hits the market and, more importantly, while it remains unfinished, the opportunity for the buyer to make changes is more tempting and probable. Everyone likes to make a home their own.

It is a mixed-blessing of sorts; on the one hand, the house is getting sold in a volatile market, but on the other hand, the design is not complete,and the overall vision is not fully realized. This is most heart-breaking for the designer.

For obvious reasons, so many builders (mostly male, I'm afraid) repeat the same design and use the same neutral materials in every bathroom when putting together a spec home. They want to appeal to a wider audience by staying neutral (and blah) and they don't want to spend a lot of time and money on designs. They feel very comfortable with natural stone in various forms everywhere. I mean it worked in Greece and Italy for centuries, right?

My partner and I were lucky enough to find a developer/builder who trusts that good design takes talent and experience and collaboration. Having a background in development and building, and being designers, we have a special interest in standing out from other spec builders.

Currently, we are midstream on a couple of Spanish-style homes in the Menlo Park area. One is a more modern interpretation with cleaned-up tile designs that suggest an earlier deco era, but make use of glass mosaic, ceramic tile and natural stone in a contemporary way. For earlier interested buyers, young and hip East Coast parents with 2 young twins, this was very appealing. When this buyer found another better-fitting home, we as the designers went with this aesthetic tidying it up and making it feel even more unique and cohesive. However, a new buyer stepped in several months later and wanted to turn the tide.

My only disclaimer is that the bathrooms featured below were never finished, and have since been torn out. Some of our other designs were saved and will be featured at a later date. As most designers can relate, my partner and I wanted the fleeting-designs to see the light of day even in their disrobed state.

So here they are......


This was one of the kid's bathrooms.....so young and fresh!

This is the downstairs guest bathroom.

This beautiful deco mosaic was the guest room bath.

And this stunner was the master bath (also pictured above), neutral yet sparkling.

I am only picturing those bathrooms that have been torn out due to the new buyer's aesthetic difference.

The upside is of course, there will be more creative output, new designs and perhaps more customized finishes due to pride of ownership. It is our job as designers to go with the flow and work with our client, whomever that may end up being, with grace, compassion and of course, good design.

May these designs rest in peace.....