1889 Victorian Bathroom Renovation
Richmond, Virginia
The Situation
The bathroom was 36 square feet with mold in the walls, cracked plaster, a soffit above the sink cutting into the headroom, and almost no storage. It had been operating as an afterthought for over a century.
What it had was a large window with good morning light and a cast iron tub with 1913 stamped on the bottom. The original hex tile — black and white, already making an argument — was still on the floor.
The room had almost nothing going for it. Almost.
The Move
No plumbing moved. The tub, toilet, and sink stayed where they were — not because relocation was off the table, but because the layout wasn’t the problem. The room needed storage, light, and a design that could hold its own in a house with this much history.
The client had spent time in France and wanted something of that sensibility brought forward — classic contrast, pattern with intention, a bathroom that felt personal rather than just renovated. The original hex floor was already pointing that direction. We followed it.
The Result
The soffit came out and the room exhaled. The 1913 tub was refinished and its surround enlarged. A custom vanity built to fit the room exactly quadrupled the storage, and wall-mounting the faucet freed up enough counter space for an artist-edition sink. Black and white diamond tile on the walls — graphic and fully committed — picks up where the original hex floor leaves off.
Thirty-six square feet. It doesn’t need to be large to be exactly right.
Details Scope: Bathroom Renovation, HVAC relocation, full interior renovation Location: Richmond, VA
See the full sequence — before, during, and after — in the journal
