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JUICY 1920S BATHROOM REVIVAL

Old House Journal

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September - October 2024

Serial restorers redesign their tired baths in period style, with colorful tile and Art Deco touches.

- Brian D. Coleman

JUICY 1920S BATHROOM REVIVAL

I’ve written before about the restored houses of my friends Patricia Chidlaw and Robert Sponsel; they went from a 1912 bungalow to a 1925 Norman Revival cottage, both beautifully done to the period. I recently revisited the cottage to see the transformation of their bathrooms.

This house was built by a Swedishborn carpenter. Its picturesque details include a steeply pitched roof and a prominent chimney, eight-light casement windows, and built-in window seats. The setting is absolutely enchanting as the house sits amidst live oaks above a meandering creek; the area was once a park owned by Mission Santa Barbara. Patricia and Robert nicknamed it Scottie Cottage after their beloved dogs.

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