Some professional relationships can last for decades and grow incrementally over time. Beth Dotolo of Pulp Design Studios in Seattle, who works nationwide, first met Lauren Mang and her husband Jason Floyd when Mang was assistant editor at PaperCity magazine in Dallas, Texas, where she often covered Dotolo’s work. In a moment of serendipity, both women left Dallas for the Pacific Northwest and continued to stay in touch. Mang and Floyd purchased a 1929 Arlington Heights home that needed some serious updating. “It was a long time since anything had been done to this home,” says Mang, “so I turned to Beth to help transform it.”

They began in the kitchen which hadn’t been updated since the 1980s. That decades-old remodel yielded a small, narrow, all-white galley kitchen with a swinging door that separated it from the adjacent dining room. “We needed something bigger, with more storage space, yet still capitalized on the 1929 style,” recalls Mang.

Dotolo enlarged the space by working with AKI Builders to knock down two walls to include the dining room. “Beth and her partner Carolina Gentry reconfigured the layout, making it more timeless,” adds Mang, “with a bigger island and more storage space.” They also moved the stove against the wall, crowning it with a black, rather than stainless steel, range hood that ties to the honed black granite countertops. The darkly painted island cabinetry reiterates the dramatic, easy-to-care-for kitchen countertops and allowed them to splurge by crowning the island with a gleaming marble countertop.

“I love the fresh new materials, contrast and polished Calacatta gold backsplash tile,” adds Mang. “The nautical pendant lights also create a nice, layered contrasting element.”

“The couple’s previous Seattle residence was a townhome to which they added a more industrial design,” recalls Dotolo. “Since some of those furnishings were being reused here in Portland, we placed the very modern chandelier from their prior residence over the dining table from that same home.”

Perhaps one of the most challenging elements of the remodel was the decision to keep the 1929 radiators, which a former owner had covered with large, handcrafted off-white radiator covers. “I apologize to whoever spent money to create them,” says Mang after the decision was made to remove them and paint the original cast iron forms black. When it came time to refinish the original flooring, however, all the exceedingly heavy radiators had to be moved out using furniture sliders under each leg, which Mang and Floyd managed to store in the garage while they and their beloved animals – two cats and a dog - stayed elsewhere until the flooring was properly refinished.

When the time came to remodel the primary bedroom suite and bath, Mang told Dotolo she wanted something “very moody and dramatic,” which was diametrically opposed to the guest bath that Pulp Design Studios had created earlier. That space Mang describes as “fun and pretty with gorgeous wallpaper.” The guest bath also reiterated the Calacatta Gold kitchen tile with a sister style, namely, Carrara White tile. The one dark grounding element in that bath, which might be considered a precursor to what would follow in the primary bath is the Esplanade Black Beauty Marble floor tile.

“We didn’t know how to get the bathroom we wanted or how to make it more functional,” recalls Mang. “The original was a very small, cute 1920s-30s bathroom with a small walk-in closet. We wanted a wet room tub with shower. Beth suggested black tile for the new primary bathroom, which Pulp ultimately delivered by having to reconfigure the entire suite.”

“The original primary suite was strangely designed,” admits Dotolo. “The bedroom was L-shaped, a walk-in closet was at the left when you entered. A weird, tiny bathroom had nooks and odd shapes. The vanity was where the tub is now, but with no shower curtain.”

Dotolo and Gentry say that most of the inspiration for the architecture came from their knowledge of the client’s style. “She likes high contrast and modern patterns that we weaved in with more traditional elements that also give a nod to the architecture.” In the primary bath, says Dotolo, that started with the floor tile, “Mulholland Noir Blend from Ann Sacks.” The stunning walls are enrobed in black matte tile set against a crisp white oval tub.

Enter Davis Stone of Rogue Remodel who Mang and Floyd chose to undertake the challenging task that lay ahead. To make the spaces more modern and open, Rogue Remodel first had to demolish the entire primary bedroom, walk-in closet, alcove and closet that would become their wet room, separate water closet and dual vanities.

Happily, Pulp’s software enabled everyone to be on the same page at once throughout the extensive remodel.

“It was a challenge to make the shower waterproof,” admits Stone, “It had to slope down to make it drain properly, which meant moving a lot of the 1929 plumbing and reinforcing the joists.”

“It was Davis who suggested adding radiant heat flooring throughout the bath, which would give the same effect as the former radiators, and he was right,” says Mang.

Stone, in turn, was particularly impressed by the accuracy of Pulp Design Studios drawings, which were, he says, “Perfect!” As well as by the way they were “set up for success” by being easy to communicate with, flexible and talented. Having the owners who work from home handy and onsite was also exceedingly helpful for him being able to streamline the complex remodel.

When it became necessary to decide whether the edge of the shower would be finished with either bullnose tile or the Schulter System, they all agreed the latter would be the cleaner, more modern choice. “We did the bullnose tile on the windows, same as the niche, which is finished with the elegant floor tile,” says Davis.

Pocket doors separate the shower/bath combination from the twin vanity sinks whose mirrors are trimmed in the same black matte tile. Warm wood cabinetry designed by Pulp grounds the Calacatta gold quartz countertop.

While the primary bedroom was slightly smaller than the original, the improvements were transformative. New windows replaced the original warped ones, opening on to lofty tree views. A comfy settee at the foot of the bed with ottomans faces the television, creating a cozy seating and sleeping area.

“Working with Beth and Carolina,” says Mang, “who have such a nice design perspective, is always wonderful. They know what we like and always suggest things I never would have thought of. Everything they did to our home turned out beautifully.”

PROJECT SOURCES

INTERIOR DESIGN
Pulp Design Studios
pulpdesignstudios.com

CONTRACTOR
Rogue Remodel

CONTRACTOR
AKI Builders Inc