The Birds and the Bees Bathroom, Santa Cruz, CA

When a client with an attached ADU asked me to remodel the tired 1990s bathroom, I looked to her love of nature and sparkle to create what I call “The Birds and the Bees Bathroom.” She wanted the tub-shower combo removed in favor of a curbless walk-in shower so I took advantage of this change to use a focal point as an anchor for the now-barrier free shower at the end of the room. I chose a large porcelain mural reminiscent of lyrical botanical illustrations from the early 1900s, complete with birds perched on colorful flowering branches. My client fell in love with a dimensional glass tile in the shape of a honeycomb in an equally honey-colored hue—a reference to life-giving bees—which I used to frame the mural and line the shower niche. The shower walls are clad with porcelain tiles that mimic the look of Cloud Onyx without the tedious maintenance such a fragile stone requires. The easy-care porcelain tiles on the floor look like plank wood and lend an organic sense, and are complimented by the rich wood vanity. The end result is like showering in a bright, fresh garden! Photo: Bernardo Grijalva