Design Reveal : Materials Final Project
Hey guys!
I want to share with you one of my projects from last semester. This was my final project for my materials class, where I learned all about different types of materials interior designers and general contractors use within commercial and residential design. My project was to choose either my kitchen or bathroom and completely remodel it (not literally of course). I ended up choosing my bathroom. The task was to choose a certain amount of materials, such as 2 floor types, 2 wall materials, and much more, and apply it to my bathroom. We had to show this through either hand drafting, perspective drawing, or 3-D rendering. I chose the 3-D rendering route, because I wanted to improve my digital skills.
I started out with taking before photos of my bathroom! It’s a Jack and Jill layout, which means there is entry access on both ends of the room and there are typically two sinks. Jack and Jill bathrooms are usually in between two bedrooms and are meant to be shared. I'm going to be showing you guys slides from my final presentation as I describe them to you!
After I took the before photos, I began thinking about concepts and styles. What did I want to change about the bathroom? The task of the project was to create something completely different from the original bathroom and to create a strong, compelling reason behind the concept. As I ran ideas through my mind, I also searched for inspiration. I used Pinterest and created the board ‘Materials Bathroom Remodel’ to collect photos (you can find the board on my Pinterest page and see the inspiration behind this project). I found that I was really gravitating towards a style that wasn’t particularly ‘mine’ per say and a style that I’ve never worked with before, but always admired. And this was modern, masculine, jungle! That’s the best way I can describe it. I was falling in love with the moody essence of the concrete and dramatic lighting. I wanted to create a space that would take me to another part of the world, the jungle! 🌳 🦍 🎋
The first material I began thinking about was tile, because tile is one of those materials that make or break a bathroom. I wanted to select a tile for the walls with the intention of making them the star of the show and creating the mood I wanted. I knew the perfect place to source the type of tile I wanted and that was Clé Tile. I love Clé Tile because their products are as beautifully crafted as they are produced. I’ve read numerous testimonials on them through designers I know and follow, and they all, hands down, recommend them! I’ve used them before in digital designs, not in person, and from my experience, I can always find a unique design for each project I work on. I selected their Night Lagoon Terracotta tile for the walls, because I loved the hand craftsmanship and the rough texture. Each tile is unique, offering a contrast of pattern and color. After I settled on the wall tile, I decided that I needed to select tile for the flooring. When you are thinking about flooring for a bathroom, it is key to consider the slip resistance, because you don't want anyone falling down. I really wanted concrete for the flooring, but I knew that when concrete gets wet, it doesn't dry unless in direct sunlight. A wet concrete floor tends to make a room feel dirty... so I looked into porcelain and ceramic tiles. They are the best for bathroom floors! I found a porcelain tile by Dal Tile that looked just like concrete, had a slip-resistance high enough for commercial design, and was made with a high percent of recycled material. Check, check, check! Below you can see the materials I used in my project.
1. T-01 | City J104 | Dal Tile
2. T-02 | Night Lagoon Terracotta | Cle Tile
3. WD-01 | Mob 72" Wall Mounted Vanity with Sink, Rosewood | Houzz
4. WD-02 | Teak Floor Mat, Walnut, Medium | Houzz
5. PT-01 | Day's End, 2133-30 | Benjamin Moore
6. PT-02 | Moore's Muresco Ceiling White, 258 | Benjamin Moore
7. PT-03 | Tough Coat Spray Paint, Stainless Steel | Krylon
8. MTL-01 | T-shaped Tile Edging Trim, Reno-T, Stainless Steel | The Home Depot
There is a lot more that went into this final project, such as a Finish Material Schedule, 4 Plumbing Specifications, a Reflected Ceiling Plan, and a Detail of the MTL-01 Threshold. I won't include those in this post, because they only serve informational purposes and, frankly, they're a bit boring.
I think my biggest challenge with this project was selecting plumbing fixtures. This was something that I’ve never done before and I have a lot to learn about. I realized after I turned my project in that the shower head and the hand shower kit were not compatible.. the shower head had certain parts that were needed and could only connect to a certain piece. Another challenge I faced was finding materials I liked, but also met criteria such as being slip-resistant (super important for bathrooms), flame-resistant, and durable. I also tried to keep the environment in mind when selecting the materials. Another challenge I dealt with was rendering this bathroom in SketchUp. I could build it easily, but when I went to render it in Twilight Render, the darker hues and small square footage made it difficult to control the light. If you aren’t sure what that means, it just means that the renderings were coming out super dark and blurred.. I couldn’t fix this, it was out of my hands. So I ended up just exporting the SketchUp file as is and my professor was still impressed. If I had to change one thing about my project, it would be my deck, or power point. One of my mentors at my internship has taught me how to use 'Keynote', the 'PowerPoint' equivalent for macs, and make a killer deck.
I never got to speak with my professor about my project since it was graded after the semester was over, but I received an email regarding my grade:
“Dallas, you have an amazing eye! I look forward to hearing how you are progressing in your career. Warm regards.” “Excellent portfolio piece for you Dallas!” “Like the mix of elegant mirrors with toughness of the other materials”.
Overall, I am pleased with my project and proud of all the advances I have made. I hope you guys enjoyed reading and getting to see what my projects look like. See you next time!