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There is a modern and clean elegance to this primary suite in this King of Prussia home, but that wasn’t always the case. The dramatic transformation is the result of a large-scale remodel completed by our team at Bellweather Design-Build.

This home, also referred to as Longview Hill, is well-known in the area for its immaculate garden. Recognized in the 2015 edition of Traditional Home, the 2016 edition of Grow, several horticultural publications and registered in the Smithsonian Institute Archives of American Gardens, the natural beauty of this 2/3rd acre year-round garden speaks for itself. The gardens consist of four terraces of evergreens, specimen trees, shrubs, and perennials that provide color in all four seasons.

Though bursting with potential, this 1950’s split level home required a full remodel upon purchase. Our clients purchased the home after falling in love with the award-winning gardens, but they knew that updating for the interior was needed. The original goal of the project was to update the primary suite and do a partial renovation of the kitchen. Off of each of these rooms is a floor-to-ceiling glass sunroom overlooking the garden. In order to capture the amazing views and bring more of the outdoors in, our architectural designers needed to rethink the layout and floor plans of both spaces.

Designing a New Bathroom Layout 

Our client's first goal for their new primary bathroom was to achieve an improved layout. Also on their wish list was a walk-in closet area, separate tub and shower, and a floor plan that felt open to their bedroom and rear views to the yard. All of these elements were lacking in the existing bathroom.

While the views of the garden from the primary suite are now incredible, they were obstructed with the original layout. In order to capture and enjoy these views through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows in the rear of the space, our team needed to reconfigure the primary suite’s layout.

Originally, as you walked through the arched opening from the bedroom into the bathroom, there was a large, circular dual vanity occupying a majority of the space. This floor-to-ceiling piece was in the way of most of the views from the bathroom into the gardens. 

Our architectural designers presented several options for the new bathroom layout centered around the views. The clients selected our favorite option, which included a free-standing tub at the focal point for the space. While preparing for the day or unwinding after, our clients are now able to enjoy nature from their primary suite, making the entire space feel more serene. 

Maintaining Original Character During a Remodel

The homeowners wanted to maintain some of their existing elements of the 1959 home. These retained details included the beautiful hand painted tiles, the salvaged French doors throughout the primary suite and sting arched opening from the primary bedroom into the bathroom. Each one of these elements holds a special place in our design for this project. 

Jason, from Earthstone Tile Works, was able to carefully remove the existing hand painted tiles and replace it in the new shower location. Interestingly enough, when we were removing these tiles we noticed that one of the tiles was originally installed backwards not completing the mural properly. We all decided to honor the possible intention of the original skilled craftsperson and when we installed the mural into it’s new home in the bathroom, we put everything back as it was originally installed, including the backwards tile!

Our team was also able to salvage the original French doors from the existing bathroom and use them as closet doors in the new proposed design. Our design team arranged for similar doors to be fabricated (in white) and added them to the entrance of the primary suite to match the style and architectural details of the original doors. Unfortunately, the hardware that was installed in the original doors was extremely difficult to source. Our design team was able to find shutter hinges that matched almost perfectly and we were able to use them for the new doors with great success. This was another creative solution that our clients enjoy showing their guests.

Mid-Century Modern Bathroom Design

Stephanie Hoffmeier, the designer on this project, had fun exploring different selection options with the clients which lean more towards the mid-century modern style. The streamlined finishes, clean sightlines, and flat slab walnut cabinetry are some of our favored elements of design for this style.

Stephanie mentioned, “The goal for this space was to give the homeowner's a nature-inspired retreat within their primary suite. This was accomplished with natural materials, natural colors, and tactile finishes - such as the pebble-tiled wet bed shower.”

We love our clients' design choices here! One of our favorites is the modern walnut vanities paired with the mixed metals (blacks and brushed brasses), resulting in some truly elegant accents. 

Working with Bellweather Design-Build

Be sure to call Bellweather when you’re ready to remodel your mid-century modern bathroom, primary suite, or a whole home. Even if you’re not certain how to solve your project details, it’s never too early to start a conversation!