Deerfield House: Primary & Family Bath Renovation
What Our Client Wanted - When the homeowners purchased the house, they immediately saw the potential—but they also saw the problem. The primary bathroom sat above a dramatic two-story family room with a vaulted ceiling, and the resulting rooflines and structure had left the space riddled with awkward angles and wasted volume. The previous owners had never found a good solution for it, and the layout of both the primary and family bathrooms suffered as a result. The primary bath felt inefficient and poorly organized, while the family bath had an undersized, awkward tub and an equally challenging footprint.
The clients brought Mimi in to find a smarter way forward. She recommended renovating both bathrooms at the same time and, where possible, retaining the existing plumbing locations to keep costs under control—allowing the budget to be focused where it would have the greatest impact: layout, storage, and experience. In the primary bath, the space was completely reimagined to take advantage of the available volume rather than fight it. A new deep soaking tub and a pebble-floored shower transformed the room into a true retreat, while a long vanity counter and a cleverly concealed vanity cabinet neatly disguised the awkward bulkhead created by the structure below. A soft palette of white, cream, and aqua, along with clean-lined fixtures, board-and-batten-style walls, and an antique makeup table, gave the room the relaxed, Nantucket-inspired character the homeowners were hoping for.
The family bath was given a very different personality—designed to feel energetic and fun for a pre-teen boy while still working well for years to come. The old tiled tub and curtain were replaced with a shower enclosed in a frameless glass door, instantly making the small room feel more open. Bright green geometric tiles turned the built-in bench into a focal point and cleverly disguised the bulkhead beneath. The result was a compact but highly functional bathroom with real personality.
The project went on to receive “First Place, Best of the Best” in the 2009 NKBA Metropolitan Design Competition and was later featured in Westchester Home and Signature Kitchens & Baths, a testament to how thoughtful planning and spatial problem-solving can completely transform even the most
