Old houses, new systems

Pasadena is known for its early twentieth-century houses: Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Colonial Revival houses, Tudor and Colonial Revival homes, and the later ranch houses that followed. Owners of these houses tend to care about how a new bathroom sits within the rest of the house, and they are right to. A glossy contemporary bath off a room of original wood trim usually reads as a mistake.

The challenge is that the parts you cannot see are often a century old. Galvanized supply lines that have narrowed with scale, cast-iron drains, ungrounded wiring, framing that has been notched by past plumbers, and no real waterproofing behind the original tile. Bathroom remodeling in Pasadena usually means replacing nearly everything behind the walls and floor, then rebuilding the visible room with materials and proportions that suit the period.

That is our approach to full bathroom remodels in older houses generally, and it applies here more than almost anywhere.

Historic districts and review

Pasadena has designated historic and landmark districts, and individual historic properties, where changes can be subject to additional review. That review most often concerns the exterior: windows, doors, vents and anything visible from the street. A new bathroom window, a relocated vent or an enlarged opening can fall into that category even when the interior work does not.

Separately, Pasadena has its own building and safety division, and remodels that alter plumbing, electrical or framing commonly need a permit.

Worth knowing

If your house is in a designated district, or you are not sure, the City of Pasadena can tell you what review applies to the work you have in mind. Check with the city's planning and building staff early, before you finalize a design that changes anything on the outside. We confirm this during planning and schedule around it. Our general article on remodel permits across Los Angeles cities is a useful starting point.

Materials

Period-appropriate choices that still perform

Most of what made early bathrooms look the way they do is still made today, and some of it works better now than it did then.

Hex and penny mosaic floors: Small unglazed porcelain hex or round mosaics, usually white with an occasional border or rosette pattern. Grippy underfoot because of the grout density, and at home in both Craftsman and revival houses.
Subway and field tile: Classic three-by-six wall tile, often with a cap or chair-rail trim at wainscot height and plaster above. Handmade or slightly irregular tile softens the look; a crisp modern subway reads newer.
Handmade and glazed tile: Colored glazed tile suits Spanish Colonial Revival houses, where decorative tile was part of the original vocabulary. Handmade tile varies in thickness and needs a setter who plans for it.
Cast-iron and clawfoot tubs: An original tub in sound condition can often be refinished and reinstalled. A freestanding clawfoot needs a floor that can carry it when full and supply lines planned for exposed fittings. See our bathtub installation and replacement page for the options.
Fixtures and fittings: Cross-handle faucets, exposed shower risers and pedestal or console sinks in period styles are widely available with modern valves inside them.
What we add unseen: A continuous waterproofing membrane, a ducted exhaust fan sized for the room, new supply and drain lines, and GFCI-protected circuits. The room looks old; the systems are current.

For the tile side in more depth, our tile installation page covers substrates and setting methods, and the journal has a broader piece on tile ideas for Los Angeles homes.

Planning a bathroom in an older Pasadena house?

We start with a walk-through and an honest look at what is behind the walls.

Call (213) 566-7696Open daily, 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM

What we work on in Pasadena

Restoring the hall bath

The original bathroom, often the only one upstairs or the one off the main hall, rebuilt from the framing with period tile and a kept or replaced cast-iron tub.

Adding a primary bath

A newer bathroom carved from a sleeping porch or small bedroom, designed to sit comfortably next to the older rooms rather than compete with them.

Making the bath easier to use

Long-time owners often want a shower they can walk into, a comfort-height toilet and grab bars that look like towel bars. Our accessible bathroom work covers how to do that in a period house without making it look clinical.

Planning for heat

Pasadena summers run much hotter than the coast. Bathrooms on upper floors or under uninsulated roofs benefit from better ventilation and, where the house allows, insulation work while the room is open.

Call us

Talk to us about your bathroom

Call and tell us what isn’t working in the room. We’ll talk through scope, materials and timing, then set up a visit to measure and see the plumbing and structure.

Call for a consultation

(213) 566-7696

Open daily, 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Tell us whether it’s a house, condo or ADU
Describe which bathroom and what you’d like to change
We arrange a visit to measure and look at the room

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