Hammer & Hand’s Daren Claymon orchestrates an agile rejuvenation in just two weeks.
“Daren be nimble, Daren be quick…” What’s the secret to delivering a full bathroom remodel in just two weeks, and over the holidays to boot?
It helps to have the capacity to do most of the job oneself. Because Hammer & Hand’s Daren Claymon could do the demo, carpentry, drywall, electrical and painting on his own, he didn’t need to worry about subcontractors being unavailable over the holidays. He could just do it himself … so he did. Plumbing and tile work was subbed out, but most everything else was executed by Daren, with help from Abe Sheppard on demo.
It also helps to go into the job with design decisions complete (always the goal but not always the reality). That’s where the clients came in. A creative couple with great taste who work at Wieden + Kennedy, the two developed the aesthetic for the remodel, picking out most of the project’s fixtures and colors themselves. And when Daren began construction, everyone was totally clear about the design.
Working with this pair was a highlight for Daren. “It’s fun to work with creative people who are really personally engaged in their project,” said Daren.
Daren and the clients took a small bathroom in this 1924 Craftsman and maximized use of space while maintaining flow. To this end, the owners sourced the sink pictured here, with its towel bars incorporated below to save space.
The medicine cabinet pictured here is a nice example of a modern touch that, while not technically “period correct”, stays true to the spirit and vibe of the home’s architectural heritage. It’s a cool piece: 100% polished chrome, so when open it explodes with reflections.
The owners selected the bathroom’s floor tile with a similar sensitivity. The penny round tile has an antique-burnished edge that helps the new floor immediately feel part of the historic home.
The shower combines old-school touches with modern convenience. The surround is traditional subway tile. The shower curtain rod is curved to maximize shower elbow-room (you know, like in those hotel showers). The clients preserved the existing tub (now refinished) with its groovy built-in handle (pictured here during demo).
It was a sweet project and Daren’s looking forward to working with the clients again soon. Here’s to builder-client collaboration!
– Zack
P.S. In addition to the bathroom remodel, Daren dry-walled over an unwanted passageway between bedroom and kitchen, removed wall-to-wall carpet throughout the house, and worked with John Mace at Birdseye Hardwoods to refinish floors.
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