Ashley DeLapp designs a bold yet elegant retreat
March 1, 2022
by Cathy Martin • photographs by Jim Schmidt
Midcentury design has gone mainstream — though one feature common in pre-1970s architecture isn’t likely to return: tiny bathrooms.
That was the challenge facing Ashley DeLapp when redesigning the primary bedroom and bathroom in this south Charlotte home.
“It was a midcentury-modern ranch, so it had this tiny little bathroom with a little sink, and then outside the bathroom in the bedroom was a vanity,” says DeLapp, an architect-turned-interior designer. “Where the tub sits was a tiny walk-in closet.”
DeLapp drew up nearly a dozen floor plans to expand the bedroom, add a walk-in closet, and open up space for the new bathroom before landing on the right one.
For the design, she started with a paint color, Sherwin Williams’ Courtyard, and everything else stemmed from that. For the floor and shower walls, the designer used 24-by-48 porcelain tiles that look like marble. The painting over the soaking tub is by local artist Jennifer Levine.
The trickiest part of the project, DeLapp says, was installing the zero-entry shower while staying on budget. And because the subflooring had to be modified to create a curbless entry, planning ahead was key, DeLapp says.
When it came time to choose the wallpaper, the Schumacher “Chiang Mai Dragon” in Jade was a clear winner. “It makes me so happy to look at it,” the designer says. SP
