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The bathroom between Justina Blakeney’s office and her teenager Ida’s bedroom was one of the last untouched spaces in the family’s 1930s Altadena home, a relic of the era, minus one 1970s update. “It was fine, but once the plumbing issues really started—like having a plumber here every two weeks—I knew we had to tackle it,” the Jungalow founder remembers.
And if you’ve ever seen a Jungalow project or product, you can guess what came next: vibrant color and no shortage of texture. Justina set out to renovate on a “mellow budget,” with Ida closely involved in shaping the room’s new look.
Adding an Arch Without an Overhaul
The layout would have to stay the same—“it’s a really small space, so there weren’t many other configurations,” Justina says—but the room needed architectural interest somehow. The designer wasn’t fazed: “There’s something about breaking out of the box that feels very comforting to me,” she says. After a deep dive into 1930s Spanish-style bathrooms, she landed on an archway above the toilet and tub. Rather than raise the ceiling to accommodate the change, Justina lowered it, avoiding any major demolition.
Saying Goodbye to the White Toilet
Everyday ease was top of mind—Justina’s contractor even put the shower handle next to the shower head rather than directly under it, ensuring they wouldn’t get wet turning it on—but so was visual continuity. “I’ve always designed very colorful bathrooms and felt frustrated that fixtures are almost always white,” Justina says. “It often meant bringing more white into the design just to make everything work.” This time, she turned to Kohler, which started bringing back archival colors, including just the right shade of minty green, for its kitchen and bath fixtures a few year ago.
Leaning Into the (Color) Tension
A palette of various greens and blues was an easy yes for both Justina and Ida, but Ida’s vision of orange floor tile required some convincing. “I don’t take on traditional interior design clients, partly because I don’t love designing through other people’s eyes,” Justina says. “But collaborating with Ida did what collaboration always does—it showed me I don’t always know best.” Ultimately, it was a matter of making the addition feel intentional, which actually meant more orange. “I think that’s what makes the space feel so cool—those unexpected contrasts,” she notes.
Amber glass knobs grace the emerald vanity—“the way the light catches them when it’s streaming in is really beautiful,” Justina points out—orange mirrors on hinges hide secret inset medicine cabinets, and a golden back wall gives the storage niche a glowy effect. The ceramic pendant over the vanity features both green and orange, quite literally tying the color scheme together. “Bathrooms are maybe the one place in the house where you can get away with it being super weird and cool and vibrant and funky and colorful,” Justina says. Mission, accomplished.