While learning the skills to create 3D environments for film and games, I started leaning into a latent interest in interior design and architectural visualization. Some of my favorite shows have been Dream Home Makeover, Stay Here, Backyard Builds, Queer Eye, and The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. I’m particularly drawn to the idea of helping people better enjoy their spaces by organizing and designing in ways that are both functional and beautiful. So when a client expressed interest in remodeling their 1980s residence, I jumped at the chance.
The following is my process for redesigning the bathroom space.
1. The Space
The first step I took was to take pictures of and measure the space. Here is the original bathroom:
To make my measurement notations more organized and legible, I created to-scale blueprints of the top and side views using Adobe Illustrator.
2. The Consultation
My next step was to talk with the client about what requests and design ideas they had in mind. Their main objectives were to:
- create more storage space
- remove the old wallpaper and paint the walls a light color to match the rest of the house, which they had previously remodeled
- replace the tile floor with hardwood laminate
- replace the light fixtures above the mirror
- color-coordinate with the existing marble effect countertop
3. The model
Using the blueprints and photos as references, I began modeling and texturing in Autodesk Maya. Once I modeled the basic layout of the room, I tackled the storage challenge first. The client wanted more storage space, and was considering mounting cabinets on the wall over the counter. Considering this, I thought that might make the space look smaller and too cramped, so I turned to Pinterest for inspiration. I discovered images of floating shelves and thought they could work beautifully to not only add more storage space, but also keep the room open and light. They would also allow the client to be creative with decorative items such as baskets and plants, which would also add color against the ivory background of the walls. When I modeled this idea and showed it to the client, they were delighted!
For the decorative elements, such as the shower curtain, window valance, clock, baskets, and plants, I acquired models from Turbosquid and CGTrader to speed up my process. And here’s where the usefulness of previsualization really shined: the client and I found products online and I took screenshots, created texture maps, and applied the images to the models so we could see what combination of products looked best…before purchasing them. The client was also delighted with this flexibility! Here are the final images, rendered with Arnold, with the shower curtain, valence, and clock options we considered in relation to the marble effect countertop.
And here is how the actual remodel is coming along!
