Our Primary Bathroom Renovation

You know that one task on your to-do list that always tumbles from the top and continues to carry over each week? Or the dream idea that turns into a can kicked down the road for an infinite period of time?

This was our primary bathroom, the step child of our one-room home renovations that needed the most love but couldn’t find its way among the sea of priorities and homeownership woes.

When we first bought our house, the bathroom was a mandatory. We went to the drawing board with Ann Parker of Parker Design Studio at the same time as our kitchen renovation, which was constructed seamlessly before move-in in fall 2021. But then, we had to invest in French drains. And then, we found out we were pregnant with Hudson — nursery. And then, we found out we were pregnant with Ava — nursery 2.0. And then, life caught up with us.

Sound familiar?

Our primary bathroom is only used by us, compared to every other space in our home, so I chose to close it off and deal with it. It’s life, and we hoped we would get to it eventually. 

However, the tile was decaying, the sink was faulty, the tub drain was loose, and the absence of storage kept me in a constant tizzy. At last, while on maternity leave with Ava, I decided that if I didn’t do it now, I never would!

We brushed off Ann’s plans, revisited Daniel Studdard at Ferguson to select plumbing and finishes, and surrounded ourselves with samples and tiles until my head spun. As is the case with many other facets of my life, however, I gave myself a deadline and made decisions as if the countdown was my pulse — it was now or never!

Overall, the goal of our renovation was to achieve an optimal floor plan and functionality. From a decor standpoint, I leaned into decisions that could stand well on their own while leaving room for future layers, if you will: wall coverings, art, additional fixtures, etc. 

Structurally, we squared off the shower and soaker tub to (what feels like) double the space. Originally, a corner jacuzzi and opposite corner shower took up quite the square footage. The new glass shower doors opened up the space visually while continuing a sense of privacy with its original plumbing placement. The only plumbing work required was shifting the bath tub drain a few inches!

I ventured to Countertops of Memphis—who outfitted our kitchen countertops and exceptional fireplace—to select a remnant for the vanity top and curb. My eye was drawn to a stone with large veining that offered both browns and grey, enabling me to lean into both warm and cool details throughout the bathroom.

Our selections included a white oak custom vanity and linen cabinet with brass hardware, cooler white and cream tiles for the shower and floor, and absolutely jaw-dropping Brizo luxe gold finishes from Ferguson, where I’ve worked with Daniel Studdard over the years.

We ensured as much storage as possible in the plans considering a complete lack thereof, and I’m thrilled with the drawer and cabinet makeup of both custom pieces. I know I’ll eventually fill every drawer, but it’s crazy to admit that we have three empty ones! 

To maximize the width of our custom vanity without adjusting the door frames and walls into our walk-in closet, Ann brilliantly suggested to cut the Countertops of Memphis vanity top around the existing door molding and match it on the other corner edge. The oblong curve turned into a subtle motif for additional selections throughout the space: the mirrors, curves in the vanity lights, tub shape, and Brizo Invari shape. I It almost looks like we designed the top cut intentionally!

We opted for a glass door on the upper half of the linen cabinet, which gave me some creative license for shelf styling and a dreamy “spa vibe” aesthetic. I used accents from Bella Vita to fill the shelves with bubble bath products, vases, candles, trays, and the like. I also found the perfect canvas painting for above my tub and a warm and cozy Turkish rug runner. I hope to rotate the shelf accents seasonally to keep the space feeling refreshed and like the creative retreat and haven I had always dreamed of!

Shelby Wimberly painted the sweetest set of squares to visually balance our vanity area. I loved bringing in hints of blue and green to achieve a spa-like atmosphere while feeling fairly neutral in look and feel.

I feel instant calm when entering the space at the end of very long, fast-paced days. A bath is one of my favorite rituals that, while not daily, is definitely a priority during the work week. After the rush of the bedtime routine with Ava and Hudson, I feel lucky I can enter my little retreat and unwind here.

Almost four years later, and despite delays, the time has arguably made me appreciate the renovation that much more.

Becoming Home: Renovating Our Living and Dining Rooms

As Written in At Home Memphis Mid-South

When a well-known local blogger and her husband moved from a compact downtown condo to a spacious East Memphis residence, they teamed up with designer Ann Parker to “course out” their new home’s renovation. The young couple wanted to turn the house into a home for their growing family a room at a time.

Potential design options were limitless, as they brought only a few pieces with them in the move. “It was a really fun opportunity to start fresh; we could be intentional about it,” says homeowner Cara Greenstein. With Parker’s help, Greenstein and her husband Alex Shindler made a plan for the entire house and prioritized the order in which they’d focus on each space. 

First on the redo menu was the kitchen, naturally. More than just a place to prepare family meals, the space is essential to the operation of “Caramelized,” the award-winning food and lifestyle blog Greenstein began about a decade ago. Plans for the kitchen remodel were finalized as soon as the house went under contract and work was completed before the couple moved in just before Thanksgiving 2021.

With the kitchen checked off the list, Greenstein and Parker turned their attention to the areas of next highest priority, the living room and dining room. And since the couple’s first baby was on the way, a nursery came into the picture, as well.

Asked about the initial design vision she shared with Parker, Greenstein says, “I tend to go for a clean, somewhat minimalist palette. My townhome was very neutral. Ann pushed me to think bigger.”

Parker started nudging her client a bit past her comfort zone with the first items they selected for the living room, a pair of modern chairs in a deep merlot velvet. Although she loves them, Greenstein admits that, left to her own devices, she would have opted for neutral upholstery. 

“The two chairs were our catapult in the living room design,” Parker adds. “Then pieces evolved, like the rug. We worked through what would look good—it's very collected. We didn’t just sit down and figure it out all at once, it was over a period of time.” 

Greenstein was excited to have a fireplace in her new living room, and Parker viewed its redesign as “an opportunity to have some dramatic moments but still in Cara’s DNA.” She opted for a Cambria stone treatment from floor to ceiling. The bold veining in the stone makes a statement, and the subtle matching ledge mantel blends without breaking up the movement. 

Situated in the center of the home, the living room has few windows, so a large mirror on the wall opposite the fireplace was the logical choice to add luminosity. But not just any mirror. Leading her client to something out of the ordinary, Parker enlisted Chris Garner of Garner Framing Co. to create a piece that’s more work of art than looking glass. “It really just evolved with Chris and his skill and his thought process,” says Parker. Garner’s creation, a series of  wide antiqued glass strips in varying tones, creates impact with its clean lines.

Visual interest in the dining room comes from striking navy blue wallpaper with gold accents that covers the walls and the ceiling. “That’s something I would have never done on my own, but I just love these subtle examples that really make a difference,” says Greenstein.

The room is a prime illustration of the collected ambiance the homeowners and designer sought. The new dining table is surrounded by eight vintage chairs sourced from online consigner New to Me TN. An original oil painting dated 1965 that graces the wall came from the home of Greenstein’s grandparents. 

“This is one of the rooms where Cara was definitely the design leader,” says Parker of the nursery. “I was her touch base.” Incorporating her love of all things edible into every aspect of her life, Greenstein chose mushrooms as the inspiration for her new baby boy’s room. “They’re one of my favorite foods!” she admits.

Adorable mushroom wallpaper found on Etsy lines one wall; Parker chose a coordinating stripe for the other three. With a nod to a woodland theme, the room’s palette leans to neutrals with sage and eucalyptus accents. Washed woods keep the look light and airy, and a white boucle glider and ottoman make a comfy spot for quality time with baby Hudson. Faux taxidermy heads of a longhorn and a razorback are a clever and cute nod to the alma maters of Greenstein and Shindler.

The new mom gushes over the nursery closet remake, done by local organization firm Trazo Design in collaboration with The Container Store. The pros at Trazo transformed every inch of the long, shallow closet into practical and accessible storage space with plenty of small containers just right for tiny baby items. 

Greenstein says it’s been a pleasure working with Parker on the master plan, and that she and Shindler are looking forward to adding their style to every part of the house. Parker echoes those sentiments, saying she enjoys helping the young family establish their home. That is the icing on the cake.

How We Maximized A Single-Rod Closet for Our Baby Nursery

When embarking on our baby boy’s nursery plans, the need for storage was an immediate launch point for a conversation surrounding our closet: an 11-foot-wide by 2-foot-deep closet with a single rod. At the time, it was filled from end to end with out-of-season clothing and coats. We knew that, particularly for a tiny human, relying on just a single rod would not work out in the long run. We debated buying a dresser for inside of the closet, but even a typical size would protrude through the doorway!

Here was our closet wishlist:

• Drawers

• Hanging rods

• Deep shelves for either side of the closet — since it’s too skinny to walk into or easily reach!

• Overhead storage for items that aren’t needed everyday

• An organizing solution categorized by baby’s clothing size

I called Trazo Design, who swept in with a vision that would work well not only now but throughout our baby boy’s childhood. The Container Store’s custom closet center designed a modular system that would be amenable to growth spurts and evolving needs (such as more hangers instead of bins!). Scroll to see the custom closet floor plan and how it came to life!

Christen Jones Photography

SHOP THE STORAGE

I love that Trazo takes extra time to fill every nook and cranny with the right items. Drawer dividers, adorable labels, and approachable folding techniques put everything in their perfect place! These pros are the reason I feel so ready when I walk into this space. Now we’re just ready to welcome baby!

A Tale of Two Kitchens: Behind The Caramelized HQ

Greenstein’s new kitchen in East Memphis was designed by Ann Parker of Parker Design Studio. J.S. Miller Contracting expanded the space to include the breakfast nook and a new window. Cambria Surfaces and Countertops of Memphis provided the quartz work surfaces.

From the February 2022 Issue of Memphis Magazine

The best way to get to know Cara Greenstein is through her blog Caramelized. That’s where she started writing about and photographing her culinary adventures in 2012. Eventually, Greenstein expanded into Instagram, where her sleek style, accessible recipes — and dogs Sawyer and Finn — have attracted a sizable audience.

Greenstein discovered her love of the culinary arts early. “As a kid, I chose to watch the Food Network instead of Disney and Nickelodeon — I was that child,” she says. “At age 10, I loved Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, and Bobby Flay. My mom always had dinner for our family every night, but she did not enjoy cooking, so I wouldn’t say I learned my love of cooking from her — but I did learn the value of a family having a meal together.”

Greenstein says she was self-taught. “I loved watching the demos on the shows, and then when I had my bat mitzvah at age 13, I asked everyone to give me Williams Sonoma gift certificates so that I could actually have some equipment and gadgets I saw on these shows that my parents didn’t have. Because my mom’s like, ‘What more do you need than a pot and a cutting board?’”

A Memphis native, Greenstein attended college at the University of Texas in Austin, where she majored in marketing and public relations. “You always take for granted where you grew up, right? And then you leave and you go to a new city. Austin was an incredible experience, especially as a college student where you’re trying to find your direction, and you’re in a big city with so much happening. … But I was watching Memphis in the rear-view mirror. At the time I was away — 2010 to 2014 — there was some good stuff happening here.”

As graduation approached, she made a decision that might have been surprising four years earlier: returning to her hometown. “I definitely saw the potential here,” she says. “And knowing how much more would be happening in 10 years, I wanted to be part of that progress.”

To be where the action was, she found an apartment Downtown, within walking distance to her job at the public relations firm of Doug Carpenter and Associates, and persuaded her boyfriend Alex Shindler, an Arkansan, to join her. The two married three years later and moved into a brand-new townhouse, part of the new construction rising Downtown.

The new kitchen’s central island includes a built-in microwave. Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery outfitted the expansive kitchen space.

“I was actually walking one day to work when I saw what became our townhome being built,” she says. “It was this super-interesting contemporary design Phil Woodard was doing on Tennessee Street, and I was so impressed.”

She and Alex became homeowners at age 23, one of four original owners in the development that now boasts more than 30 dwellings. “It’s exciting to see a true neighborhood arise,” she says. “I knew the area well because of work, but it was really exciting to have that opportunity, and we made it a home over the years.”

Living Downtown, Growing up in Public

The townhouse became home base for Caramelized, Greenstein says, and her growing fan base watched as she developed her aesthetic. “I loved the open floor plan,” she says. “I loved the natural light. The design itself was pretty much dictated by the builder, but it is very contemporary — trendy, if you will. And for a rising food blogger, where so much of my life is in front of — or behind — a phone camera, capturing recipes and gatherings around the table, I was looking for something that could achieve that without trying, and I believe the townhouse does that.

“I was very lucky to move into a new space,” she continues. “Essentially, we could dictate paint, colors, backsplash, et cetera, but Phil already had such a great vision for it, I didn’t have to do much at all.”

A west-facing window floods the space with natural light, which not only creates a healthy living space, but is also essential for photography. “We chose a really nice quartz countertop, and I have a beautiful, reclaimed wood table,” she says. “That could serve as my contrasting surface, a backdrop for my dishes. I had that contrast in the space that I used every day, and because of how small it was, my kitchen table was honestly like a second countertop for prep.”

The best way to describe Greenstein’s cooking is “accessible, but elegant.” On Caramelized, one can see her “elevating the everyday” with snacks like pigs in a blanket, which she serves for a holiday party in a wreath of fresh herbs. She created a chicken version of that great Memphis party staple, barbecue nachos. She calls her vegetarian succotash, which includes fresh corn, okra, and Vidalia onions, “summer in a bowl.” She retooled one of her favorite dishes, the Caprese salad, with halloumi, a firm, salty cheese from Greek cuisine.

Purple potatoes give her pot roast a splash of color. Her pecan-encrusted catfish comes with a side dish of corn brulée, a more savory variation on the classic French dessert. She added a little bit of coffee to the grilled flank steak dry rub for tacos last summer, and her mac-and-cheese recipe is made luxurious with lobster and gnocchi. And when exploring cocktails, she gravitates toward margaritas, and created a jalapeño-infused gin rickey.

“I definitely try to experiment, but the way I tend to cook is just very seasonally driven,” Greenstein says. “I like to shop with my eyes at the grocery store and take the produce and then build something around it. To me, presentation is very important because food styling and photography are part of why I love blogging. I kind of take that as my starting point and then think, ‘Okay, how can I build something that is flavorful, but easy?’ I’m not a professionally trained chef, but I enjoy learning different techniques.”

Time for Change

By March 2020, Cara and Alex had been in their townhouse for five years. Then, the pandemic hit. As the couple worked from home and couldn’t access many of Downtown’s amenities during the lockdowns, they began to reconsider their relationship with their first home.

“I think the pandemic really made us, and everyone, reevaluate the definition of a home, the meaning of it, and how multipurpose it truly needs to be in circumstances like that,” Greenstein says. “So, 1,300 square feet is fantastic, but when the livable part of it, excluding the bedrooms, is closer to 500 square feet, and you are doing everything from living, to working, to working out, to trying to mimic the restaurants I missed, and doing all of it in one little space, well …”

Another factor affected her decision. The Greensteins added a second dog to their family. “Sawyer is 70 pounds, and Finn is a mini version at 30 pounds and has twice as much energy,” she says. “Finn was our pandemic puppy. We were on one of our many hundreds of walks during the safer-at-home order, and we were talking about how it would be so great if Sawyer had a pal.”

Dogs are happier with yards to play in, says Greenstein. “We have this adorable little grass patch in the front. It’s like the size of a living room carpet. That worked for the dogs some of the time, but we usually took them on walks, or to the nearby dog park. It was definitely cozy, but it honestly forced me to have a minimalist way of living, because there wasn’t as much room for storage or extra things.”

By the spring of 2021, it was clear they needed a new place. “Not having a yard is always a challenge of living in an urban area,” she says, “but it got to a point eventually where that, coupled with just feeling like the walls were closing in on us, we needed more room to breathe. So we started looking casually, passively at the market for most of 2020 — which, as you know, was a really crazy time to try and buy. It’s still a sellers’ market. Fortunately — miraculously — we came across an off-market opportunity that worked out. In April ’21, we signed a contract knowing that we would be moving, but we wouldn’t actually close until August, because of the seller’s process on their new home build. So because of that, we had this very rare window of time to actually plan before we moved.”

“Patience Is a Virtue”

Their new home in East Memphis is three times the size of the Downtown townhouse. Greenstein enlisted Ann Parker, an interior designer she had met through the annual ArtsMemphis fundraiser Art By Design. “She came to see the house when we were looking into buying it and helped us envision from the beginning how to create a space that worked for us, worked for my blog and business, and served as this studio for me to use and love every single day.”

Greenstein’s studio is her kitchen. “We’re tackling one room at a time,” she says, “and because the kitchen was the priority, we went for it first.”

It was Parker’s idea to knock down a wall between the kitchen and an anteroom to expand the available space and allow for a new window to be installed. “Natural light is a huge attribute that I value with my photography, but also, I just enjoy natural light! We weren’t getting a lot of it in the original floor plan.”

The demolition almost doubled the available square footage, allowing for the installation of an island in the middle of the kitchen, complete with a built-in microwave. “And somehow we repurposed almost every single cabinet in the original kitchen!”

But even with time to plan, creating a thoughtful new space in the chaotic conditions of the pandemic has not been easy. “I would say patience is a virtue,” says Greenstein. “The supply chain is not improving yet. We ordered our refrigerator and range six months ago, and they just arrived. So just recognizing that, planning, and waiting are two very important elements. What Ann taught me through this process is that phasing is a beautiful thing. As you move into a new space and you live in it every day, plans might evolve, things might change. Having flexibility versus prescribing something from the get-go could lead to a really beautiful evolution.”

Old and New

Greenstein and her husband decided not to sell their Downtown townhome, and not just for sentimental reasons. “We wanted to hold onto it,” she says, “because knowing how much development is still underway Downtown, especially with Tom Lee Park and other South Main area developments, we didn’t want to give it up. So we’ve kept the townhouse and are using it as an Airbnb very successfully, already.”

Since their light-filled first home had featured in so many blog posts and Instagram stories, Greenstein decided to leave most of the furnishings when they moved east, making the Airbnb an extension of the Caramelized brand. But she admits returning to the place where she made so many memories is bittersweet.

“There’s something about removing just the decorative items and the personal pieces from the house,” she says. “I walk in and it’s a beautiful space. I almost feel a distance from it, but in a good way.”

Creating a new space for her family has been a positive experience, and has expanded both her definition of her work and her appreciation for her community.

“I’ve been fortunate through Caramelized to meet so many talented people in Memphis,” she says. “We’re such a unique community, where there’s so much collaboration. Caramelized is such a personal brand. It’s easy to just label it as a food blog, but over the years, it truly has become a reflection of my daily life and milestones — especially with Instagram, and the growth of that platform. Creating a new home has become a category of content alone. That makes so much sense to my following, and to the content I’m putting out there. Hosting and entertaining was a growing category that came out of food and recipe development. And now it’s growing further into the furniture selection and the design itself that makes hospitality even more fun.”

How We Addressed Drainage Issues in Our New Backyard

When dreaming of a new home after seven years in a Downtown townhouse, a yard for our two pups was the top of our priority list. We didn’t need a substantial size — but a space for Sawyer and Finn to roam, run and do their business leash-free was our ultimate wish! While taking the dogs on walks was a welcomed part of our daily routine, the frequency became a burden.

Our new home has a perfectly sized backyard, but it is unfortunately positioned like a bowl from higher-plane neighboring homes on all three sides. Previous homeowners were not dog owners and, thus, didn’t have to deal with the side effects of rain. We observed that a retaining wall was beginning to stress, and water had nowhere to go. A coincidental site visit during a flash flood gave us all the realities we needed to know (and face!).

My interior designer Ann Parker is married to a renowned landscape architect; and they both shared that Agriscapes would be our drainage go-to. Sure, we could potentially save 3-5% on the bottom line elsewhere, but the quality, expertise, and customer service of Agriscapes would prove a worthwhile investment.

Agriscapes’ co-owner Johnny Deniston studied landscape architecture, and his team provides full architectural plans (see ours above) as part of the process for no extra fee. It was helpful to see and understand the birds-eye view of our situation and see a start-to-finish project with one point of contact (rather than pay for an architect’s ideas first and separately).

Here’s what we learned:

1 - Addressing drainage is not fun nor affordable when executed correctly — but it’s absolutely worthwhile.

Underground remedies definitely do not relay to the beauty of a new piece of furniture or finish. You can’t even see the materials you’re paying for! While, yes, it’s frustrating, I’m so happy we moved forward with a foolproof solution rather than a “half baked” version that would still present flaws.

2 - Phasing is (usually) possible!

Our backyard master plan, detailed above, features a vision for a seating/entertaining area, additional plantings, and potentially a garden or water/sculptural feature to enjoy from the breakfast nook. Our back gate could be reevaluated as well, offering a more pedestrian-friendly entrance and view. For financial reasons, we were not able to execute it all at once — and that’s totally okay! Agriscapes determined a phase one that could secure our space until we were ready to restart — whether in a few months or a year.

3 - Obviously, planting sod right as winter commences is not an ideal timeline for grass to root and grow.

However, considering our immediate flooding needs that would prompt mud and messiness year-round—and considering our multi-phase approach—we decided moving forward now would be the best short-term solution.

We are so pleased with our results and couldn’t recommend Agriscapes more. Muddy paws and ruined floors, no more!