Land Park 1928 Historic Bath Restoration

Project Brief

Location: Land Park, Sacramento — between Land Park Drive and Riverside Boulevard.
Year built: 1928 (English Tudor, raised foundation).
Scope: Period-appropriate restoration of the original second-floor bathroom — preserve original tile, salvage clawfoot tub, full PEX-A re-pipe of the affected branch, modern waterproofing hidden behind period finishes.
Timeline: 9 weeks demo to walkthrough.
Investment range: $48,000 to $58,000.

Existing Conditions

An almost-intact 1928 original Land Park bathroom on the second floor of a Tudor — 7x9 feet, original cast-iron clawfoot tub on the long wall, original pedestal sink under a leaded-glass window, original 1-inch white hex floor with black accent inlays, original 4x4 white subway with a black accent strip floor-to-ceiling on three walls. The tile work was extraordinary — close to museum-quality preservation, with the original glaze and grout still mostly intact after 98 years. Plaster was original and largely sound, with two areas of soft-pin damage where the supply lines had slow-leaked at the wall.

Original chrome fittings on the clawfoot were pitted but the cast-iron itself was sound. The leaded-glass window was beautiful but the wood frame was failing at the sill. The original galvanized supply was reduced to about 40 percent flow at the sink. Original cast-iron drain was sound. Original wall sconces (a remarkable 1928 nickel pair) were no longer wired to code.

Design Approach

The brief was strict period preservation with modern systems. The clawfoot tub stays in place, gets reglazed, gets new period-correct exposed plumbing in polished nickel (Kohler Memoirs Stately exposed shower set with handheld). The pedestal sink stays in place, gets a new Kohler Antique Bridge widespread in polished nickel. The original 1-inch hex floor and 4x4 subway walls get fully salvaged — every original tile that can be saved, gets saved. We carefully demo around the tile in 18-inch sections, address the failed waterproofing behind, install a fresh Schluter Kerdi-Board substrate, and re-set the original tile back into place. The black accent inlays on the floor get supplemented from a tile-salvage shop.

The leaded-glass window gets professionally restored by a Sacramento stained-glass specialist — frame rebuilt, leading re-soldered, glass cleaned. The original 1928 nickel sconces get fully rewired (UL-listed retrofit kits, period appearance preserved) and supplemented with a Visual Comfort Bryant flush-mount on the ceiling for general light. Wall paint above the wainscot is Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster.

Build Notes

Four real surprises. First, the galvanized supply was worse than expected and we ended up re-piping not just the bath branch but a continuous run that fed the kitchen as well — added two weeks to the project but caught a problem the homeowner was going to face anyway. Second, the original 1928 tub mounting (cast-iron tub on a wood floor with no auxiliary support) had cracked one floor joist over the decades; we sistered the joist from below before re-setting the tub. Third, the original drain was a 2-inch lead-bend that needed to be code-updated to a 1.5-inch trap with proper vent — clean swap from below. Fourth, the original window restoration ran four weeks rather than three; we extended the project timeline rather than rush.

The tile salvage was the standout. We saved 96 percent of the original 4x4 subway and 91 percent of the original hex floor. The black accent inlays were fully sourced from a Bay Area tile-salvage specialist. The result is indistinguishable from a freshly-laid period bathroom.

Materials List

• Wall tile: salvaged 1928 4x4 white subway with black accent strip + supplement from tile-salvage
• Floor tile: salvaged 1928 1-inch white hex with black inlays + supplement
• Tub: original 1928 cast-iron clawfoot, professionally reglazed
• Tub fixtures: Kohler Memoirs Stately exposed shower set in polished nickel, with handheld
• Sink: original 1928 pedestal preserved
• Sink faucet: Kohler Antique Bridge widespread in polished nickel
• Toilet: Kohler Memoirs Stately one-piece in white
• Window: original 1928 leaded glass professionally restored
• Sconces: original 1928 nickel sconces rewired with UL-listed retrofit kits
• Ceiling light: Visual Comfort Bryant flush-mount in polished nickel
• Mirror: custom polished-nickel-framed beveled, sized to original window proportion
• Hardware: Emtek polished-nickel throughout
• Plumbing: full PEX-A re-pipe of bath and kitchen branches
• Waterproofing: Schluter Kerdi-Board substrate, hidden behind salvaged tile
• Plaster: traditional three-coat repair on damaged sections
• Wall paint: Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster above wainscot, original trim color preserved