Kitchen and Bath Design Tips for Your California Bungalow

Whether you actually live in California or you’re simply looking for ways to bring a Cali-inspired vibe to your space, there’s something uniquely inviting about a California bungalow-style home.

With these tips and ideas that embrace a sunny, airy, contemporary aesthetic, you can capture a distinctly Californian style when renovating or designing two of the most important rooms of your home: the kitchen and bathroom. From coastal chic to rustic to eclectic, let’s take a look at how you can achieve the perfect look for your California bungalow’s kitchen and bath.

Kitchen

The kitchen in your California bungalow should be warm, light and airy. A white kitchen design is an excellent choice that’s timeless yet contemporary. Use finishes that are chic and natural, and warm wall colors such as soft grays, butter yellow, or cream. Here are a few more ideas to inspire your kitchen design:

1. Open Shelves & Cabinets

Sometimes—particularly if your kitchen is on the smaller side—upper cabinets can make the space feel crowded and heavy. Opt for open shelves or door-less cabinets on the top half of your kitchen’s walls instead. This is a great opportunity to display pretty dishes or colorful, interesting kitchen items that can become pieces of statement décor instead of being hidden behind cabinet doors.

2. Light Countertops

Brighten your kitchen and help create a chic, coastal aesthetic with white or light-colored countertops such as marble, quartz or limestone. Hues that feel warm and bright are perfect for ensuring your kitchen looks clean and contemporary yet inviting.

3. Wood-Look Flooring

Hardwood floors have a warm appearance that makes any space feel welcoming, but wood-look tile is a durable and low-maintenance alternative that’s sure to transform your California bungalow’s kitchen. A deep, rich wood tone can be the perfect way to bring contrast to a white kitchen, while lighter finishes add a soft, chic look. Aspen offers a trendy whitewashed look, Aequa is sleek and Essence is soft and rustic.

Bathroom

Aim for a bathroom that’s simple, sleek and chic. You can’t go wrong with whites and neutrals, and fresh décor such as potted plants and patterned towels. Ideally, a California-inspired bathroom should have plenty of natural light, but you can complement it with soft, warm lighting that creates a cheerful ambiance. Take a look at these other ideas for bringing your bungalow bathroom to life:

1. Pedestal Sink

A pedestal sink not only works great for small bathrooms, but it also adds a sophisticated and classic look to the space. It will help your California bathroom seem larger by preserving floor space, and add an elegant aesthetic.

2. Hex Tile Floors

Hexagon tiles are stylish and on-trend, and there are plenty of ways to use them in your California bungalow bathroom. We love the look of hex tile floors. Go big with larger hex tiles like Varese, or add a classic black-and-white pattern to your floors with smaller mosaic tile such as Luxe Hexagon.

3. Contrasting Grout

Make your white tile walls or shower stand out by opting for a darker grout color that adds contrast and visual interest. White subway tile with gray or black grout is a simple way to add a unique look without going too bold.

See what your high quality bathroom and kitchen tile and slab products would look like in your California-style bungalow with the Just Imagine Visualizer from Arizona Tile.