MAIN BATHROOM REMODEL: Renovating a Main Bathroom for a Mother and Daughter

   

BEFORE | DURING | AFTER

Taking on a main bathroom remodel can be daunting. It’s difficult enough to make decisions regarding design and functionality, but the displacement of not having this bathroom available to the family during the renovation could possibly put off anyone seeking to undertake the project in the first place.

This bathroom remodel is for a mother and grade school daughter. The parents both get ready at the same time in the morning, so the mother is with the daughter and the father is in the master bathroom as it only has one sink.

The main bathroom remodel required that the design be functional for both a child and for the adult. In the end, it needed to serve the growing child, but not be too “girlie” for the mother. A timeless, clean design was in order.

There were very specific design choices for this project:

• Cutouts that hold shampoo/conditioner and soap in the shower for each of the users – and one at a height that the child could reach now.
• A personal shower was installed with a hand-held showerhead to help rinse the daughter’s hair more easily.
• A toilet was selected so the child could reach it by herself, but not too small or low that it would look odd in the space.
• Double sinks were a must so they could get ready at the same time.
• Having an adequate number of towel rods to accommodate multiple users was required.
• A new mirrored medicine cabinet would be installed to keep medication away from small hands.
• Good lighting – and an ability to dim the lights in the evening, in case the little one needs to get up in the middle of the night and use the bathroom.
• Radiant-heated floors were considered with the cold Michigan winters, but ruled out due to limitations in available circuits in the electrical box and what it would take to run a dedicated line.

Everything was considered in this renovation.

The space in general is quite wide and generous. The bathroom has a vertical window in the far corner and had to be worked around. The original bathtub was a standard width, so the original builder design called for a simple solution of a creating a wood “box” and using floor/wall tile to cover the space. Something new had to be done to update this space. It was essentially covering “dead space”. In addition, there was a step up to the tub and a soffit above the tub…. both were removed for ease of use and to create a more open space.

The new vanity is white with a Carrera marble countertop. I carried this over to the now heightened “box” to give it further dimension and use and then capped it off with marble-looking quartz. By today’s standards, quartz is actually more expensive than marble, but in this case, it was a better solution as the area would get wet frequently and I was concerned about long-term staining – even if sealed. In the end, they both look similar and it is difficult to tell that the shelf is actually quartz and not marble.

Here are the before and after shots….

  

Flooring is very much a personal choice. Going with a more modern approach from the old 4×4 tiles that surrounded the tub/shower and floor, I designed in medium gray large porcelain tiles side-by-side in a uniform, stacked pattern. The cool gray plays well against the white subway 4×8 inch oversized tiles. By adding color to the non-tiled walls…. it can go from very neutral to more masculine or conversly feminine by selecting a paint color… in this case, shades of pink and purple would be setting the tone.

One of my main objectives in any design is comprehensive layering. Here I have the Carerra marble countertop, backed up to the white subway tile… which is then capped with a substantial chair rail. On top of that is the paint color and the white framed mirror is featured over all of it. Four layers of materials and color give depth to this space without it being too jarring or dramatic. It’s a subtle, yet effective effect that pleases the eye.

Speaking of the chair rail… there are many different effects, some dramatic and some subtle. There was nothing subtle about the base (or sanitary) tile. I wanted a traditional look, so I selected 6 inch base tile to surround the space. Chair rail and base tile can get pricey and I don’t recommend it everywhere. In the long run, it completes this elegant, yet modern space with style.

    

TILE: CHAIR RAIL | CHAIR RAIL WITH BULLNOSE | BASE/SANITARY

Here are some of the final pictures of the space…. enjoy!

I began this post talking about avoiding bathroom renovation primarily due to inconvenience. Yes… inconvenience can be a real pain, but if you find a great and efficient contractor, then you will know that it was all worth it in the end! By the way…. this renovation was completed in 10 days.

                    

RESOURCES:

Vanity: Bauhaus Bath Coraline 75″ Double Bathroom Vanity Set with Mirror by Wayfair.com

Tub: Whirlpool Archer 5 ft. Whirlpool

Personal Shower: Kohler Devonshire Essentials Performance Showering Package (K-10825-4-CP)

Faucet: Kohler Forte Single 1-Handle Low Arc Faucet (Chrome)

Towel Bars, etc: Mercer Bath Collection by Pottery Barn

Paint: Sherwin Williams Potentially Purple (SW 6821)

Tile: The Tile Shop

Toilet: Kohler Wellworth White