Master Bath Renovation

My final project for 2009 was the renovation of three bathrooms for a husband and wife.  They were new clients and a pleasure to work for.  I worked primarily with the husband and that was a new experience for me, since most of my clients are either women or my main interactions are with the wife.  I would love to have more male clients. It is always refreshing to gain a new perspective.

The before pictures show what is a very typical bathroom for this neighborhood.  Most of the homes were built in the early 90's.  The lighting was dismal, storage not ideal, the sink console was very low, and the shower was extremely small for a master bath in a tradtional home that is over 4,000 sq. ft. And, then there was that awful roman tub.  A concept that I will never understand!

What the clients asked for:  Work within the current footprint to create a modern space.  Include plenty of lighting, better storage, but nothing too shiny, and no white cabinets or espresso stained wood.

What I proposed:  Eliminate the soffit over the sink console that contained the recessed lights (something they originally did not embrace) in favor of 3 sconces (nixed-they wanted them wall mounted over the mirrors) on the back wall between two rectangular mirrors.  Put in a free standing tub (nixed-the husband has a very stressful job and wanted a large jetted tub) in order to make the shower longer and more comfortable to move around.  A serene pallete of creamy marble and a spa- inspired blue,their favorite color (agreed-loved) and understated hardware and fixtures (agreed) so the tile would garner most of the attention. Shorten the counter run a bit to widen the shower as well as do a pony wall on this side too to let in more light (not sure initially because again it meant losing the soffit) as well as help with the ventillation issues.

The end result:  A modern space that is a serene, spa- inspired master retreat. The storage is now more efficient with lots of drawers, the lighting more than adequate (there are also seven 4" recessed cans in the vaulted ceiling), the ventillation issues addressed, as well as a wider and longer shower.  When the walls came down, there was a surprise waiting behind them ...isn't there always...but this time it involved 10 inches of prime real estate! The plumbing had originally been "cheated" to line up with the sink run.  I remember when the GC called to tell me of the discovery.  I was over the moon with excitement and rushed over to see the "find"!

As with any large renovation that involves many trades, it was an adventure in issues, errors, delays and compromises.  The final result was  a wonderful collaboration, two happy clients, and a project I am proud to put my name on.

Note: On load in day the two mirrors had not arrived!  Super disappointing because we had three people scheduled for this, all with very tight schedules...days before Thanksgiving!  I took comfort in knowing this has even happened the great Vicente Wolf!  See his blog for the story.  When I do my web site hopefully it will include the shot with the mirrors.