Planning an Enormous Master Bath Remodel

Bathrooms and kitchens are the rooms that make or break a home sale, right?

I guess that’s why my current home sat on the market for six years. I don’t think that many significant renovations had been done since the house was built in 2000. 

We bought around the twenty-year mark, when styles appear obviously dated and repairs become frequent. Obviously, we knew when we purchased the house that renovations were inevitable. For the record, I didn’t like anything about the master bathroom. Three years after purchasing the home, I still don’t.

The prospect of doing a major overhaul of the master bath didn’t excite me. However, we had a shower plumbing leak about a year ago that gave me the motivation I needed to get a quote. We were told that the ultra-custom plumbing fixtures in the shower are obsolete, and replacement parts are exceedingly difficult to locate. Yeah, it sucks when you realize that the next leak may not be easily fixable. We also have leaky sink faucets and an old-school whirlpool tub, rust-stained shower tiles, and a shower door that threatens to break loose when it opens. 

Total gut vs. facelift

I met with a bathroom designer, Tim, who reviewed the options for our bathroom with me. The awkward layout of our galley-style bathroom was, unfortunately, not something that I could change easily. We were stuck with a relatively narrow bathroom with a long counter, but Tim showed me a reasonable solution. If we removed the current, ridiculously wide tub, we could install a narrower, freestanding tub, giving the room an extra foot of space. By moving back the lip of the walk-in shower, the whole bathroom would have more walking space. That was important to my morning happiness—my husband and I frequently bump into each other when getting ready. It drives me nuts.

To make the updated design possible, we would have to do a total removal of all floor tile (thank God!), the tile shower surround, the tub and tile ledge, countertops, vanity, and mirror. Even the mixed-metal chrome-and-brass 1990’s fixtures would go, boo hoo. The issue with bathroom remodels is that once you change one element, such as the tub, it affects other elements, like the tile. Things get expensive quickly. Since this was the master bath, we needed to do a full remodel, very different than the upstairs bath mini-remodel.

Choosing surfaces

Going to the tile store was one of the most exciting parts of the planning process! After Tim and his team drew a representation of our new bathroom design, we met with the tile dealer. In preparation for the appointment, I spent many hours on Pinterest and Houzz, searching for the perfect materials for our new bath. Through Houzz, I made a project board and saved the ideas that appealed to me making note of what, exactly, I liked. This proved helpful at the tile store.

We booked an hour-long consultation with the tile specialist, but only needed twenty minutes. I decided on a black-and-white scheme. We would use white subway tile for the shower walls, black matte tile for the shower floor, and charcoal black plank tile for the bathroom floor. The shower bench would use the same tile as the bathroom floor, unifying the design. To add visual texture, I decided on a chevron design for the shower floor.

Cabinets & countertops

The cabinet and countertop selection was likewise made easier by my thorough research and planning. I cannot overemphasize the importance of doing your homework before meeting with a design team. After all, you will be the one living in that space, and you will be happier if you choose design details that appeal to you. (They also charge by the hour, and they are NOT cheap!) I have to admit, I also considered resale when designing the bathroom—I have no doubt that the master bath kept our house on the market.

For the cabinets, I selected a simple Shaker cabinet style in white. The countertops would be white quartz, durable and much prettier than our faux granite countertops. Instead of a tiered countertop, the counter would extend all the way across at one level, and a cabinet bank would be installed in lieu of the vanity area. Instead of a single bank of oversized drawers, we would install a bank of smaller drawers, with “his” and “hers” sides. 

Fixtures

To keep the black-and-white theme of the room consistent, I insisted on black matte fixtures throughout the bathroom. I chose industrial, simple handles for the cabinet doors, and light fixtures with a similar bar styling. For the bathtub, shower, and sink handles, I selected sleek and simple styles that I feel will look relevant even ten years from now.

Just waiting on a start date!

I know I have mentioned supply line shortages in several of my previous posts, and they will affect this project as well as others I have overseen recently. The custom cabinets are the factor delaying the start date of this bathroom project, but they will undoubtedly be worth the wait. As of now, we are anticipating the beginning of the project in early spring.

I’ll keep you posted! Subscribe to my blog today for updates on new articles, design inspiration, and other staging and decorating topics!

Until next time, XOXO!