Our Bathroom Renovations

Today I am continuing the Home Design Series with the renovation of our two bathrooms. Both of the bathrooms were oddly designed originally; seeming like afterthoughts. The challenge for us was to design bathrooms that were functional as well as bright and beautiful. There was not a lot of space to work with for either bathroom; but by being thoughtful about use, we were able to reconfigure the bathrooms to be more functional and to maximize space. So let’s explore the transformations!

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Guest Bathroom

This bathroom was so weird! There was an incredibly long counter, a single sink, with just bottom cabinets and drawers for storage. The lack of windows made this room feel like a long dark hallway. The wallpaper was not doing it any favors, either!

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The pointlessly long counter took up so much space that the tub/shower insert and the toilet were really cramped at the end. These two things are essentially the main purpose of the space. So this bathroom felt like it lacked functionality.

Demo Day

We completely gutted the bathroom and unfortunately found mold and a lot deterioration behind and under the shower and tub.

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Personally, I feel that bathrooms need to have some natural light. So the first order of business was to add a transom window at the end of the bathroom, in the shower. Even from these in-progress pictures, the natural light makes a gigantic difference in the overall feel of the space.

After…

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The redesign included shortening the counter and adding a tall cabinet for more storage. In shortening the counter, we could move the toilet down toward the sink a bit and open up the shower space. Because we don’t have children, a bathtub was unnecessary. But we do have three dogs, and an open, more spacious shower space provides an easy way for me to bathe them without having to get them into a tub.

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Here’s a side-by-side; before and after:

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Master Bathroom

The master bathroom was a bit more involved because it required altering the footprint of the space. The view below is looking toward the master bath. The original layout was like a hotel room where the double vanity is basically in the bedroom, with a wide entryway and no privacy. The doorway to the left opens to the shower, tub and toilet.

The redesign of the layout includes popping out that area to the left of the doorway to the shower/tub/toilet. In the picture above, you can see that area that “pops” out a little bit. My redesign would pop it out far enough to create a nook for the toilet. This would also shorten the main entryway into the bathroom space, creating a standard sized doorway so we could add a door for separation and privacy.

Inside the shower/tub/toilet space, there is a window behind the toilet, which we left intact.

Demo Day

In addition to adjusting the footprint of the bathroom, I wanted a completely open shower. Essentially, the room would be one large shower room, with a small nook for the toilet. Much like the guest bath, I wanted to bring more natural light to this bathroom, so we have another transom window in the shower. And also like the guest bath, this one had mold and deterioration issues that needed remediation.

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Progress…

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In the progress image above, you can see we kept the double vanity location the same, swapping out the cabinetry, counter top and fixtures. The original doorway into the shower room remains, but you can see the little nook we created for the toilet by “popping out” that area of the shower room into the original entryway with the double vanity.

With moving the toilet into the little nook, we gained enough space for a free standing tub, in roughly the same spot where the toilet was originally located. To the right of the tub, the shower is in the same location as the original shower/tub. But instead of a closed off shower over tub situation, the whole area is open.

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The view below shows the new entryway to the master bathroom; how we have a standard-sized doorway. We opted for a sliding barn door, to eliminate the space required by a door swinging outward or inward.

Below, see the before and after (I added another transom window above the bed to bring more natural light into the master bedroom.):

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Thank you all for spending some time touring our Bathroom Renovations today. Webber Coleman handled the entire home remodel project and it was wonderful to be on the same page with our designer and contractor. If you missed the Kitchen Renovation Post, check that out. I am a big fan of consistency, so you might notice the similarities in the use of materials through both renovations. Remember you can also find me on Instagram and Pinterest! Take care and be well, everyone. xo Kelly