Post #1 of 2 in a series.
A soaking tub, spacious walk-in shower and his and her vanities: This owner’s suite bathroom remodel is proof that you really can have it all.
The perennial dilemma for homeowners when remodeling an ensuite bathroom is tub or no tub? But that wasn’t the case for these Northeast Ohio homeowners. They knew exactly what they wanted in their builder-grade bathroom refresh. Their wish list to bring their space up to date and in line with their personal style included:
- Large walk-in shower with a bench seat
- Built-in tub and updated fixtures
- Finishes in a lighter, brighter palette
We’re going to show you how we brought their updated bathroom vision to life.
Primary Bathroom – Before & After
Updating the Primary Bathroom
As soon as these homeowners decided to move back to Ohio to be closer to family, the search was on. They found their perfect fit: a home built in the 1990s, in the ideal location, with lush, mature landscaping and thoughtful upgrades throughout. But there was one exception: the outdated owner’s bathroom was stuck in the past with its original cabinetry, drab linoleum flooring, stall shower enclosure and bulky tub.
Our team at Dover helped the homeowners modernize their space with on-trend style and classic appointments, for the refreshed aesthetic they wanted and the upgraded functionality they needed in their bathroom.
Primary Bathroom Redesign
The upside of the original bathroom is that it had a large window for abundant natural light. And the room’s ample size was large enough to fit all the elements that the homeowners wanted in their renovated space: an oversized shower, a built-in tub, private/separate toilet room, double vanity and linen closet.
From a layout perspective, it was relatively straightforward. We were able to keep the existing window and maintain the same placement for the double vanity and tub. To free up space for the new larger shower, we removed the shower stall, header and dividing wall to maximize every square inch of space. In terms of mechanical, per the new layout we relocated the heat run and added a new exhaust fan/light combo for proper ventilation.
Upgrading the Primary Bathroom Shower
The original shower was a fiberglass enclosure that felt boxed-in. It was tight, dark and outdated.
The Shower Before:
The Shower After:
For the new shower, we built the custom enclosure and waterproofed the structure using the Schluter system. It features a tile surround: American Olean in Sunset Falls, 6” x 18” on the walls with accent tile in the custom niche and on the floor from Emser Tile in HANGAR. To finish it, we trimmed with Schluter profile in textured gray.
The new shower design includes a custom knee wall and glass enclosure to separate the shower from the tub, but without closing off or visually separating the space. A built-in bench seat with granite surfaces and edge caps makes the shower safer and more user friendly (Granite: Caledonia). Dual showerheads —fixed and handheld — match the other sleek Moen fixtures in brushed nickel used throughout the new bathroom space for a seamless, contemporary look.
In our next blog, we’ll move on to the remainder of this beautiful primary bathroom renovation. Follow along to see what’s next!
Angie Hambach
