Week Ten: the bathroom

Ceilings, check. Floors, check. Night after night of manual labor complete, check-ish…

The major labor intensive projects were done. The focus of week ten was more detail driven. We wanted the bathroom to feel luxurious, comfortable, and warm. I can not stress enough the importance of a well designed bathroom. First of all, if there is one room to throw a little extra money towards this is it, aside from the kitchen. Once finished, you and your guests will be absolutely thrilled.

You do not have to go over the top with the design and layout. Keep it simple and open.

Space definitely plays a role when it comes to bathroom design. To give the space a clean and simpler look we used a classic pedestal sink with a modern toilet with a top mount button for low water consumption. A galvanized shelving unit for towels, wash clothes, and toiletries was added for extra storage.

The main focus of most bathrooms is the shower. We wanted it to feel like a retreat after a long day. Therefore, we made it very spacious, clean, and cozy. When creating a shower from scratch with the purpose of accommodating guest after guest we needed to keep a few things in mind:

1. Keep it simple: Not everyone has the same aesthetic taste so we did not want to use over the top designs or colors.
2. Size matters: The shower needed to be spacious enough to accommodate people of all sizes. Height will also play a role so we made sure that the shower head had a clearance of 7 ft.
3. Set the mood: We installed a dimmer switch on the shower. You get the idea…
4. Convenience: A three chamber dispenser was put in for shampoo, conditioner, and body wash so our guests did not have to feel like they needed to bring those items with them.
5. Easy to clean: Your shower will need to be quick and easy to clean. Don’t make it harder on your cleaning crew or yourself. Cleaning takes time and should be done correctly.

We used the classic white subway tile with a pewter grout to stand out. The tile flooring is a Carrara Marble Basket Weave Mosaic tile that my wife found at Stone Center Online. A rainfall shower head was installed and the finishing touch was installing the 75-lb glass door. Depending on the size a glass door can run anywhere from $300-$600. We actually found this one on Craigslist for $100. The hardware for installing a glass door is very important. Quality and durability are key.

Washer & dryer hook ups were installed in the walk-in bathroom storage room. Since this entire space is all-inclusive being able to add this feature was a huge plus. The water lines were already in place so drilling a hole for the exhaust to escape to the exterior was all that was still needed. Here is a pic during the process before the drywall was put up.

Another tip to save on space and add some character to any room is to use pocket doors. Not every design space can incorporate pocket doors but it was a great fit for our space and is a nice addition to the overall look. Pocket doors are great assets when dealing with tighter spaces, especially bathrooms and closets. However, pocket doors do not allow for much sound proofing so keep that in mind when deciding to use it or not. Since our space is all-inclusive sound reduction was not something we needed to focus on to heavily.

Create a space that you would want to use if you were a guest in someone’s home. Would you want to see clutter? When designing try to stay in the mindset that less is “often times” more. Unnecessary items need to go. Provide the essentials and always keep your guests best interests at heart!