Even after 30 years, our clients loved their home in the foothills above Warm Springs Avenue in Boise. The floor plan gave it an intimacy that one of them described as like “living in a treehouse.” Eventually, however, one aspect of any home that can become not only outdated but dysfunctional are its bathrooms. It was time to rekindle the magic with a master bath and guest bath makeover.
Vision
Our clients had never really cared for the bathrooms in their home from the day they moved in, and as the years went by, both the master and guest bathrooms became increasingly outdated. The original plan was to update the master bathroom, but on closer inspection of the tile in the guest bath/powder room, we discovered that the wall behind it was rotting out. Fortunately, our clients had had thirty years of thinking about how they would ideally like both rooms to look that they could share with us.
Challenge
The master bathroom was cramped and dark, a feeling that both he original wallpaper (which was beginning to peel away) and the dark brown tile in the shower and tub areas contributed to. While we wanted to give the room a more spacious and lighter feeling, keeping the costs of the remodel to a minimum dictated that we stay with the same layout — which was fortunately a good one. In the case of the guest bath/powder room, our client wanted the update to reflect a feeling of water through softer colors and more light. A Google search using the words “zen bathrooms” yielded plenty of inspiration when it came time to choose tile, cabinetry, and finishes.
Accomplishment
To open up the master bath space, we removed full height walls, including the shower wall, and put in a new window. The vanity and toilet stayed in the same location, but we shifted the shower just enough to install a custom pan, while keeping the new tub in same location. New cabinets, sinks, floors, and fixtures not only gave the room a more contemporary look, but contributed to the overall feeling of light and space. For the guest bathroom, our project manager painstakingly ferreted out the elements that fit with our client’s design vision, including exactly the tile to achieve the “water effect” she was looking for.
Highlights
Among the happy surprises with the guest bathroom remodel was our discovery of an affordable frameless glass shower enclosure and a frameless mirror that created what our client described as a “floating” effect. How zen is that?