We are going to remodel our master bath. It was designed in the 1980’s. Any suggestions from anyone who’s done this? What did you do that you love? What did you forget?
Thanks!
We remodeled our master bath 3 years ago. I wish that we had installed a radiant heat floor. A heated floor would be so lovely right now in the winter! I love the sky light that our contractor suggested we add over the shower - it allows the perfect amount of light into the room. I also like the LED night lights built into the electrical outlets - that was another contractor suggestion. I am also glad that we installed ‘comfort height’ instead of standard height toilets.
I SOOOOO want to do this. I would get rid of the jacuzzi. I would put in a regular size but deeper bathtub. This would also enable me to make my 4 foot shower a five foot one.
I would get a new vanity…one of the higher ones. I would get Quartz counters with an integrated sink. The mirror above my vanity would go, and I would get two framed nice mirrors, one for above each sink. Radiant floors would be great too…but I’m not sure I would do that.
I actually like my wood trim, and my light fixtures…so I would likely keep them.
Toilet, tub, shower stall would all be white (like they are now).
I have a small oriental rug in the room, and I would choose a color for the walls,from that rug.
It’s nice to dream!
“Normal” bathroom cabinets are 18" deep. I’m much happier with 24". You can even use standard cabinets for this by setting them 6" out from the wall and installing a full-sized counter.
We got white beadboard paneling in the bathroom when we redid it in 2007 (a big mistake; wood and bathrooms don’t mix) and an acrylic tub (another big mistake). The contractor suggested everything and we stupidly went along with it (it was just easier for them to install and we were worn out with the kitchen renovation).
We do, however, have radiant heat floors in the bathrooms (and all over, actually), and they are the best.
We love our heated floor and it was dh’s second favorite thing done in our remodel. His favorite is his Japanese bidet seat on a Toto toilet.
We had a skylight over the shower in a previous home and found the noise from rain to be too loud when we were trying to sleep. Depending on the layout of your bedroom and bathroom, that may not be a problem for you. In this house we have a window, about 18" X 60", set very high on the back wall of the shower instead of a skylight.
There are motion sensor light switches for the lights at the entrance to the bathroom and in our closets. The exhaust fans have countdown timer switches so I don’t worry about whether dh runs them long enough or forgets to turn them off.
The shower has separate controls for each shower head, with the pressure and temperature controlled independently. The controls are placed near the shower entry so we don’t get wet when turning on the shower heads. I had individual supply lines run to each shower head, too, so that each one gets full pressure. The shower was built using a Kerdi shower system. That was most important since the reason for the remodel was a failed shower pan and I did not want to have that happen again. I had a long grab bar installed on the back wall, too. (There are many these days that don’t look institutional.)
In addition to the exhaust fans in the water closets, there’s a Panasonic WhisperWarm exhaust fan just outside the shower. We prefer to keep our thermostat set quite low in the master suite at night, but the radiant floor heat and WhisperWarm make the bathroom nice and toasty.
I had one HVAC floor register replaced with two toe-kick registers in our vanities beneath the sinks. That feels good in summer as well as winter. The water closet HVAC registers were moved from the floor to the lower wall, making mopping easier.
The old Jacuzzi tub was replaced with a deep soaking tub that has a handheld spray (Kohler Vintage.) No more cleaning the water jets or worrying about mold. It’s also easier for me to get in and out of than the Jacuzzi with a tiled tub deck. The recessed lights over the tub are on dimmers so we can have them bright for reading or very dim for relaxing.
Dh and I have hardwired heated towel bars in our closets that we also use for drying swimsuits and delicate items. Decorative hooks were installed by the shower and the tub, too.
Every time we build or remodel, we learn something new. I’ve already started a list for the next house, even though it could be years away.
Comfort height toilet, in a separately enclosed space with a door.
Separate glass-walled shower, with a shower head plus a hand held (with separate controls), a bench, niches, and safety grab bar.
Soaking tub.
Lots of storage.
Timers on the fans.
Great lighting, with dimmers.
Contractor suggested we set vanity taller and deeper and I find anything lower a strain on my back.
Five-sided glass shower with bench, hand-held sprayer (for cleaning, more than anything). Didn’t want a tub so didn’t install one. There are two others in the house.
Wish we had radiant heat. Love the heater built into toe-kick that we have in another bathroom and wish we had it in master. As mentioned above, live and learn with each renovation.
Loved toe-kick night lights at a new Four Seasons property.
Question: how do people have skylights? Do some houses not have attics? (I have only lived in one house, so forgive my ignorance!)
Must now go investigate comfort height toilets. Never knew they existed!
I wish I had radiant heat. I love the walk-in show with no door. I just have an adjustable shower with a removable head and love it. I don’t need anything more complicated. 36" high vanity top is a must - I’m fine with 21" deep. I got a glass top with an integrated bowl which I love, but it has to use a pop-up drain. Like this but wider: http://www.wayfair.com/Pegasus-31-Glass-Vanity-Top-with-Sink-PBI31B-PGS2566.html
If I were doing it over… Wire for the Japanese bidet toilet seat.
Our experience based on a recent bathroom remodel in a climate with cold winters:
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heated flooring - a must if you do nothing else !!!
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elevated height counter-tops and toilet
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small free standing tub (Victoria & Albert) to replace old never-used jacuzzi. (Should have considered installing nearby tank-less hot water system.)
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read any of a number of excellent articles on “aging-in-place” adaptations for bathroom remodels
Redid our 1987 house 2 years ago. Corian with integrated sinks, 36" tall counters. Lines of 4, not 3, drawers. Eliminated the open under counter make up area- replaced with drawer and towel cupboard space. Single lever faucets.
Delta’s shower with separate temp/volume controls. Kept the shower bench, eliminated the soap dish. Kept the two sprays- reused the hand held spray as it is wonderful for rinsing the shower. Kept the obscure glass. Replaced large tub- did not do a whirlpool because we are in Florida and have a pool plus spa (which we never use). Kept the step along the tub (and tile, not carpeted now).
Added more towel bars. Moved toilet paper holder to right and a bit forward of toilet. Chair height toilet.
Removed the carpet (yes, up to the shower across from the toilet it had carpet!).
Removed wallpaper, and found out Florida doesn’t allow it in bathrooms now per contractor (mold issues?).
Already had a decent vent fan and recessed into ceiling lights. Kept huge mirror (they had to remove/replace it higher). Kept the side wall (as deep as counter) medicine cabinet. Added a shaving mirror to the other side wall.
If we needed more storage I would have added it between the sinks. When we had our architect designed house (with a good ideas builder as well) we put in an extra deep medicine cabinet between the two sinks- used space between the studs. Our old house had a separate toilet space as well. Sliding doors as well- out of the way and kept open when on the throne and no one trying to use the rest of the bathroom- could see out of the window. Also had a nice built in linen cabinet- a lot of storage for sheets, towels etc. Had room in toilet area for the bathroom scale.
It is nicer to not have the master closet accessed from the bath- humidity and you can use it while someone is using the bathroom.
Used cordless horizontal 1" metal blinds. Keep one set so we get some light but privacy over the tub. The other we open/close- there’s a privacy wall in front of it. In our second story master bath we also had blinds- closed at night but open days- no one could see in (of course, a motivated person with binoculars could try…).
Choose floor and other tile colors that are neutral so you can change things. We used eggshell paint on walls and ceiling- not flat because of humidity.
I replaced a double jacuzzi with a deeper soaking tub (with sprayer) installed in a corner with a half wall on one side and a 24" wide wall niche for easy access to toiletries. I was looking for function and ease of cleaning and decided against a free standing tub, despite their beauty.
Love a big shower and have a rain head, as well as a hand held option. You need a handheld to clean the glass, but I find I use it instead of the rain head. The designer said men often use rain heads; women may prefer handhelds.
Comfort height toilet and lots of storage are great. We placed a narrow, tall cabinet between our two sinks on the wide counter, with lots of outlets inside for charging toothbrushes and hair dryers, etc. it is great to hide it all. Beneath each sink, we had a deep drawer (@10" high all around) on the bottom, customized around the plumbing. This has worked great for bulkier items, cleaning supplies, wastebasket. Stuff can’t get lost and above it is a shelf that is in the front of the cabinet and ends about 12 inches in with a back edge that prevents things from falling backwards. No black holes. Also have a wide bank of increasingly deep drawers between vanities. The top drawer is shallow and perfect for make up and daily use stuff. It is easy to find what you need and work from the drawer, with no clutter.
We put all lighting on dimmers and the medicine cabinets are mirrored inside, including the back of the door. Makes it brighter and easier to find things.
Have fun!
Yes, heated floors and taller vanities are great. We have a walk in shower that is positioned in a way that there is some privacy around a wall. There is no need for a door or shower curtain. The separate hand held sprayer is also great, but as someone said this is mostly for cleaning. We have his and her vanities, but only one of them contains a pull out hamper. I wish both of them had pull out hampers – one is not enough.
My parents just redid their bathroom for possible future handicap accessibility. This involves a walk in shower with a tiled bench and a hand held sprayer (for the person who would sit on the bench) but also a vanity where there is a large opening under the sink for use with a walker or to provide more room for a wheel chair to turn around. So the sink and counter top has nothing under it except a column of drawers at one end.
My parents’ new bathroom has subway tile. I once remodeled a bathroom and chose a fancy row of tiles that sat on top of the regular tiles at about chest height. I think it was called a listel – that single row of decorative tile cost more than all of the other tiles together and I would not do that again.
I just bought a new house with a spectacularly beautiful master bath.
What I love: carrera marble slab counters and carrera marble mosaic tile floors.
The high countertops.
Very nice fixtures.
The LOOK of the freestanding tub with the floor mounted fixture.
The LOOK of the giant shower with the frameless glass enclosure and the big flat shower head mounted from the ceiling.
What I’m not so crazy about:
The functionality of the freestanding tub. There’s no ledge to put stuff on so I had to get a little side table and a freestanding towel rack to put next to the tub. This takes away from the free-standing look a bit. I also worry a little bit about the six to nine inch gap between the edge of the tub and the back wall. It is going to be hard to keep clean.
The functionality of the big flat rain shower head. The water pressure is not all that great coming from that thing.
There are also jets in the shower that feel like a combo of hot water and hot air. That’s what I use to rinse my hair and to get the feeling of very high water pressure I love. However …
When I use the jet feature water goes all over the floor outside the frameless shower because there is no seal around the edges of the shower. I almost wonder if I’m doing something wrong.
I really hate the low flow toilet but they are mandatory here.
All in all, it makes me happy to have such a beautiful bathroom!
- Electric mirror. Gorgeous! And no need for unsighty vanity light fixtures.
http://www.electricmirror.com/
- If there is tile in the plan, make sure to get epoxy grout instead of the regular kind. The former does not need sealing since it is non-porous.
- Dual shower heads in the shower if the space permits. Saves a lot of time in the morning when both need to shower quickly to get ready for work. Don't laugh - never seen your spouse nekkid? ;)
- Low flow toilet... Get Toto. Problem solved.
I agree with higher countertops, lots of towel racks/hooks, and toto toilets. To save space and improve flow, I used pocket doors between the WC/rest of the bathroom as well as between the bathroom and bedroom.
I also love the look of my freestanding tub but agree it’s hard to keep all your stuff on the lip of the tub. At least I have a train rack (I love train/hotel racks!) with hooks right above it for towels/robe. We are not big tub people anyway, so not a big deal.
I had an area of empty wall for some kind of storage and ended up buying an old apple picking ladder from an antique store and using it as an extra towel rack.
My husband’s favorite part of the reno is the steam shower with bench and jets. He’d stay in there all morning if he could!
I have a dual flush Toto - I love that you can use even less water than the low flow amount when it’s not necessary. I didn’t do it in our master bath, but our other bath has a Robern medicine cabinet with a built in night light and a heater so that the mirror doesn’t get steamed up (you do have to remember to turn it on, but even if you forget it unsteams quickly.) Also get an exhaust fan with a timer or that turns off when the humidity goes down.
If you have a tub somewhere else in the house I think a walk in shower is more useful.
Very timely thread - was just telling H this morning we should look into remodeling the bathrooms upstairs. We have a master bath that’s tiny - barely able to fit a toilet, a sink with a mirrored medicine cabinet above and a walk-in shower stall. We use a shower curtain - but if feels almost claustrophobic in that shower. Any ideas on what might work better? We can’t get more room there without significant remodeling and not willing to go there.
Badly need exhaust fans. Would love the higher sinks, the comfort height toilets. The shower stall is a single piece one - would love to replace that with tile with in-built cubbies for soap/shampoo etc. Like the idea of night lights too.
The other bathroom is a lit bigger, with a tub. There’;s linen closet right outside the bathroom - was debating about changing it so the closet was in the bathroom. Adding drawers rather than the really deep shelves we have now - it’s almost impossible to get something that’s on the top shelf, at the very back.
Very interesting. We “sort of” redid ours. Replaced cultured marble top with Quartz countertops and integrated corian sinks. I love how easy they are to clean. We replaced a standard shower head with a handheld that can be stationary. Again, I love how easy it makes cleaning the shower now.
We will start our kitchen in about 11 months. Is there a kitchen thread similar to this one?