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It took us several months longer than expected, but we have finished our primary bathroom makeover and we’re so thrilled with how it turned out. It’s just the oasis-like environment we dreamed it could be, more spacious than we expected, and we now have sunshine pouring into our bedroom to greet us in the morning. Now that it’s warm enough to sleep with the bathroom window open, we can fall asleep and wake up to the sound of the creek in the back.
The Demo
To save money, I did the demo work myself, with an assist from our neighbor. The demo for this project, which involved stripping everything down to the studs, took 6 weekends. The easy part was removing the standing shower where we wanted a new entry door. It was harder, and sometimes back-breaking work, removing the tile walls and floors and finally tackling the jacuzzi tub. That was all done using a wrecking bar, drywall specialty hammer and a reciprocating saw.
Salvaging the vanity
We were able to salvage the double vanity, replacing the countertop and backsplash with quartz, repainting the frame and adding new stainless steel hardware to match our kitchen. It’s hard to believe it’s the same vanity! We found the perfect LED mirror at Wayfair, with built in lighting and defogger, to elevate the space.
The Aquatic Walk-In Shower
Gone is the 1990’s style jacuzzi tub that no one ever used! We wanted the walk-in shower to feel aquatic, like we are in a pool or the Caribbean ocean. To achieve that we chose Boutique Ceramic Stone Hearth Sky Blue tile for the walls and Pacific Sky Blue tile for the floor. A rain shower head and clear, low iron glass from Extraordinary Glassworks to encase the space completed the transformation. The whole space is so relaxing and soothing. It makes you want to linger for a few extra moments before starting your day.
The Finishing Touches
Lastly we replaced the toilet with a KOHLER Cimarron White Elongated Chair with Rough-In WaterSense toilet that compliments the vanity. This toilet is eco-friendly and does such a great job maintaining itself!
Crisp White walls and French Gray floor tile help tie the room in with our bedroom pillows and furniture.
Hiring Out
While I was able to do the demo work myself to save money, we rehired Mitchell Contracting, who built our kitchen, to do the plumbing and electrical work and rebuild the space. Glen recommended Mickey and Eric from Extraordinary Glassworks for the shower enclosure. Because we had full glass walls going in two directions, that enclosure proved to be the most expensive part of the bathroom build.
So Worth It
We still need to finish the walk-in closet, but we’re so happy with our primary bathroom make over. Our home is really starting to come together. We get to wake up on our super comfy Sealy mattress, pamper ourselves in our new walk-in rain shower, have breakfast in our new kitchen and enjoy some tranquility on our remodeled deck.
Budgeting your remodel
Below is a breakdown of materials and costs if you are considering your own ensuite remodel.
Keep in mind that similar to a kitchen remodel, bathroom remodels tend to be among the more expensive home improvement projects. Each can account for 25% of your overall home renovation. That’s because of the electrical and plumbing work that go into the project, the type of shower you want, whether you want a tub, as well as all of the additional details like the vanity and lighting fixtures. Add in labor, which always varies, it can all add up quickly. For projects like these, always plan for an additional 10-20% for unexpected overages. If you want to save some money, and like getting your hands dirty, invest in some DIY tools, and do the demo yourself.
Materials & Cost$:
Lowe’s Home Improvement:
– Shower Saddle Exterior Item #1352917 $6.55 /ea.QTY 8 $52.40
– Shower Floor Item #2806839 $9.48 /ea.QTY 21 $199.08
– Shower Walls Item #4144995 $1.42 /ea.QTY 290 $411.8
– Bathroom Floors Item #782449 $1.89 /ea.QTY 62 $117.18
– Bathroom Toilet Item #3629216 $217.55 /ea.QTY 1 $217.55
– Nail Remover Item #1020675 $15.18 /ea.QTY 1 $15.18
– Toilet Paper Dispenser Item #5287608 $19.98 /ea.QTY 1 $19.98
– Hand Towel Ring Item #5287598 $17.98 /ea.QTY 1 $17.98
– Plumbing Cutting Tool Item #2146935 $12.33 /ea.QTY 1 $12.33
– Plumbing Cap Item #5233336 $29.34 /ea.QTY 3 $88.02
Amazon:
– Shower Shelf $32.00
– Shower Handler $33.99
– Shower Head $80.68
Build | Ferguson.com
– Sink Faucet 2 @ $88.00 $176.00
– Vanity Door Handles 2 @ $3.15 each $6.30
– Vanity Drawer Knobs 4 @ $12.42 each $49.68
Extraordinary Glassworks
– Glass Encclosure (labor included) $3,650.00
Wayfair
Mirror-$359.99
PROJECT TOTAL: $5,540.14
+ Labor
