Thank you very much. I so agree with you about the toilet! I'm the only cleaner with DH and 4 dogs. DH does the best he can, but he can't clean it up. It's gotten so old! The worst thing is his doggone shih tzu who thinks it okay to mark where the big dog marks.

recently discussed, read thru this

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg030324342850.html

detroit burb, Though jjaazzy directed me to discounters of high-end fixtures, my original question has not been answered at all! Even at discount I can't get high-end fixtures! Aren't any of the medium priced thing any good? Don't any of the experienced folks out there use anything but high-end? I really didn't ask where to get the stuff. I asked for lower-end brand recommendations.

BTW, I read that entire thread some time ago.

I am definitely NOT an expert, but we've remodeled 2 bathrooms in the last 2 years on a tight budget. We learned some things the first time around that influenced what we did the second time. For the first bathroom I bought an inexpensive tub at Lowes (Sterling Ensemble, made of Vikrell) and I've come to regret it. Dh wanted a deep tub, but we should have paid a little extra for deep steel or cast iron one. For the new 3/4 bath, we decided not to go with an inexpensive acrylic shower because of that experience and instead chose a product called Marblestone for the shower. It cost less than having a shower built, waterproofed and tiled (we don't DIY tile).

I've been perfectly happy with the Moen tub spout and shower valve (around $120) and the sink faucet (bought at Costco for $80). For the new bathroom I bought another Moen shower valve and head for around $100 and a Moen sink faucet that was about $80. Both work great and look good.

In the first bathroom we used an American Standard Cadet ($150) toilet that has worked just fine with absolutely NO clogs for more than 2 years. This time, though, we went with a Toto Drake ($180 at a local plumbing supply store) and we like it much better. Both of our vanities came from Lowes and they look good and have held up well so far. I also bought the mirror (Moen Sage oval), tp holder and towel ring at Lowes. The towel hooks came from Target.

In the first bathroom we used really inexpensive beige floor tile and I've grown very bored of it and I hate the light grout I chose. Knowing that, we spent a little bit more on floor tile for the second bathroom and got Rustic Gold Slate and used a much darker grout. Still the tile was less than $5 sf, but it looks much nicer.

I'm sorry I don't have pics of the finished bathroom yet. I'm still waiting for a few projects to be completed.

scoutfinch, that is exactly what I want to hear about. I know there must be some decent quality stuff out there that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Thank you.

Spike a few years ago we had to replace the whole plumbing operation in my son's bathroom, this was before I knew about this great site and before I knew to look on line for fixtures. I wanted a very contemporary look we went to several stores one of which was a Home Depot expo. My DH had sticker shock and we left empty handed. We went over to Home Depot and they had a fairly new brand Pegasus and it had a terrific look with a rain shower head. Does it work? Yes, but it has it's issues and doesn't perform anything like my Danze plumbing fixtures I did end up using. This brand was much less then others but much more then anything you find at HD and it functions wonderfully and we love it. I have heard that the Big brands have a specific level of quality that they sell at the big box stores. Don't know if it is true other then my experience.

I redid one 1950's bathroom and made another whole new bathroom. Some stuff was not cheap but some was. I don't care what brand something is as long as it works well and keeps it's finish well.

Toilets - dual flush, Home Depot. One American Standard, clogged 2x in a year but cleared up on it's own by the next day (don't have any idea why). One HD brand (glacier bay maybe?), no problems at all. They both flush really well, half or whole flush.

Sinks - off the shelf HD for one bath.

Faucets - reused Delta sink faucets purchased 6 or 7 years ago at HD in one bathroom (they still look brand new). New HD faucet in the other.

Shower heads - picked up on sale and with a coupon at Bed Bath Beyond. Cheap - less than $50. Works great so far (1 yr). Delta, I think.

Bathtub - that was one I was willing to spend money on and bought online at less than half the price the name brands were at HD. ($1600 vs $3400) The bathtub faucet I bought on ebay for a couple hundred instead of over $1k that I was finding most places.

Chandelier in one bath was a pottery barn copycat that I purchased at overstock.com.

Tile in one bath was appx $1.29 sq ft from Daltile store, fake marble, and I love it. I did splurge on two rows of expensive marble tiles in that bathroom but I could have chosen something cheaper. The other bathroom is all marble so it was expensive.

Mirror in one bath was just a plain mirror and contractor added molding around it to make a frame.

Vanities - one purchased at Restoration Hardware outlet store when they were having a big sale. Included marble top and sinks. The other vanity I had the cabinet guy make just because of how I wanted bathroom to look.

Toilet paper holders, lights, towel bars etc - HD. The train rack in one bath and the freestanding towel bar in the other were not cheap ones (from pottery barn).

I am happy with the purchases made at the local big box stores. Happy with the quality and happy with the price. I bought "name brands" of Delta, Moen, etc. No regrets. The paint colors in one bath makes it feel more luxurious than it really is.

I guess I could have skipped all that writing and just said - Shop at the big box stores and buy the brands you've heard of. :D Many times I will go to the stores and find what I think I want and then go home and google "review xxx" to see if I can find any positives or negatives.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics of bathrooms

I spend hours online every day researching one thing or another... I think I know the general consensus re: Toto & the like AND the big box stores. I'm looking for what you just gave me: Brand Names. Now I'm going to go research Danze and Danze distributors (and discounters) because you are happy with them. Thank you.

If you're using undermounted sinks, you can go really cheap there. A sink is a sink! I think ours are American Standard. We used oval beveled mirrors from HD that look good and cost about $50 each. I am a Toto snob and honestly would not consider anything else (hey, they stand up to my daughter, the clogmaster), but I just got one on-line for $450 (discontinued line). Don't cheap out too much on the faucets. That said, you do not need to spend $500 on faucets either. I found decent-looking towel bars and TP holders at Bed Bath and Beyond that were very reasonable (if you haven't gotten to that stage yet, you are in for some serious sticker shock; it wouldn't be hard to spend $1000 on that stuff alone). Some of the best-looking showers I've seen on this forum involved standard (inexpensive) tile with more expensive tile used in moderation as accents. I tend to use Rejuvenation for all my lighting, but I don't think they do cans. Rejuvenation prices are moderate if you don't get carried away with your glass choices, and the quality is quite good.

The bathrooms that impress me are the ones that involve creative solutions on a budget. Often they involve one "splurge," but these are people who know how to turn that one splurge into a show-stopper.

I guess it really depends on what your budget is. yes you can do one for less than 50K and it can be really nice.

Its kind of hard to zero in on what you're really trying to do. if you're trying for a designer master bath for 10K, you're probably not going to get there.

you can buy a toto toilet for $300, a toto drake. I bought an ultramax II for $360.

I'm not sure of the benfits of low voltage can lights, but normal can lights are pretty cheap.

you can still buy nice things that cost some money. Again, you can buy a nice 2 sink vanity for 1000-2000 from home depot or lowes with a top.

It also depends on how much luxary you want. I went to a plumbing showroom and I think i must have had dollar signs written on me, cheapest faucet I saw was $300, most around $5-600. shower fixtures were crazy. I ended up with picking Delta, and building the shower from their stuff and picking their faucets. I figured, how bad could it really be, they have been around forever.

on things like facuets, I'd skip home depot, and go to plumbing supply places or the internet. the quality is better than HD.

for tile and such, home depot or lowes are ok, as long as you stick to their nicer stuff.

If you're talking about adding onto your house to build a new master bath and closet.... ok, 50K doesn't surprise me.
If you're talking about remodeling an existing master bath and closet, I would think you should be able to get some pretty nice stuff for total tab being under 50K, but everyone has a different definition of nice.

We remodeled our 16'x20' master bath for around $20K, DIY labor except the granite counter ($2K) and glass shower enclosure ($3K). We bought most everything from the box stores: Kraftmaid cabinets from HD, tile from Lowe's, light fixtures and faucets from Lowe's or on the internet (Delta, Price Pfister), toilet $150 is a Kohler Wellington. We've lived in it for 4 years now and not had any issues with the quality of materials.

I sure do appreciate these answers. The situation is a house that screams "I was built in the '70's!" mostly because of the bathrooms & closets & too many walls. The neighborhood is sort of upscale - big houses, big lots, etc. DH is in his 70's. I can't see us wanting to deal with this big house & land in another 10 years. It's getting tough now. It's time to bring this house into the 21st century, while we can afford it and put up with the inconveniences. Then, when or if we need to sell, it won't be the worst house on the street and we won't need HGTV in to fix it for us!

We did this bathroom for $3k (link below).
There are brand names and shopping tips in the thread, I think.

Here is a link that might be useful: Budget elegant bathroom remodel

And we did this one for about $15k, including two small walk-in closets, moving walls around,adding a window and two pocket doors, total gut of the bathroom to studs. We DIYed the electrical, finish plumbing, paint, and closet shelving, but hired a plumber for the drain/vent setup (rough plumbing), a carpenter for framing and drywall, and a tile professional. I mixed high-end products with less expensive deals I sought out on line. The Toto was about $320.
The link below is the last one (scroll down for more complete pics), but others are here:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg1207570323032.html

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg0108091815115.html

Here is a link that might be useful: master bathroom and closets renovation

I understand exactly what you are asking. We plan to redo our master soon and our budget is small in comparison to the standard renovation these days.

Honestly the most expensive part so far has been the faucets and fixtures. We have two sinks and plan to do two shower heads so everything is double. Ouch. Oh and the shower glass. I'm still trying to work around that if I can.

In our last bathroom remodel, most everything came from Lowe's. Off the shelf tile, lights, faucets, fixtures, and mirror. I did order the vanity because they didn't care the size I needed in stock. I've had zero complaints with anything I used.

Portfolio light
Estate vanity and counter with sink
Estate mirror
Rialto tile
Delta faucet and fixture (our biggest splurge)

And we *gasp* re-used the existing toilet. Neither of us saw a reason to replace it at it works fine and has clogged three times in 10 years that we've lived there and it was there when we moved in. I'm sure it's not the most economical of toilets but for now it's staying.

I got towel rings and tp holder from Walmart. I order the hotel towel rack and magazine rack off ebay. Cheap rugs and towels from Sears outlet store with a gift card.

I've been researching my materials for months. You can often find name brand items for cheap on craigslist. Unfortunately, I'm to far away from the main cities in my state to have much luck.

So far I've found faucets and fixtures I want to be cheaper on faucetdepot.com or deltatogo.com.

I found the awesome square sink that looks like Koehlers Memoirs at Overstock for half the money.

Good luck on your hunt. It takes some time but there is tons of information on this site for places to shop.

itltrot, Oh so YOU'RE the one who bought the last one of those sinks on overstock.com! lol. Big surprise: I found my sink on eBay. It was a discontinued item from Ikea and EXACTLY what I was finding for BIG $ everywhere. $90. I'm very happy. Compromised w/DH on the toilet & got an American Standard, but it IS skirted, so I'm happy with that too.

It looks like our big expenses now are going to be the tile and the skilled labor. We've a roughly 15' x 11' area of floor plus the walls, countertops, and shower.

We'll help as much as we're allowed to, but it's all plumbing and electric that we have to have a licensed person do. DH really can't help at all. I'm sure he'll be a pest. I'll do as much of the tile labor as my body can stand.

We considered reusing our old toilet, but giving it all new "guts and parts" would cost a bunch, and it's beige and UGLY and very inefficient.

stacyneil, Both of your bathrooms look great! Nice job, and financially bearable.

Wait? The sink is out of stock? I haven't ordered yet!! :'(

Hi, I'm looking for a Toto toilet that's called Pedestal in the N/C Series. That's all I know about it; no model number or price. The website I found the picture of it on did not have a place to purchase or find any more information on it. I've called Toto but they were no help. Just said that they make toilets internationally and it possibly was another country. One place said maybe UK. It's very contemporary looking, dual flush, elongated and skirted. I don't know how to send a photo or I would.
If anyone may be familiar with this model I would appreciate any advice on where to get it. I have spent many hours searching online.

Another question I have is, does anyone know if Toto makes toilets under another brand name, such as Eago, Zain, etc? I have found some under these names that have great contemporary looks but I'm hesitant to buy them not knowing who made them. In the end, the function is more important than the exterior looks. But I sure would like to find both together. :-)

I'm not sure why you aren't considering the Toto Aquia II dual flush toilet. It's under $300 on-line and is TERRIFIC, plus it has the skirted bottom which is totally the way to go - all toilets should be like this! (And if women were the designers, they would be LOL)

We put in an Ultramax in 2003 and loved it, but the Aquia literally (pun intended) blows it out of the water. The seat's another $60, though! Pay attention to the install instructions with the clearances and line requirements; they're different than the standard install.

Don't skimp on the toilet or the tub. Like your kitchen sink, they take a lot of abuse, and penny-pinching on them usually ends up biting you in the a$$.

You can save lots of money on sinks, cabinets, lights, accessories (towel racks, TP holders, etc.) and flooring if you shop carefully and rigorously. Always remember that hired labor is your biggest component: my sheet vinyl flooring was less than $200 for the highest quality level, but the labor to install it was $500.

Check granite stores for remnants if you want a touch of stone bling for your countertop.

Use Moen or Delta or American Standard in the mid-price lines and you'll hit the 'sweet spot' for reliability, cost and performance.

I have a $30 Waterpik showerhead in our main-floor bathroom that is superior to the $300 Hansgrohe showerspray in our master suite in every way. The Hansgrohe is a huge disappointment; it is simply not worth the extra money for the name. The Hansgrohe is connected to a Delta showerfaucet, the latter of which works very well and saved us another $300 for a Hansgrohe faucet.

I mean really, can anybody look at a showerfaucet handle and tell who made it? Of course not. So skip the very cheap and the very expensive, and stay in the middle for your plumbing fixtures.

Don't forget stores like Target or even dollar stores for accessory stuff. And hardware stores like Ace and OSH often have great sales on homeware in January and February.

If you use acrylic or fiberglass for a showerpan, MAKE SURE the bottom is properly supported. A lot of people skimp on this and it's the worst thing you can do. These two materials can't take any flexing so it has to be solidly set. Make sure you pay attention to mfg's instructions for approved cleaning products. Using the wrong cleaner can strip the top gloss layer off and you'll never get the material to look clean again for long.

Easy to replace:
- bath cabinets
- sinks
- faucets (like to like only)
- countertops
- lights
- showerheads
- exhaust fans

More costly/time-consuming to replace:
- anything that needs a plumbing or electrical change
- Tubs
- Shower stalls and pans, depending on material
- flooring

My best low cost bathroom find from our last house was Del Conca Rialto Thru Body Porcelain Tile at Lowes. We used the Rialto White, but it comes in 3 other colors. 12" x 12" is $2.28 and we liked it better than much more expensive stone look porcelain tiles we found elsewhere. It comes in 4x4, 6x6, 12x12, 16x16 and mosaics. We used a single horizontal listello stripe of ming green marble in the shower to give it some punch (and tie in with our green granite counters), and the combination looked elegant and expensive IMHO.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rialto