Reader Bathroom: $39,000 Brings New Jersey Bath Into the 21st Century
Removing an awkward closet in a 100-year-old bathroom makes way for a beautiful shower that pays tribute to the home’s history
This series profiles bathroom remodels shared by homeowners on Houzz.
Bathroom remodels are one of the more common home renovation projects in the U.S., and their costs can range quite widely, depending on the scope and location of the work. For a sampling of projects and their price tags, we asked Houzz readers to share their stories. Here, we follow a $39,160 full renovation of a bathroom in a century-old Colonial-style house in New Jersey.
Bathroom remodels are one of the more common home renovation projects in the U.S., and their costs can range quite widely, depending on the scope and location of the work. For a sampling of projects and their price tags, we asked Houzz readers to share their stories. Here, we follow a $39,160 full renovation of a bathroom in a century-old Colonial-style house in New Jersey.
BEFORE: The main bathroom on the second floor of this 1912 Colonial looked as though it had been around for about a century. The original floor had been covered with linoleum tiles and the walls had been painted, “but everything else was original,” Deborah Jennings says. And it showed. The toilet had been repaired one too many times and “was always running,” she wrote, and there was “an ever-growing crack in the floor.”
One bright spot was that the original tile was still under the linoleum, which allowed them to replicate the pattern and colors when they renovated.
One bright spot was that the original tile was still under the linoleum, which allowed them to replicate the pattern and colors when they renovated.
BEFORE: The century-old bathroom had some nice features, including the radiator and claw-foot tub. The homeowners decided to keep these details, helping to preserve an older-home feel while updating to modern standards of luxury.
AFTER: The homeowners’ contractors took the walls back to the studs, and the ceilings and floors back to the beams. The new walls sport white subway tile with a border of dark glass tile.
The inside of the tub was in great condition and didn’t need any work. The outside got a fresh coat of gray paint. The window is original to the home, just freshened up with paint. To bring authentic period details into the room, the contractors created custom base molding as well as trim to surround the window and door. The custom work matches the original trim in other parts of the home.
Paint: Coventry Gray HC-169 (tub exterior) and Wickham Gray HC-171 (walls), Benjamin Moore; glass border tile: Color Wave in Smoked Pearl, 1 by 1 inch, Daltile
The inside of the tub was in great condition and didn’t need any work. The outside got a fresh coat of gray paint. The window is original to the home, just freshened up with paint. To bring authentic period details into the room, the contractors created custom base molding as well as trim to surround the window and door. The custom work matches the original trim in other parts of the home.
Paint: Coventry Gray HC-169 (tub exterior) and Wickham Gray HC-171 (walls), Benjamin Moore; glass border tile: Color Wave in Smoked Pearl, 1 by 1 inch, Daltile
BEFORE: A hall closet bumped into the bathroom, creating an “odd shape” for the space, Jennings says. “We already had another linen closet in the second-floor hallway, so we didn’t need that closet at all.” Besides, removing the closet would make room to fix another problem: the lack of a shower.
AFTER: They removed the walls bumping in from the hall closet, using the additional space to build a new shower. In renovating, they had to move plumbing lines and add new plumbing to support the shower.
The door, shown here, is original to the home; it was painted as a part of the renovation. The door knob and hardware are also original.
Shower head and diverter: Delta; glass shower: Glasscrafters
The door, shown here, is original to the home; it was painted as a part of the renovation. The door knob and hardware are also original.
Shower head and diverter: Delta; glass shower: Glasscrafters
The homeowners replaced the original sink with a new marble-topped vanity and set-in sink. They also replaced the medicine cabinet.
“Uh-oh” moments: The crack in the bathroom floor turned out to be due to a problem with the floor joists. They needed to be bolstered, which ended up adding to the overall cost since an architect had to sign off on the contractor’s repairs.
Lessons learned: One unexpected reality of the renovation process was that there were days when no work was done. This is a common occurrence but one that often surprises homeowners. Also, the homeowners were surprised by how difficult it was to schedule inspections. They found that multiple inspectors couldn’t always come on the same day and sometimes canceled.
Vanity and medicine cabinet: Shaker Americana collection, Fairmont Designs; sink: Cassidy collection, Delta; towel bars: Elegance, Delta via 99CentKnobs.com; sconces, Kichler
“Uh-oh” moments: The crack in the bathroom floor turned out to be due to a problem with the floor joists. They needed to be bolstered, which ended up adding to the overall cost since an architect had to sign off on the contractor’s repairs.
Lessons learned: One unexpected reality of the renovation process was that there were days when no work was done. This is a common occurrence but one that often surprises homeowners. Also, the homeowners were surprised by how difficult it was to schedule inspections. They found that multiple inspectors couldn’t always come on the same day and sometimes canceled.
Vanity and medicine cabinet: Shaker Americana collection, Fairmont Designs; sink: Cassidy collection, Delta; towel bars: Elegance, Delta via 99CentKnobs.com; sconces, Kichler
Walls moved: Yes, two taken down to make room for shower
Plumbing moved: Yes, for sink, toilet and claw-foot tub; new plumbing added for shower
Professionals hired: Showcase Kitchen and Bath
Splurges: A niche in the shower for shampoo and other toiletries
Savings: The homeowners shopped for some fixtures online, purchasing chrome accessories, including the towel bars, from a discount online retailer. They also decided against building a knee wall between the tub and the shower.
Cost breakdown
Permitting costs: $600
Tub: $340 for claw-foot hardware; used existing tub
Shower: $5,140 ($4,000 for frameless shower; $340 for shower head, diverter and a portion of tile costs not included below; and $800 for marble used in shower floor and niche, as well as on vanity and for sill on the floor between the bathroom and hallway)
Cabinetry: $1,080 ($730 for vanity and $350 for medicine cabinet)
Sink and faucet: $460
Countertop: $660
Tile: $3,000 for tile, grout and caulk for shower, walls and floor
Lighting: $200 for sconces
Other: $680 ($460 for toilet, $160 for exhaust fan and $60 for towel bars)
Labor and supplies: $27,000, ($23,500 for initial job plus $3,500 because room had to be leveled)
Total cost: $39,160
Tub hardware: Clawfoot Alley
Up next: $11,000 for a Spa Shower and More in South Carolina
More Reader Bathrooms: A New Shower and a Spa Look for $6,100 in Iowa | DIY Updates for $1,800 in North Carolina
Plumbing moved: Yes, for sink, toilet and claw-foot tub; new plumbing added for shower
Professionals hired: Showcase Kitchen and Bath
Splurges: A niche in the shower for shampoo and other toiletries
Savings: The homeowners shopped for some fixtures online, purchasing chrome accessories, including the towel bars, from a discount online retailer. They also decided against building a knee wall between the tub and the shower.
Cost breakdown
Permitting costs: $600
Tub: $340 for claw-foot hardware; used existing tub
Shower: $5,140 ($4,000 for frameless shower; $340 for shower head, diverter and a portion of tile costs not included below; and $800 for marble used in shower floor and niche, as well as on vanity and for sill on the floor between the bathroom and hallway)
Cabinetry: $1,080 ($730 for vanity and $350 for medicine cabinet)
Sink and faucet: $460
Countertop: $660
Tile: $3,000 for tile, grout and caulk for shower, walls and floor
Lighting: $200 for sconces
Other: $680 ($460 for toilet, $160 for exhaust fan and $60 for towel bars)
Labor and supplies: $27,000, ($23,500 for initial job plus $3,500 because room had to be leveled)
Total cost: $39,160
Tub hardware: Clawfoot Alley
Up next: $11,000 for a Spa Shower and More in South Carolina
More Reader Bathrooms: A New Shower and a Spa Look for $6,100 in Iowa | DIY Updates for $1,800 in North Carolina
Who lives here: Dana and Deborah Jennings
Location: Upper Montclair, New Jersey
Size: 65 square feet (6 square meters)
Total cost: $39,160
Construction time: 22 days