Reader Bathroom: Basic Gray to Soothing Spa for $20,000 in Virginia
A leaky shower valve turns into a full bathroom renovation for this couple — resulting in a luxurious retreat
This series profiles bathroom remodels shared by homeowners on Houzz.
Bathroom renovations can run the gamut in terms of cost, so to get a sample we asked Houzz readers to share their stories. As part of our ongoing Reader Bathroom series, today we profile a Virginia bathroom renovation that took the space from blah to soothing Zen-inspired spa. Total price tag: $20,000.
Bathroom renovations can run the gamut in terms of cost, so to get a sample we asked Houzz readers to share their stories. As part of our ongoing Reader Bathroom series, today we profile a Virginia bathroom renovation that took the space from blah to soothing Zen-inspired spa. Total price tag: $20,000.
BEFORE: When Stephen Brookes and Alene McMahon set out to fix a leaky shower valve, that project quickly got sidelined as the couple instead decided to go for a “top-to-bottom renovation,” Brookes says. The couple did the design work themselves, with the goal of keeping everything minimal and open. “Our house is in a midcentury modern community outside Washington D.C., so we wanted a very contemporary design,” he says.
AFTER: The couple worked on their ideas for a year and bought everything online. Then they had the general contractor, James Weiss of JMW Construction, put their plan together: basically, tearing out everything and starting afresh.
The bathroom is only 7 by 5 feet, “so we kept everything minimal and open, with a gray-black-teak color scheme and sleek modern fixtures in black,” Brookes says. An existing skylight brings natural light into the windowless space. The couple also added a line of track lights and a bar light over the mirror.
“At the time, it seemed crazily expensive, but we’re still loving it and wouldn’t do anything differently. Maybe a heated mirror in the shower for shaving?” Brookes says.
“Uh-oh” moment: When removing the old tub, Weiss discovered that the water main came up into the shower area. To solve the problem, he built the wall out a few inches to accommodate the main. This actually turned out well, allowing the niche under the shower head — for bath products — to become much deeper. It also resulted in a high shelf at the top of the shower that the couple uses for plants.
Style muse: Warmly minimalist
Toilet: Varazze via TheInteriorGallery.com; shower wall tile: Piemmegres Purestone 50PURGR1224M in matte, 24 by 12 inches, Mosaic Tile Co.; shower head and handle: NB3-2544BP-54, Newport Brass
The bathroom is only 7 by 5 feet, “so we kept everything minimal and open, with a gray-black-teak color scheme and sleek modern fixtures in black,” Brookes says. An existing skylight brings natural light into the windowless space. The couple also added a line of track lights and a bar light over the mirror.
“At the time, it seemed crazily expensive, but we’re still loving it and wouldn’t do anything differently. Maybe a heated mirror in the shower for shaving?” Brookes says.
“Uh-oh” moment: When removing the old tub, Weiss discovered that the water main came up into the shower area. To solve the problem, he built the wall out a few inches to accommodate the main. This actually turned out well, allowing the niche under the shower head — for bath products — to become much deeper. It also resulted in a high shelf at the top of the shower that the couple uses for plants.
Style muse: Warmly minimalist
Toilet: Varazze via TheInteriorGallery.com; shower wall tile: Piemmegres Purestone 50PURGR1224M in matte, 24 by 12 inches, Mosaic Tile Co.; shower head and handle: NB3-2544BP-54, Newport Brass
“We splurged on the teak Geobasin sink (from William Garvey in England), the Varazze toilet, the black Newport Brass East Linear fixtures, the textured tile and the WAC track lighting,” Brookes wrote in a comment on a Houzz story that asked for reader remodeling stories. “But it was worth it.”
Sink faucet: Keaton 3-2491 in matte black, Newport Brass; wall-mounted towel bar: Lounge, Gedy by Nameeks via AllModern; sink: Geo Basin, William Garvey; medicine cabinet with magnifying mirror: Verdera K-99003-NA, 30 by 20 inches, Kohler
Walls moved: No
Plumbing moved: No
Plumbing replaced: All plumbing and wiring replaced
Professionals hired: James Weiss, general contractor, of JMW Construction, Alexandria, Virginia
Splurges: Teak sink from William Garvey
Cost breakdown
Shower: $2,100 for glass enclosure
Sink and toilet: $2,400 ($1,750 for teak sink and $650 for toilet)
Tile: $4,200
Lighting: $500
Accessories and decor: $1,300, including $300 for towel bars
Plumbing: $1,000 for sink and shower faucets
Labor: $8,500
Total: $20,000
More Reader Bathrooms: $20,000 for a Pair of Renovations | From ‘Blah’ to ‘Aah’ in a $27,000 Makeover | A Splash of Nautical Style for $330 | Flamingos Make Way for a $23,000 Spa Look
Sink faucet: Keaton 3-2491 in matte black, Newport Brass; wall-mounted towel bar: Lounge, Gedy by Nameeks via AllModern; sink: Geo Basin, William Garvey; medicine cabinet with magnifying mirror: Verdera K-99003-NA, 30 by 20 inches, Kohler
Walls moved: No
Plumbing moved: No
Plumbing replaced: All plumbing and wiring replaced
Professionals hired: James Weiss, general contractor, of JMW Construction, Alexandria, Virginia
Splurges: Teak sink from William Garvey
Cost breakdown
Shower: $2,100 for glass enclosure
Sink and toilet: $2,400 ($1,750 for teak sink and $650 for toilet)
Tile: $4,200
Lighting: $500
Accessories and decor: $1,300, including $300 for towel bars
Plumbing: $1,000 for sink and shower faucets
Labor: $8,500
Total: $20,000
More Reader Bathrooms: $20,000 for a Pair of Renovations | From ‘Blah’ to ‘Aah’ in a $27,000 Makeover | A Splash of Nautical Style for $330 | Flamingos Make Way for a $23,000 Spa Look
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Size: 35 square feet (3 square meters)
Total cost: $20,000
Construction time: Two months