Reader Bathroom: Updated Romantic Style for $9,000 in Minnesota
A homeowner saves for a year to create a customized bathroom that showcases her original art
Erin Carlyle
January 30, 2017
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes to remodel. Former Forbes real estate reporter. Fascinated by cool homes, watching the bottom line.
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes... More
This series profiles bathroom remodels shared by homeowners on Houzz.
Bathrooms are one of the most popular spaces to renovate, but costs for these projects can range quite widely. As part of our Reader Bathroom series, we visit a single mom who renovated her St. Paul, Minnesota, bathroom, acting as her own contractor and designer. Total cost: $9,000.
Bathrooms are one of the most popular spaces to renovate, but costs for these projects can range quite widely. As part of our Reader Bathroom series, we visit a single mom who renovated her St. Paul, Minnesota, bathroom, acting as her own contractor and designer. Total cost: $9,000.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Jami Shoemaker and her 13-year-old son, Liam
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Size: 60 square feet (5.6 square meters)
Total cost: $9,000
Construction time: Two weeks
Who lives here: Jami Shoemaker and her 13-year-old son, Liam
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Size: 60 square feet (5.6 square meters)
Total cost: $9,000
Construction time: Two weeks
Before Photo
BEFORE: Jami Shoemaker, a writer and voice-over actor in St. Paul, Minnesota, saved for a year to renovate her only bathroom, which is on the second floor of her two-story home. She used that time to look at pictures for inspiration and to slowly collect the pieces she’d need. “I had things delivered and kept adding to the pile in my garage until I got to a point where I could confidently say, ‘Now I’m ready to do this,’” she reports.
Before the renovation, Shoemaker never used her tub — it was marred with hard water stains that she could not scrub out. So replacing the tub was a key goal, as was creating storage for extra towels and toiletries.
Before the renovation, Shoemaker never used her tub — it was marred with hard water stains that she could not scrub out. So replacing the tub was a key goal, as was creating storage for extra towels and toiletries.
AFTER: Shoemaker acted as her own designer and contractor, hiring two local handymen — Larry Stachovich and Michael Jeub — to execute her vision. Originally, she planned to do a cosmetic upgrade, replacing the sink, vanity, tub and toilet, and refinishing the underlying wood floors. But when she hit a few surprises, her plans changed.
Wall paint: Mayonnaise OC-85, Benjamin Moore; blinds: natural woven wood shade, Home Depot; tile and fixtures for bath: Menards; toilet: Menards; tub: Lyons contour soaking bathtub, Menards
Wall paint: Mayonnaise OC-85, Benjamin Moore; blinds: natural woven wood shade, Home Depot; tile and fixtures for bath: Menards; toilet: Menards; tub: Lyons contour soaking bathtub, Menards
Before Photo
First, when Shoemaker’s handymen pulled out the toilet, they discovered that the toilet seal was barely intact. “The guys couldn’t figure out why my toilet hadn’t been leaking all over the bathroom floor,” she says.
Then, when the workers pulled out the floor tiles, they discovered that the wood floor underneath was damaged well beyond saving. Shoemaker took these surprises as a sign that it was best to fully rip out the room and start fresh. She had the workers take the walls down to the studs, remove the underlying wood floor and install new plumbing. They added insulation to the bathroom’s exterior wall. This photo shows how the project looked midway through.
Then, when the workers pulled out the floor tiles, they discovered that the wood floor underneath was damaged well beyond saving. Shoemaker took these surprises as a sign that it was best to fully rip out the room and start fresh. She had the workers take the walls down to the studs, remove the underlying wood floor and install new plumbing. They added insulation to the bathroom’s exterior wall. This photo shows how the project looked midway through.
Prior to renovation, Shoemaker’s shower plumbing was stored in a closet at the end of the tub. She had that closet removed and the plumbing relocated to the newly insulated exterior wall, where the shower head now stands. This photo shows the space at the end of the tub where the former plumbing closet stood. Come spring, Shoemaker plans to install a custom floor-to-ceiling cabinet that she designed. She’ll store her towels, toiletries and laundry basket inside.
Also note the beadboard paneling and chair rail Shoemaker had installed. The work echoes beadboard and white wood paneling that appear in other places throughout the home.
Also note the beadboard paneling and chair rail Shoemaker had installed. The work echoes beadboard and white wood paneling that appear in other places throughout the home.
Shoemaker created an original multimedia piece for this wall in the bathroom.
To the left of the shower curtain, she had a ceramic robe/towel hook installed. The curtain rod holders are also ceramic and installed directly into the wall. “They’re beautiful and will never fall down!” she says.
Shoemaker’s new bathtub is an extra-wide, heated soaking tub, with a pump and heater that keeps the water hot during a bath.
Since the upstairs of Shoemaker’s home is full of lively color, she chose to keep the palette for this bathroom more quiet. “I wanted to brighten up the formerly dark purple bathroom with white and take advantage of all the light that comes in through the skylight,” she says.
Style muse: Shoemaker describes her new bathroom as classic, timeless and romantic “with a dash of steampunk and a bit of ‘dark angel’ thrown in.” The artwork pictured here, as well as Shoemaker’s custom piece, shown in a previous photo, helps add that steampunk touch she wanted.
Shoemaker deliberately left the old standpipe exposed. “I like the industrial touch it adds,” she says. “I just gave it a fresh coat of copper paint.”
Coaster art: Clockwork Couture
Shoemaker deliberately left the old standpipe exposed. “I like the industrial touch it adds,” she says. “I just gave it a fresh coat of copper paint.”
Coaster art: Clockwork Couture
“I’m an actress, and these lights reminded me of green room lighting,” Shoemaker says of her vanity lights. She found the vanity mirror for $30 at Goodwill.
Vanity: Houzz
Vanity: Houzz
Shoemaker adorned her custom blinds with a shimmery hummingbird she purchased at a local shop.
Hummingbird clip: Scarborough Fair
Hummingbird clip: Scarborough Fair
Shoemaker’s best advice for homeowners embarking on a renovation: “Don’t settle for something you don’t really want just because it’s easier or cheaper. Get what you really want, even if it means taking a little more time and spending a little more money.”
Toothbrush holder, hand towel: Target
Toothbrush holder, hand towel: Target
As a special feature, Shoemaker had a ceramic towel rack built inside the tiled shower area.
One of Shoemaker’s biggest cost savings was the flooring, which she got on sale for $60 at Home Depot.
Flooring: prefinished hardwood in a mix of oak and maple colors, Home Depot
Flooring: prefinished hardwood in a mix of oak and maple colors, Home Depot
Walls moved: Yes
Plumbing moved: Yes
Plumbing replaced: Yes
Professionals hired: Larry Stachovich and Michael Jeub, both handymen from the Twin Cities area
Special features: Heated soaking tub and ceramic towel rack and curtain rod holders
Splurges: Vanity, custom shade of natural woven wood fiber
Savings: Flooring, DIY paint job, acting as her own contractor and designer
Cost breakdown
Permitting costs: $100
Tub/shower: $800, including $500 for tub, plus $300 for faucet and fixtures
Wall cabinet: $30
Vanity: $1,095
Toilet: $180
Tile: $192 for shower tile
Lighting: $60 for two vanity light strips
Accessories and/or decor: $248, including window shade, towel bar behind bathroom door, towel ring by sink, hot air balloon tiles, sequined hummingbird, hand mirror, clock
Flooring: $60
Plumbing materials: $225
Construction materials: $820 for drywall, studs, plumbing parts, screws, grout, grout sealer, contractor-grade trash bags, beadboard, cement board, chair rails, baseboards, lightbulbs, new floor underlayment, among other materials
Paint: $45
Delivery charge: $50 for tub, toilet, beadboard panels, cement board, tile, chair rails, baseboard and drywall from Menards
Dump fees: $95 for trips to the local dump to discard ripped-out materials from old bathroom
Labor: $5,000
Total: $9,000
Up next: Serenity for $23,000 in Maryland
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 | A Soothing Spa for $20,000 in Virginia
Plumbing moved: Yes
Plumbing replaced: Yes
Professionals hired: Larry Stachovich and Michael Jeub, both handymen from the Twin Cities area
Special features: Heated soaking tub and ceramic towel rack and curtain rod holders
Splurges: Vanity, custom shade of natural woven wood fiber
Savings: Flooring, DIY paint job, acting as her own contractor and designer
Cost breakdown
Permitting costs: $100
Tub/shower: $800, including $500 for tub, plus $300 for faucet and fixtures
Wall cabinet: $30
Vanity: $1,095
Toilet: $180
Tile: $192 for shower tile
Lighting: $60 for two vanity light strips
Accessories and/or decor: $248, including window shade, towel bar behind bathroom door, towel ring by sink, hot air balloon tiles, sequined hummingbird, hand mirror, clock
Flooring: $60
Plumbing materials: $225
Construction materials: $820 for drywall, studs, plumbing parts, screws, grout, grout sealer, contractor-grade trash bags, beadboard, cement board, chair rails, baseboards, lightbulbs, new floor underlayment, among other materials
Paint: $45
Delivery charge: $50 for tub, toilet, beadboard panels, cement board, tile, chair rails, baseboard and drywall from Menards
Dump fees: $95 for trips to the local dump to discard ripped-out materials from old bathroom
Labor: $5,000
Total: $9,000
Up next: Serenity for $23,000 in Maryland
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 | A Soothing Spa for $20,000 in Virginia
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isamuel71 I agree. Some contractors just want to make a fair profit, and others are so ridiculous I just can't figure them out. I assume there are some types of jobs they don't like so they just double or triple the price. I had a quote from a contractor to replace a wall of doors and windows (including a new beam), for $33,000+tax and GC'd the project myself for $12,000. I told him exactly what doors and windows I was using and that the price for those was $4,500, and his quote still had the doors and windows listed at over $12,000 (and then something like $20k for "labor and overhead." Just one example, I have others.
This was a great inspiration! I did not like our 8x6 master bath from the time we built the house in 1980. ( I was 8 months pregnant and the men kind of took over.) The vanity does not reach the far wall, (have plastic drawers inserted between vanities and wall) toilet is terribly misplaced. Armstrong vinyl floors outdated and I hate them. Marble double sink my husband used is extremely scratched and not reparable. I am trying to update necessary rooms as since my husband died right before Christmas, I am trying to put things and repairs needed to make our home attractive for sale. But I do not want to spend a lot of money to accomplish that. I am 70 years old and know how to lay floors, patch drywall, paint, stain and varnish window sills, etc. I also have a handyman and his friends who I know will help me with anything they can. I did not think I could get the money out of the sale of the house when I saw costs of $20,000 and more for the bath remodel. But you have given me new hope! Thank you so much for sharing your success! Bless you! By the way, my daughter lives in St. Paul and loves MN.
D Kuiken, thanks so much for your message! I'm glad my remodel has inspired you and relieved some doubt. It's been 3 years now, and I'm happy to report that everything is still working perfectly. I ditched the "custom cabinet" idea for the corner at the end of the tub and went with a simple bookcase, which works perfectly for what I wanted to store there:
As for pulling off a remodel for a 8x6 space, I imagine you could do it for less than what I spent. You've got skills and handymen, so that's half the battle right there!