Reader Bathroom: Understated Nature in Australia for $9,000
A couple decide to act as their own general contractors for their bathroom renovation
This series profiles bathroom remodels shared by homeowners on Houzz.
Bathrooms are one of the most popular spaces to remodel, but the price for these projects can range quite widely. As part of our Reader Bathroom series, today we visit an Australian couple who renovated their bathroom for about US$9,000, saving money thanks to a lot of DIY work.
Bathrooms are one of the most popular spaces to remodel, but the price for these projects can range quite widely. As part of our Reader Bathroom series, today we visit an Australian couple who renovated their bathroom for about US$9,000, saving money thanks to a lot of DIY work.
BEFORE: Scott and Karen Norkett live near the bush in Australia, and they wanted to bring a feeling of understated nature to their bathroom. But their original bathroom fell far short of their dreams. The room had cracked tile and insufficient room for two people. Further, their bathtub was wasted space, as they never used it. Their goals were to improve the bathroom’s functionality while beautifying it.
BEFORE: This shot shows how the vanity and tub were squeezed together before the renovation. At right is the separate shower (shown also in the prior photo), which forced the other elements into a tight space.
AFTER: The Norketts did the demolition work themselves. They also acted as their own general contractors, hiring recommended local tradespeople for everything from plumbing to tiling to hanging drywall. The homeowners also undertook the design work, choosing a layout that eliminated the original shower entirely. They replaced the old tub that they never used with a partially walled shower.
Professionals hired by the Norketts replaced and relocated all the plumbing, and created an appropriate drainage system for the new shower. The couple chose a rain shower head, a splurge but one of their favorite pieces of the project.
Tile: Bellino Mocha (floor) and Stone Lappato (walls), Coastal Tiles
Professionals hired by the Norketts replaced and relocated all the plumbing, and created an appropriate drainage system for the new shower. The couple chose a rain shower head, a splurge but one of their favorite pieces of the project.
Tile: Bellino Mocha (floor) and Stone Lappato (walls), Coastal Tiles
The homeowners splurged on a custom vanity with a Caesarstone top, which they love not only for its look, but also for its ample storage. The left side of this photo shows another favorite splurge: a heated towel rack.
Lessons learned: “If we had our time again, we would have organized our trades a little better. It was hard to coordinate everyone to start and finish on time to get it all finished on a smaller time frame,” Karen Norkett says. But hiring a contractor to run their project would have cost them an additional US$10,672 to $13,360, based on the quotes they received, she says. “We were not happy with these quotes because when we broke down our costs with the work done by separate tradespersons, we found the savings were large.”
Uh-oh moment: The installation of the plantation shutter went poorly and had to be redone, but the tradesperson who installed it ended up not charging for the work.
Style muse: “We avoided trends because we did not want our room to date quickly,” she says. She describes the bathroom as “relaxing, luxurious, calming and spacious.”
Vanity: Coastal Tiles
Lessons learned: “If we had our time again, we would have organized our trades a little better. It was hard to coordinate everyone to start and finish on time to get it all finished on a smaller time frame,” Karen Norkett says. But hiring a contractor to run their project would have cost them an additional US$10,672 to $13,360, based on the quotes they received, she says. “We were not happy with these quotes because when we broke down our costs with the work done by separate tradespersons, we found the savings were large.”
Uh-oh moment: The installation of the plantation shutter went poorly and had to be redone, but the tradesperson who installed it ended up not charging for the work.
Style muse: “We avoided trends because we did not want our room to date quickly,” she says. She describes the bathroom as “relaxing, luxurious, calming and spacious.”
Vanity: Coastal Tiles
Walls moved: No
Plumbing moved: Yes
Plumbing replaced: Yes
Professionals hired: Matt Napier Wall and Floor Tiling; Adam McKay Electrical & Maintenance Services; Superdry Waterproofing; Active plastering services; Freewater Plumbing; Kincumber Glass & Glazing
Special features: Heated towel rack, rain shower head, custom vanity
Splurges: Custom vanity
Savings: Doing design, demolition and painting themselves
Cost breakdown
(All figures in U.S. dollars)
Shower: $1,459, including $768 for waterproofing materials and work, and $532 for glass screen
Vanity: $1,920 for custom vanity
Wall tile: $532
Floor tile: $562
Lighting: $384, including two overhead lights and extraction fan and labor* for relocating electrical
Accessories: $802 ($403 for heated towel rail and $399 for luxury accessories including a robe hook)
Plumbing: $676 for labor* and materials for installing new plumbing connections and faucets
Windows and doors: $270 ($211 for translucent entry door and $59 for door handle)
Walls: $614 for labor* and drywall materials
Labor: $1,766 for tile work, plus those amounts folded into the above
Total cost: $8,985
*Labor is folded in to materials costs where it could not be separated out.
More Reader Bathrooms: $3,000 DIY Transformation | $22,000 Remodel for Aging in Place | $20,000 for a Pair of Renovations | From ‘Blah’ to ‘Aah’ in a $27,000 Makeover | Romantic Steampunk for $9,000 | Serenity for $23,000 | Modern Art Deco for $24,000
Plumbing moved: Yes
Plumbing replaced: Yes
Professionals hired: Matt Napier Wall and Floor Tiling; Adam McKay Electrical & Maintenance Services; Superdry Waterproofing; Active plastering services; Freewater Plumbing; Kincumber Glass & Glazing
Special features: Heated towel rack, rain shower head, custom vanity
Splurges: Custom vanity
Savings: Doing design, demolition and painting themselves
Cost breakdown
(All figures in U.S. dollars)
Shower: $1,459, including $768 for waterproofing materials and work, and $532 for glass screen
Vanity: $1,920 for custom vanity
Wall tile: $532
Floor tile: $562
Lighting: $384, including two overhead lights and extraction fan and labor* for relocating electrical
Accessories: $802 ($403 for heated towel rail and $399 for luxury accessories including a robe hook)
Plumbing: $676 for labor* and materials for installing new plumbing connections and faucets
Windows and doors: $270 ($211 for translucent entry door and $59 for door handle)
Walls: $614 for labor* and drywall materials
Labor: $1,766 for tile work, plus those amounts folded into the above
Total cost: $8,985
*Labor is folded in to materials costs where it could not be separated out.
More Reader Bathrooms: $3,000 DIY Transformation | $22,000 Remodel for Aging in Place | $20,000 for a Pair of Renovations | From ‘Blah’ to ‘Aah’ in a $27,000 Makeover | Romantic Steampunk for $9,000 | Serenity for $23,000 | Modern Art Deco for $24,000
Who lives here: Scott and Karen Norkett
Location: Kincumber, New South Wales, Australia
Size: 41 square feet (3.8 square meters)
Total cost: US$8,985
Construction time: Just under a month