Reader Bathroom: A Plant-Filled Master Bath — No Tub Needed
A couple create the bathroom of their dreams with a lot of DIY work and a little help from the pros
This series profiles bathroom updates from DIY projects to professional remodels.
Beth Heim-Shelton and David Shelton reconfigured their master suite to create a luxurious bathroom and two walk-in closets. In expanding their master bathroom, they skipped the tub and went for a shower that is high on style.
Beth Heim-Shelton and David Shelton reconfigured their master suite to create a luxurious bathroom and two walk-in closets. In expanding their master bathroom, they skipped the tub and went for a shower that is high on style.
BEFORE: This couple’s bedroom was an add-on more than 13 years ago.
Heim-Shelton was determined to get exactly what she wanted with this remodel. She spent a long time researching — finding inspiration in images on Houzz and in the Instagram feed of Justina Blakeney, one of her favorite designers. Her husband, David Shelton, who has a contractor’s license, did the demolition and construction for this project, while Heim-Shelton acted as the designer and general contractor and did the painting.
AFTER: Here is the renovated master bedroom. The new bathroom is to the right of the hallway, and Heim-Shelton’s new master closet is on the left.
The major visible change in this room is the new acacia wood flooring, laid out in a herringbone pattern. Heim-Shelton and her husband stained the French doors themselves.
The major visible change in this room is the new acacia wood flooring, laid out in a herringbone pattern. Heim-Shelton and her husband stained the French doors themselves.
Here is the floor plan of the master area after the renovation.
“When I designed this new bathroom, I wanted the vaulted ceiling with a skylight so that light would pour down on my plant wall,” Heim-Shelton says.
She may decide to install shower doors down the road but says that the open shower feel works well as is. She doesn’t miss having a tub. “I don’t take baths,” she says.
Chandelier: Kichler
She may decide to install shower doors down the road but says that the open shower feel works well as is. She doesn’t miss having a tub. “I don’t take baths,” she says.
Chandelier: Kichler
She made the teak shelves out of a 6-foot teak board that cost $150. “While watching some reno show on HGTV, I saw that it cost someone $800 to have two smaller floating shelves installed in their kitchen,” she says. “And it wasn’t even teak!” She bought the encaustic tile at half price from a company in Florida.
Style muse: “Justina Blakeney at The Jungalow was a bit of an inspiration,” Heim-Shelton says. “I love color just as much as she does and knew I wanted cobalt blue for my accent.… Blues and greens just make me happy.”
Style muse: “Justina Blakeney at The Jungalow was a bit of an inspiration,” Heim-Shelton says. “I love color just as much as she does and knew I wanted cobalt blue for my accent.… Blues and greens just make me happy.”
Here’s a closer look at the shower. The brass drain cover in the shower (see detail in next photo) and the marble for the two niches in the shower came directly from a manufacturer in China. Heim-Shelton had the products exported to the Port of Los Angeles and hired someone to do the paperwork to get her purchases through customs.
8-inch square shower head in matte black: Cal Faucets; Siderna collection faucet: Brizo; Euro slide bar hand shower: Jason Wu for Brizo; brass drain: Alibaba.com; 4-by-12-inch subway tile in white: State College Distributors
8-inch square shower head in matte black: Cal Faucets; Siderna collection faucet: Brizo; Euro slide bar hand shower: Jason Wu for Brizo; brass drain: Alibaba.com; 4-by-12-inch subway tile in white: State College Distributors
This detail shot shows the shower drain cover.
This shot of the bathroom is taken from inside the shower. Because Heim-Shelton chose a black-and-white color scheme, she wanted to warm up the space using wood. She bought about 220 square feet of wide planks of French oak flooring on Craigslist, and she and her husband installed it themselves. Normally, this kind of wood sells for about $8 a square foot, or $1,760 for the amount she needed, according to Heim-Shelton’s research. She scored the wood for $800.
Heim-Shelton took a discount-shopping approach to all the purchases for this bathroom. The light-colored marble tile for the main floor and the Nero Marquina marble tile for the toilet room floor also came directly from China. To save on the vanity, Heim-Shelton ordered it without a countertop, buying that portion at a lower price from a local granite provider.
Barn doors: Craigslist; sconces: Restoration Hardware; mirrors: Rejuvenation; Odin collection faucets: Brizo
Heim-Shelton took a discount-shopping approach to all the purchases for this bathroom. The light-colored marble tile for the main floor and the Nero Marquina marble tile for the toilet room floor also came directly from China. To save on the vanity, Heim-Shelton ordered it without a countertop, buying that portion at a lower price from a local granite provider.
Barn doors: Craigslist; sconces: Restoration Hardware; mirrors: Rejuvenation; Odin collection faucets: Brizo
To get the distressed look on her cobalt-blue doors, Heim-Shelton stained the doors and then painted them using milk paint in four shades of blue. Before the top coat of paint, she added tung oil to give the finish more sheen.
The hardware for the doors came from a 100-year-old house; Heim-Shelton painted it gold.
Lessons learned: “If you like having nice things, you don’t have to be rich,” Heim-Shelton says. “Learn how to do it yourself.”
Paint: Real Milk Paint; door hardware: eBay
The hardware for the doors came from a 100-year-old house; Heim-Shelton painted it gold.
Lessons learned: “If you like having nice things, you don’t have to be rich,” Heim-Shelton says. “Learn how to do it yourself.”
Paint: Real Milk Paint; door hardware: eBay
Walls moved: Yes
Plumbing moved: Yes
Plumbing replaced: Yes
Professionals hired: Tim Jones for plumbing, Jose Aguilar for drywall, Luis Lemus for flooring and tile work
Special features: Bathroom window
Splurges: Closet system by California Closets
Savings: Acting as her own designer and general contractor, shopping around for good prices for materials
Stained-glass window insert: Etsy
Plumbing moved: Yes
Plumbing replaced: Yes
Professionals hired: Tim Jones for plumbing, Jose Aguilar for drywall, Luis Lemus for flooring and tile work
Special features: Bathroom window
Splurges: Closet system by California Closets
Savings: Acting as her own designer and general contractor, shopping around for good prices for materials
Stained-glass window insert: Etsy
Costs for this remodel are roughly estimated.
Cost breakdown
Shower: $6,750 ($5,300 for tile work, $450 for hot mop shower pan and $1,000 for fixtures)
Cabinetry: $3,000 for vanity and tower
Countertop: $700
Tile: $2,200 ($800 for cement encaustic tile, $400 for white subway tile, and $1,000 for marble tile for main floor, shower floor and toilet room floor)
Lighting: $800 for double light over shower, mirror sconces and ceiling pendant
Decor: $1,500, including $400 for mirrors, $60 for glass shelving above vanity, $150 for wood shelves and $240 for teak bench
Flooring: $2,150 ($1,950 for acacia wood and $200 for carpet in his closet)
Plumbing: $2,300 for moving sewer line, rerouting new plumbing and adding lines for shower
Windows and doors: $2,720 ($1,100 for French doors, $700 for window, $470 for stained-glass window insert, $150 for sliding barn doors, $80 for barn door glass inserts, $70 for barn door hardware and $150 for a pocket door still to be installed)
Closets: $9,900 ($8,300 for closet system, $600 for leopard carpet and $1,000 for drywall)
Labor: $8,300 ($4,000 for installing acacia wood floor, $3,500 for installing drywall, and $800 to repair exterior stucco after installing door and window)
Other: $6,000 for skylight, framing and construction materials, and concrete overlay for flooring
Total: $46,320
Cost breakdown
Shower: $6,750 ($5,300 for tile work, $450 for hot mop shower pan and $1,000 for fixtures)
Cabinetry: $3,000 for vanity and tower
Countertop: $700
Tile: $2,200 ($800 for cement encaustic tile, $400 for white subway tile, and $1,000 for marble tile for main floor, shower floor and toilet room floor)
Lighting: $800 for double light over shower, mirror sconces and ceiling pendant
Decor: $1,500, including $400 for mirrors, $60 for glass shelving above vanity, $150 for wood shelves and $240 for teak bench
Flooring: $2,150 ($1,950 for acacia wood and $200 for carpet in his closet)
Plumbing: $2,300 for moving sewer line, rerouting new plumbing and adding lines for shower
Windows and doors: $2,720 ($1,100 for French doors, $700 for window, $470 for stained-glass window insert, $150 for sliding barn doors, $80 for barn door glass inserts, $70 for barn door hardware and $150 for a pocket door still to be installed)
Closets: $9,900 ($8,300 for closet system, $600 for leopard carpet and $1,000 for drywall)
Labor: $8,300 ($4,000 for installing acacia wood floor, $3,500 for installing drywall, and $800 to repair exterior stucco after installing door and window)
Other: $6,000 for skylight, framing and construction materials, and concrete overlay for flooring
Total: $46,320
Here is a view of Heim-Shelton’s customized closet, filled with clothes. She considers this system to be the big splurge of the project.
More
How People Upgrade Their Main Bathrooms, and How Much They Spend
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Bathroom
Before and After: 6 Bathrooms That Said Goodbye to the Tub
See more Reader Bathrooms
More
How People Upgrade Their Main Bathrooms, and How Much They Spend
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Bathroom
Before and After: 6 Bathrooms That Said Goodbye to the Tub
See more Reader Bathrooms
Who lives here: Beth Heim-Shelton, David Shelton and son Travis Heim
Location: Diamond Bar, California
Bathroom size: 160 square feet (14.9 square meters); master suite of 600 square feet (55.7 square meters)
Total cost: $46,320 for the bathroom and bedroom renovation and the new master closets
Construction time: One year
Vanity in black oak: Restoration Hardware