Bathroom Design
Remodeling Guides
Before and Afters
Light-Happy Changes Upgrade a Small Bathroom
Glass block windows, Starphire glass shower panes and bright white and blue tile make for a bright new bathroom design
Numerous problems were plaguing this bathroom when a mother and her 9-year-old daughter moved into their home. For starters, the cracked Pepto Bismol–pink shower tiles didn’t extend high enough to protect the drywall from water, and the two found that they didn't even use the bathtub. They also feared that the loud clanking of their 1950s-era plumbing portended disaster, and the electrical system was old and potentially dangerous.
Needless to say, a very important part of their home's full remodel was creating a beautiful and functional bathroom. Local builder Bill Fry tackled the project, with help from the homeowner’s daughter, who chose the dazzling accent tile in blue, her favorite color.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A mother and her daughter, who's in fourth grade
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Size: About 40 square feet
Needless to say, a very important part of their home's full remodel was creating a beautiful and functional bathroom. Local builder Bill Fry tackled the project, with help from the homeowner’s daughter, who chose the dazzling accent tile in blue, her favorite color.
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A mother and her daughter, who's in fourth grade
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Size: About 40 square feet
BEFORE: The outdated bathroom's original pink shower tile didn't reach high enough to protect the wall from water. "I feared what damage we would find when the walls were removed," says the homeowner.
AFTER: "Some people told me that for renting and resale, you must have a tub for dogs and babies, but I had lived in a house with a bathtub and a shower stall with a bench in it when my daughter was a baby," she says. "I found it was much easier on my knees to sit on the bench and bathe her in a blow-up baby tub in the bottom of the shower with the handheld showerhead."
She also realized it's a good solution for universal design. A new shower bench provides a seat for those with mobility issues. "My daughter likes to sit there and put her feet in a little tub of cool water when she comes home from softball practice," the homeowner says.
Tip: "The important thing about installing a shower bench is that it is sloped properly to shed water," says builder Bill Fry.
Subway tile: 3- by 6-inch Starting Line White Gloss Ceramic, American Olean
She also realized it's a good solution for universal design. A new shower bench provides a seat for those with mobility issues. "My daughter likes to sit there and put her feet in a little tub of cool water when she comes home from softball practice," the homeowner says.
Tip: "The important thing about installing a shower bench is that it is sloped properly to shed water," says builder Bill Fry.
Subway tile: 3- by 6-inch Starting Line White Gloss Ceramic, American Olean
The homeowner balanced her budget with well-considered splurges and simple cost savers. For example, the custom vanity was a splurge, but she kept costs down by choosing simple Shaker doors, a basic sink and a Caesarstone remnant that Fry found for the countertop.
Inexpensive subway tile covers most of the space, while the well-placed horizontal bands of pricier recycled glass accents pack a powerful design punch. Note the clever way the accent tile is placed in the shower niche. Small details like this go a long way.
Mosaic tile: Glass Mosaic Ocean, Elida Ceramica; sink: Caxton, Kohler; faucet: Grohe 33 170, Europlus Collection
Inexpensive subway tile covers most of the space, while the well-placed horizontal bands of pricier recycled glass accents pack a powerful design punch. Note the clever way the accent tile is placed in the shower niche. Small details like this go a long way.
Mosaic tile: Glass Mosaic Ocean, Elida Ceramica; sink: Caxton, Kohler; faucet: Grohe 33 170, Europlus Collection
Adding Starphire glass on the shower doors was another worthwhile splurge. "This is much more clear than regular glass," Fry says. "Conventional glass has a greenish hue and transmits about 10 percent less light."
The homeowner struggled to find a white floor tile pattern with blue squares in it; white with black was the most common option. But she found that the black squares came in another box, to be inserted into the pattern separately, which led to a clever custom solution. "The tile guys used the recycled glass wall tile strips and put various colors from the mosaic into the centers of the white pattern," she says.
Heating mats underneath the tile keep feet warm.
Shower fixture: Grohe 19-340-002 Europlus Pressure; glass block window: Pacific Glass Block
The homeowner struggled to find a white floor tile pattern with blue squares in it; white with black was the most common option. But she found that the black squares came in another box, to be inserted into the pattern separately, which led to a clever custom solution. "The tile guys used the recycled glass wall tile strips and put various colors from the mosaic into the centers of the white pattern," she says.
Heating mats underneath the tile keep feet warm.
Shower fixture: Grohe 19-340-002 Europlus Pressure; glass block window: Pacific Glass Block
BEFORE: The renovations offered a fun activity for the homeowner's daughter and her friends. Before demolition began, they attacked the walls with markers.
More: How to convert a tub to a shower, Part 1
More: How to convert a tub to a shower, Part 1
Kelly-Moore's Prairie Day light blue paint on the walls adds a watery and serene feeling, while the recycled glass mosaic tiles energize the vibe.
White floor tile: Chloe Pinwheel Mosaic, American Olean; paint: Prairie Day KM3130-1, Kelly-Moore; toilet: Eco Promenade Elongated Two Piece Toilet, Toto