Our house was built in the late 1960s. When Bray and his brother bought it 14 years ago, they remodeled all the main living spaces. We now have a big wide open front half of the house where you can see from the front door to the backyard pool. Perfect for kids.
When we bought the house together when we married, I remodeled the guest (now kids) bathroom. We bought a new AC. Then a new roof. Then we refinished the backyard. The master bathroom went untouched.
We’re gearing up for a bathroom remodel.
What do I know about a massive remodel of a master bathroom (plus)? Very little.
If you’ll walk with me through the front door of our home, you’ll pass the dining room on your right. Walk a little further (no walls) to the living room on your left and the open kitchen your right. Then, after a few steps, you’ll see the big playroom with backyard beyond it and on your left is the hall to the bedrooms.
Wanna walk through? Well, okay, but in that open hall you’ll also see the entire laundry room. Because it’s not enclosed. There are the washer and dryer sitting in the walkway to the back half of the house.
No idea what is happening there. Behind the laundry room/hall is the master bathroom and to the left of the master bathroom is the master bedroom.
The master bath has a plastic shower stall with glass and gold trim. It has two smallish closets. It has one long vanity with ONE sink and a massive 1970s mirror with bulkhead lighting.
The footprint from where the hall/laundry starts to the back wall of the master bath is 23 feet long and 11 feet wide.
My hope, budget permitting, is that we can knock down the wall between the laundry and the master bath and reconfigure everything.
This is what I need. An enclosed hallway. A new (small) half bathroom. That’s right, our four bedroom house has TWO toilets. I need three toilets, friends. A laundry room not open to the public. A vanity with two sinks. One big master closet. A tile shower with glass enclosure.
My design words? Classic. (Above all, classic.) Timeless. Simple. Sophisticated but durable. This is supposed to be an ADULT bathroom so I’m not making kid concessions. Except I know my kids are always going to be in there.
My colors? Primary color is gray. Lighter bluer gray. I know gray is an impossible shade but tackle it I will. With ivory and possibly navy accents.
I’ve started on some design inspirations but haven’t seen anything that reflects exactly what’s in my head. These two ideas (I’ve been trolling Houzz and Pinterest) get close to the feel I want (except no dark wood and our layout would be different):
So here’s where I need your advice.
Who has gone through a remodel? What do you wish someone had told you on the front end? I start interviewing architects/designers this week, what do I ask them?
What do you love about your bathroom? What do you hate about your bathroom? If you could (or did) change one thing about your master, what is it?
Also, I won’t have a ton of space for my laundry area, what recommendations do you have?
Where did you get your best supplies (tiles/lighting/etc.)?
This is a BIG project and I’d love your collective wisdom. If we can do the project in the budget we’ve set, I’ll let you come along for the bathroom remodel ride in case any of you are considering do it too.