Seven Day Full Gut Bathroom Remodel


This busy family wanted to give their two teenagers an updated and more functional space!  The space had served their needs for years, but everything in the space felt a little tired, and past the point where a good elbow-grease cleaning could make it feel fresh. So, we started by creating a concept for them, and getting all the materials on order!

Teenage Bathroom Before Nest Interior Design

This bathroom was original to this 1990s-era home.  The sheet vinyl flooring, track shower door, slab-style mirror all felt dated and drab, and not a place where anyone wanted to start their day.  

The space had been previously wallpapered, and the client had begun to remove the paper from the walls when we first met with them to talk about what the space could be.

Wallpaper bathroom before photo Nest Interior Design

The navy, small-scaled, 1990s wallpaper had a good life, and was definitely making this window-less space feel smaller and super somber.  

The tub/shower fiberglass, molded enclosure and sliding shower door made the space feel even more compressed and tight, and we immediately set to work on brightening things up!   Anyone who has tried to clean those nasty shower tracks or wrangle a toddler squirming in the tub over the constraints of the metal track, will not shed tears that the shower door was not staying in the new design!

Over time, the previously white paint oxidized and had begun to yellow a bit.  Giving these doors and trimwork a new, fresh coat of crisp, white paint became an important piece of our design plan.  The last thing we want is to freshen everything else, and have this yellowed, trim paint ruin our look!

Does this layout look familiar?  A really common bathroom layout in so many family homes, this space had a double vanity in the first room.  Through the doorway, the tub and toilet area are in a second, separate room.  

The original vanity was a bit lower than the client would like.  Their teenagers are both tall, and adding a higher vanity would also allow them to gain more storage below the countertop, within the vanity.  

Okay, we have talked about all of the dreary, "before" bits.  Let's dive into the solution and layer on some seriously fabulous, new materials and design!  How did we do a full-gut bathroom remodel in 7 days?  Here we go!

Day One:

Demo.  The vanity, old tub/shower enclosure, faucets, countertop, and wallpaper were removed.  Everybody on our team loves demo day because it means we are underway for REAL!  

Countertops:  The countertop fabricator came and templated for our new, quartz countertops.  We chose Caesarstone Nougat 6600, because of its bright, glossy reflective surface and the speckled composition of this quartz hides water spots beautifully.  

Caesarstone Nougat Quartz Cuntertop

Plumbing:  The plumber had to make a couple of tweaks to allow our plumbing placement to be moved  to its new location within the new vanity.  The new, deeper tub was installed on day one, to allow other parts of the project to keep rolling.  The tub we selected was glossy white and had a straighter, more modern profile.

Duravit 60" Architec Soaking Tub

Electrical:  A new, waterproof recessed can was roughed in within the new shower space.  The electrician also added the rough electrical placement for two, wall-mounted light fixtures above the vanity area.  Adding more light is such an incredible way to brighten and visually expand a space.  We put these vanity fixtures on a dimmer, so these teenagers can opt to keep the lights lower first thing in the morning, as they are still waking up and trying to get into their day. 

Day Two:

Shower:  Permabase was installed on the walls in the shower, so everything would be water-tight and accept the new tile beautifully.

Permabase shower prep

 

Flooring Preparation:  Because we were going to utilize a new, vinyl plank for our flooring, we laid a new, plywood sub floor to make sure that the adhesive would bind well and create a durable floor for decades to come.  

Day Three:

Painting:  The ceiling received a coat of Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17, in a flat finish.  The trim work and doors were painted in the same hue, with a semi-gloss finish. The walls were painted in Benjamin Moore Gray Owl 2137-60

         Benjamin Moore Paint color

Flooring Installation:

We love specifying Karndean vinyl plank floors.  They are super durable, and install quickly.  Because these planks have a little texture in the wood graining, it inherently creates a less slippery surface.  

Karndean LLP380

        

 

Day Four & Day Five:

Subway tile installation.  Tile takes time.  Well, tile that is installed well takes time.  Jeff our tile installer is a pro, and installs this glossy, white subway tile to the ceiling, and fits each piece in perfectly.  Two recessed niches allow shampoos and other "jams and jellies" to be tucked away and orderly.

                          Duffy shower tile installation

This is a good time to mention that a six day bathroom remodel is not at all possible unless you have talented tradespeople who show up when they say and complete on time.  We knew we could do this because each tradesperson has proven to us job after job over the years, that they will totally deliver on time, and as promised.  

Day Six:

Cabinetry delivery, cabinetry installation, bath hardware and mirror installation.  So exciting!      We chose Ultracraft, with a Plainview door style and a Lunar Gray paint finish. This door style is a classic, Shaker style, so it will definitely stand the test of time.  The soft grey finish is more interesting than the predictable white.

Ultracraft Plainview Cabinetry

We framed out the clients existing mirror in wood that was custom-painted to match the new Lunar Grey cabinetry finish.   

Cabinetry Hardware:  We chose Amerock Rochdale series for the clients cabinetry.  It is vintage with a modern twist, don't you think?  

Duffy Bath hardware 
         

    

Bath Hardware:  We did a combination of hooks, towel bars and towel rings with a contemporary twist.  

Towel rings, bars and hooks
 

 

Day Seven:

It's here!  The final day where our client starts to enjoy this new, wonderful space!  Countertop installation, final electrical and final plumbing installation are all happening today!

The pair of Kohler Caxton sinks were installed, along with a pair of Kohler Tempered, single lever faucets.  We also used the Tempered shower faucet, all in the brushed nickel finish.

Duffy Bath Fixtures

 

 Let's put it all together!  We had a custom-sized shower curtain made for this project.  Because the tile went all the way to the ceiling, a shorter, more standard-sized curtain would leave a band of tile visible above the curtain when it was closed.  

We used Lacefield's Blythe fabric because of its textured feel and the subtle blend of neutral tones.  

                                  

Lacefield fabric and heavy duty shower rod

By using a solid brass rod, that is coated with brush nickel, the rod has incredible strength, and can support the extra-long, custom curtain.  The final light fixtures were also installed!  We chose Kichler fixtures in a brushed nickel finish. 

Kichler

 And, finally the finished project!  

Because two teenagers, a boy and a girl, share this space the end result needed to be incredibly durable, and not skew too masculine or feminine.  We are super excited to share this fun, fast project with you!  

April 09, 2020

Comments

Adam said:

Do you know the brand and model of bathtub?

Leave a comment

Please note: comments must be approved before they are published.