Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
flyingkite

Guest bedroom remodeling Do's and Don'ts

flyingkite
10 years ago

Sorry for the typo, of course we are talking about bathroom, not bedroom.

We are in the process of remodeling our guest bathroom, which is actually our primary bathroom because we gave up our master bath on the first floor to my mother in law.

My DW came out with an idea to remodel our "guest" bathroom with all the bells and whistles like expensive tile, heated floors, frameless sliding doors, steam shower etc.

I discussed our plans with my coworker Mary and she kindly provided me with the list of the guest bathroom remodeling Do's and Don'ts. I found it very useful and want to share it with all of you. I personally favor less ambitious design with some modest improvements. Will I be able to convince my DW? Well, it remains to be seen..

Now, Do's and Don'ts from Mary:

I've been doing tons of research on hall bathroom remodels. I am sharing what I've learned. Please let me know if you have any tips for me.

Yes - wall niche for shampoo. I prefer long shape to tall, because I need to fit shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, shaving cream, razor.
Yes - built in bench. Will help with aging in place.
Yes - shower floor tile no bigger than 2x2 to reduce slipping. Slip rating of 6 or higher.
Yes - shower head with hand held shower head on a slide bar. Consider universal design aging in place - 1 on-off lever handle instead of round knob or cross style knob or dual knobs.
Yes - sliding shower door. Ensure it is super tall so you do not need to duck to step into shower. Shower door with towel rack gives you a place to hang wet towels.
Yes - tile all the way up the 3 walls and across the ceiling, will make the shower look bigger.
Yes - electric plug-in towel warmer. This is a real splurge but wonderful on cold days.

No - steam shower. Too much of an upgrade for non-master bath. Vent problems cause mold & mildew. Instead, turn up temperature on your water heater.
No - overhead rain-style shower head. Expensive plumbing, too much of an upgrade for non-Master bath. Better off adding an overhead wet-usage light in shower stall ceiling.
No - heated floors. Too much of an upgrade for non-Master bath. Installation cost really expensive the further away from electric panel the bathroom is. Consider memory foam rug and towel warmer instead.
No - glass tiles in shower. Will be able to see mold and mildew growing between wall and tile with no way to treat it.

Reconsider - clear glass shower door. Will need wipe it down/squeegee after every shower - or streaks and soap scum show. Good idea for magazine photos and if you use very expensive custom tile on shower walls. Consider lower maintenance seeded, rain droplet, or frosted doors instead.

Reconsider - frameless shower door. Looks great in magazine photos, but my contractors say they leak. See what owners are saying on line.

Don't use really big tiles on bathroom floor because they are slippery and cause falls, unless you use a textured or honed tile.

If you pick big tiles for shower walls, they will look contemporary, but you will waste a lot of tiles if they need to be cut at every wall edge.

Consider using low cost field tile for shower walls with eased edge tiles where tiles end at shower door, and add some interest with 1 row of higher cost decorative tile or a row of pencil round tiles. And add fancy tile inside the wall niche.

For aging place, contrast between floor and wall is good, especially like using dark tile for bathroom and shower floors and light tile for shower curb so you don't trip on it.

For aging in place, do overhead light above sink AND wall sconces for sides of sink.

If your budget can handle it, instead of old-fashioned round drain in center of the shower floor, consider a modern drain channel.

This post was edited by flyingkite on Tue, Sep 17, 13 at 17:17

Comments (42)

  • enduring
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good luck on your project. Keep us posted with your progress. Some very good ideas.

  • catbuilder
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sorry, I have to say it: are you married to your wife or to Mary? I certainly wouldn't want my husband coming home from work with unsolicited "suggestions" from another woman about the bathroom I designed for myself. Especially her comments about things being too much of an upgrade for a non-master bathroom. This IS your master bathroom!

    Turning up the temperature on your water heater is a bad idea. First, it won't turn the shower into a steam shower (and if it did, you would have even more problems with the venting because you wouldn't have accounted for it during the build). Second, higher temperatures cause premature failure of water heaters. Third, and most important, it is DANGEROUS to have the water temperature too high. It only takes seconds to cause severe burns when the temperature is set to 150 F or even 140 F. It should never be set higher than 120 F. Particularly since your mother-in-law is living with you.

    Heated floors are worth it, in my opinion, no matter whose bathroom it is. A towel warmer will not heat the floor.

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    catbuilder,

    You've surprised me with your question, quite unusual for this forum.

    We all know each other for a long time and always discuss our remodeling projects. Both me and my wife always appreciate good advice and it doesn't matter if it comes either from a man or a woman.

  • palimpsest
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Being threatened by a few suggestions about a bathroom remodel would suggest a very shaky relationship, indeed.(???)

    It isn't a good idea to turn up the water heater and I am not sure this would even work, because of the thermostatic anti-scald mechanisms required in most locales, anyway. I steam shower is really a different animal that a hot regular shower.

  • bob_cville
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't think that catbuilder was suggesting that the Do's and Don't's should be ignored because they are from a woman, or that OP's DW would be threatened. In all likelihood they weren't written by Mary in any case, more likely she found them on the interwebs as a part of one or more articles about remodeling.

    The "rules" as listed do contain important information, that should be included in the decision making process, but ultimately you and your DW are the ones that will have to live there, not Mary, not any of us, and not some article-writer on the interwebs. Plus catbuilder makes the very good point that these "rules" are predicated on the assumption that this is a guest bathroom, whereas in your case in has become the de facto master bath, so some amount of splurging would be more than justified.

    I agree with much of the information listed in the rules, but like other posters specifically take exception to the dangerous notion of turning up the water temperature to somehow simulate a steam shower. It is correct that correctly tiling a bathroom to accommodate a steam shower is more difficult and more expensive, but it makes no mention of the fact that many so called professional tile installers don't even know how to correctly tile a normal shower.

    Furthermore since personally I dislike overhead rain-style shower heads or hand held shower heads I wouldn't spend one extra cent for either of them, and the electric towel warmer to me seems a pointless frivolity. However after installing an electric floor heating mat under the tile in the our kitchen I agree that heated floors in a master bath would be worth getting whatever the cost.

    This post was edited by bob_cville on Thu, Sep 19, 13 at 14:57

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    bob_cville,

    You're right, the final decision will be up to me and my DW.
    The whole idea of these Do's and Don'ts is to create a starting framework for our decision making.

    This post was edited by flyingkite on Wed, Sep 18, 13 at 12:52

  • raehelen
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It's a good starting point for discussion. Yes, this will be YOUR Master bath, but perhaps the suggestion of over-improving has to do with thinking of resale down the road. Having said that, we are in the process of redoing the two upstairs baths. Our Master, and the 'Main' or guest bath, as it's just the two of us left at home now. Due to a disappointing experience with the architect we had hired, we have scaled down our original plan to add on a sumptuous Master bath retreat to our Master bedroom, and have decided to incorporate features of it into the two BR's.

    So, we will be upgrading the 'guest' bath to my secondary Master, as there is no room in my real Master to incorporate a large Air bath. I realize it will perhaps be 'too much' for a non-Master Bath, but that is what is going to work best for us. We will raise the vanity to kitchen height, again perhaps not 'kiddy' friendly, but that's what footstools are for! LOL

    So, you are in a similar position. You will basically have two Master baths...my suggestion is to build what you want. You haven't mentioned a tub. The only thing that I would caution is that you have at least one tub somewhere in the house (preferably a BR other than the Master) cuz that could severely limit your resale without one, and having to renovate to add a tub could really turn away potential buyers.

    Heated floor? I personally don't want one, but EVERY single person I know with one, LOVES it. I think I am going to be suffering with hot flashes until the day I die, so the LAST thing I want is another source of HEAT!- so no heated floors in MY house, but that doesn't mean YOU and your DW might not just be thrilled to death with them!
    Towel warmer? Yup-first thing I bought for my new BR. We hang our robes from the Hot Tub on an outside wall, and they get mil-dewy from hanging there, so our TW will have two robe hooks above it...see that's what works for us... You have to decide what works for you.
    Light in shower? Yup They have new LED ones now!
    Built in bench? I bought a super solid Teak bench from BBB- figure it is more adaptable than a built-in, we can remove it for those times we want a 2-person shower...can be brought into BR for pedicures, etc...
    Tiling all the way to ceiling? Yes, I think it is definitely an updated look, since we are DIY, we are NOT attempting to tile the ceiling itself.
    Sliding glass doors...Yes...really how much work is wiping down the doors for a few seconds?..wee bit of exercise never hurt anyone...I much prefer not having a wet shower curtain hitting me, the leaks they often encourage, and I find it is much warmer in the shower with solid doors than a curtain.
    Niches- yes, if no room for a long one, incorporate a shelf into a taller one.
    Vanity- we have found with 2 Br's so far, it was worth hiring a carpenter to have them custom made. Got EXACTLY what we wanted for not much more than a good quality cabinet line...no Wasted space, my pet peeve with ready made vanity cabinets.

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    raehelen,

    Thank you very much for interesting suggestions and sharing your experience.

    While we are not planning to sell our condominium in the foreseeable future, things can change when we get closer to our retirement.

    We have Jacuzzi in the Master bath and shower in the guest bathroom.

  • gabbythecat
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If you are thinking of aging in place, don't forget grab bars and a raised toilet (unless you are both on the short side). Yes, you can get raised potty seats when the time comes, but they seem really gross.

  • Bunny
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've had a frameless bypass shower door for 9 years. Zero leaking. It's clear glass, the only kind I like. Yes, I squeegee every freaking time I use the shower. Takes like 30 seconds. Maybe you can be lax and the hard water residue or soap scum won't show on frosted or patterned glass, but rest assured it will still be there. Nasty.

  • pps7
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It's a good list to use as a starting point.

    If it were my master bath, I would want heated floors.

    The built in bench is overrated. We have one and you can use a teak shower bench when needed.

    Plus in towel warmer is nice, but heated floors are better.

    Niche: i tend to buy very big shampoo bottles so measure first.

    Tiling all the way to the ceiling is going to be expensive. I guess it depends on how tall your ceilings are. We have 10' ceilings.

    As far as tiles- pick what you like. Labor is usually much more expensive than tile. Having said that, i would probably do simple subway with a marble accent.

  • MMhappy
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Luv the ideas about the heated floor. And...want to give a huge thumbs up for a towel warmer. You can get good ones for less than $300 and some of them double as a space heater. Certainly, it wouldn't heat the floor but I can't imagine paying for a heated floor and then not also having a towel warmer. Once you have your own towel warmer, you really don't want to be without one. Hot Towel Warmer is a online place that has pretty decent prices if you decide you want to check it out.

    Here is a link that might be useful: towel warmer

  • LE
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm neutral on towel warmer, but LOVE the heated floors. Prefer clear glass, esp if you want the room to seem visually larger. Squeegeeing takes literally seconds and is much easier than an infrequent session of scrubbing soap scum away (also recommend switching to liquid soap/shower gel-- it makes a huge difference.)

    I like large tiles myself, but yes, you have to look at the Coefficient of Friction when choosing them. I would tile to the ceiling-- in a small room, it's not very many more square feet, anyway. Yes to grab bars or at least blocking for them. I wouldn't bother with a steam shower or bench, but I can see how others would make a different decision there.

    I know if I were living with either my mother or my MIL (love them both!), I would want a nice place to retreat to that had whatever I needed in it to feel the way I wanted to feel. Away from it all, a little bit pampered, not like a second class citizen in my own home! So whatever it takes...

  • Nancy in Mich
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, the list is quite opinionated! I think it is the dynamic of a female friend at work giving the husband arguments to use against a wife's plans that is making me uncomfortable. But then, I had a husband who dated the lady at work and I was the last one to know about it. Let's say this can be a touchy situation at times.

    Of course, the water heater thing is out of line. Grandma is going to get scalded, and so are the kids. It happens at the sinks, not just in the showers. The other issue that goes against safety is the suggestion to put a foam rug in the bathroom. If we are aging in place, no rugs.

    I have only lived in three states: Michigan, New Jersey, and Louisiana. ALL of them needed warm floors part of the year! Cold and damp is really cold. 40 degrees in Baton Rouge was bone-chilly. So wherever Mrs. Flyingkite is, please give in on the warm floors. It is something that will let her feel pampered every cool day. She gave up her big bedroom and attached bath to her mother. It sounds like she would appreciate having a few luxuries back in recognition and maybe to help her cope with having her mom right there everyday.

    A steam shower may be too much, especially if it is hard to get one made that does not leak eventually. Talk about this one with her. Have either of you ever had a steam shower? Can you go somewhere on your next vacation to try one if you haven't? How important is it to her personally vs. it simply being a trend? Is a gym membership with a steam room an okay alternative? Do you have a basement where you could put a self-contained steam room someday?

    Then talk together about budget. How much is reasonable for you to spend on a bath remodel? Are other bills paid off so that you can take on this project now, or should you wait a while? If she wants what she wants and does not want to budge, what are ways to get it? I know that I want a thousand dollar sink for my bath remodel. So I have been cruising Craigslist. I found a Kraftmaid 48" vanity in excellent condition that I simply need to sand and prime, paint, and polyurethane once I figure out my colors. It cost $150. Now I am looking at a $900 high-end defogging med cab in the box for $300. If I didn't need a matching second one, I'd have snatched it up already. I have to think hard before I commit to needing an expensive second med cab! I know my square footage for wall and floor tiles and if something I LOVE comes available, I will get it. I am early in the process, so something has to be exactly what I want for me to buy. I already spent $125 on an earlier antique dresser as a vanity, and when the Kraftmade came along, I changed my mind. Not going to do that again! If you work at it, you may find that you can get a lot of your supplies this way, ahead of time. It is one way to save money and work toward the project together, hoping to save enough to make extra luxuries fit in the budget. Craigslist is only one place to look. In some areas, Habitat ReStores get new fixtures. There are also places like Green Demolitions (NY, NJ, PA) that sell new and used luxury fixtures at very low prices.

    These discussions will bring the focus back on the two of you, your house, and your lives. That is where it belongs.

  • HarvestGold
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Turning up the temperature at the water heater is especially dangerous in a home with elderly residents; because children and elderly folks have thinner skin, their skin burns more quickly.

    It seems like this isn't a renovation of a "guest" bath, but rather of an "owners' bath." I agree with the posters who have said that it makes sense to create a space that OP and his wife will enjoy - perhaps they'll recover a smaller-than-usual percentage at resale, but if they have the money to put into the remodel, a nice shower/bath (whatever your "thing" is) can be a great way to relax.

  • mrspete
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nice list. I have a few thoughts:

    - I'm going with corner shelves instead of niches because they're equally useful but cheaper. I also tend towards large shampoo bottles with pump tops, and I'm not sure what to do about that,
    - I'm going with a moveable bench. Seems more versatile to me. It can be removed, if a wheelchair is needed. It can be placed in the center of the shower, if you're showering a child's hair.
    - Never saw the point of steam showers.
    - I agree with your thoughts on faucet hardware.
    - Also agree with small size tile. I like the idea of pebble look flooring, which should be very high on the non slip scale. I definitely want tile to the ceiling and am willing to go with something simple (accented by more expensive tile) so that we can afford lots of tile.
    - Clear vs. pebbled vs. something else in the way of shower doors . . . No thanks. I choose no doors and a barrier free entrance.
    - Ambivalent about heated floors and towel bars.

  • noopd
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think your list of do's and don'ts are too general. None of them are good advice without knowing what your want, where you live, and what your budget is.

    If this is going to be your own bathroom for quite sometime, and you have the budget for it, why not just get everything that you want. you are the one who will enjoy it for years to come and you'll be happier for it.

    I'll just kinda go thru the list:

    1. shampoo niche: very useful, make sure they are big enough. long AND tall. You can also put some LED to light the niche to make it ultra modern. Is it a Need? no. it also depends on how big your shower space is. also. if you have a small space, one of those wall shampoo, soap dispenser (eg. from simple human) works just as well.

    2. Bench- you are talking about just a shower, not a tub shower combo, right? I don't think bench is necessary even for aging. It will be nice to have if you are doing a steam sauna. You can do permanant or flip down if you have a small space. If no steam shower, install a grab bar. Even if you don't do a bench, if you have enough space and want a bench later, just buy a bench and put it in.

    3. Tile size: I don't see how bigger tile lead to slippage. as long as the texture is rough, size doesn't matter, no?

    4. hand showers are great. it's best to do one knob for thermostat and one know for on/off.

    5. Sliding shower door: I think frameless is so much better. sliding shower door is too "old" and hard to clean.

    6. tile: it's really up to you.. it depends on the size of your shower area

    7. towel warmer.. a nice touch but not a must have. esp if you live in warmer climate, or if you already have heat in the room (from fan/furnace or floor)

    8. steam shower: if your budget allows it.. it's great. the price really came down a lot nowadays so it's relatively inexpensive to put one in. I didn't want to get one at first, and got talk into getting one. i love it. esp during cold weather.

    9. overhead rainstyle: first, do you like overhead rain shower? have you tried it? you may not like it if you haven't. if you have tried it and like it.. it's really not that much work to put one in. It depends if your "ceilng" is easily accessible. If your ceiling is not accessible or hard to work on, you can also consider rainshower head that come out from the wall , and not from the ceiling.

    heated floor: if you live in an area that it's cold many months of the year and/or snow. get it.. you'll enjoy it everyday.

    glass tile in shower: the less crevice you have, the easier for cleaning and less chance to get mold.

    clear glass: yes on clear glass, don't go frosted.

    framless shower door: yes yes yes, if it leaks, it's not installed right.

    just my two cents.

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sorry for the gap below, side effect after automatic Excel/HTML conversion.

    Demolition starts on Monday, the price tag seems to be overkill but we decided to go.

    I would appreciate your comments on pricing.

    Our shower selection:

    Moen Delta Arzo Custom Contemporary Vertical Spa Rain Shower Handshower Set
    Item
    Estimated

    Tub,
    0
    Custom frameless Shower door
    2000

    Showerhead, diverter,hand shower
    600

    shower pan
    450

    shower pan tiles
    100

    shower acsents
    250

    Shower wall surround, Tiles
    1260

    Cabinets


    Medicine cabinet 24'', ikea
    300

    Modular vanity 30'', ikea
    320

    Countertops


    Granite
    350

    Faucets


    Faucet, bathtub, standard
    0
    Faucet, shower, single handle, standard
    0
    Sink faucet, standard
    120

    Flooring


    "Ceramic tile, standard
    (quantity in square feet)"
    490

    Hardware


    Towel bar, standard
    60

    Mirror
    150

    TP holder
    25

    Lighting


    Recessed lights, standard
    200

    Vanity light
    150

    Sinks


    Lavatory, standard
    100

    Toilets/Bidets


    Toilet, standard
    400

    Ventilation


    Exhaust fan/light, standard
    300

    Walls


    Repairs
    300

    Paint
    500

    Trim


    Wood
    250

    Other


    electrical labor
    500

    demo
    500

    plumbing labor
    1000

    Subtotal
    10675

    Unexpected Costs


    Add 20%
    2135

    Total
    $12,810

  • raehelen
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Are you doing the tiling yourselves? I don't see a line for tiling labour. No line for waterproofing materials? Paint price seems high, is that including labour? Even then still seems high for a bathroom.

    Are you replacing drywall, installing cement board in shower? I see no line for drywall, taping, plastering, etc. so maybe you are not gutting?

    Just a suggestion for shower doors. We had custom glass priced, and then found excellent quality frameless sliders at Costco. Including acrylic pan which we are not using, was 1/3-1/4 the price of custom doors.

    Not sure where you are sourcing your plumbing supplies, but just a tip... our local plumbing supply place was the cheapest...ie less than anything online, and quite a bit cheaper than HD. Even things like towel bars, grab bars, etc were very well-priced.

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    raehelen,

    Labor is included for all items except for the plumbing and electrical. Cement board and drywalls are also included. Electrical labor includes additional wiring for the Bidet seat.

    Thank you for a good tip for the frameless sliders from Costco.

    We will keep the existing TP holder and towel bar and also will check overpriced estimate for the exhaust fan.

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Phase One - Demolition.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good start!

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    sjhockeyfan,

    Thank you. Now first phase completed, all fixtures ordered but chances to finish this project before Thanksgiving are very slim.

  • juliekcmo
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just also wanted to add in the idea to put in a smaller tiled recess opening down towards the bottom of the shower.

    To put one foot in while shaving legs. Saves from bending over.

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    juliekcmo,

    Thank you, interesting idea, definitely worth consideration.

  • ltlfromgardenweb
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    FlyingKite,
    Thank you for posting your list! Or Mary's list, or whoever's list! We're building a small master bath inside our master bedroom and that's a lot of good stuff to think about.

    Why are big tiles on the floor more slippery than small tiles? Is it just because there's less grout in between? I wouldn't have thought of this.

    Anyone--is it worth doing heated floors in a small bathroom, 4' by 9'?

  • chibimimi
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If you are going to be barefoot in the bathroom (silly question!), the heated floor is definitely worth it,

  • cat_mom
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your guest bathroom layout/size looks much like ours; a longish, narrow room. Ours is on the ground floor of our house. Yes, it would have been very nice to have a heated floor in that bathroom (having it throughout the entire ground floor would be on my fantasy wish-list--tile floors on slab can be quite chilly during the cooler months, well into the spring!). We have heated floors in our two main/upstairs bathrooms, and LOVE them. However, because this bathroom is NOT used on a daily, regular basis, as the other two are, and because we had just completed our kitchen renovation only months before we did the guest bathroom (and still had the other two bathrooms to reno), we couldn't justify the cost. I do sometimes regret that we didn't put it in though.

    Larger tile can be more slippery (depending on the material, tile surface, etc.). Smaller tile, with more grout lines, can allow for better traction. However, we put a bath mat down in front of our tubs/shower, to step onto with wet feet, before stepping onto our toasty warm tile. :)

    FYI, not sure if you are already planning to do so, but make sure you cover your cement board with some form of waterproofing membrane (roll-on, such as Laticrete's Hydroban, or Redguard--easiest method, or Kerdi cloth). You really only want to do a full demo once!

    We used Starfire (clear, low-iron) glass for our shower door, and had Clear Shield (protective coating) applied despite this being a little used bathroom. The first we did in order to preserve the look of our white tiled shower walls, the second for peace of mind with regards to mineral deposit build-up over time. These are some things to consider when choosing where to splurge/save. We saved a few $ by using 3/8" rather than 1/2" glass (the 3/8" glass feels plenty sturdy, IMO). but splurged on the slightly more expensive "contemporary" handle, and opted to use the slightly taller option for the enclosure/door which worked better with our border tile and door hinge location(s).

    Also, something we opted to do (in all three bathrooms)--we had the tub/shower tile go all the way up to, and across the ceilings over the tubs/shower. We did this as an added measure of "peace of mind" no-maintenance, and we liked the look, as well.

    I can provide some pics of our guest bathroom if you'd like.

    HTH!

  • robo (z6a)
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    For us heated floor was a no brainer. In a small room I think it just ran off the electrical already in place and we installed a new timed thermostat for it, it is awesome! Our very similar bath cost just about exactly that but of course we're in a totally different area so it's not comparable.

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    LongTimeLurker,

    I can only second what the cat_mom said, it would be very nice to have a heated floor in the bathroom.

    We are not doing it in our bathroom though because my wife happens to be very tolerant to the cold floors and she doesn't want any "artificial heat".

    We are making some progress despite delays with deliveries.

    Installed cement boards,

    Tiles

    The tiles looked good in the show room, but when we brought them home and put a couple on the bathroom floor they seemed to be extremely dark and my wife panicked. However, when all of them were installed they looked as good as they looked in the show room.

  • cat_mom
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Gorgeous tile!! Details???

  • enduring
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Beautiful. I look forward to seeing the completed room!

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    cat_mom & enduring, thank you.

    Floor tile: Marazzi glazed porcelain, Archeology collection, Chaco Canion.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Marazzi Archaeology Collection

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    cat_mom,

    Pictures of your guest bathroom would be highly appreciated!

    Good choice using clear glass for your shower door.

    We ordered VIGO frameless doors, they look good and have good reviews but have some greenish tint to the glass.

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Remodeling show, season 1, episode 2.

    Almost done with the shower and now looking forward for the season finale.

  • cat_mom
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    STUNNING so far!!! I love it--truly, truly!

  • Nancy in Mich
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Very nice tile work! I like how you chose to lay out the floor tiles, making the pattern in the large tiles "flow" from tile to tile. You also did nice work on your niche. I am looking forward to seeing the finished room.

  • lotteryticket
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nice job. Please post pictures of the VIGO doors when you get them in. I love the way they look in the picture.

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you all!

    So far everything goes smoothly but like with any other remodeling projects we also had unexpected things happen. Our new shower head has mysteriously disappeared, probably during the cleanup after demolition, fittings didn't fit and so on. Now the big one. We couldn't find the matching tile for the backsplash zone and finally decided to use the granite one.

    When our contractor tried to put it into place it simply did go through, the hole for the faucet was drilled too close to the wall and the allowance was too small for the thick granite bar.

    So we had no choice but return to the square one and use mosaic tile.

    This solution is far from the ideal but we can live with it. Maybe it will look better with the round mirror above.

  • raehelen
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow! It's really coming along! (We may finally be starting tiling this weekend...I can't believe it...)

    I love your tile, it is gorgeous! Are you planning on updating your outlet and light switches? DH is an electrical engineer, so I've been trained to pick up on those things! LOL We use Decora throughout the house, here's a link...

    Here is a link that might be useful: Decora light switches

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    raehelen,

    Congratulations with starting you project!

    Starting the project means 50% of work is done, just don't forget to multiply estimated time by three!

    Thank you for the link. Believe me or not, but I prefer old fashion toggle switches, they are more convenient and are easier to handle in the dark.

    I will replace bathroom switches with the fancy ones anyway but for another reason, I have a z-wave network at my home that allows to control lights, locks and other stuff but old fashion z-wave toggle switches discontinued and only rocker z-wave switches are now available.

    When you turn lights and fan in the bathroom on, Z-wave controller will automatically turn them off after 20-30 minutes.

    Very convenient feature.

    Good luck with your project, have fun!

  • flyingkite
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mission completed!

    I posted new topic with pictures:

    Guest Bathroom Remodeling Do's and Don'ts, Mission Completed

Sponsored
EA Home Design
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars69 Reviews
Loudoun County's Trusted Kitchen & Bath Designers | Best of Houzz