What is an ultimate showering experience to you? This client of mine wanted to create a comfortable bathroom with a shower in her suite that would feel crisp and airy, would be easy to maintain, and allow her to age in place.
A previously unfinished little nook that served as a storage room was about to be converted into a well lit functional bathroom with decent amount of storage, a walk-in shower, heated floors and so handy grab bars to allow a safe in and out experience.
My first instinct was to make the shower tile the main colourful accent and keep the rest of the room light and bright. Barb loves blue, so a glossy blue large subway tile was the perfect candidate for shower walls. To continue intriguing the eye, we went with a pretty penny round tile on the floor. Having more grout lines with mosaic tiles helps create better traction and the floors are not slippery anymore.
Needless to say, every project has its challenges. In this small space we had to work with the existing location of the pipes going from the first level. So, the extra bonus of the shower, being the shower bench, was a solution for the otherwise awkward three feet between the pipes and the back wall.
We moved the wall behind the vanity a bit further into the hallway to enlarge the bathroom.
After the renovation was completed, a simple, but pretty bathroom was ready to offer an ultimate bathing experience for Barb. A nice shower seat and grab bars make the shower a bit more comfortable and safe to use, whereas a shower niche, hiding inside the half wall separating the vanity from the shower hold shampoo bottles out of sight in an easy reach.
Luminous LED bar light and a shower pot light make this space bright and efficient. An elevated toilet with a concealed trap way will not collect dust and supports the idea of easy maintenance.
Here is what Barb shared about her renovation experience with me:
“I hired Marina to design a bathroom in my living space in the basement of the new house I share with my daughter. During the construction, I felt she really listened to my preferences in style and colour.
Her choices of colours and finishes were perfect and she also designed a way to make my bedroom area more private without blocking the light from the windows. The contractors she worked with were very professional; small problems during the process were worked out as a team. I am extremely pleased with the end result and will not hesitate to call on her for the next projects.”
~Barb Howie
Photography by @whitemousephoto
