The New Hall Bath

My client’s home in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington DC is a 1970’s “modern” home with a vaulted living room ceiling and great views.  But it basically hasn’t been updated since it was built.  The bathrooms were 1970’s generic with cultured marble countertop and shower surrounds that were typical of the period.  This bath measuring 5 ft by 8 ft is slightly larger than the generic 5’ x 7’ boxes found in earlier homes allowing for a slightly larger vanity.  But the vanity was largely useless for storage.

The wife uses it as her main bathroom – leaving the Master Bath – for the husband.  But she was frustrated at the lack on storage and the aging fixtures. 

What Makes The Remodeled Bath Work Better:  I’ve listed, below, the features we added to make the same space work much, much better.

Bath tub to Shower:  Few adults take baths on a regular basis.  For daily use, a 30 x 60 shower – replacing the standard tub – is a much more useful option when space is limited.  Multiple shelves plus a soap dish keep the shower organized and shampoo and body wash at hand. 

Extended Countertop:  We extended the new Crema Marfil Marble countertop over the toilet.  This is often called a banjo countertop because of its shape.  It makes the bath both feel and function larger. 

Custom Vanity for Extra Storage:  For a few hundred dollars more, we custom specified the vanity for lots of additional storage.  The central door leaves space to access the plumbing and for cleaning supplies.  The side drawers are shallow and great for make-up items.  The bottom drawers are more than large enough to store extra towels.

35 Cubic Feet of Additional Storage – Recessed into the Adjacent Room:  The adjacent room wasn’t used much especially in the front corner adjacent to the bath.  So we stole some space from that room and recessed a 24” Deep, 30” wide Full height cabinet into the adjacent room.  Drawers on bottom act as dresser space and shelving above is more than adequate for additional clothes or for linens or other storage.  We placed a GFI outlet in the cabinet perfect for keeping the hairdryer and electric toothbrush recharger close at hand but out of sight. 

Lot’s of Energy-Efficient Light:  The sconces installed on a wall of mirrors feature warm-white fluorescent bulbs with instant-on and non-buzzing electronic ballasts.  At 18 watts each, they are the equivalent of 75 watt incandescent bulbs.  The light bounces off the mirror magnifying the brightness.  A medicine cabinet is recessed into the wall with its mirrored door flush with the surrounding wall mirrors.  A small stainless steel disk over the magnetic push latch provides unobtrusive instruction about how to open the door. 

A 2nd Medicine Cabinet:  We mounted a 2nd medicine cabinet on the adjacent wall.  By adjusting both doors, you can view your back to check your hair or clothing.  It, of course, also provides conveniently located storage for makeup and toiletries.

Luxury of Some Spa Features at a Small Price and with Water Efficiency in Mind:  We located a rain shower head on the ceiling.  It’s designed to provide a drenching light rain at reduced water flow.  A multi-function hand-held on a bar is mounted where you might normally find the main shower head.  It can be lowered  and set to massage your back while also using the overhead fixtures.  Both fixtures can be operated at the same time or separately and both temperature and flow can be set independently. 

Heater:  Rather than go to the expense of in-floor heat, we opted for an exhaust fan/heater/light combination.

Few Grout Lines:  We used 12” x 24” oversized tile for a clean look and fewer grout lines.  This client wanted a monochromatic, serene feel.  I might have used a darker grout in other circumstances to highlight the vertical feel of the tiles and to add a little definition.

Tactile Enjoyment:  We replace the hollow-core doors and brass doorknobs with a single recessed panel solid wood door that reflects the cabinetry and has a nice feel of solidity with greater sound-proofing.  We used stainless steel lever handles by Omnia.

We borrrowed 35 Cubic Feet of Storage From an Adjacent Room

Spa-Like Features Without the Expense

A Wall of Mirrors Adds Depth & Light - The Medicine Cabinet is Mounted Flush with the Mirrors

We Added Tactile Pleasures Like a Solid Wood Door & Stainless Door Levers

BEFORE The Remodel

Body Sprays - Flush with Wall

I suggested body jets in the shower as an alternative.  Because they don’t recycle water, they don’t have similar cleaning requirements but do offer a variety of therapeutic pulse and spray options.

Some sprays lie almost flush with the wall (first image) and don’t offer much in the way of adjustment.  Others extend beyond the wall and can be rotated to hit just the right spot and have adjustments for different pulse or spray options.

Adjustable Body Spray

Custom configurations, like the image below left, are infinitely variable but significantly increase plumbing costs.  You can also purchase shower units that require only a single plumbing connection allowing you to replace an existing shower combination without needing to re-tile the bathroom, like the image below right and the one below it.

custom configuration vs. prefabricated systems

And of course, the prefabricated towers can be found in both modern and more traditional designs.   Here’s another example below with even more features.

Shower Towers Come With Wide Variety of Options

Steam showers  – custom or prefabricated like the one below – combine the variety of jets with an enclosed steam room providing the benefits of both heat and massage.

Combination Steam & Jets

A Favorite: Toto Eco Supreme High Efficiency Toilet

That’s not to say that all toilets are equally satisfying.  The features my clients want in a toilet include:
- Ability to clear the bowl
- Clean water in the bowl after a flush
- Clean porcelain after a flush
- Quiet operation
- Water efficiency

Clearing the Bowl of Solids: As I mentioned, today’s toilets (unlike first generation efficient toilets) do well in clearing the bowl.  They are not all alike in the other characteristics.

Clean water after flush: Backwash can occur with some flushing actions where dirty water is washed back into the bowl as a wall of water comes down the sides.  This happens most often with a flushing action known as wash-down and is particularly prevalent in euopean models and dual-flush models.  However, backwash can also occur with the siphon mode of flushing.  It’s best to read consumer reviews of specific models.

Clean porcelain after flush: A large “water spot”, the area of water inside the bowl, helps keep porcelain clean since solids hit water instead of porcelain.  An ultra smooth porcelain surface also help with this as does the nature of any jets of water from the rim.  The specs should tell you the size of the water spot.  For the other factors, you should read both the manufacturers literature and customer reviews.

Noise: Power assisted flush action is loud. I advise my client to stay away from power-assisted flush toilets – especially in a powder room or toilets on the main floor.

Water efficiency: Today’s toilets have been engineered from the ground-up and are effective.  There every reason to purchase a high-efficiency toilet that uses only 1.28 gallons per flush.  I think there is less reason to purchase a dual-flush toilet.  In terms of human behavior, when I talk with clients who have a dual-flush toilet, it seems that many family members always use the high volume option because they feel it results in a cleaner bowl.  This, obviously, defeats the purpose of the dual-flush concept.

So generally, I advise clients that a high-efficiency, single flush toilet with siphon flushing action, good jets at the top, a large water spot and ultra-smooth porcelain is the way to go.  And to make things even easier, I also tell them that my other clients are uniformly are happy with the Toto Eco and Drake line of high efficiency toilets.   The Toto high-efficiency lines have toilets to fit every decorating style and varieties of personal comfort so I’m confident we can find a toilet to meet my clients needs.

What prompted today’s article is that Leigh Marymor writing for the Journal of Light Construction and who owns the Lunt Marymor Co in Emeryville, California came to the same conclusion in a more scientific way.  Their tests – conducted over the course of a year – found that the Toto Eco and Drake lines performed the best in all of the categories above.  They also tested the American Standard FloWise, the Caroma Sydney Dual Flush, the Kohler Cimmaron, and the Kohler Wellworth Pressure Assist. To read the full article, you must be a JLC online member.  You can find the article here.

Bath Sconces Should be Located on either side of the Sink.

Placement of Bath Sconces: A pair of fixtures flanking a mirror above the sink provide excellent cross-illumination – eliminating shadows on the face.  The fixtures should be mounted at eye-level.  As a general rule of thumb, I place the center of the bulb at 5 feet 6 inches from the floor.  The shades for these vanity sconces should be translucent glass or plastic so the light projects out toward your face.  I usually use 23 watt fluorescent bulb (100 watt equivalent incandescent) bulbs for each sconce.  They should be placed equi-distant from the center of the sink and 36” to 40” apart.  If the sink is in an alcove, you can locate the sconces on the adjacent walls, see below.

In an alcove, the sconces can be on the adjacent walls

General Lighting: Only for a very small room, you can rely on the sconces alone.  For most baths, you also want separate general lighting.  For the master bath, top, 4 identical sconces were used.  Two are placed on either side of the sink.  These sconces are mounted on top of the wall mirror – greatly expanding their illumination quality.  Two additional sconces help create a sense of a nook for the soaking tub.  A center ceiling fixture (not shown) provides general illumination.

Ceiling Washers Provide General Lighting in This Bath

In the master bath, above, again general illumination is created by ceiling washing sconces placed high on the wall.  These fluorescent fixtures – one is shown, there are 4 in the room – create a bright overall glow in the fully tiled room.

Fan/Light Combinations: I often use an exhaust fan/light combination for a bath.  In the bath above and below, I put the light/fan combination above the shower.  Since the show creates a lot of moist air, this combination provides both functional light for the show and efficiently exhausts the moist air to the outside.

Fan/Light Combinations Work Great Above a Shower

Remember that all light fixtures installed within tub and shower spaces should be marked “suitable for damp/wet locations.”

Hanging Fixtures: Generally, hanging fixtures aren’t used in a bath.  By code, hanging no part of a suspended fixture, tracking lighting or ceiling paddle fan is permitted within a zone of 3’ horizontally and 8’ vertically from the top of the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold.  Used near a vanity, they often get in the way of opening the door of the medicine cabinet.  Robern has solved that problem by offering an uplift cabinet, see below.  The door lifts up instead of out allowing for pendant lights such as the combination shown below.

Robern Uplift Cabinet Allows For Pendants By Vanity

Wedge Shaped Counter Makes Tiny Bath Work

Of course, to keep costs down we kept the toilet and shower in their existing locations.  We moved the sink just slighting along the wall.  The room configuration eliminated the ability to have both a glass shower door and a normal vanity.

Floating Wedge-Shaped Countertop with Vessel Sink:  Our solution was a wedge-shaped floating limestone countertop.  The shape of the countertop dictated the use of a vessel sink and a wall-mounted faucet.

Floating Shelving Below & Opposite: We used floating wedge-shaped open shelving below the countertop.  This look is echoed on the opposite side by smaller wedge shaped shelving at the same heights.  The open shelving allows for more accessible and efficient storage.

Floating Shelves Help Make Tiny Bath Feel More Open

Stone-Look Porcelain Tile: We used stone-look porcelain tile to keep costs reasonable.

Custom Square Shower: To give maximum range to the shower door we built a 5” wide wing wall on which to mount the hinges for the door.  A door stop mounted under the countertop keeps the shower door from hitting the countertop, sink or lighting.  The custom size and wing wall dictated a tiled shower pan.  We used 2” mosaic porcelain tile that matches the tile used in the rest of the bath.  The glass is etched to provide privacy since the bath is used by the more than one individual.

Shower Bar & Corner Shelf: We used a shower bar which allows the girls to adjust the shower head to their height.  It also allows them to shower without getting their hair wet if they desire.  I have a strong preference for Jado shower bars.  They are designed to provide a better range of up and down as well as side-to-side flexibility in directing the shower head.  We selected a head with multiple jet options.  A corner storage shelf mounted relatively high stores soap as well as shampoo and bodywash up and away from the stream of the shower.

Shower Bar Is Flexible for Taller & Shorter Occupants

Wall mirror plus tall mirrored medicine cabinet: A large wall mounted mirror gives the girls a good view of themselves and their clothing.  We recessed a tall medicine cabinet on the opposite wall.  By opening the door of the medicine cabinet to varying degrees, the girls can see their backs and the back of their hair.  [Note: one of the girls has written “you are beautiful” in red in two places on the medicine cabinet.]

Lighting, Heat & Ventilation: Sconces mounted on the wall mirror needed to be shallow enough not to interfere with the open shower door.  They are positioned for good lighting for applying makeup.  The same scone is mounted horizontally above the medicine cabinet.  We selected an exhaust fan that also provides heat and lighting.  The heater helps warm the room on cold winter days without heating the rest of the house.  The unit also has a ceiling light and nighlight as part of the unit.

To keep the room looking neat, we installed hooks on the door for towels and robes.  A towel bar on the shower door and a towel ring on the mirror provide additional places for hand and bath towels.

Scroll down to see the new floor plan and “before” pictures.

Floor Plan Shows How Wedge-Shaped Countertop Opens Up Tiny Bath

Before Photo with Shower Curtain & Standard Vanity

Refreshing a Builder-Grade Master Bath

My client, living in a relatively new condo in Silver Spring, was unsatisfied with the builder-grade master bath (see below).  Her main request was for additional accessible drawer storage but she also wanted frameless shower doors and a look that coordinated better with the higher-end finishes throughout the condo.   We did replace the shower doors but didn’t get a picture of the new doors because of too much reflection.

Custom Vanity & Vessel Sink:  In order to maximize drawer storage we designed a custom vanity.  By measuring the location of the existing trap and valves, we could custom design the vanity for maximum storage.  Using a vessel sink also frees up room in the vanity for storage.  The square vessel sink with vessel mounted faucet provides a nice focal point.  The square sink and bar pulls reflects other modern, linear touches throughout the condo.  The curve of the faucet keeps the linear look from becoming monotonous.  The sink is Porcher “Cubo” and the faucet is Hansgrohe “Talis”

Banjo Countertop:  Instead of the replacing the original rectangular countertop with the same shape, we designed a banjo countertop that also covers the top of the toilet tank.  The gives room for decorative touches and helps integrate the feel of the bath.  Soft curves provide safety as well as a nice flow.  Using 3/4 inch material emphases the horizontal lines.

Palette:  We used honey-colored cherry wood that echo the colors in the kitchen and dining room; Crema Marfil marble with grey and brown veining and Benjamin Moore “eclipse” paint in an eggshell finish.  Most of the hardware is chrome with just a few touches of brushed steel.  The dramatic palette reflects the use of saturated accent colors elsewhere in the condo.  The selection of the Crema Marfil marble makes the builder-grade crème/beige floor tile appear more luxurious than it actually is.

I neglected to take “before” pictures.  The “before” picture, below, was pulled from the listing of another unit in the building.  It’s a different configuration but uses the same materials as the one we remodeled.

Before: Builder Grade Vanilla Bath

You’ve got 4 different sets of choices when it comes to sinks.  The previous article dealt with type. This article concentrates on Material but also with reference to style and function.

• Material – ceramic, stainless, porcelain, stone, etc.
• Type – drop-in, vessel, undermount, etc.
• Function –  corner, small space, multi-use,
• Style – contemporary, traditional, transitional, etc.

MATERIALS:

Ceramic, Vitreous China, & Fireclay Sinks

Square Modern Undermount Porcelain Sink

Pros: They have a smooth, non-porous surface that won’t rust, fade, or discolor. They are relatively easy to clean & maintain with non-abrasive cleaners.  There are many styles, shapes, colors and designs to choose from, plain is very affordable.  Follow this link for more information on the difference between these materials.  Ceramic and china sinks offer the greatest diversity in terms of style and function.  You can buys pedestal, drop-in, undermount and vessel sinks in this material.  You can buy ones that are square — and coordinate with a modern theme, or ones that are ornate and coordinate well with very traditional themes.  Personally, this is usually my sink of choice when remodeling my own bathrooms or those of my clients — unless I’m trying to make a visual statement with stone, glass, metal or concrete.

Cons:  There are few cons.  While they can chip or crack – they are much harder to chip and crack that most materials.  Their cost is largely dependent on the style and function.

Stainless Steel

Modern Stainless Steel Undermount Sink

Pros:  Durable, easy to maintain, better quality (18 gauge) resists water spots, dents and scratches, thinner is readily available and very affordable.  Some suppliers (Artisan) offer 16 gauge stainless that’s even heavier and less prone to dents than 18 gauge stainless.  High nickel content gives the sink a smoother, shinier look.  Stainless is more resilient that china or most other materials so fragile items dropped into a stainless sink are less likely to break.  I prefer a brushed finish since most scratches can be brushed out.  I only use undermount  or vessel sinks in the bath.

Cons:  Stainless steel is really only appropriate in contemporary or modern style baths.  Stay away from thinner stainless (22 gauge) which is easily dented and shows scratches more easily.  If used as a drop-in, grime can get concentrate around the rim.

Enameled Steel

Pros:  Lightweight, thin.

Cons:  I personally tend to stay away from enameled steel.  Enamel finish can chip and repairs are difficult and noticeable.

Enameled Cast Iron

Circa 1925 Enameled Cast Iron Pedestal Sink

Pros:  Thickness gives solid look, affordable, easy to clean, chip-resistant and available in a wide range of colors.  Most enameled cast iron sinks are vintage sinks such as this sink circa 1925 or reproductions of vintage sinks.  Cast iron holds water temperaturs better than most sink materials — which is why cast iron is good for soaking tubs.  If you hand-wash and want to let items soak in hot or warm water frequently, you should consider cast iron.

Cons:  Heavy – Countertop may need extra support, do-it-yourselfers may need extra hands to install. Colors and special shapes can be pricey.

Cast Polymer & Solid Surface

Integral Solid Surface Sink and Countertop

Pros:  Stain resistant, lots of colors & looks (can look like stone or concrete).  The sink and countertop can be cast as a single integrated unit — which is a very functional and clean look.

Cons:  To my taste, the integrated sink and countertop look is very institutional.    Check to see whether installation must be by a licensed installer in order to maintain the warranty.

Other Materials – Glass, Stone, Metal, Concrete

Pros:  For a powder room, using an unusual material is a great way to create a custom look.  While expensive, it can be a cost-effective way to create a big statement.

Cons:  These materials can be very, very expensive.   Glass, stone and concrete can all chip.  Glass is particularly inappropriate for most moderate to heavy use — for example, a steady stream of hot water while shaving can create enough of a temperature differential that the glass can crack.   But I will admit that, if my client is so inclined,  I will recommend these alternate materials in powder rooms to create a statement.  Here are 2 that I’ve used:

Stone Pedestal Sink by Stone Forest

Custom Glass Vessel Sink by Jackie Braitman

Create a Vanity Alcove with a Cabinet

Build a 12” deep, full-height or 72” high cabinet to create an alcove for the sink.  In this bath, the cabinet (on the right) also forms a partial wall hiding the toilet.  I put one or more outlets inside the cabinet so that hairdryer, electric toothbrush, electric razor can all be easily accessible at waist-height or above but easily stowed behind closed doors.  Makeup and other toiletries are also easily stored out of sight but still close to hand.  At 30” wide, 12” deep, and 72” high, all the daily items are close at hand with room below to store toilet tissue, towels, extra soap, extra shampoos and other bath items below waist level.  With a deck-mounted soap dispenser (not used here), you can have a convenient yet still completely uncluttered countertop.

Bath Storage - Build A Storage Tower Beside the Vanity

Create tower storage next to a vanity to serve both the toilet and the vanity.  In the bath, above, a storage tower to the right of the vanity has an alcove with shelves facing the vanity into which the countertop extends; there are 2 outlets – one at each shelf level inside the tower.  So the water pick and razor are stored out-of-sight.  A hotel-style wall-mounted hair dryer is mounted just to the left of the tower.  The door below the alcove opens so that someone sitting on the toilet can easily reach excess toilet tissue.  The doors above the alcove open so that someone standing at the vanity can easily reach items.  The shallow countertop with wall-mounted faucet puts the center mirror close to someone shaving so that they don’t need to bend forward.  The vanity itself has custom-built drawers that fit around the valves and trap – providing useful drawer space instead of less useful space behind doors.

Recess a Cabinet into the Adjoining Room

Recess a cabinet into the wall and borrow a small amount of space from the adjoining room.

Carve Out Space in Wing Wall

Carve out space in a wing wall for items often stored in a medicine cabinet..

Claim Space Wasted in the Tub Surround

Claim space inside the curve of a bathtub by building tilt-out bins into the tub surround.

Deep Drawers & Shallow Cabinets

Build drawers and cabinets alongside a sink cabinet:  In the bath, above, a 9” deep tall cabinet provides lots of room for toiletries and makeup.  An identical cabinet above the toilet (not shown) provides storage for extra toiletries.  Deep drawers provide storage for extra soap, shampoos, and towels.  Fresh towels are also available in the space under the sink.  Again, an outlet inside one of the drawers keeps the hairdryer closet to hand but out of sight.

I would love to get photos of some of the storage solutions you’ve done in your own remodels.  Contact me and I’ll give you instructions for sending me your photos.

New Basement Powder Room

My clients, in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Washington, DC, own a 1920’s federal style duplex.  When they called me, their basement included a partially finished laundry room with a toilet.  We succeeded in giving them everything on their wish list including:

• A separate laundry
• A separate powder room
• A finish level similar to the rest of their home
• Ceramic tile on the floor
• Beadboard Wainscoting
• Making all the exposed utilities — including phone lines, ducts, and vents — disappear.
• Extensive storage built into the new spaces since, like many homes built in the 1920’s, they had limited closet and storage space

And we did so while still meeting their limitations:

• They didn’t want to take away any space from the utility room or the family room so we were restricted to the existing space.
• And finally, they didn’t want to spend more than $20,000.

Basement Laundry

As you can see in the Before and After floor plans, below, we split the room in half and relocated the washer and dryer.  New interior walls adjoin the existing exterior walls and allowed us to hide the plumbing without the additional expense of breaking into the concrete floor.  We used the same walls to hide the exposed vent pipe, waste stack and drain – adding access panels where appropriate.  Initially my clients thought the sink should be located next to the toilet.  However, by locating the new pedestal sink across from the toilet on a new wall, we could tie into an existing vent and the drain line for the washing machine — again, avoid breaking into the concrete floor.  We also hid the dryer duct this way and shortened the duct by about 10 feet – thus increasing the efficiency of the dryer.  The dryer now vents out to a narrow pathway between our client’s duplex and the one next door.  Exposed phone wires were hidden behind new trimwork around the glass block window.

Economical and efficient storage in the powder room was created by building a closet with an interior dimension of 24” x 36”.  The placement of the closet also makes the powder room area feel more intimate and more separated from the family room beyond.  By setting the height of the wainscoting at the height of the window sill we helped unify the odd angles of the bath.

By flipping the washer/dryer to the adjacent wall we provided sufficient room in front so the homeowners don’t feel cramped and we moved them out of view should the door to the laundry be open when guests use the powder room.  We used the existing washer, dryer and toilet.  We used cost-saving ventilated shelving in the laundry.

Lighting in the laundry room is provided by re-using a 4 ft fluorescent fixture.  Lighting in the powder room is provided by a single sconce mounted above the new medicine cabinet and by the light in the exhaust fan.

The combination of decisions resulted in a bright and efficient combination of rooms with almost triple the storage.  It also saved between $5,000 and $7,000 in plumbing, cabinetry, lighting and other costs.

Closet for Storage & to Enclose Toilet

Closet Provide Efficient & Cost-Effective Space

Floor Plan After

Floor Plan - Before

Laundry Before Remodeling

Images courtesy of Braitman Design/Build.