Build Bath & Shower

Posted by: Kate • June 26, 2012 I have given you a whole list of reasons why I am going to do a gut remodel of my retro master bathroom , but the main reason doesn ’t have to to with the condition of the tile, the color scheme or the lack of towel bars — I’m gutting my master bathroom to the studs and starting over, because the layout is just not working for how we live. When we first bought our retro ranch house about two years ago, I knew the bathroom was going to need some help. I’ ve spent hours thinking , measuring and imagining how I could fix the floor plan to be more user friendly, and by golly, I think I have a plan… To understand the improvements I’d like to make to the layout of my master bathroom , first we have to take a look at the current layout of the room: master bathroom floorplan" src="https://retrorenovation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CURRENT-BATH2.jpg" alt="Kate's current master bathroom floorplan" width="500" height...

After Before The Original Floorplan Last June, Jeremy and I started the process of remodeling the second floor of our home. There were lots of things that bothered me about the original layout, and you can probably discern a lot of them from the “before” pictures, more of which you can see in West Elm’s post here. Originally, the second floor had a master bedroom , tiny master bathroom , and a weird tiny bedroom that could only fit a twin size bed and had a weird area where the eaves of the roof slanted down to the ground making it almost impossible to keep anything there. The master bathroom consisted of a small crappy plastic tube -shaped shower, a vanity, and the toilet. The shower was the bane of my existence, because the way it was built and assembled left all these little gaps in the plastic pieces  in it that were impossible to get to with cleaning brush, so mold would just grow between the cracks, and the rubber lining along the shower door where the plastic sheets touched k...

philliptucker July 29, 2017 Renovating relatively small- footprint master bathroom . Second bath in home has tub so planning to eliminate the soaker tub and replace with two-person shower. Please share your recommendations to help us arrive at the best bathroom. We prefer transitional styling . Considerations: - Window sill height is lower than cabinet height. New window was installed 7/17 so preference would be to not replace, but could. - Current toilet room is small (3'x5') with in-swing door. Shares wall with one of two small master closets . Considering removing shared wall to expand closet (would make closet dimensions 9'4" x 5' rather than current 5'10" x 5'). Expanded closet would need matching sand-in- place oak hardwood for consistency (or not). What is cost benefit...better to have larger closet or private toilet room ? - Expanding closet poses issue of new toilet placement. - There is only a tiny linen closet in the bathroom (other l...

As my children get older and more self-sufficient, I’m amazed at how my organizational strategies continue to change and morph with their needs… as well as my own. I’m convinced that our home is more user-friendly, more functional, and (best of all) STAYS more organized if I simply put a little extra thought into how I set up their closets, their toys, their crafts, and anything else they access on a regular basis — because if my systems works well, it’s very easy for the kids to get their own things out (without bothering me) and put them away again (without needing my help!) Of course, just rearranging a closet or toy cabinet won ’t magically transform your children into cleaning machines (after all, there needs to be habits in place as well) — but if you currently struggle with helping your children to get and stay somewhat neat and organized, I do think the ideas in today’s post will be helpful! Also, I should clarify that while the ideas and concepts in this post are great for ch...