In my last post I showed two recent projects – one a medium size addition, and the other a new backyard cottage. Here I’ll focus on a very small project, a bathroom remodel in the Queen Anne neighborhood.

The existing bathroom was functional, but just barely so. The built-in tub was tucked into a niche,  under a vaulted ceiling that required the homeowners to crouch down to take a shower. The toilet was located behind a too-big vanity, which protruded into the doorway (the door actually had to open out into the hallway). The goal in the project was to improve the configuration and functionality, introduce some more refined finishes, and do so in a cost-effective fashion.

 

The door opening was moved away from the sink, and the door was re-used as a custom (i.e. substantial) pocket door. The toilet was moved into the vaulted space, because its function allowed it to work well with the lower ceiling there. The tub was moved around the corner, to give it more headroom and bring it more natural light. The new clawfoot tub allows the tile floor to run underneath, and makes the room feel more spacious. Its ring curtain allows the window to be open to the room, but provide privacy when in use. The pedestal sink is set away from the door, and allows easier access into the room. A pedestal was chosen to, again, let the tile floor run underneath and keep the room feeling bigger.

There’s an interesting mix of traditional (the clawfoot tub) and modern (the pedestal sink and toilet) fixtures, which are tied together by similar colors and hardware, and complement each other nicely.

A painted beadboard wainscot wraps the room and connects everything together. Its cap aligns with the window sill, and extends out at the sink wall to provide shallow shelf space, for toiletries, display items etc. A new mirrored medicine cabinet adds more storage, and is worked into the design of the sink and shelf.

 

 

 

We also took the opportunity, once the walls were opened up, to add insulation, do some air-sealing, upgrade the existing plumbing and electrical, and make some structural improvements.