I don’t think there are many words to describe this bathroom. We never used it…these photos were taken during another reno thus the coke cans and yucky garbage from the contractors. The previous homeowners decided to retile the shower because, as you can see, they have such amazing grouting skills. Shortly after we moved in, I cried after looking at the shower more closely. I think I had rose-coloured glasses on during the viewing. I was thrilled when we demolished everything!

When we renovated, we flipped the shower and sink locations and did a stand-up shower in place of the tub/shower combination.

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

  • Our biggest regret was not purchasing Starphire glass which is a very clear glass. Our glass showers are fairly thick and have a greenish tint to them, so they hide the beautiful tilework in the shower. We will probably replace them in a couple of years.
  • Another regret was not doing a frameless glass shower. Ours have a thin metal trim at the bottom and we would have preferred a frameless look.
  • We ran out of marble to use for the shower thresholds and sills and had to search everywhere for a small remainder piece of Calacatta marble. This pushed out our timeline about a month. We should have double (and triple) checked our marble requirements.
  • The square sink looks nice but the drainage doesn’t work properly because it doesn’t slope enough. So it gets dirty very quickly and the dirt builds up. So if you want a square sink, make sure the drainage is good.
  • Our main issue was that we rushed our bathroom renovations so that they were ready before our out-of-town guests arrived, which caused us to make rush decisions on things (such as the glass showers). So the biggest lesson learned is never to rush a renovation so you have time to make choices that you will be happy with.

What Worked For Us

  • We swapped the placement of the shower and the vanity. Putting the vanity near the bathroom entrance really opens up the space. We also saved on plumbing costs since didn’t have to move the plumbing too much.
  • We got rid of the combined shower and tub in favour of a walk-in shower. Getting rid of the tub has allowed for a more spacious shower and we have a tub in the master ensuite.
  • Having legs on the vanity makes our smallish bathroom feel larger. The tiled floor continues under the vanity and visually makes the room seem larger than it is.
  • Instead of doing a tiled half wall, we did wainscotting which gives the same look but is much less expensive. We saved on tiles and labour since the wainscotting is easier to install than tiles.
  • We chose many budget friendly items such as porcelain and ceramic tiles instead of marble tiles, and low-end faucets and fixtures, then splurged on the marble countertop and sconces. This mix of high end and low end finishes makes the overall room feel more high end.
  • I love having a towel rack in a guest bathroom. It’s easy for people to just grab a fresh towel from the rack.
  • The shower half walls allowed us to install a hidden corner basket to hide the shampoo, body wash and soap (i.e. bathroom clutter).
  • The vanity has lots of drawers which are perfect for storage and to keep things off of the nice marble countertop.
  • The glass knobs on the vanity add a cute, watery touch that is perfect for a bathroom.
  • The hexagon tile area rug is also a heated floor which is great for porcelain tiled floors which are cooler under your feet compared to natural stone floors.