Travel + Nature = Inspiration for a New Bath

Master bath

Richard didn’t hate his old bathroom, but it didn’t compare to the luxurious bathrooms at the five star hotels he often stayed at during his travels. Knowing that he eventually wanted to update the master bathroom in his townhome, he began taking mental notes and photos during his trips that would help create the vision for a new and improved bathroom at home.

Having been through a previous remodeling process that was quoted at three months but stretched into six, Richard was determined to find a contractor who would prove to be more timely and reliable. He found One Week Bath online and discovered that owner Matt Plaskoff had served as an expert consultant on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. He was impressed by the positive third party ratings he read, and by the company’s reviews on Angie’s List.

The in-home meeting with Matt and Sarah sealed the deal for Richard. “They were extremely professional. I talked about my ideas and I had some pictures to help capture what I was visualizing,” says Richard. “Keeping my expenses in mind, they gave me lots of choices of varying price. They brought a laptop and were able to plug in both materials, as well as labor costs, and come to a total cost for the project on the spot. That was very impressive.”

Making the Vision a Reality

According to Richard, the existing bathroom was functional, but the layout and the features and fixtures were basic and dated. An inexpensive, small, prefab shower and bath next to a basic toilet were in one enclosed area. A door separated that space from the sink, vanity and walk-in closet, which opened directly into the master bedroom. Richard wanted a more expansive bathroom and shower to accommodate his 6′ 2″ frame. The design plan included removal of the non-load bearing wall that separated the two bathroom areas.

Secondary bath

“I wanted a bathroom that felt open and larger, but still gave privacy when needed,” he explains. The privacy came via installation of a shoji-style, sliding door separating the new, larger bathroom from the bedroom.

Richard also hoped the new space would evoke a natural feel. “I thought the slate tile exterior of a local nature center looked really great, and I was looking for something similar for my shower.” A mixture of 4-inch square gray and brown porcelain tiles mimicking the earth-tones and look of natural slate were chosen for the side and bottom of the shower. Larger, 12 X 12 inch travertine tiles were placed front and back. A rain shower head and a second hand-held pull-out shower fixture were added, along with a dark wood fold down bench. A solid, all glass frameless door completed the shower design.

Heated towel bars, extra electrical outlets, a dual sink in a black granite counter top, oval mirrors concealing medicine cabinets and a small, flat screen LCD television were among the additions that helped underscore Richard’s vision of a luxury bathroom.

Attention to Detail Mitigates Project Impacts

Master bath

Master bathBecause of his allergies and the close proximity of the remodeling space to his bedroom, Richard had concerns about the amount of dust that might be generated during the project. He appreciated the efforts made by One Week Bath to contain the work space and limit dust and debris. “They put plastic up everywhere, from floor to ceiling to separate the workspace from the bedroom space. It reminded me of the boy in a bubble,” he explains. “And they did a great job of cleaning up every day, so it was really nonintrusive to my normal life.”

The end result was a huge success. “I was really happy,” says Richard. “You never really know how something like this is going to turn out. You have a vision in your head but sometime reality doesn’t end up matching the vision. But it’s exactly what I wanted.” He was also impressed by what happened after the project wrapped up. “I thought it was pretty cool that a couple of weeks later, Matt came down just to see the finished product and to make sure I was completely satisfied. He didn’t have to do that. But it shows he’s a really nice guy and goes the extra step. I couldn’t be happier with my bathroom and with One Week Bath.”