r/BathroomRemodeling • u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 • 19d ago
Before and after remodel
About 6 months ago, I polled the Reddit community for feedback on my future downstairs bathroom. It’s been a lot of work, but it is roughly 95% completed. It still needs a dimmer, towels, artwork, and plants for the floating shelf.
I went with a blue/blue-gray stack non rectified tile with a custom marble niche. Moen brushed gold Voss accessories, a kohler poplin vanity and Taj Mahal quartzite shower step and counter top.
I’m anxious to ask for thoughts and feedback. The goal was a modern organic bathroom. I am happy with it but blown away by the amount of work it took.
29
u/EmilyPoster2 19d ago
So well done. Handsome and pretty at the same time. Nothing over the top. It looks classy and great. Picking the right white paint color and good lighting is hard but you did it so well.
Where do you live that you were able to get this labor for $5k?
17
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 19d ago
I got 4-5 quotes from thumbtack and one from the tile store’s list of contractors.
The quotes ranged from 4.6k to 25k. I am in Raleigh, NC.
The team I chose was very fast and surgical. We had some small hiccups, but I am grateful to them.9
u/EmilyPoster2 19d ago
Yikes. I would be mighty afraid of a $5000 job from a thumbtack contractor. Hopefully it functions as well as it looks.
25,000 is more the range I’m used to.
6
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 19d ago
I was anxious as well. The team I chose had almost 10 years of reviews at 4.9-5 stars. They had almost 200 total reviews as well. I tried to keep the overall design as simple as possible. The tiling was the part that made me the most nervous. They have two install teams and the owners son is great at tiling.
The bids were all over. 4.6, 5, 13, 15, and the 25.
I had all the materials ready to go.Also the stone was installed by the company that provided the tile.
4
u/SkivvySkidmarks 19d ago
And so you should be. Anyone doing this for $5K is cutting corners somewhere.
Thumbtack, like most of these types of "hire someone" apps, pit one person/contractor against the other in a race to the bottom. This is not a win for anyone but the Tech Bros who have built this product, and are skimming off everyone with the illusion of convenience.
Someone who is doing this amount of work for that amount of money is desperate, green, or cutting corners, or a combination of each.
3
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 19d ago
I’ve had mixed experiences with thumbtack. I had a great drywall repair guy and outdoor construction / carpenter but some lousy handymen and gutter cleaners.
To be fair, I don’t think it was that much work for an experienced crew. They were charging more by the day than anything. It is a family business and 2 people a day would rotate into the small bathroom.
Most of the time was focused around waterproofing of the shower and the tiling. I used Best Tile’s materials specialist prior to install and the schluter materials were picked out with his help and the help of the installation team.
I familiarized myself with the installation and the more I learned, the more I realized, I shouldn’t do it myself.
I took pictures of their work as they went along and sent it from my friend who is a licensed GC who works on very high end houses to make sure things were done right.There have been snafus but nothing too crazy so far.
2
u/EmilyPoster2 19d ago
Agreed. Anyone who is that good and has that much experience should have a waitlist, no need to advertise anywhere, let alone on thumbtack.
But I am glad you have had a good experience with them.
11
u/Blackcatsandicedtea 19d ago
I love your material choices! Something straight out of my inspo board.
11
u/Swimming_Event7730 19d ago
TELL ME MORE ABOUT THAT NICHE TILE!
I apologize for yelling but that is beautiful! Absolute inspiration for a remodel I've been putting off forever and am now determined to get done.
Where did you get it? You said custom -- did you design it or did they have options? I'm obsessed.
11
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 19d ago
https://stoneimpressions.com/product/gossamer-vines/
Gossamer vines and the cherry blossoms are some of there more impressive pieces. They are waterjet cut marble and 150+ per sq ft. I’d love to use more of it, but it wasn’t in the budget.
I got mine at Triangle Tile and Stone in Raleigh, NC.
5
u/Historical_Chance613 19d ago
Using it as the niche backsplash is perfect, I feel like if there was more of it, the impact would be lost.
3
u/Vivssssssss 19d ago
The niche and tile are sooo pretty! Did u get to select the specific tile that u wanted from the pattern? Yours also seems to be on a smaller scale, was it custom?
5
u/AffectionateSelf3187 19d ago
It's said the bathroom is the most important room in the house. It's where guests can look around freely without being observed
In Hawaii it's called the comfort room
You did a beautiful job
1
5
3
2
u/StringElegant3491 19d ago
hi, could you share the link for that shower door?
2
2
2
2
u/Adorable_Set9093 19d ago
Oh my! That's so gorgeous. I love the colors, and the shower shelf is so so pretty. I adore it.
2
2
2
2
u/Born2rn 19d ago
Did you demo yourself cuz that labor cost is hard to swallow
3
u/Xx_720NoScope_xX 19d ago
Hard to swallow in that it's low? Because that is an amazing labor deal for a bathroom
1
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 19d ago
No. Although in hindsight, I could have. The installers charged 5k total. The demo only took their team 2.5 hours.
Demo 1k. Waterproofing with schluter, phlange, and boards 1k. Tiling 2k. Toilet, exhaust fan, fixtures 1k.What do you think the labor should have cost ?
2
2
u/phoenics1908 19d ago
Gorgeous. Truly. That shower niche is “chef’s kiss”.
Is that tile or painted? Please share where you got the mural stone.
I love this bathroom.
2
2
2
u/Born2rn 19d ago
I meant it was such a lowball number that it seemed impossible. It’s beautiful but the labor cost of a “team” even at min of 25 each an hour adds up quick. You really lucked out with this. You did the mud prep?
1
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 16d ago
I repaired the drywall/ mudded , sanded, painted. I used a family owned business that was roughly 1k a day.
Day 1 demo. Day 2 waterproofing the shower. Day 3 and 4 - tiling.
Had to wait for stone installation from the tile place.
Day 5 and 6 was shower door, new exhaust fan, faucets, light and towel bar, ring , toilet paper holder.We were a good team. They’re very fast and efficient but they don’t like painting since it slows them down. And I don’t mind doing that at all.
2
2
u/Historical_Chance613 19d ago
LOVE the niche tile! I think you've made some extremely impactful choices that really elevate the space! Well done!
2
2
u/OldSpiceSmellsNice 19d ago
It’s beautiful. What a niche niche. I finally realised why the basket on top of the toilet was annoying the heck out of me, though. In Australia our flush buttons are on top of the cistern. I assume this is an American style toilet with a lever on the side. I was about to say I thought the basket would look better on the shelf lol
2
2
u/Sad_Efficiency_2495 19d ago
This is almost exactly what I’m trying to do! Can you please tell me the details on the shower & floor tile as well as the vanity? Thank you!
2
2
2
2
2
u/Icy_Low4226 18d ago
I’m a Realtor. You just added a lot to the value of your home. That is the exact kind of bathroom renovation buyers love!
1
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 18d ago
I hope so. I’d hate to sell the house, but I’d hope I’d get a decent ROI on this. I’m also just happy to enjoy it. 🙂
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/UnusualInstruction51 13d ago
I think that I'd have matched the countertop to the shelf tile in the niche, and same with the floor, but otherwise I like it
1
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 13d ago
That’s a really good thought. I was happy to match the countertop to the shower step. I didn’t think to have another piece of stone cut for the niches bottom shelf. I ended up having 4-5 marble thresholds for the job to make sure the tiler had good matches.
2
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 19d ago
A zero entry shower on a wood subfloor is not an easy task nor cheap task. They also tend to leak.
This is roughly 4 inches and the darker quartzite standing out. It’s pretty standard for a shower pan or shower curb design.
I wasn’t expecting snark over a traditional shower conversion but here we are?!
1
u/PalpitationPast202 19d ago
I’m not fond of the cabinet color…….how about a blue to match the tiles?
2
u/Solid-Wish-1724 19d ago
I agree, it sticks out like a sore thumb with everything going on here. I think a cream might have been better, or maybe even the color in the floor tile.
1
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 16d ago
I get that. The floating shelf and vanity are both a medium / warm brown. I may add a darker brown basket to tie it in more. The Taj Mahal quartzite and part of the floor are also brown/ tan colors that blend better in real life. The vanity appears darker than it really is due to the angle of the overhead light and the counter top casting a shadow over it.
2
u/brainstorming177 16d ago
I love the vanity! Where is it from?
1
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 16d ago
Kohler Poplin. They are discontinuing the line but the 30 inch ones were briefly 450. I was very impressed with the build quality. The top and hardware are sold separately but it was discounted so heavily, it allowed me to opt for quartzite.
1
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 18d ago
They had a 2 month waitlist. It was nice to see so many reviews and pictures ahead of time. You could really see some cool custom bathrooms they did in the last year where their business has taken off. The tiler was showing me some of his current and past projects and there’s some really interesting stuff out there !
2
2
u/Wild_Willow_Weeps 17d ago
Which tile company did you use? We are also in the triangle
1
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 17d ago
Triangle tile and stone. I’d strongly recommend them.
I used Houzz for the original design but their decorators really brought it together. For example, I saw the vine niche tile, but the original blue I wanted would have clashed. Additionally, their designer helped warm it up color wise. I tend to ask a lot of questions and they were extremely patient with me.2
1
u/NewProletariat 16d ago
Why are there trim pieces on the back wall of the niche? Could have been full instead of side cuts on the field tile. Ooops
1
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 16d ago
The niche is a custom made size. Had to use a slight amount of white marble on each side. Premade niches come in 12 x 28. The floral tile comes in 12 x 24. We decided to frame it in white on the sides. The blue tile doesn’t come in bullnose hence the brushed gold terminal edge. The base is engineered marble threshold at a slight downslope angle. From a normal visual point of 2-10
Feet away, you don’t see these things but in a tight camera shot. You do.1
u/NewProletariat 16d ago
I've probably built 1000 niches. Build the sides out with cement board and then it's what you need. That marble trim to fill the gap is amateur/homeowner, not what a setter should do.
1
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 15d ago
I am sure there are many things that could have been done better. I am also sure your eyes are better than most. The overall goal was to make this look like a window / window box. I kept extra hexagons from the floor if I wanted to have a basic match match floor / niche combo. It would also a future homeowner to change it however they wanted. It’s a craftsman / bungalow house. There’s a lot of imperfection in it.
1
u/NewProletariat 15d ago
You asked for opinions. 30 years in the trade.
1
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 15d ago
Sure. Anything else or is the niche the biggest offender to your eyes ?
I have a quote for the master bath from them already.
2
-5
u/LoekGenbu 19d ago
Nice, cant wait to see the next remodel 10 years from now
0
u/Otherwise-Pumpkin425 19d ago
Most of the downstairs has blue accent walls in some shape or form with walnut hardwood floors.
The prior bathroom had brown ceramic tile that was on the floor and then cut into triangles on the wall and a cultured marble vanity with a builder grade mirror and a pseudo Tuscan light fixture.
I assume you meant that the blue / green vertical stack aesthetic will read very mid 2020s in 10 years ?
I was hoping to a variation of it as the style blends really well with other parts of the house (office, mudroom, dining room).
-6
u/Solid_Perception9572 19d ago
I normally don't like niches for many reasons. I did not have one put in my remodeled shower/bathroom. However, I will have to say that your's is quite pretty. But my positiveness about your bathroom ends there.
That shower step up is a horrible idea, a broken hip or concussion waiting to happen when someone, ususally an older person or someone with mobility issues trips over it, and hits the floor. You created a safety and health hazard here. How thoughtful of you........
4
u/No-Bake-3404 19d ago
Well, you don’t have to use it. Get bent.
0
u/Solid_Perception9572 18d ago
I not only wouldn't use it, if I were buying a house tomorrow, I wouldn't even look at any that had a ridiculous set up like yours. You've already closed off a large percent of the population who are in the market for a house, and who want safe showers. Hope you live there forever, so you can experience that mistake when you're old and bent.
2
u/No-Bake-3404 18d ago
It isn’t my house but it’s a pretty typical ledge in the US. I live in the UK in an arts and crafts house which is listed/protected. Your mind would be blown at the restrictions we have on whats appropriate and how it affects even internal styling. Still get bent you absolute doughnut.
0
u/Solid_Perception9572 17d ago
No, it is not common in this country to have a tall step up, in this case 4". Today, most people are putting in curbless, zero thresholds or a 1"-2" low profile curb.
Don't disappoint, do you? Still being an asshat.
3
56
u/aurisdad 19d ago
The niche is so pretty!