Contrary to the easy-as-1-2-3 bathroom renovation segments seen on HGTV, giving your bathroom a major makeover is no walk in the park.
For the details, just ask Roger Beaulieu, who oversees the renovations division at SunCo Sunspaces.
"Wow -- where do I start," he said from a recently completed bathroom renovation at a Lindenwoods-area home. "I guess we started in June. We started from scratch and basically gutted it right down to the studs. By the time we finished in early September we'd touched almost every system in the space (plumbing, electrical)."
Not only was every system touched, but so was every every fixture and space. What was once an inefficient space -- a dated closet with bi-fold doors, aging shower and other weary-looking fixtures -- was turned into a contemporary space with steam shower, granite vanity with make-up area, undermounted sink and chic display cabinet. Last -- but certainly not least -- was the addition of tons of customized storage cabinets that run around the periphery of the bathroom.
However as stunning -- and functional -- as the bathroom is now, looks can be deceiving.
"Typically, a bathroom renovation should take maybe six to eight weeks, but that's the ideal scenario," said Beaulieu. "Ideally, there won't be any problems. That said, most renovation projects -- especially bathrooms -- never follow the ideal scenario. With this project, it always seemed we were waiting for something. We waited three weeks for the toilet, and two months for the cabinets due to missing parts."
The result was that the owners -- who thankfully turned out to have the patience of Job -- couldn't use their ensuite, or bedroom, for a full four weeks.
"It was a big inconvenience for them," he said. "And we tell our clients right up front to be prepared for possible problems. One month is a bit out of the norm, but it can happen. This isn't a TV show."
In the end, all the hassle was worth it. What was once a tired, inefficient space was transformed into a space that's not only luxurious, but practical.
"Let's start with the shower -- it's got a radio, infra-red lighting, aromatherapy, 12 acupuncture body jets, a steam generator, rain shower head and hand-held wand," said Beaulieu. "We put in a high-end linoleum floor that looks like black marble -- and features in-floor heat. The cabinets are custom with pull-outs specific to our clients' use, including a shoe cubicle, sock drawer and jewellery drawer. Believe me, a lot of thought went into this design."
There's more, added Beaulieu.
"All the lighting is custom with pot lights overhead and in-cabinet lighting, while the exhaust fan for the steam shower is high-powered (at 650 CFM, or cubic feet per minute) yet whisper quiet. The counter top is Caesarstone quartz with a nice river rock-style accent on the backsplash, and for good measure, we put in a heated towel warmer. Suffice it to say the space's functionality and style has been improved 100 per cent."
Predictably, that improvement came at a cost. A cost that came in well above the budget assigned to shows like Design on a Dime, let's say.
"For this calibre of bathroom, you're looking at about $35,000. In this case, the customer bought the steam shower, toilet and various fixtures. If you add those in, you're looking at about $7,500 in additional costs. Making those purchases was a good move, as they helped the customer control the money they spent," said Beaulieu. "They've been rewarded for their patience with a beautiful, functional bathroom they can enjoy for years to come for just over $40,000. We're very proud of this one. It was a lot of work, but worth it all."
lewys@mts.net
