And after...

And the whole point...

About the design...

While we wanted it to look nice, we primarly were concerned about function.. In this case that meant mold resistance, waterproofing and cleanability.. In addition, while we did spend a bit, we attempted to keep the cost semi-reasonable. So no wall moving, no natural stone, no jet tub, etc.

One idea I had was to get as wide of a tub as possible to maximize the use of space.. My wife sometimes likes to soak in the tub so this contributed to the selection of the widest, deepest tub we could find that would fit the space.. It also meant selecting a two door setup, so you can swing them both out and have an open feeling.. We avoided jet, bubbles, etc. to both save cost and potential maint.

We selected a polished porcelain tile for durability, ease of cleaning and cost. We used a marble pencil and a resin trim for the sides and top.. The porcelain was reasonably priced, but we did end up paying about as much for the trim boarder.. :-/

We picked European pulls for the shower to minimize how much they would intrude/protrude, but allow a comfortable pull.

Considering we were going to replace the tub we decided to switch from almond to a bone/biscuit.. This meant replacing the original toilet which was a 3 gallon unit that worked fine.. We decided to try a comfort height unit and opted for a one piece unit to facilitate cleaning.

Items used:

Grohe Arden tub spout

Toto Guinevere toilet

Hans Grohe Ecostat S/E Pressure Balanced w/diverter

Lutron MA-T51 Maestro Countdown Timer (x2)

Axor Citterio Showerhead

Hans Grohe 9" shower arm

Kohler Mariposa 60x36" alcove bath with intergal apron, tile flange and right hand drain

Panasonic WhisperWall FV-08WQ1 (x2)

Wedi waterproofing system

Benjamin Moore Aura, satin, AF-65 & AF-100

QuartzLock2 urethane grout, antique white, 9lb (x2)

ColorFast siliconized acrylic caulk, 10oz, mobe pearl nsnd

Tiles, Seattle Tile Co. part numbers:

32JDTR FIEL 824P, 8x24 glazed porcelain tile

04DEMJ PERS 48, persian resin deco, botticino

06PATU PENC 112, 1x12 tumbled marble pencil

Looks great! We've been focusing on clean ability too, no reason things can't look good -and- be easy to maintain

Thanks for the comments..

FWIW, the wider tub plus the light tile and glass doors do really transform the feeling in the shower from a small space to a roomy, airy and open feel..

Amazing what a couple of tweaks can accomplish.

We did a tweaks in the kitchen remodel, also to positive effect.

-john

Very nice! Love the deep tub.

Great job. I really like seeing what I call normal no second mortgages needed makeovers. I am glad you shared this. Question,. I am doing glass doors on my kids bathtubs. What are your thoughts on these doors for children?

How old are the children?. I'm not sure I would be comfortable with it.. They are big, heavy, swing both ways with hard, sharp corners..

-john

Nice :) Love the tile at the top of the tub/shower. You didn't list the name of your granite. Looks like Baltic Brown.

Hi Monica,

Yah, Baltic Brown sounds right.. We did that quite a while back so my memory isn't 100% on some of those details. The bathroom granite was my, uninspired, choice. Luckily my wife chose the kitchen granite!

-john

So nice and bright. I bet you are happy. (I wouldn't call this level of effort "a few tweaks" though!)

By a few tweaks I meant going from a 32" to 36" tub plus going from curtains to glass made things feel much roomier and open, despite it only being 4" difference, objectively.

Same with the kitchen; moving things a few inches here and there can make things feel much more spacious and open.

Thanks for the comments.

-john

Ah, John, I just thought you were downplaying your accomplishment-- it's quite impressive! I see what you are saying though, big changes from minor layout adjustments!

Very nice job.

looks beautiful! do you find the tub/shower difficult to get in and out of? considering similar - just worried its a big step in