Reader Bathroom: $22,000 Remodel for Aging in Place in California

BEFORE: Beth Sawatzky, 71, lives in an active adult community where she plans to “age in place” at least until her late 80s, she says. Sawatzky planned the remodel of her bathroom for over a year, budgeting $25,000 for the full project. She knew she wanted to include an original art tile mural and make the bathroom appropriate for her future self.

“I knew [by] making the bathroom ‘age in place’-friendly I would have much bigger expenses than a simple remodel but was shocked when some bids came in at over $35,000,” Sawatzky says. She narrowed her candidates down to three contractors whose bids came in under her budget. “It was the personal references that made the difference — and the remodel could not have gone smoother,” Sawatzky says.

AFTER: Sawatzky ordered all the materials for her remodel herself. “I had everything except the tile on site weeks before the remodel started,” she says. The mural was finished two months before demolition began. Sawatzky used a free online spreadsheet template for keeping track of her remodeling costs.

Sawatzky’s contractor tore out the wall separating the vanity from the toilet and shower area, and ripped out the original shower, which had a step-up. He also removed the shower tile and flooring — a labor-intensive process that involved removing the old shower drain, installing concrete footings and new support beams, and re-creating the floor. Thanks to all this work, the new shower has no step-up, making it more practical as Sawatzky ages.

Floor tile: Aventis 12-by-24-inch tiles, FloridaTile; vanity: Wyndham 60-inch Hatton Vanity from ModernBathroom.com; wall tile: Tea for Two 4-by-8-inch glossy white tiles and Red/Maroon Listello accent tiles, both from Crossville; towel bars: Danze Sirius; grab bars: GBS Wave 24-inch polished stainless steel; window: Milgard double-hung window with rain glass

Before selecting any of her materials, Sawatzky commissioned this custom piece by tile artist Brenda Rose, whom she had known for several years. Sawatzky lives near the Russian River, and her kitchen window has a view of Fitch Mountain. Inspiration for the artwork came from two photos Sawatzky had taken: one of the mountain draped in morning fog, another of a bird standing in the river. After Rose made an initial sketch for the mural, Sawatzky and Rose went shopping for the tiles. Sawatzky knew from the beginning she wanted the bathroom to be white, black, gray and a red color she refers to as “dried tomato.” The artist made sure the colors in the mural worked with this theme.

The completed tile mural is 24 by 32 inches. Sawatzky chose white 4-by-8-inch tiles for the shower walls, 12-by-24-inch charcoal gray tile for the bathroom floors, and a 2-by-2-inch gray tile for the shower floor. Sawatzky’s contractor matched the white ceiling paint to the glossy white tiles.

There wasn’t room for a shower door with the new configuration, but Sawatzky says she does “not miss having to squeegee a shower door.” She opted for an extra-long shower curtain.

“Uh-oh” moment: The construction process was remarkably smooth. The only thing that went wrong, Sawatzky says, is that a PVC pipe was sent instead of the copper one she needed. She had one shipped to her by overnight delivery to avoid delaying construction.

Shower faucet: Danze Sirius

Lessons learned: If she had the project to do over again, Sawatzky would raise the vanity light. “It isn’t anything most people would notice, but I know,” she says.
Walls moved: Yes, wall removed between the vanity and the toilet and shower room
Plumbing moved: Yes, lowered to accommodate curbless shower
Plumbing replaced: Yes
Professionals hired: Artist Brenda Rose; general contractor Larry Frey; tile contractor Michael Wooley
Special features: Original art, aging-in-place features
Splurges: Original mural, curbless shower
Savings: Shower curtain instead of door. Used existing ADA toilet, mirror and shower head

Cost breakdown
Shower: $330, including $128 for shower faucet, $202 for two grab bars
Cabinetry: $2,356 for vanity, including countertop
Tile: $2,443 for all tile, including shower and floor tile
Lighting: $205 for vanity lighting
Accessories and decor: $560, including $139 for soap dish, $421 for towel bars, toilet paper holder and robe hook
Windows and doors: $269 for window
Labor: $14,063
Tile mural: $1,800
Total: $22,026

Vanity lighting: AC6014 Seattle four-light 24-inch chrome bathroom vanity wall light, Artcraft

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