It’s been a long journey to get to this reveal post. But hey, we are finally here! Let us unpack, shall we? (And if you are interested, you can see the old bath here.)
The glass shower
This new bathroom features all upgrades we had craved for years. Starting from the new shower glass. We’ve been living in student housing and cheap rentals before this house, and all of them sported shower curtains. Having a piece of clear glass that we can see through into the shower, that is seamless, custom-made, and that requires a squeegee, is like ten Christmas’ wishes come true at once.
The shower door and installation was done by L & L glass, a local glass company in Denver. Our experience with them is nothing but great: efficient communication, quality choices of the products, fair price, and quick and reliable service. Every interaction with L & L glass we had, from the showroom quote, in-house measurement, to the actual installation was a breeze and a pleasure. I cannot recommend them enough.
To create a see-through shower we chose clear glass, and Slav picked brush nickel finish for the hardware. To keep the view of the glass unobstructed, we opted for a single knob instead of a long handle on the door. The fixed panel is held by silicone and a single clip, and there is a door sweeper under the moving panel as well.
For a basement bathroom moisture is the biggest enemy. We stopped the shower glass at the height of the soffit to allow steam to escape. The new bathroom fan was mounted right outside of the shower to help with the moisture removal.
The floor-to-ceiling tiles and large shower niche
We like to keep the bathroom squeaky clean, so floor-to-ceiling tile is one of the first things we agreed upon. For the color, I listened to my minimalist heart and went with two contrasting tones. I showed Slav the inspiration photo below and he immediately agreed. So we basically used the same colors and sizes for our tiles.
The inspiration photo
Our bath:
In person this color combination looks even better than the photo. While the slate keeps the room grounded and feeling steady, the white lightens it and makes it restful. Both of slate and white tiles we picked have warm undertones, so the room does not feel sterile.
We picked pebble tile for the shower which is so nice! It is like a foot massage every time taking a shower.
Same as the tile choices, I found out what shower niche to install with the help of Pinterests. As the inspiration photo below, we chose to the one that spans the whole width of the end wall.
The inspiration:
Our bath:
Unlike the photo above, we made ours even simpler using the same white tiles in the shower. We did that to further reduce visual clutter. I think it worked very well with our small bath and see-through shower doors.
I crave some green color in the basement but there is not enough lighting for plants. This Buddha head brings a bit green into the bath.
The new water-wise toilets and bidet
Although the shower and tiles are the most prominent elements in the bath, the most important piece in any bathroom will always be the toilet. Not only we got the water-saving toilet from our favorite local water-conservation non-profit, we also splurged for a bidet seat. Bidets are necessity at home in East Asian and central Europe, so not having one during the time living in the States felt weird to us. We vowed to make this house ours which means it will fit our needs and desires. A bidet in our master bath is certainly a right step towards our goal.
The new double-sink vanity + medicine cabinet storage
In order to expand the footprint of the master bath, we removed a linen closet in the hallway during demo. We chose a vanity to add storage:
The sink + vanity combo is another of our favorite in the master bath. We do not like to store things in the open so choosing trough-style sinks with limited counter space is a conscious choice.
In this way we can keep the sinks as big as possible, while keeping the vanity narrow to save its floor print. With our narrow bathroom, this particular vanity allowed 38″ space in front of it, which enables two people to walk around without problem. It also leaves enough room for us to operate the 29″ wide shower door.
The middle drawers do not interfere with the shower door:
In addition, we mounted a medicine cabinet above the vanity:
This medicine cabinet holds a ton. It is only 4″ thick inside but 48″ long and 26″ tall. It is at least four times bigger than the one we previously used and provided more than enough storage for our daily use.
Where do you store your toilet brush?
To date we have used our bathroom for a couple days. It is very functional despite not having a towel bar or a toilet paper holder. With the brand new tiles and drywall it is hard to decide where to drill for these items. We are still on look out for a few things, such as a toilet brush. Is there an elegant yet functional toilet brush out there? One can be stored off the floor? If you have good suggestions, let me know!
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