apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I love this! I too am going for a spa like feel for my new bathroom.

Question: Did you keep the bathtub you already had? If so, how did you get the tile on the "face" of the tub? I was told I needed a new tub that fits in some sort of wood surround to achieve this look! Please let me know!

i love that you even replaced the door knob! Looks great!

Can you tell me where your medicine cabinet and light were purchased? Make/Model info on the cabinet would be helpful. Thanks.

Tania,

I did not replace the tub, it was not in the budget. What we did instead was build a "knee wall" which basically framed out the front and top of the tub.

Thanks so much Eric!! That's a great idea!

Yes! I love it. Could you please share all the details! I love the tile choices, the medicine cabinet, the light above the medicine cabinet and the sink! I would love to know what materials you used and any recomendations you have on where to buy them. Also, did you do the installation yourself or did you hire a contractor?

Thanks

I have the same bathroom floorplan. This is great inspiration! Could you specify which walker zanger tiles you used? I'm liking this "knee wall" idea.

Finanally a toilet that can with stand those huge dumps you take. well done!

love love love the knee wall idea ... my bathroom tub is a horrible eye sore with badly done grout everywhere, but replacing the tub is definitely not in the budget. but to simply cover it up... brilliant!

How big is the room? Could you please mention the dimensions.

Could you post a picture of how you framed out your tub? Would moisture be an issue? I love the idea, and I love that tile.

WOW! what a great looking bathroom eric, id love to share that shower with you :)

This is so beautifully restrained. I love the brown on just the tiles and the tissue holder. Don't add any more! It's perfect!

The lighting fixture is indeed gorgeous, it can be very difficult to find contemporary lighting suitable for a bathroom and this one is far and away one of the nicest I have seen.

My only quibble is that I would want more storage space than you have there and would have chosen a vanity with a door, particularly if this is the only bathroom in your apartment. But if you don't need the space, this certainly provides a nice airy look given the small size of the bathroom. nice job!

Nicely done.
I'm very curious about the knee wall. How is the knee wall finished on the inside of the tub? I've been thinking about doing the same thing but I can't figure out a clean way to finish off the edge. Is there a frame on all sides of the tub also or just on the front wall?

The tile is very pretty and works well with the fixtures. Have you thought about getting rid of the shower curtain? A nice sliding glass door would show off all the work you had done in there.

Eric, what did you use as floor tiles? Size of the tiles? I've been looking for something like this in a size 8X8 or smaller. Your bathroom looks great.

Thanks for all the great comments. I did use a contractor for the work, they were great and did superb work. The medicine cabinet is the Robern PLM3630,runs around $700. Tiles are the Porto Beige limestone from Walker Zanger, they are online and located in Manhattan. The room is not approximately 5x5, it was slightly larger before but we created a laundry room with the space and walled it off.

Thanks for the info. Who was the contractor? Do they work in Brooklyn?

I love your bathroom! My floorplan is exactly this in my main bathroom and this has given my oodles of ideas. Thanks!

Where did you get the door handles and how much? Very nice and modern....

Kudos on your bathroom! Simple and nice.

i love the sink!

Eric,

Would you please tell these people that

THE SIMPLICITY GROUP

built this bathroom already?

your contractor who gets no credit,

-john

John,

Maybe you would know more about how the knee wall was finished since you are the contractor.

The wall in front would be easy but how did you finish the top edge and make it look clean on the inside?

I'm about 30 seconds away from tearing my tub out.

Art, in case Eric and John don't give you a real answer...

If you look at the first pic, you can see that the knee wall is several inches higher than the tub. I am guessing that John just built that wall and tiled it, top and sides. A clean, inexpensive solution that I will have to remember.

i love the sink too. what kind is it> where did you get it?

i love the sink too. what kind is it? where did you get it?

Art,

The knee wall is framed to sit above of, and in front of the tub apron. The tile meets the tub flush and is sealed to protect against moisture. The savings are obviously considerable, making the knee wall trick a great option, especially when executed in conjuction with reglazing ( which we did not have to do here, because the existing tub was in very good condition).

As a shameless self promotion, I will also tell you that you can email me (john@thesimplicitygroup.com) should you want us to help you with your renovation.

-jb

Beatrice,

I think you may have just made me think about this in a simpler way. The wall could simply clear the top of the tub and be tiled on the inside and finished off with a simple bead of caulk instead of trying to create an integral look which is probably impossible with that type of tub because the inside rim is curved. I would be interested in seeing a photo of the whole thing.

Thanks John!

When my response posted yours did also!

Well, now I have something to think about. On the one hand a standard drop-in tub is around 300-350 but if a wall can do the trick then that saves me the money and trying to get a tub out of a condo.

Art,

the cost of the tub itself is only the START. Plumbers fees in NYC are fairly outrageous. The knee wall reduces renovation costs by at least a couple thousand dollars when you factor in demolition, carting, purchasing, and rough-in costs.

In short, as the nuns told me in grammar school,

"The knee wall saves".

-jb

Ahhh, the memories of Catholic school and sore knees.

It's not much different here in Chicago. If I had wanted to upgrade to a basic whirlpool before closing it would have cost me close to $5000.00. I thought, o.k., scrap that idea just run a 220 v. line from the box to the tub area (in a 1000 s.f. space) $1000.00. This is all pre-construction. Before the *!#@ walls were even put in. I had to suck it up and pay $850.00 for a dryer plug and close to a $1000.00 for an oven plug.

I'm fortunate to have a contractor (my dad) so I'm doing the legwork and purchasing the materials and conducting the demo and disposal. It's just that the there's only about 1/4" clearance between the tub drain and the floor so I'm a little concerned about how easy it will be to replace.

Art,

The tub shoe is a critical concern. If it is done wrong ( i.e. the tub shoe is compromised during install, or the tub is set wrong and the tub shoe touches the slab and breaks) the leak may go some time without being noticed, and cause considerable damage to your neighbors units. Not only will your neighbors be inconvenienced (see: nasty stares in the elevator, whispering door men etc.) but you have to rip out the whole tub to repair it ( see: you go without a bathroom AGAIN during repair).

We have two great solutions for this:

1) Frame the tub to sit higher and tile the frame. We execute this as an extended knee wall type design and it looks great.

2) Cut the slab to create clearance. YOU MUST CHECK WITH YOUR BOARD HOWEVER, AS MOST DO NOT ALLOW UNIT OWNERS TO CUT THE SLAB. The rule is actually a good one, and in general I am a proponent of simply framing the tub up for clearance.

Since your father is acting GC, I am happy to project manage for a weekend in return for airfare + dinner at Gibsons. I dream of their steak. I had a girlfriend once who lived on Rush and Division. She left me when she learned the REAL reason for my frequent visits from NY. Thankfully, Gibson's and I are still on good terms.

-jb

Too funny. You never know, once it gets warm outside my dad may be too busy golfing to think about putting in bathtubs! Lot's of people swear by Gibson's. Your arteries will thank you for less frequent visits though.

So if you framed the tub up are you talking about 2" or so? Just enough to make a comfortable connection between the tub drain and the connection in the slab?

If you are talking about cutting the slab do you mean grinding a little channel around the drain in the floor to be able to reach my hand in there? I would try to avoid this method at all costs.

Thanks alot for the advice!!!!!!

missed detail?

mop board trim.(check)
chlorine eliminating shower head.(check)
concrete form knee wall planter with live growth bamboo/grasses.(oops) shower curtain?

Art,

I like to frame up at least 4". This provides a comfortable working area as well as a substantial enough surface to tile, in the event that you don't create a full knee wall but rather keep the tub apron.

Cutting the slab does indeed require that you channel a portion of the floor. The advantage to cutting the slab is that you preserve ceiling height. the disadvantage is the effect on the structural integrity of the building, over the course of countless renovations (some using contractors who know how to do this correctly, many without). In a recent structural shoring project we inspected, structural beams had been routed to provide a means to deliver plumbing and electrical to other portions of the unit/building. This was the case throughout the entire building, and as such, substantial sagging and deflection occurred throughout. A year ago we rescued a brownstone from collapse for the same reason. In general, its best to leave the slab be.

Shoot me a picture of the area if you like, or phone me and I can give you advice along the way. If I'm helpful, and travel to Chicago, maybe you can buy your buddy Johnny that juicy cut (is it the W.R. cut...I cant remember the name but the taste has stayed with me).

-jb

Thanks John,

I'll try and send you that picture on Monday. I'll reach you through your website or phone from now on. I work a few blocks from Gibson's so I can meet you over there next time you're in town.

Love your lighting choice--I used two of the Talo Minis (one over the rather narrow medicine cabinet, one over the toilet). We ended up swapping out the lightbulb for a less bright one, and they still provide plenty of light.

Can i also shower with you Eric???