Designer: John Belitsky
Product: Custom Knee Wall
Link: thesimplicitygroup.com
Simple Solutions. At our 4th Meetup two weeks ago, John Belitsky was the first contractor to present.
His idea? A homegrown solution to revamping your bathroom without replacing the tub et al. His kneewall design, while simple, was a refreshingly good idea for New York's many challenged bathrooms and allowed folks to spend less on a makeover...
While certainly not a typical presentation, the emphasis on usefulness and simplicity was refreshing.
- T|S|G Custom Knee Wall
- Wood, sheetrock & tile
The T|S|G Custom Knee Wall. Originally designed to conceal tub aprons and reuse existing bathtubs, the knee wall has become a staple in our bathroom renovations for both functional and aesthetic purposes. The T|S|G Custom Knee Wall is simply built in front and above the existing tub ledge to create a seamless custom façade. The tub itself can be refinished, providing the feeling that the tub is brand new and "built in".
The big bonus here is that this design, which costs hundreds of dollars to implement, allows you to refresh your bathroom without removing or replacing the tub, which costs thousands.
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Comments (12)
Sometimes I am just so very, very glad I've checked in at Apartment Therapy! This is one of those solutions for which I've been looking. It's brilliant, and answers our bath renovation dilemma, and offers a chance to make the finished product look even better than we'd hope - without the insane expense of a new tub.
Thank you, thank you, thank you John Belitsky!
How much does this increase the footprint of your tub?
Because I think this is a great idea, except for the general tininess of New York City apartment bathrooms. A few inches can spell the difference between being able to sit comfortably on the toilet or not.
brilliant!!
My brother-in-law built a similar wooden enclosure for his ugly old tub.
In response to the finished dimension question: we can build this out less than 1" from the apron.
-johnny
Ah, cool, Johnny!
Does any one recommend a NY contractor who's done this in their bathroom before?
I had no idea contractors presented at Meetups. Was it just this one, or is it a regular occurrence?
brilliant!
We are a Design, Construction, and Maintenance firm, so we routinely dream up a number of functional or purely aesthetic designs, then build them in-house. That said, we do this work for our clients, and can assist you if you're looking to have it done. Shoot me an email at john@thesimplicitygroup.com.
-johnny
in my bathroom i've thought about having a half-wall built to come up slightly higher than the toilet to block the view of it from the hallway. i wonder if this knee wall can be used in that capacity. in other words, not framing anything, but just acting as a visual barrier or separator. anyway it's a really good idea!
Why hide your tub?
If you create a knee wall and tile the walls and bottom inside the knee wall, can't this be your tub? Adding a small grade for drainage.
It would definitely give you more room than enclosing an existing tub.
Is this possible?
Does anyone know of a company in Toronto that does this? I wonder how much it would cost. It definitely looks amazing!