The Brennan Family
Seattle, WA
Bathroom Renovation
The Brennan family hosts relatives several times a year. Their guest bathroom, however, was an afterthought: small, dated and a little dark.
They wanted guests to feel like they were staying in a hotel, not squeezing into a spare room.
The Challenge
A built-in tub ran along the back wall, the window was hidden behind the shower curtain and storage was limited to one wobbly shelf. Small tiles with dark grout made the room look even smaller.
The Approach
With a small room, we had to make a few bold decisions:
Move the plumbing so a freestanding tub could sit right under the window.
Use large-format tiles on walls and floor to reduce grout lines.
Mount the toilet and vanity on the wall to keep the floor clear.
Materials and Details
Instead of shelves and cabinets, we built recessed niches into the walls for towels and toiletries. Moisture-resistant paint, new window trim and a floor-mounted tub filler finish the room with a clean, simple look.
My mother stayed with us for two weeks and said it was the nicest bathroom she'd ever used. That says it all.
The Outcome
The bathroom was finished in three weeks, just in time for the family's holiday guests.
What We Did
Freestanding tub with floor-mounted filler
Large-format porcelain tiles
Wall-hung toilet and floating vanity
Recessed wall niches for storage
New window trim and moisture-resistant paint
It is now one of the brightest rooms in the house, and the easiest one to clean.
