Guest Bathroom 5: Design Decisions and Cost Breakdown

This weekend was all about making some final decisions about the bathroom.  We’re having our annual Memorial Day party and it would be really nice to have a working bathroom by then.  Of course I’m cutting it pretty close, but what else is new?  I don’t have to have the shower finished by then, but I do need to make some decisions about the type of shower door and shower curb I’ll be using so I can tile the rest of the bathroom floor.  

Thank goodness we already bought the sink, vanity and faucet because I’ve about had it with decision making (and money spending)!  I’m going to try to give you a precise cost breakdown, something I don’t always remember to do, so we can both see how much this guest bathroom remodel costs me.

• Ikea HEMNES / ODENSVIK sink + cabinet – $299
• Pfister Jaida Brushed Nickel 1-Handle Single Hole Faucet – $108 (hubby picked this one all by himself!)

One thing that is still up in the air is the door.  It used to swing into the shower and that was really annoying.  Worse still is that you’d have to maneuver around it to use the toilet and shut the door.  My kids and I usually just leave the door open and it drives hubby crazy.  So I decided to put in a pocket door.  But then I realized I’d be giving up an entire wall because you can’t hang anything, no hooks, no shelf, etc. on the wall the door hides in.  Well now I’m at a loss for where to hang towels, so this one is still in the deciding stage.

I have been debating forever about how the shower should be configured.  The factors include: where should the plumbing fixtures be located, full door or partial enclosure, half wall or just shower doors, and what kind of bench to have.  My parents and even my grandmother use this shower when they stay with us, so I definitely want to have a bench of some sort.  Hubby did not like the kind that attach to the wall and can fold up.  I didn’t want a free-standing one.  So we were settled on a built in bench, but where and what shape?   I liked the idea of having a half-wall next to the toilet with glass above like this…

via Hooked on Houses

Or maybe a half wall with a window like this shower I found on Pinterest.

Via Elan Interiors

I loved this design until it came to the bench issue.  I want a bench you can sit on and get showered, but most people think having a bench under the shower head and controls is weird.  That means our bench would have to be on the right side of the shower where the opening will be.  (Just like in the picture above)  The issue I have with the triangular bench being opposite the shower head is that I feel like you wouldn’t even get wet over there, unless you used the spray handle.  But if you use the hand shower down at that end you would no doubt get water all over the bathroom. So long story short I decided to go with regular shower doors, which seems CRAZY because I took down the shower doors in this shower once before.  I am going for this look…

via Coastal Shower Doors

or maybe this…

found on Pinterest

But those doors cost thousands, so I am going to do what Lauren from Bless’er House did and make my own grids.   The post is HERE and the tutorial is HERE.

via Bless’er House

So that solved the door/half wall issue, but what about the bench?  A rectangular bench would look silly with these doors, so I went with the triangle.  How the heck do you build one of those things though???  Schluter makes a preformed corner bench, but it costs $100 and it’s the type that is solid all the way down to the shower floor.

via Coastal Living

I think I like the ones that are suspended in the air, so to speak.

via Design Manifest (awesome bathroom remodel — go check it out!)

A quick search on the John Bridge Tile Forums (who am I kidding, I was probably on there half the day!) for how to build a shower seat led me to a product called Better Bench.  I ordered the largest triangle size they make and I found the best price on Amazon.  And we definitely need more lighting in the bathroom, especially in the shower, so I ordered a recessed shower light from Home Depot online.  That orange card is getting quite the workout!

• Better Bench – $64.41
• Coastal Industries Legend Framed Swing Shower Door – $441.99 (It was $312 at Wayfair.com yesterday and when I went to checkout this morning it was $609!  Pain in my butt!!)
• 5 in. White Recessed Shower Kit – $24.97

I decided to go with Schluter Kerdi products to build my shower.  The cost to build the curb, shower pan and walls was $388.48 and is broken down in THIS POST.

Every shower (and bath) should have a niche for storing shampoo and other essentials.  I purchased one at The Tile Shop when I was in there the other day.  It was cheaper than the Kerdi niche and I didn’t have to wait for shipping.

• Pro Recessed Shelf – $39.99

After much struggle I finally locked in my tile choices as well.  At first I ordered green hex tiles for the kids’ bathroom, but since that project hasn’t started yet, I felt okay stealing the tile for the guest bathroom floor.  It will be the same tile in the shower and the rest of the bathroom.  I’m so excited I finally found something I’m so excited about!!!  The wall tiles will be plain and cheap because I’m trying to reel myself in — it is only the guest bathroom after all.  Truthfully it’s probably the most used bathroom though because it’s on the first floor.  I’ll add those in later when I make a final decision.

• 2 boxes Hex Gloss Moss 1″ tile from The Tile Shop (they don’t have it online) – $241.50
• Natural grout + ad mixture – $27.59
• matching caulk – $9.49
• sealer – $17.59

Let’s not forget one of the most expensive parts of the bathroom — the plumbing.  I already purchased the valve that goes behind the wall and had the plumber install it.  The other pieces have only been ordered at this point.  The links are to Amazon, but I bought at my local Kitchen & Bathworks.  I have yet to pick out a toilet, but I definitely want one with a concealed trap (like this) or as I like to say — a toilet without an ear on the side.  The twisted look of a plumbing trap reminds me of the inside of an ear.

• KOHLER K-11748-K-NA Rite-Temp Valve with Diverter – $150
• KOHLER K-T14779-4-BN Stance Rite-Temp Valve Trim, Vibrant Brushed Nickel – $282
• Kohler K-9069-CP 24-Inch Shower Slide Bar, Polished Chrome – $175
• KOHLER K-8593-BN MasterShower 72-Inch Metal Shower Hose, Vibrant Brushed Nickel – $75
• Hand shower, nipple, drop elbow (to attach rain shower head), wall mount supply elbow (to attach hose) – all together $119.50

I should go eat something before I add this all up…   …Ok avocado + chips = done!

So without including the toilet, wall tile, shower door add-ons, or pocket door the total is: $2,446.51

And thanks to the state of New Jersey, the total with 7% sales tax is $2,617.77.  Sadly, none of my online purchases were tax free.

I’ll be back with an update on the actual work soon.  Remember the plan is to have it usable by Memorial Day!