A POSH CONDO BATHROOM REDESIGN FOR THE CAT.
YOUR CONDO BATHROOM RENOVATION
R E T H I N K
by KALLI GEORGE • photos STEPHANI BUCHMAN PHOTOGRAPHY
An out-of-province couple reached out with a condo bathroom renovation request. They lived out of province - their two daughters worked and studied in Toronto. It was a pretty straightforward bath remodel request with three objectives:
Refrain from the all-white bathroom
Create two distinct bathrooms. Incorporate points of similarities between them
The larger bathroom hosted the cat litter box. If it could remain in the room, it would be a great help
We had a healthy budget of $60K to update two condo bathrooms. As with all our projects, we set our design process in motion.
What is the design concept?
What will be the similarities between the two bathrooms?
What is the scope of work
What materials and finishes are we using?
Set up the costing folders – labour + materials
Monthly and weekly communication sessions with the client.
DESIGN A BATHROOM
Two very different design concepts are in place, one scope of work. The process was no different than any other house or condo bathroom renovation. Take both bathrooms right to the studs and start over.
The design concept for the larger bathroom centred on the cat litter box. The idea was to create a bathroom sans cat. The reasoning behind this strategy was more business-related than anything else. If the condo owners decided to sell, the bathroom design would stand on its own.
REMODELING A BATHROOM - THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS
We decided a wall-hung vanity was the best option. It would leave room for a litter box below and offer plenty of storage without compromising the look we were going for.
This condo bathroom already had a step-in shower which the client enjoyed. In a bold move, we asked the client to consider a walk-in shower with no door. The goal was an uncluttered room with few clunky visual distractions like a door handle.
A floor-to-ceiling glass panel would block the water from the shower. While we worked through some details, we asked the client to take showers but not close the door. It would be a good indication of how much water she could expect to see outside the shower. Less than a week later, it was an enthusiastic “Yes – let’s do it!”
BATHROOM REMODELING - CONDO RENOVATION CHALLENGES
Unlike a house, we needed approval for our walk-in shower. Thankfully, the management office came back with a positive response.
Limitations on days and work hours. No weekends, early starts or late days.
Major noise demolition required approval and advance notice to the surrounding units.
No construction dumpster permitted on site. Daily clean-up.
Limited storage.
We settled on a hybrid look – outdoor shower with a little glam. We installed large format tile on the floor and shower walls. The tile size minimized the grout lines. One row of stone pebbles at the back of the shower brings more of the outdoors in.
Great for massaging those tired footsies. Our client was not a rustic kind of girl, so we introduced a teal tile and gold finishes. A herringbone pattern in the shower and vanity backsplash completed the look. How chic.
THE BATHROOM - KEEPING OUR OPTIONS OPEN
From the start of the project, we weren't convinced that everything was as it appeared. We agreed to consider the initial floor plans and schematics as conceptual until we opened the walls. The design concept would remain the same, but we would adjust the dimensions as required. We believed the plumbing walls were built out. A pleasant surprise, if, not a little perplexing. We did not pick up space on the plumbing walls. Instead, it was on the side walls. Nonetheless, this unexpected surprise allowed for a longer vanity and more storage.
Condo bathrooms are notorious for their lack of storage. A bathroom renovation that didn’t take this into account would be a condo interior design miss. Off-the-shelf vanities did not meet our width or height requirements. It didn't feel right to compromise the new bathroom design to meet vanity dimensions. During the preparation phase, we allocated money for a custom vanity.
If, on the off chance, we got lucky and did not need one, we would have a bathroom renovation surplus.
A BATHROOM REMODEL - ACCEPTING WHAT WE CANNOT CHANGE
We like to call this the perfectly imperfect bathroom condo renovation. We did not fight what we could not change. We could not move or center the toilet between the new wall and the shower. Instead, we added another off-centre area in the vanity area with the mirror.
In this condo bathroom renovation story, the true heroines are the clients. They moved out during the noisy demolition phase. Once the school year was underway, they came back. With no garage to store items, we had items delivered to the condo. With no other storage solutions, our clients were living amongst boxes and boxes of products.
With our interior design process in place, this new condo bathroom was not a shock to anyone. The 3D images and the collection of samples had our clients visualize this room well before it was built. As for the cat, his return was a little touch and go for a while, but he got his room back. Our client now has a place for everything, a walk-in shower and a feeling of showering in the great outdoors.
Kalli George is the founder and lead designer with Kalli George Interiors’ award-winning interior design team. For more than a decade they have managed the design, build and décor of residential projects across the GTA including, Mississauga, Etobicoke and Brampton.