The primary bathroom at the Miner Park Modern was quite the undertaking of re-imagining an existing footprint. For example, the original owner’s had a separate “nanny quarters” with a second staircase directly to that bedroom wing. Not exactly something most of us deem necessary. To clarify, at the top of the second staircase was a small bedroom bedroom and a bathroom that was beyond tight. This unnecessary wing connected to a bedroom via narrow hallway, most likely the children’s rooms that said nanny was to take care of. The current owners of the house were to use the adjoining bedroom as theirs and utilize this space choppy space in their en-suite. However, to use this space meant getting rid of this second staircase to allow for the owner’s wishlist of: large steam shower, freestanding soaking tub, water closet, oversized single sink vanity, and walk-in closet. With the square footage coming in around 450sqft, this would be very doable!
Firstly, here’s a look at the original footprint, this should help to better grasp the issue at hand.
Secondly, a quick photo I grabbed in the midst of demolition.
Top of the second staircase, looking in to “nanny bedroom”.
Thirdly, here’s a look at the updated floor plan I designed to incorporate all the wishlist items.
Meanwhile, we encountered a couple dilemmas while reworking the space.
• Sloped ceiling on north side of room… placing tub and shower along that wall would eliminate any instances of walking clearance.
• Window placements in former bathroom and bedroom, which would become the walk-in closet. I was able to convince the homeowner and contractor to center the new window over the tub but my war to move the window in the closet was not won.
• What you won’t see in the after photos, is the door to the attic over the garage that does very much exist in real life via the water closet. If you scroll back up to the original floor plan, you’ll see a door behind the former toilet. Hiring Jordan to photograph this project also meant I did not have to superimpose wallpaper on to the eyesore “Hobbit door”.
3D renderings to visualize the result.
Once the floor plan was approved, it is time to dial in on the design. I always share 3D renderings to give as realistic as possible idea of what the final result will look like. If you compare the “real” photos with the renderings below, you’ll see it is pretty close… we had a couple edits to the tile direction, shower floor, and water closet wallpaper but, overall, it is pretty spot on!
One note about the floor tile… actually a couple notes that are worth noting:
1. Strategic design of pattern is necessary to avoid any terrible pattern. I won’t say which 1940s German political party it is associated with.
2. This is a cement tile which means it will, overtime, patina under the surface of the ink. It is a lovely process but perhaps not for someone who wants stark contrast.
3. Proper and adequate sealing of the tile is necessary! Without proper sealing, it will be a nightmare to maintain… the sealing process is a very DIY friendly process, just tedious. For this reason, the homeowners chose not to include on the shower floor.
In conclusion, on to the real photos taken by Jordan Powers... DO NOT USE, repost, etc. without his permission and proper licensing.
If you love this project and are interested in working together on your own bathroom renovation, let’s start the conversation here! FAQ: I work both locally (Ohio/Michigan) and remotely.
