Renovating is a combination of excitement, mess and stress. Those of you who have renovated know the meaning of mess. Luckily, we planned everything in great detail before we started the guest and master bathroom make-over.
To begin, I’d like to show a picture of what the master bathroom used to look like. This was the original master bathroom as it came with the condo which was built in the 90’s.
A few months ago, we began to collect ideas of what we wanted the bathrooms to look like and decided to keep the existing layout as is.
Planning a bathroom renovation / make-over
As a computer aided design technology specialist, planning is my passion. After I measured the guest and master bathrooms, I’ve created an accurate 3D model of each room. One of the biggest advantages of modeling the rooms was experimenting with tile colors. At first we liked the look of white marble tiles but an A B comparison convinced us to go with the dark look instead. Now that it is all finished, we are glad to have done so.
The image below shows the new master bathroom which is mostly complete except for the mirror and shower glass.
A make-over that goes right equals joy
It is a special feeling when one goes into a new room for the first time. Soon we will have forgotten of what the master bathroom used to look like. I suppose that forgetting the way it used to be can be a good thing. When it comes to renovations and make-over it is surely true.
The dark wall tiles really make the vanity, W.C. and bathtub pop, just like we saw in the 3D renders. All in all, the make-over was worth the hassle. Considering that we were bound by Strata rules, we made the best of it and the difference is a big one.
Buying the right tiles is key
Looking back, the tiles make all the difference. If we would have chosen the original white marble tiles, the bathrooms would have looked completely different. There are many tile stores all over the lower mainland but we got such good service from Wilkinson Tile & Stone in Langley when we bought our kitchen floor tiles, we ended up buying the floor, wall and splash tiles once again from the same place.
Wilkinson Tile & Stone is located in Langley and once again the right selection. Their friendly service as well as know-how was key for getting the perfect product. We’ve combed trough all of their samples and decided on dark grey floor tiles and matching wall tiles.
No one else had this particular combination on display and we fell in love with it the moment we saw it.
While we were 100% happy with the tiles, the same can not be said for the tile setter. There were several problems which added yet more time to an already late project. Lesson learned. A good deal is only worth it if the work is exceptional. The good news is that there are craftsman out there who can fix any mess. After redoing the shower beds, the water drained as expected and the story has a happy ending.
Frameless shower glass
The last step of our bathroom make-over is getting the frameless shower glass installed. Unfortunately, there is a wait time as the glass needs to be ordered. Based on the showroom samples we’ve seen, the frameless glass will give both bathrooms that 5-star look.
I’ll update once the glass is installed.
Update! We finally got the long awaited glass installed. Unfortunately, the main panel was warped. Although everyone saw it, the repair man the company sent us tried to convince us that we are wrong. After explaining to the company that payment will be cancelled unless they replace the panel, they kindly agreed to do so. Let’s see how that goes …
Amazing plumbing service
I know two amazing plumbers. One was on vacation and couldn’t make it and the second one is Vasile. Vasile is a can-do miracle man who, who as we say in Europe, has two right hands. He is the best of the best. Period.
A special mention goes out to Robinson Lighting and Bath which happened to have the bathtub faucet and chrome accents in stock. It is hard to find the perfect faucet. If the faucet is too big it is in the way when getting in and out of the tub and if it’s too small, then it will eventually discolor the side of the bathtub. Seek and you shall find and find we did.
Final thoughts
The bathroom is much more important then we realize. We decided to do both bathrooms simultaneously which in hindsight was not practical. Strata delayed the start date by several weeks and it took a lawyer to get that sorted. If your Strata is unresponsive or breaks promise after promise then spend the $250 and have a lawyer write a letter. Doing so will give you a starting date and make booking the contractors somewhat easier.
The worst part of the renovation was dealing with the property management company which looks after our Strata and in time, they will receive a well-deserved one-star rating.
Splish splash, I am taking a bath.
