Shower Transformation Takes Creative Thinking

Behind the scenes look at the problem solving at our recent whole house remodel.

Our clients were looking for a shower that was low maintenance and easy to use as they aged. They also wanted more storage in the bathroom. Read on to see the challenges we faced and how we overcame them.

This is what the bathroom looked like before. The shower curb was big and the shower floor was higher than the rest of the floor. To get in the shower you had to flip up that long wooden bench.

In this photo you can see that we replaced the built-out wall that had towel warmers on it with a linen cabinet that matches the other custom cabinetry in the room. You can also see the linear drain, set in a shower floor that is not raised anymore. This drain was the main challenge in the bathroom.

In this progress shot, marked up by our production manager, you can see what we wanted to do. The floors are solid concrete, and this shower is actually above the outdoor entry. The linear drain need to sit flush in the concrete floor, and the pipe had to go left back into the house. If you look carefully you can still see the old copper drain that was raised above the floor. With wood framed floors, the plumbing can go inside the floor. Here the new pipes were going to end up in the ceiling below.

This marked up photo shows where the pipe was going to come through. This is a focal point of the house. We couldn't have a square soffit in the corner there. We thought about matching it on the other side. This would look intentional but still ugly.