IN PLANNING: Saving Money

Any way you slice it, bathroom renovation is not cheap, especially in the Northeast. My master bathroom had not been updated much since the home's original birth in 1961 (hence the mustard yellow tile on every wall, the mustard yellow tub, the huge vanity and too-deep closet, and the gym-class-style towel bars), and the yellow tub was not only getting squishy under the feet (a sign that a cave-in could be imminent) but it also had a film of green algae on it that would reappear the moment it was scrubbed off.

The bathroom's biggest problem, as far as I could see it from a design standpoint, was the dark walled-off toilet cubicle in the corner that had the potential for the best view of the house, but instead held a toilet that would -- no matter how many times the seal was replaced -- tip side to side, and I suspected that was how the occasional mouse that would run boldly into my bedroom was getting in. Despite protecting my modesty (?), the cubicle design actually made accessing the toilet difficult.

While scanning the materials for sale on Craigslist one day, I chanced upon a great arched-top window with double-paned glass for $300, and I knew I had to get it. The bathroom design soon evolved around that window. I don't necessarily recommend this concept (of designing around a salvaged item) as it can be limiting, but in this case once I realized the toilet cubicle had to go, I began to imagine the corner tub that should go in its place, under that great new window. Then I read more about wheelchair-accessible design guidelines, and tried to figure out if there was a way to reconfigure the room to actually make a wheelchair fit. Since the door from the master bedroom was only 23.5 inches wide, it would have to be widened. This again freed up possibilities, as it meant hanging a new door that opened toward the bed instead of into the bathroom, which freed up more floor space in the bathroom.

Kiplinger's lays out the staggering costs for remodeling a bathroom when most items have to be replaced: "A typical midrange bathroom update, which can include installing a new tub, tile surround, toilet, vanity counter with sink, recessed medicine cabinet, vanity light and ceramic tile floors, runs about $16,600, according to Remodeling magazine's annual "Cost vs. Value" report. A full-blown master bathroom renovation averages about $52,200." It should be noted that the low range tends to refer to a "smaller," non-master bathroom, a typical 5 ft. by 7 ft. bathroom, or less than half the square footage of mine.

While I'm not going to post the overall costs and budget, I will let on that I had to stay within a very strict budget, and managed to create a luxe bathroom for the cost of a much more basic master bathroom remodel -- *and* include disability access features, radiant floor heat, and green design.

So I'd like to share my money-making tips, even though of course hiring contractors at all adds up hugely, so anyone has real DIY skills should use them.

-- Plan every item and buy it in advance, allowing several months minimum for purchasing, to take advantage of sales. In doing this, I watched the price of corner tubs drop, got an additional $100 off on the tub I wanted (due to a sale), found a vanity *with* a mirror *and* countertop/sink for $199 total (and not particleboard, but wood), snagged a vertical mirror perfect for the design that was half off on Groupon, figured out how to reuse my existing vanity faucet (which I had bought not that long ago in an effort to make the ugly bathroom better) by drilling a wider faucet spread and getting hole covers, and did a ton of research on the best and most economical ways to do a curbless shower. I hunted down a shower door that was less than half the price of local estimates, and got amazing prices on tile at Lowe's (the floor tile was on sale).

-- Use search engines to find the best price for each item you have determined you want -- and look for free shipping (or factor in the cost of shipping). Depending on what region of the country you live in, relying on local stores can end up being devastating to a budget. Almost every time I priced out an item locally (except for items which make sense to buy locally such as tile due to its weight, or items that may cause delays if they are not purchased locally, such as joint compound which often runs out during a build), it was typically at least twice what I could buy it for online. There were some exceptions, but not all that many.

-- On that note, allow plenty of time for shipping, on the level of months. And stay mindful of return policies. I found the perfect light fixture, for example, but it was backordered for months -- however, it ended up saving me hundreds of dollars, and I can't imagine finding one that would be a better fit.

--Get on board with any store discounts you can for the local goods you will need. For example, Lowes has a rewards-based credit card, and Chase Freedom also gives high cash back discounts at Lowes during certain months of the year. Bed, Bath and Beyond will pretty much constantly send coupons if you join their mailing list. Home Depot and Lowes and local hardware stores all generally post their sale flyers online. Sherwin-Williams often has print-out coupons at their website that can be applied toward zero VOC paints: all you have to do is print out your own designs when you use their various design tools. Groupon has some nice little surprises sometimes, like the mirror I found. And don't forget Craigslist, but also make sure recycled materials aren't damaged or too difficult for your contractor to work with.

-- Keep everything on schedule by staying on top of materials and making sure nothing essential runs out so that there are not unnecessary delays.

-- Get it all in the contract, and get a really solid contract in place.

-- Test all items as they are installed, to make sure you get any returns done on time.

IN PLANNING: Original CAD Video of Bathroom Remodel

Because it's a CAD program with limited options, I could not do an exact replica of every item that will be installed -- i.e. the grab bars look different (not a lot of disability options for CAD), the shower stall looks different, etc. The tile is the same tile we will be using, and other items such as the tub and faucet fixtures look about right, and the paint colors are actually Shermin Williams colors (entered in as color codes) as noted.

Please note some of the details:
-- Heights and positions of items such as grab bars, faucets (because of transfers), and shower seats are carefully designed to be ADA compliant. The design also includes a 5-ft radius turning wheelchair circle and a 32 inch accessible doorway.
-- The shower is curbless, recessed into the floor to be floor level (with no curb) and made with Wedi products which are designed for this.
-- The tub is designed with fixture positions so that transfers can be done from either side, and also so that views are not obstructed out of the new window.
-- The new sconce should be directly above the new outlet for the tub, pointing downward so additional light is given to the tub area.
-- The radiant heat will keep the floor more dry for safety, and also warmer for people with bad circulation! Controls should be positioned at ADA heights, as noted.
-- The grab bars double as toilet paper holder and shelves.
-- There should be a hole in the closet wall so that a mini fridge can stay on the closet floor, and the cord run through to the outlet above the vanity, as noted.