Bathrooms have become much more than places to simply get clean, or throw our dirty laundry. In today's busy world, bathrooms are the new pampering centers. They're retreats in which to relax away the cares of the world in spa-like tranquility. With this in mind, the owners of this 1970's split entry house in Seattle's Mt. Baker neighborhood wanted to transform their standard-issue 8 1/2-foot-by-11-foot master bathroom into a five piece, luxurious spa retreat. 

The only problem? Not only was the space tight, the budget was tight as well, with the whole remodel needing to come in under $40,000. Additionally, the bathroom was located in the basement, so the contractor would have to contend with slab floors and concrete exterior walls they couldn't bump out to leverage additional room. The house had been remodeled by the previous owner and none of the electrical work was up to code, so all of the electrical work would need to be rewired and upgraded. Finally, the existing wall where the owner wanted the Jacuzzi tub was inconveniently the main wet wall for the house. Every main air and water line ran through the very wall they wanted to open up, so all the lines would have to be re-routed. 

Was this an insurmountable task? Hardly.

 

The crew at HCS Construction Services of Bellevue, longtime members of the Master Builders Association, dedicated their innovative thinking to the project. Led by the creative thinking of Joseph M. Schwab, and aided by the artistic freedom granted them by the homeowner, HCS plunged ahead. With the client's blessing, they made a stylistic departure from the house's 1970s origins, creating a serene, Asian-influenced design with detailed finishes and spatial originality. They fashioned a nook for a Japanese-style jetted tub by easing into the adjacent mechanical/laundry room. Utilizing the awkward space, the tub was made accessible through the walk-in shower, with just a single pane of glass separating the two, for a sleek and light-filled effect. 

With an overall feel indicated by the homeowners, but leeway given on the materials to achieve the look, HCS came up with some unique and interesting touches from an underlying necessity to cut costs. The homeowner had fallen for the look of stone floors, but the magazine shots they admired had featured prohibitively expensive materials. Instead of putting the kibosh on the dream, HCS used river rock stones pounded into concrete, achieving a similarly textured and organic look and feel. The owner had also favored the look of teak for the countertops, so the contractor used deep-stained walnut with a polyurethane finish, for a much less expensive and more durable result. 

Thanks to HCS Construction Services for contributing their ideas and information on behalf of the Master Builders Association. For more information on the MBA, go to www.masterbuildersinfo.com.

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