Marin Bathroom Remodel: Tips and Photos | Marin County Remodels

A Marin Bathroom Remodel Story: The “Before” Photo

A recently-remodeled bathroom can be a major asset when selling your home in Marin County, where buyers are willing to pay premium prices for properties that have been updated. Given the scarcity of new construction in our county, remodel dollars are often money well-spent. I thought I would share some photos of our own master bathroom remodel from a few years ago along with a few tips based on lessons learned during our own remodel. Forgive the quality of the photos — when we started back in 2010, I had no idea it would be the subject of a blog in 2017!

As you can see from the above photo, the original bathroom was very dated and featured what I would diplomatically call non-premium fixtures and finishes. Even though the far wall faced a gorgeous view of the gardens outside and the bay in the distance, there was no window on that wall. In fairness to the original owners of our home, this bathroom serviced an area that was then a “bonus” room downstairs which we converted to a master suite (perhaps that will be a future “Remodeling in Marin” article!)

If you’re looking for ideas as you begin your own bathroom remodel, check out my “Dream Bathrooms” board on Pinterest.

Our Master Bath in the Framing Stage

Drywall and Floor Tile Makes a Huge Difference As We Progress…

We Finalized Materials Prior to Construction Then Double-Checked Prior to Installation

The “After” Shot – Sorry for the Reflections – There Are Two, Not Six, Sinks!

We Freighted This Bathtub Over from Bali and Installed Lighting on the Floor Behind the Tub

The “After” Shot of Our Remodeled Bathroom

My Friends in Nashville Did a Great Job of Creative Lighting Selection in their Master Bath

My Bathroom Remodel Tips

We learned a lot along the way — and made a few mistakes. Here are my tips for your Marin bathroom remodel project:

NUMBER ONE: Lighting — is critical and it’s almost impossible to have too much lighting in the bathroom. We used Lutron Maestro dimmers throughout our house and have several circuits in our master bathroom, allowing us to customize lighting to a great extent. One mistake we made: The vanities should feature lighting on the sides as well as above. We neglected to install side lighting, essential for applying makeup. Consider a mix of LED lighting for energy efficiency and halogen lighting for the beautiful light it provides.

TWO: Heated Floors — Our largest regret is that we did not install heated floors. Just about all the high-end homes I sell in Marin have heated floors in the bathroom — it’s a wonderful feature and they are relatively inexpensive to install. They are much appreciated on those chilly mornings in Marin and usually draw a comment from Marin home buyers.

This High-End Multi-Jetted Shower is Installed in Tiburon – We Opted For A Less Expensive Option

THREE: Where to Buy Fixtures — Try to source as many of your fixtures locally as possible. We bought many of our fixtures from Ferguson’s Plumbing. However, we also purchased fixtures, exhaust fans, some lighting and towel bars from Amazon. One of my favorite water-saving shower heads is manufactured by Hansgrohe — it meets the 2.5 gallons per minute requirement but injects air in with the water to make it feel like double that amount: Hansgrohe Shower Head on Amazon. You may also want to consider “rainfall” type shower heads and upgrades like steam showers. Note that California is increasing water efficiency requirements to 1.8 gpm by 2018.

A Motion-Activated Night Light is a Great Addition to a Bathroom

FOUR: Motion-Activated Night Light —  This is a low-cost easy upgrade that you will appreciate in the middle of the night: A motion sensor that turns on soft lighting under a floating vanity or in another hidden location. I first saw this in a high-end hotel in Asia and thought it was a great idea.

FIVE: Exhaust Fans — Silent exhaust fans such as the models offered by Panasonic are essential for your bathroom. If the bathroom is larger, one fan near the toilet area and one above the shower on two separate timers (and ducted separately as well) are a good idea. Manufacturers will recommend fan sizes in CFM (cubic feet or air moved per minute) based on your room size. My tip here is to ignore that and buy a higher-capacity CFM fan so it can run less time and move more more steam out of your bathroom. I have never understood manufacturers’ recommendations on buying smaller (75 CFM) fans for bathrooms – they give steam too much time to condensate on walls before it is exhausted.

SIX: Consider A Window In The Shower — Whenever possible, I have added windows to showers during my remodels. If privacy is an issue, the glass can be opaque or it can be a high window. I love to use the outdoor showers in warm climates like Bali and Hawaii. In Marin County homes, a shower with a window is the next best thing!

We Decided on the Sonos Connect to Play Zoned Music Throughout Our Home

SEVEN: Music — Yougov claims that 30% of Americans spend more than a week in the bathroom each year, all added up. In some of the homes I have sold in Marin County, I have seen elaborate sound and video systems in the master bathrooms, synchronized with adjacent zones in the master closet and bedroom areas. We use a zoned Sonos system to accomplish this for music but there are many options available. I can put you in touch with audio / visual professionals in Marin County that specialize in this kind of work.

EIGHT: A Glass Surround — This sounds simple and it is — a high-quality glass surround with high-end finishes (hinges and pull handle for door, if needed) is essential.

NINE: Materials Selection — You may think that a high-end bathroom in a luxury home in Marin should have marble, quartz, granite or other stone surfaces. However, natural stone in a bathroom has several drawbacks — it can stain / discolor / etch when exposed to harsh cleaning agents, as an example. Also, natural stone can be exceptionally slippery. We have been very pleased with our choice for the counter tops of Caesarstone, a man-made composite material that wears well and does not stain. We used it for both our counter-tops and the window sill in the shower. It looks as good today as the day we installed it. Tile is still a great choice for the bathroom — and remember, the most attractive selection is not always the most expensive. You may also use an inexpensive tile for the larger areas and use more expensive tiles as accents or trims.

TEN: All About Toilets — In days past, toilets were fairly standard in construction and function. Now, toilets come in different heights and with various features. For example, many of the higher-end Toto toilets toilets feature a “skirted design” and are slightly higher than older toilets, which is nice for a master bathroom, not recommended for a child’s bath.  Some of the Marin luxury homes feature high-tech expensive toilets like the Toto Washlet series.  Some models are quite elaborate, retailing for $3000 and featuring a number of options including even remote controls. We have experimented with a variety of toilet brands and have had the best luck with Toto.

BONUS TIP: Also consider floating vanities (pictured below) and wall-mounted toilets to provide more uninterrupted floor space, which can be aesthetically pleasing and make the bathroom easier to clean.

A Floating Vanity Adds Floor Space and Appeal

(Please note, none of the brands or stores mentioned in this article have provided any sponsorship of the article, and in fact as of this writing they do not even know they are featured here.)

What did I miss? Please add your own tips to the comments section below.

Please feel free to call or text me at 415-847-5584 if you have questions or comments about this article, or if I can help you make the right decisions around your own Marin bathroom remodel to recoup your investment when it comes time to sell. You may also want to check out my article 8 Home Improvement Ideas to Sell Your House in Marin.