FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Subscribe

Fine Homebuilding Project Guides

Bathroom Design

Guide Home
Chapter
  • Design and Planning
  • Featured Bathroom Projects
  • Cabinets and Fixtures
  • See more on plumbing bathrooms in the Plumbing Project Guide
  • See more on tiling showers in the Tiling Project Guide
Design

Suite Bathroom Flip-Flop

A simple mistake during remodeling turns a modest fixture upgrade into a more spacious bathroom.

By Greg Schmidt Issue 255 - Kitchens & Baths 2015
Left: A tall vanity maximizes drawer space. Its traditional base, marble top, and surrounding subway tile match the architectural qualities of the early 1900s home. Right: Relocating the shower where it could be extended under the roof meant a larger, better-lit showering space with room for a niche and a bench.

Synopsis: The owners of this L-shaped suite bath thought the most they could do was replace its old fixtures—until workers mistakenly removed a wall, revealing enough space for a bigger and better shower. There was just one hitch: The toilet and the shower had to switch places. In this article, remodeler Greg Schmidt explains how it’s possible, and sometimes even advantageous, to follow a project where circumstances lead.


When their shower started leaking, Minneapolis residents Jessica and Rich took it as an opportunity to upgrade their narrow, L-shaped suite bathroom. At the very least, they wanted to replace the room’s 1950s-era fixtures with some that would match their Craftsman home.

When a nonbearing wall behind the toilet was removed inadvertently during demolition, a 9-sq.-ft. void was revealed under a portion of the roof — and the possibility of gaining a little more room in the 45-sq.-ft. bath emerged. Jessica and Rich quickly decided that the best use for the new space was an expanded shower, which would mean flipping the locations of the existing shower and toilet.

Vanity before
Vanity before. Photo: courtesy of Greg Schmidt

toilet before
Toilet before. Photo: courtesy of Greg Schmidt

The first challenge was a large window in what would become the exterior wall of the shower. Rather than disturbing the house’s stucco exterior, we installed glass block inside the window and refitted the existing storm window with frosted glass for privacy. The second challenge was that the new position of the toilet required running a 3-in. waste line through several joists. We handled this by reinforcing the affected joists with plywood gussets to the inspector’s satisfaction.

In the expanded space, we built a shower measuring 3 ft. wide by 6 1/2ft. deep that features a 17-in.-wide bench, a niche for shampoo, and a rainhead shower with a detachable handheld wand. Additional improvements included spray-foam insulation, electric in-floor heat, a 100-cfm fan, and enough lighting to show off every corner.

Details

  • Sink Porcher Petite Marquee undermount, porcher-us.com
  • Faucet Jaclo Roaring ’20s widespread with lever handle, jaclo.com
  • Toilet Toto Guinevere, totousa.com
  • Showerhead Hansgrohe 28471001, hansgrohe-usa.com
  • Hand shower and other shower components jaclo.com
  • Sconces Hudson Valley Lighting Abington, hudsonvalleylighting.com
  • Ceiling fixture Hudson Valley Lighting Chandler
  • Floor tile Minnesota Tile and Stone Blanco venatino honed marble, mntile.com
  • Wall tile Streamline Arctic Field 3×6 subway with marble cap, mntile.com
  • Ventilation Panasonic FV11VQ5 100-cfm fan, panasonic.com

Location: Minneapolis

Designer: Greg Schmidt

Builder: Home Restoration Services Inc., homerestorationinc.com

floor plan before
Before

floor plan after
After

Greg Schmidt is president of Home Restoration Services Inc. in Minneapolis. Photos by Troy Thies, except where noted.

Floor-plan drawings: Martha Garstang Hill

Originally appeared in Fine Homebuilding issue #255 titled “Master Bath Flip-Flop.” 

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
Previous: A Traditional Country Bath Next: A Bathroom Zoned for Flow

Guide

Bathroom Design

Chapter

Featured Bathroom Projects

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Bathroom Design

Bathroom Design

A complete resource for designing your dream bathroom

View Project Guide

View All Project Guides »

Become a member and get unlimited site access, including the Bathroom Design Project Guide.

Start Free Trial

Design and Planning
  • Design
  • Planning for Fixtures
Featured Bathroom Projects
  • Bathroom Remodels
Cabinets and Fixtures
  • Choosing Cabinets & Vanities
  • Building & Installing Vanities
  • Bathroom Fixtures
  • Ventilation and Lighting
See more on plumbing bathrooms in the Plumbing Project Guide
  • Sinks
  • Showers & Tubs
  • Toilets
See more on tiling showers in the Tiling Project Guide
  • Tile Shower Basics
  • Waterproofing
  • Shower Pans
  • Shower Drains
  • Shower Niches
  • Video Series: Tile a Shower
  • Video Series: Tile a Barrier-Free Bathroom

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2022 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in