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Beyond the Bars
Composite Pipe 101
Generational Shifts
Meet Me in the Middle
The Ultimate Home Kitchen
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Meet Me in the Middle
A two-door shower links a His-and-Hers master bath remodel
Many new high-end homes are being designed with "his-and-hers" master baths. They add a touch of luxury and make it easier for busy couples to get ready for work in the morning. But how do you squeeze this amenity into the often limited space of an existing home?
That was the dilemma when a couple approached Hopkinton, Mass.-based F.H. Perry Builders. Morning conflicts over the bath had made them realize that their existing floor plan, which included a small shower and a whirlpool tub surrounded by a bay window, just wasn't working.
A matter of space
Because the space wasn't big enough for separate baths with separate showers, the builder removed the whirlpool and converted the bay window into a two-door, walk-in, tiled shower with double showerheads and a tiled bench. The shower divides the space into his-and-hers zones. "When I recommended two bath spaces that met in the middle in the shower, that really caught their fancy," says Finley H. Perry Jr., the company's president.
Fancy, but a lot of hard work: The space configuration limited the size of the bath. And, as Perry notes, all second-floor bath remodels result in a host of issues.
It helped that the bath was part of a master bedroom remodel. "We were able to grab a bit of space from an existing closet and the bedroom area, make the bedroom suite entry a little nicer and place the two-door shower in the bay window on an exterior wall," Perry explains.
The 50-square-foot bathroom suite was carefully apportioned. The "hers" side includes a claw-foot, high-back bathtub to partially compensate for the whirlpool tub that Perry removed. It also features a walk-in closet, make-up table and vanity.
"Her bath is a good deal bigger than his," Perry says. "She gets to move around the closet and dress in her side, which works out well." Dressing mirrors help expand the feeling of space. "The great thing about baths is that they are always loaded with mirrors, and mirrors always help make rooms seem bigger."
The "his" side of the bath is approached from a walk-through closet that helps frame the master bedroom suite entry.
Logistical issues
To keep the tiled shower warm during the cold New England winters, Perry installed radiant heat pipes in the seat and along the exterior wall. To create space for the new water plumbing, he shaved the tops of the floor joists and then restrengthened them with micro-lams. "Typically, when we need to drill or shave joists, we sister a micro-lam joist with glue and bolts to the original joist," he says.
The stiffened floor supports a new, luxurious bath that provides two people with a place each can call their own. And a meeting place for some good clean fun.
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