Cracked Tiles Give Way to a Crisp, Classic Bathroom Redo

Clinton Hill homeowner Diane moved into an apartment in a large, residential co-op on historic Clinton Avenue about a year and a half ago. Diane was no stranger to renovation and hoped to bring lessons learned from renovating a kitchen in a previous home to make the bathroom in her new home more functional and comfortable. The bathroom layout worked for Diane but the small space was in rough condition: large floor tiles covered the walls and were starting to loosen and crack. More importantly, Diane needed to adjust the height of most of the fixtures and add a few other touches around the room to customize the small space and make each element more comfortable.

“My Sweeten contractors were so great – I could not have found a better contractor. Best experience I ever had.”

– Diane, Clinton Hill Homeowner

I loved Diane’s no-nonsense approach to this project. After a series of “nightmare” interactions with independent contractors, and after two different contacts walked with Diane’s deposits, Diane posted her project on Sweeten with all of her bases covered: she had already purchased new fixtures and navigated her building’s renovation approval process – two huge time-savers. We matched Diane with Sweeten Expert Sean who brought in rave reviews for responsiveness, staying in touch with project updates, and carefully protecting Diane’s home while work was underway.

To restore a bright, clean, and classic feel to the space, Diane turned to white subway tiles, an all-time Sweeten favorite for a crisp and easy-to-clean finish. As Sean’s team gutted the bath and cleared out layers of old tiles, Diane discovered an extra bonus; the work revealed two additional inches in the width and height of the room – a big win in a small bath!

Diane set out to find a taller sink and toilet, a cast iron tub for soaking, and a grab bar for the shower/tub. Diane selected a Toto sink and toilet; the toilet’s design conceals all of the pipe work and extends to the floor with a seamless surface that makes it extra easy to keep clean. The new sink provides a full six inches of counter surface area behind the Toto faucet, putting daily items well within reach. Diane looked far and wide for a tub with relatively petite dimensions and found a gorgeous Porcher tub that fit the bill. Sean’s team customized the tub installation with tile work and a bench.

With such a sleek and classic finish, it’s hard to picture the major showstopper that Sean’s team expertly handled in the middle of the project. Because Diane had done so much prep work with her co-op board and already had all of the materials on site, Sean was ready to knock out the work in less than two weeks. A few days in, Sean discovered that the building’s stack of galvanized steel pipes behind the bathroom wall was corroded and rotting. Sean and team jumped in to manage the unexpected issue with Diane and the building’s management and got the project back on track in three days.

We’re delighted that Sean and Diane made such a great team. These photos speak for themselves in showing how smart design and carefully selected materials can make a space more comfortable – we’re so glad we were able to introduce Diane to such a capable and considerate team! Thank you, Diane, for showing us around your new bath!

Feeling inspired by Diane’s customized bath? Take a look at this quick rundown of materials and get your project posted on Sweeten!

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Source list for Diane’s Sweetened Bath

– medicine cabinet from Kohler

– tub from Porcher

– toilet, sink, and faucet from Toto

– white subway tile and floor tile from Home Depot

– Elle vanity lighting fixture from Maxim