How a tiny bathroom became a miniature spa

Published 8:18 pm Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Mike and Marcia Isenberg’s main floor bathroom wasn’t getting any younger.

Its pink bathtub, toilet and tile, combined with brass and oak fixtures and green wallpaper, took them into a time warp every time they entered it.

To make matters worse, it was small, 8-by-10 feet, and didn’t have much storage, either.

“It wasn’t functional at all,” Marcia Isenberg said. “I hated it.”

When Marcia Isenberg presented their makeover challenge with a $20,000 budget to a few local remodeling firms, the contractors weren’t all that excited about a relatively small space and a limited budget.

Discouraged by the slow start, Isenberg was delighted to find April Raffensperger with Creative Concept Design of Marysville and Norm Swaffield of Craftwood Construction of Snohomish, who transformed the Isenbergs’ ugly duckling of a lavatory into a miniature spa.

“It turned out really pretty,” Raffensperger said, “It’s a nice representation of a cosmetic remodel on a reasonable budget.”

Now, instead of rickety cabinets in odd places, there are elegant floor-to-ceiling custom cabinets, covered in a rich, dark stain and topped with stately crown molding.

In addition to adding easy-access storage, the cabinets flank a small vanity with an inexpensive yet perfect remnant of slab granite.

On the opposite wall, a dramatic white pedestal sink with brushed nickel fixtures stands under a matching mirror and a sleek glass shelf.

Luxurious travertine marble tile, honed to a matte finish, covers the floor as well as the walls of the shower, where Isenberg splurged on a Kohler bubble-massage bathtub.

“There’s no room in here for a big soaking tub,” Isenberg said. “But it’s nice and deep, so you can get a good soak.”

Instead of big, blasting jets, the high-end tub has tiny holes throughout that produce thousands of bubbles for a gentle, effervescent massage.

It’s all part of the spa theme here, where glass mosaic tiles in the shower niche are repeated in the vanity areas, along with mustard-colored ceramic subway tiles.

The Isenberg project wasn’t entirely cosmetic.

It wasn’t possible to add more square footage to the house, so they stole space from an underused hall closet.

While reorganizing the floor plan, they also created a new closet in an adjacent bedroom that was larger and more functional than the one in the hall had been.

Wiring was updated, too, to incorporate radiant in-floor heating and to move a light switch from the outside into the bathroom.

They replaced the old door with a pocket door to keep the space uncluttered and easy to use.

In the end, the cost was about $30,000, including little upgrades such as new paint, a new window and a whisper-quiet exhaust fan.

Finished just before Thanksgiving of last year, the project was definitely worth it for Isenberg.

“I used to hate walking into this room,” she said. “I absolutely love it. It’s very relaxing.”

Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.