The design for this new bathroom included separate walk-in shower and sunken-jetted tub.
When Brenda and Thomas Anderson of Annapolis decided to add a mini suite with a full bath to their home on Clements Creek and the Severn River, they started with Brasher Design, Inc. out of Columbia, Maryland. Brasher did an initial design, and invited contractors to bid on the project. “The house initially was not designed with a family in mind,” says Brenda. “The house had three bedrooms, but had no bathtubs in any of the bathrooms, which was a problem when you have young children.” The Andersons wanted to add a bedroom suite their children could grow into, “but one that could also add to the house’s value and appeal as a second master or au pair suite.” Brenda explains.
Glass block elements like this shower wall and window are found elsewhere throughout the home.
The home had already been through a very extensive addition and remodel by ARDO Contracting, Inc. (also of Columbia) in the hands of the previous owner. “We had worked on the home for the former owners, so we were familiar with the house and the work that had been done,” says Jim Molinelli, an architect for ARDO. “Because of this history, we were asked to take a look at the design, and bid on the project.”
The primary challenge was going to be removing a section of roof during a Maryland winter, and adding the suite to the house’s current attic.The Andersons had a clear idea of how they wanted the bathroom to look and feel, and also the price point of the budget. The original design didn’t quite fit with what Brenda had in mind, but Molinelli listened to her concerns, and came up with some new ideas.
Together, Molinelli and Brenda tweaked the design to make it their own and ARDO Contracting was hired to complete the project. The design phase took approximately six months, and the work itself started in November of 2007. “Brenda is one of my most involved clients,” Molinelli explains. “She knew exactly what she wanted, from the tile to the fixtures and sourced everything, which made my job easier. With most clients, you spend some time educating them on what materials are available, but Brenda had done this work in advance.”
The bathroom, which includes a walk-in closet, a walk-in shower and a sunken-jetted tub, includes glass block elements that are found in the master bathroom and elsewhere in the house. “I did a lot of research and got my inspiration from books and magazines,” says Brenda. “I also decided to use granite instead of marble for the surfaces, and maple instead of a more exotic wood for the cabinetry.”
A walk-in closet, which houses the family's necessities, provides the entryway into the bathroom.
Because the project involved removing a section of the roof for the planned bedroom and bath section of the suite, finding a patch of good weather during the winter months was critical. “The area that we were adding to was right above Brenda’s home office,” says Molinelli. “We didn’t want to leave that section of the house exposed to the elements for any length of time, so we planned around a dry weather forecast.” It is ARDO’s policy not to go through the clients’ house if at all possible, so the crew set up a ladder to access that part of the house. “They were actually going up a regular ladder with all of the materials in order to construct these rooms,” says Brenda. “It was incredible watching them go in and out of this hole in the roof!”
“The success of the bathroom was the result of good communication between the builder and the homeowner. Everyone had a realistic idea about the room and how it would turn out. ”The project was finished in March 2008. “The only major change from the plans to the final product was the walk-in closet,” Brenda explains. “Originally, there was going to be a hallway where you could either go into the bathroom or the walk-in closet. During the project, we decided that one would just walk through the closet and into the bathroom.” Both designer and homeowner were thrilled with the project’s outcome. “We put so much time into the planning, and we really got what we wanted,” says Anderson.
The bathroom turned out so well that the Maryland Improvement Contractors Association (MICA) presented ARDO with a 2008 Award of Merit for the project. “The success of the Anderson bathroom was due to the communication between the company and the homeowner,” stresses Molinelli. “Everyone had a realistic idea about the room and how it would turn out. Because Brenda took such an active role in the planning, she knew and appreciated the results.”
Amy Feinstein is a frequent Contributor to ChesapeakeHome.
Contacts:
ARDO Contracting Inc.: ARDOinc.com or 410-290-9899
Brasher Design, Inc.: brasherdesign.com or 301-621-6020
