The ins and outs of renovating a condo bathroom

One of the real challenges of designing a condo is making a small and often rather generic space reflect your personality and style. When it comes to remodeling a condo bathroom, the process can be even more of a challenge since it is typically a very small room with fixtures that aren’t easily moved. However, if you want to update your condo’s bathroom and improve the overall real estate value, there are several ways to give it a breath of new life despite the restrictions and obstacles you may have to overcome.

It just requires a little careful planning and creativity. I'm going to take you through a recent condo renovation my firm took on for a client living in a downtown Toronto highrise.

Last year, a single condo owner came to us wanting a more masculine, edgy and stylish bathroom out of his current builders grade space, with all white everything – walls, floors and fixtures.

Right away during my initial site visit, I saw the full potential it had to offer, it was just determining what was and wasn’t possible because of condo rules and restrictions.

Before making any changes to a condo bathroom, it’s crucial to read over the condo’s regulations and bylaws to ensure that your remodeling plans will be acceptable. Many condo associations only allow owners to modify features, which means that there may be restrictions on changes to the plumbing and wiring.

The rules may also state that your plans reflect a certain consistency with the rest of the development’s appearance to maintain its overall look. Consult with your condo board to verify that your remodeling ideas are acceptable within the terms of the development so you don’t waste time and money.

When it came to this project we were hired to take on, it did turn out that we were unable to relocate the plumbing fixtures, but that wouldn’t stop us from giving this bathroom completely new visual appeal.

We began by removing all of the old and outdated fixtures – from the tub to the toilet paper holder – and donating them to Habitat for Humanity.

Starting from scratch, the client decided that he really had no use for a tub so it was now out of the picture completely.

We designed the new space with an ultra modern and trendy California style shower (no ledge or curb) complete with a Nuheat heated floor system that ran underneath and throughout the entire bathroom – perfect for our chilly Canadian winters.

Once the functionality and underfoot was pinned down, it was time to focus on the esthetic of the space. We knew that wanted a focal point it was just determining where that would be.

TIP: Insmall spaces, it’s more effective to have one major element stand out rather than several to avoid an overwhelming look.

So we decided to use the shower area for this, since it was in the direct sightline from the door, which I think we did a great job of achieving. Using a beautiful fish scale mosaic tile (Rainbow Pisces from Deco Tile) framed by the stunning surrounding 12- by 24-in. limestone, this once bare wall transformed instantly into a dramatic waterproof piece of artwork.

Also inset into the tile on another wall was a large slab of mirror (which we then framed using the reverse side of a picture frame), extending entirely over the new sleek water efficient toilet and Ikea vanity – yes Ikea! When working with and splurging on many high-end finishes (in this case the beautiful tile and sleek Aquabrass fixtures), it gives you the chance to save else ware which we did with the Ikea piece – when surrounded by luxe elements this completely blends in and looks just as expensive without the price tag associated.

After a few months of planning and hard work, the new condo bathroom space was complete and the owner couldn’t be happier, which is the biggest reward to me with every project I take on.

So with a little careful planning and creativity, you can turn your standard condo bathroom into the oasis of your dreams. You may run into a few obstacles along the way but I will assure you once it’s all said and done it will be well worth it.

More condo bathroom renovating tips:

Always renovate for your immediate use first and for potentially selling your condo second. After all, the space is for you right now.

Be sure to hire a contractor who has had previous experience with condo work – working in a condo is much different than working in a house.