Primary suites and baths
Primary suites and baths
Bedroom, closets and bath designed together, with the plumbing planned behind the tile.
The best bathrooms are won or lost behind the tile. The design agreement draws the whole suite, then the plumbing, waterproofing, heating and ventilation that keep it working for decades. The finishes you see are chosen with the hidden parts already settled.
What the design agreement covers
A plan of the whole suite: bedroom, closets and bath
Plumbing, drain and venting layout
Waterproofing and heating details
Tile, stone, fixtures and hardware
Lighting, mirrors and millwork
What shapes the project
Four things set the shape of the project
Plumbing moves
Moving a tub or a shower means moving drains, and sometimes structure. We draw it before you fall for a plan that needs it.
Waterproofing
The membrane behind the tile is the part you can never see again. We specify it, and photograph it before it is covered.
Heat and air
Radiant floors, a quiet exhaust fan and a window that opens. Comfort is drawn in design, not added at the end.
Stone and tile
Large slabs and small mosaics need different substrates and different schedules, and both can be backordered.
How it goes
The work, in order
- 01
Step 1: Brief and plan
We look at how the suite is used in the morning and at night, then draw it.
- 02
Step 2: Selections
Tile, stone, fixtures and hardware, chosen at the sample table.
- 03
Step 3: Pricing and ordering
A build agreement and the stone and fixtures ordered early.
- 04
Step 4: Construction
Demolition, rough plumbing, waterproofing, tile and finish, in that order.
- 05
Step 5: Handover
A walk-through, the fixtures' manuals and the terms for repairs afterward.
Examples
Sample photographs, scope beside each
Sample photos.
Questions
Questions about this work
Can you add a bathroom where there isn't one?
Often, yes. It depends on where the drains and vents can run and what the floor structure allows. We check during the survey, so you know before you plan around it.
Do you build with the house lived in?
Yes, for a bath or a suite. You lose that bathroom for the work, so we agree early where you will wash in the meantime.
Who handles permits?
We prepare the drawings and the application, and we deal with the building department. You sign where the town requires the owner's signature. Near the water, or in a historic district, other reviews can apply, and we tell you which during design.
Our house was built before 1978. Does that change how you work?
Yes. Federal rules for homes built before 1978 require a renovation firm to be EPA certified and to use lead-safe work practices wherever paint will be disturbed. Our certificate is listed on the licenses page, and we give you the EPA's renovation pamphlet before work begins. Minor repairs under 6 square feet inside or 20 square feet outside are exempt, but window replacement and demolition are always covered.
Next step
Planning a suite or a bath?
Tell us what you have now and what you would change. We will say how design would go.