Refreshing makeover – just in time for spring
BRIAN MCCULLOUGH
Postmedia Content Works
Alta Vista bungalow kitchen goes from ‘drab’ to ‘fab’
When customers walk in to Westend Bath and Kitchen to gather information about a renovation, they usually have a pretty good idea of what it is they want to accomplish. Such was the case for a Centrepointe couple in search of a fresh solution for their dated and failing ensuite bathroom. They had been thinking about a bathroom makeover for some time, but it took a leaking shower to finally motivate them to kickstart their project into action.
Westend designer Kendra Brunet sat down with the customers to get a sense of what they were looking to change: “The shower is cramped,” they told her. “The small, patterned ceramic tiles and large amount of grout make cleaning difficult, but more importantly the base of the shower is leaking water and damaging the ceiling of the main floor. The overall decor of the bathroom is brownish pink, so not really to our liking,” they added.
Brunet took the couple on a tour of the Westend Bath and Kitchen showroom to show them the different products that were available. Since they had mentioned they wanted to keep the Carrara marble countertop from their existing bathroom vanity, Brunet based the new room colours around that single feature.
“Overall, the customers’ main objective was to make their bathroom more open and bright,” Brunet said. “We achieved this in the design by removing the walls that enclosed the shower, leaving a knee wall separating the vanity from the shower, and by removing a bulkhead to open up more space.
“We removed the platform that the tub was sitting on and positioned their smart new BainUltra ThermoMasseur air-jet tub right against the corner of the room,” Brunet said. “This allowed us to create a spacious 60” x 36” shower area with a built-in seat. Our custom glass manufacturer (Vitrerie Glass & Mirror) installed a beautiful customized glass door and panel.”
Since the customers were adamant they did not want tiles in their new shower, Brunet showed them one of the showroom display units that had a cultured marble base and wall panels by Grant’s Marble. “They loved the look, especially when we added a listello accent border of medium grey glass tile to introduce an interesting dark contrast to the panels,” Brunet said. “It was the perfect combination.”
Brunet also recommended a new vanity in a dark midnight stain from Deslaurier Custom Cabinets that would balance nicely with the light-coloured Carrara marble countertop saved from the old bathroom. The choice of grey 12”x24” floor tiles from Sarana Tile would add an attractive and sophisticated finishing element to the ensuite. Lotus LED recessed lights from San Remo Lighting cast everything in a bright new light.
“Kendra understood our needs well, and put together a design and decor that we liked,” the couple said. “The whole bathroom is now open, cool and clean – very much what we were looking for. Kendra and her contractor Reg MacDonald were a real pleasure to work with.”
The Westend Bath & Kitchen Showroom, located at 1660 Woodward Dr., is open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also visit www.westendbk.ca, or call 613- 226-7701 to schedule a free estimate.
