For years, our family of four got by with one small bathroom on the upstairs bedroom floor. We had access to a second bathroom on the main floor, but it was tiny and the shower leaked.
Somehow, day after day, year after year, we squeezed in and out of that one main bathroom, all four of us.
In time, the kids left home and four became two.
Then Jon died three years ago, and two became one.
So it’s just me now. Me and our funky, old bathroom, with its grungy grout and its light fixture, once a trendy fashion statement, whose only message now is, “Two of my bulbs have burnt out.”
Widowed — A Bathroom for One
Jon isn’t here to take care of me anymore. I’m taking care of me now, and I’m starting with a bathroom spa that’s mine, all mine
That’s one of perks of being widowed — a bathroom for one and only one. I’ve got the bathroom to myself at last. I can decorate it any way I want. My husband is not here anymore. He has no opinions. He can’t insist on mustard yellow for the wall paint or a rainfall showerhead for the ceiling.
I can have what I want. And here’s what I want to do:
- Blow the kids’ minds by installing a toilet that washes your bottom.
- Ditch the awkward, slippery, fall-inducing tub-shower and its clouded glass doors.
- Put in a spacious shower instead, one with a bench at the end. Sit down. Wash feet.
- Install grab bars in honor of my creaky knees.
- Turn the shower into a steamy sauna with a switch-on overhead heater.
- Use the deep, awkward closet at the foot of the tub for towel storage only.
- Move the lotions and potions from the back of the closet to a huge 60-inch medicine cabinet over the sink.
- Save water. Get a point-of-use, on-demand water heater. No more waiting a minute and a half for hot water to make its way to the sink.
- Spring for gorgeous handmade tile. Spend a day — spend two! spend three! — shopping for tile. Feel free to overshop. No one’s going to roll their eyes at you. No one’s home to do that.
More about remodeling projects at our house at “Yea! Our Garden Remodel Is Done.” As for our house remodel, see “Hey, HGTV Fans. Take a Look at Our Remodel. It’s Finally Done.”
It is amazing how fast our remodeling state of the art becomes old fashioned.
Yes. And that’s why I’m going for classic finishes. Those quartz countertops with the marble veining — nice, but I think they’re going to look dated in a few years. The Corian of the 2020s.
As well, you might want your shower/sauna to be walk-in friendly as in having no border to step over where entering.
Good idea. I’ll put it on my list. But — how does the water keep from running onto the floor???
kathleen’s suggestion is good, a walk-in shower with a large enough opening for a wheelchair or walker. the water won’t be a problem with a very gentle slope of the shower floor. the shower in your room at our house is like that.
Hope to visit “my room” one of these days!
I want to see end product! I agree with all you said.
I’ll be keeping you posted. I’ll be looking at tile with the designer this week.
Sounds wonderful!! Go for it!!
Thanks for cheering me on. That helps!