Rose Hill Primary Bath and Closet

Rose Hill Neighborhood, Tallahassee

Copper tub, wall niche and hickory door
 

Elliot Holtom, Project Manager

 

Stephanie Jen, Designer

Total Cost: $264,236
Time To Complete: 16 weeks

Audio Summary – Rose Hill Primary Bath and Closet

Listen below or listen on Spotify.

Summary:

The layout for this large master bath was pretty good so we did not make many changes. We did make the shower larger and add double showerheads and body sprays. The main change came in the closet.

Before the remodel they had two mid-size closets. We removed the wall between them and took a little bit of space from the vanity area in order to create 1 large walk in closet with an island.

The bath has a rustic mountain feel with copper finishes, rustic hickory cabinets and natural stone tile.

Rose Hill Primary Bath: Before/After

Drag the slider to see this project transformation!

Custom vanity with rustic hickory doors and a large shower with natural stone tile. 

McManus Kitchen and Bath is a full service remodeling company with an in-house design team and showroom right here in Tallahassee, FL. Contact us to schedule a consult. 
Rose Hill Walk in Closet with LED lights

Key Updates:

  • Large walk in closet with island
  • Custom Vanity with Rustic Hickory Doors
  • Freestanding Copper Tub
  • Stacked Stone Tile in Shower

Initial Concept and Budget

How We Start Each Project

We start each new client relationship with a design and budget consult. The design concept we create during that process gives us a good idea of what the final project might look like and helps us create the most accurate budget possible.

Initial Design Concept

For this project the main focus was to improve the layout of the closet. The bathroom layout was good, it mostly just needed updating. During the initial concept meeting we suggested removing the walls separating the two closets and making one large one.

Initial Budget

At the end of our first deisgn consult the initial budget for this project was $187,400. The clients were happy with the budget and the concept so they decided to pay a 5% design retainer and move forward into design.

Before Plan vs Initial Concept

Before plan for Rose Hill bathroom
Before: There were two closets, a very large vanity and an alcove in front of the shower. 
Initial design concept for Rose Hill Primary Bath Remodel
Concept: The initial concept was to combine the two closets and make the shower larger. 

Design and Planning

Our Design Process

Once you approve your initial budget we move into the design process. This starts with our designers visiting your home to review the initial concept and confirm measurements.

Then we have between 2-4 design meetings in our showroom to finalize all the details of the project, including building a detailed project calendar.

Changes Made in Design

We more or less stuck to the intial concept in design. Some changes were made to the shower and we added an island to the closet. We mostly focused on materials and finishes as the client wanted a very unique look.

Final Contract Cost

The final contract price for this project was $227,061, about 20% more than the initial budget. The increase was mostly do to material selections. The client opted for more expensive fixtures in the shower and vanity, upgraded to custom cabinets and a custom copper tub.

Initial Concept vs Final Plan

Some changes to the initial concept were made during the design process…

Before plan for Rose Hill bathroom
Before: with two separate closets and divide shower. 
Rose hill bath after plan
After: With larger closet, walk in shower and freestanding tub

Design Challenges & Solutions

There were two design challenges on this project.

The first was getting the exact layout of the closet furniture correct. We were removing several angled walls it was difficult to predict with enough accuracy the exact dimensions of the final closet.

We decided to finalize the closet design after the walls were removed. This added a week to the project length but we felt getting the closet exactly right was worth it.

The second issue was the shower plumbing. With multiple showerheads, body sprays and a rain head we were worried that there would not be enough water pressure to support them all. We discuss this at length with our plumbing team and supplier so we were confient the shower would work as expected.

Our Favorite Things

Every project has a few things that really make it stand our or were special to the homeowner. Here are our favorites.

Lighted closet shoe shelving
LED lighting in the closet
Custom Hickory Vanity Doors and drawers
Distressed hickory vanity
Copper tub close up
Copper tub
walk in shower with stacked stone accent
Walk in shower

Materials and Fixtures Used in This Project

Cabinets and Counters

    • Custom Cabinets by Custom Wood Products
      • Rustic Hickory Door with Prailine Stain. Heavily distressed with a back glaze
      • Amwell Pulls in Brushed Nickel from Top Knobs
      • Clarke Cherry Closet Furniture from Top Shelf
    • Shadow Grey quartz countertops from MSI
Flooring and Tile

    • Pietra d’ Assisi Grigio 12×24 floor tile
    • PietraArt Pebble tile on shower floor
    • Uptown Hamilton Matte 12×24 shower wall tile from Emser Tile
Fixtures and Accessories

    • Custom Copper tub from Vintage Tubs
    • Copper sinks from Native Trails
    • Clemens Widespread Faucets from Newport Brass
    • Balboa Tub Filler from Newport Brass
    • Clemens Shower Fixtures from Newport Brass
    • Reverie Double Sconce from Visual Comfort

Project Management and Construction

Pre-construction and Construction Process

Your project manager will meet with your designer several times during the design process. Depending on the project, they may also visit your home to check certain details or review things with an installer.

Once design is complete we have a ‘handover meeting’ to review the final details of your project, including the project schedule.

Then we order all your materials and our warehouse manager inspects them, labels them and stores them in our warehouse. Your project manager arranges permits and updates our subcontractors. We send you regular updates during the pre-construction phase to keep you updated.

About 3 weeks before the project starts he will schedule a pre-construction meeting with you at your home.

During construction your project manager is on site every day for quality control, review plans with our installers and trade partners, and to make sure the job site is staying clean and organized.

Project Timeline

We orginally planned to start this project in November of 2023. Then the client decided to postpone until January so as not interrrupt holiday plans. We started on Jan 9th as planned.

 

  • Proposed project start date: Jan 9th, 2024

  • Actual Project Start Date: Jan 9th, 2024

  • Proposed Completion Date: April 15th, 2024

  • Actual Completion Date: May 9th, 2024

Challenges And Solutions During Construction

The project ran pretty much as expected. Things did take longer than planned because the client requested several additional items after the project started. These were change orders that had materials with long lead times.

Challenge 1: Plumbing fixtures

Challenge: The shower plumbing was complicated and a few pieces were ordered wrong.

Solution: We quickly ordered the correct parts. This did not affect the project schedule but did costs us more in plumbing labor.

Challenge 2: Tile Delay

Challenge: The tile we ordered from Sea Tile took much longer than expected to arrive. We ordered it months in advance but it still was not delivered at project start. We feel this was an error on Sea Tiles part, forgetting to place the order when they said they would. Because of this incident and a few others we have decided not to work with Sea Tile anymore.

Solution: We shifted the schedule to keep things moving. Still, the tile delay caused about a weeks delay in project completion.

Challenge 2: Change Orders

Challenge: The client requested several changes that had long lead time materials.

Solution: We of course wanted to accomodate the request but the long lead times did extend the project timeline.

wall niche with stacked stone accent above copper tub
Rustic vanity with 2 sinks

Summary of Project Costs

Initial Estimate:  $187,400

This was the estimate we presented at the end of our design and budget consult. It include a mix of Good and Better selections.

Fixed price proposal: $227,061

the total cost at the end of the design process. About 18% more than the initial estimate.

Reasons for increase/Decrease:

The client upgraded their material selections during the design process. Adding custom cabinets, custom copper tub, high end plumbing fixtures and custom closet furniture.

Change Orders – $36,800

We put a lot of effort into design and planning to avoid unexpected change orders. On this project there were just two small changes.

    • The client asked that her bathroom entrance doors be replaced with Hickory doors to match the vantiy. These were custom made and took about 8 weeks to be shipped to us.
    • The client asked that we paint her bedroom and foyer
    • The client asked that we upgrade her rain head to a larger model
    • The client asked that we replace her kitchen sink and faucet while were there.

FInal Project Cost: $263,862

After all change orders, etc…

Cost Breakdown

  • Installation Labor 32% 32%
  • Materials and Fixtures 30% 30%
  • Design and Project Management Costs 8% 8%
  • Sales Tax and Shipping 4% 4%
  • Overhead and Profit 10% 10%
  • Change Orders 15% 15%

Project Photos and Video

Project Video

Summary of video

Shower tour

Closet tour

Before Photos

Final Project Photos

Final Thoughts

The size of this bathroom and the unique nature of the fixtures and materials made this a fun and challenging project from design through construction. The clients were wonderful to work with and we hope to have the opportunity to work with them again.

Estimate from a Remodeling Contractor

Explore Idea, Understand Options on Costs

Our Design and Budget Consult Provides

    • 3D drawings to help you visualize options
    • A detailed estimate of materials and labor
    • A chance to review material and fixture options in our showroom