THE CONTROVERSIAL BATHROOM
One of the many perks of being a designer is that I get to use my own home as a “guinea pig” or testing ground for new products and ideas. I’d like to think most of these experiments have been pretty successful. As for the ones that weren’t… well, let’s just say Tim was incredibly patient when we repainted the living room—not once, not twice, but THREE times.
During our recent renovation—adding a kitchen, mudroom, laundry, and powder room—I decided to modify the plans and turn the powder room (which hadn’t been built yet) into a full bath. The challenge? Our house isn’t big, and I only had a 5’ x 5’ space to work with—not exactly ideal for a full bath. So… as a boater and camper, I got creative and designed myself a “boat bath.”
Since I didn’t have enough space for a separate shower stall, I designed an area with a floor drain, a ceiling-mounted rainhead, and a handheld showerhead on the wall. I chose a fully waterproof sink vanity combo and tiled all the walls from floor to ceiling (in a very cool tile, I might add). I used a watertight quartz surrounding the window, painted the door with exterior-grade paint, and voila! I had myself a “boat bath”—the shower shares the space with the toilet, with no partition, so everything gets wet. But since it’s all waterproof, no one minds. Oh, and yes, you do have to move the toilet paper before you shower.
I absolutely love my contractor, Robert. We’ve tackled many amazing projects together, and I truly value his input. What's his take on my boat bath? Crazy lady, weird idea. I listened… then I overruled him. My goal is to age in place, meaning I plan to grow (very) old in this home. There are no steps leading to my back door, and I could easily convert my den into a bedroom someday. So, when I can no longer access my upstairs master suite, I’ll still be able to live here—thanks to my handy little “boat bath.” Even my architect thought I was nuts… and he’s a boater. But after having him over for dinner and showing him the finished project, I think I’m starting to turn the tide.
Oh, and guess what else? I can bathe Fred. When he stinks (which happens more often than I’d like), I simply bring him into the bathroom, hose him down—no need to lift him, he’s heavier than he looks—then towel him dry.
Guess what ELSE we can do: We live at the beach. When we come home covered in sand, my boat bath is right off the back door, so we can step straight into the bathroom (after removing the toilet paper, of course) and rinse off. It’s easy. And it’s fun.
My boat bath has stirred up quite a bit of local buzz—meaning my friends and family all have strong opinions, and none of them are shy about sharing them. You’re either FOR or AGAINST it—there’s no middle ground. Fortunately, most of my people (the open-minded ones, anyway :) are fans. I know I love it. Fred loves it. And Robert doesn’t shower here, so we’re all good.
I’m dying to know what you think! Drop a comment and let me know!
