FAQs - Bathroom / Washroom Ideas

A standard freestanding tub requires a minimum of 6 to 8 inches of clearance on all sides for visual comfort and access. Practically, a freestanding tub requires a floor area of approximately 6 by 4 feet at minimum, not including adjacent space for the tub filler and surrounding visual breathing room. We assess your ensuite floor plan during the design consultation to determine whether and how a freestanding tub can be incorporated.

Yes. A tub-to-shower conversion replaces the existing bathtub with a walk-in shower in the same or similar footprint. It involves modifying the drain location, waterproofing the new shower area, tiling walls and floor, and installing a glass enclosure. Some homeowners also remove the tub entirely to create a larger shower with more interior features.

For small bathrooms, large-format tile on the floor can visually expand the space by reducing the number of grout lines. Continuing the floor tile up the lower portion of the walls as a wainscot creates visual continuity that makes the room feel larger. Light or medium-value tile colours reflect more light. A large mirror above the vanity dramatically increases the perceived size of a small bathroom. Frameless glass shower enclosures allow sight lines through the shower area rather than stopping them at an opaque curtain or shower wall.

In-floor radiant heating is most impactful and most cost-effective in primary ensuites and larger 4-piece bathrooms. For very small powder rooms or 3-piece bathrooms, it can still be added but the comfort benefit is somewhat reduced by the smaller floor area. The incremental cost of adding radiant heating during a renovation, when the floor is already being removed, is typically $1,000–$2,500 for the mat and thermostat.

For walk-in shower floors, smaller format tile or mosaic is necessary to allow adequate slope from the outer edges to the drain, large-format tile does not flex enough to follow the required slope gradient. 2 by 2 inch, 1 by 1 inch, or hex mosaic are all appropriate. Non-slip tiles with a slight texture are recommended.

Yes, and it is often an effective design approach when done thoughtfully. Mixing a large-format wall tile with a small mosaic floor tile in the shower is standard practice. Mixing completely different tile styles, a patterned geometric floor tile with a plain large-format wall tile in a complementary tone, can add significant visual interest. The key is ensuring the tiles are compatible in colour temperature and scale.

Grab bars should be installed at the shower entry, along the shower wall at a height accessible from the shower floor and from a seated position, and beside the toilet on the dominant side for seated support. Structural blocking must be installed in the wall framing behind the drywall at the grab bar location before drywall is installed, grab bars anchored only into drywall will fail under load. We install blocking at all planned grab bar locations during the framing stage.

A double vanity provides separate sink space for two users and typically more countertop storage. It requires a minimum bathroom width of approximately 5 feet to accommodate two 24-inch sinks with adequate spacing between them. A single vanity with a larger sink basin can be a better choice for narrower bathrooms or for bathrooms used primarily by one person.

Backlit LED mirrors are the most popular choice in GTA bathroom renovations currently, they provide even, shadow-free illumination for grooming tasks, eliminate the need for separate sconce lighting above the vanity, create a clean and contemporary aesthetic, and often include built-in features like dimmability, anti-fog, and a digital display. Full-width mirrors that span the entire vanity width maximize light reflection and make smaller bathrooms feel significantly larger.