Remodeling can change your life (Part 1)

It sounds kind of cheesy, but when you stop and think about it, remodeling CAN change your life. Let me paint a picture to explain my point.

As you roll out of bed and walk towards the bathroom you step on that same old tile floor with the filthy grout. As a piercing sensation of cold shoots from your bare feet all the way through your body you cringe and peel back the mildew covered shower curtain or sliding fiberglass doors covered in cloudy water spots. You then turn on the water and get hit with another cold sensation as the water from the shower head shoots out in 20 different directions.

After standing there for a minute, waiting for the water to heat up, you almost break your neck stepping onto the slippery shower surface. You finally lower your head and begin to enjoy the warm water, when all of the sudden “AAAHHHHH!!!!!” – one of the kids flushed a toilet and you’re hit with a rush of scalding hot water. You scurry to the far corner of the shower, wiping shampoo from your burning eyes.

As you wait for the water to cool down, you pull a groin muscle, stepping out of the shower, onto the slippery, cold tile floor, where water has run down the swollen wood trim and collected in a nice little puddle. You then grab a used towel from the ledge of the gigantic corner Jacuzzi tub (the one you never use) so you can dry off and sop up the water on the floor. Meanwhile, your spouse has slipped in to take control of the only sink in the bathroom.

As you try to communicate your frustration, your words get drowned out by the noisy bath fan, which sounds very much like an airplane taking off. You finally get to the sink and have to clean out globs of toothpaste and/or facial hair before you begin to brush your teeth (I know, gross. Sorry). You look up into the mirror, clouded from the scalding water, and wipe away the toothpaste splatter so you can see how great you look this morning. After shuffling through each and every drawer looking for your deodorant, you finally escape your nightmare of a bathroom, not before turning off the two vanity light bulbs that still work, accentuated with that beautiful gold trim. What a way to start the day!

You continue to say the same thing. “Ugh, I hate our bathroom. We need to do something about this.” But you don’t. Not until you absolutely have to, like when you see a water stain on the ceiling below the leaky shower pan above. In the industry, they call that “Accelerated Discontent”, and it’s always at the wrong time. Does any of this sound familiar?

Now, picture this. You wake up each morning, but this time, you walk onto the new heated tile floor towards your beautiful new custom tile shower. You open the frameless glass doors, and conveniently turn on the shower controls without getting wet. You step into a soothing, spa-like shower experience, complete with a gentle rain head and therapeutic body sprays.

Once you’re finished, you reach for the heated towel rack to dry off and make your way to your own personal vanity sink, as your spouse uses the other. You easily access all of your toiletries carefully stored in their own drawers, clear of the countertop surface.

You look into the custom framed mirrors, beautifully illuminated by all the new vanity lighting, without needing to wipe the fog away, as your high efficiency bath fan has quietly removed all the moisture from the air. Later in the evening, after you put the kiddies to bed, you head back up to the bathroom for a nice relaxing soak in the tub. You light some candles, put on a little music, and enjoy a glass of wine, as you melt away in your spacious new freestanding, soaking tub, ready for a good night’s sleep. Now that sounds nice!

Be on the lookout for Part 2 of “Remodeling Can Change Your Life” when we talk about that kitchen ya’ll can’t stand!