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 The master bathroom has turned into more of a personal retreat
with its beautiful walk-in showers and freestanding tubs that offer
a spa-like sanctuary for those wanting to unwind after a long and
maybe stressful day.
While some folks still maybe only have time for a five to ten minute
shower, others may spend an hour in a tub relaxing, reading,
enjoying music and candles and drinking wine. Whatever your desires,
the beauty of the master bathroom can only enhance your comfort and
lead you to reenergize your positive being at the start or at the
end of the day.
Here in Lincoln, Roger Webster Construction, Inc., located at 303 N.
Sangamon Street, has been very busy renovating bathrooms over the
past several years. Kurt Fitzpatrick, president of the company since
the turn of the century, has seen the changing trends and agrees
there are so many resources out there now for people that it can be
overwhelming.
Fitzpatrick said the company has catalogs the customers are welcome
to browse through but he likes a more personal approach.
 “We also like to take people and show them other people’s bathrooms
that we have done. Both the homeowner and the customer get a kick
out of that. The homeowner likes to show off what they just did and
the customer gets more ideas,” said Fitzpatrick.
Sounds like a win-win situation. “Usually we will go over and take a
look at it and listen to their ideas and throw in our ideas. We will
have them pick out what they are after and get them a price on
things and see when they are ready to go from there,” said
Fitzpatrick.
The new trend he is noticing is pretty simple, yet offers such an
elegant look. “It seems like a lot of people are getting away from
the Jacuzzi more than anything, but the walk-in showers are very
popular right now with the big glass enclosures. The freestanding
tubs are also big.
All sorts of new styles of vanity cabinets and tops that are pretty
neat to go for any style of bathroom are on the market now. You can
get the marble, quartz, granite or almost anything you want. Usually
the marble is the most reasonable with the granite and the quartz
being the upper-end,” said Fitzpatrick.
Locally, Alexander Lumber Company and RP Lumber both have some
bathroom supplies, according to Fitzpatrick, noting that they both
have bathroom cabinets for sure and some plumbing supplies.
“People are spending a lot of money on bathroom remodeling these
days,” said Fitzpatrick. “Your very basic bathroom remodel, to gut
it all down to the studs and then go back, your very basic could run
anywhere from $5,000 to $6,000. Then you can get into $12,000 for a
pretty fancy bathroom, just depending how many bells and whistles
you want in there.”
One set of frills people seem to be going for these days is fancy
shower heads that feature a variety of functions. “A lot of people
are using what they call the rainhead shower arm and shower head.
Describing the rainhead shower, Fitzpatrick said, “Typically they
mount up and over and they hang down from the ceiling.” People also
want shower jets installed on the sides that can provide a relaxing
massage at the end of the day. Handheld shower heads are also
popular. It’s all a matter of personal preference and the budget one
has to manage.
 “In these custom showers we will also build-in niches for soap and
shampoo holders and then we will put a decorative border in there or
around there or whatever the homeowner wants,” Fitzpatrick added.
It is indeed about what the homeowner wants and Webster Construction
recently made a very satisfied customer out of local resident Cindy
Aussieker.
“We decided to ask Webster Construction to do our bathroom remodel
because they have done other work for us and we feel that they do
great work. I trust them in my house and they are good about
cleaning up after themselves,” said Aussieker.
“We love everything about our new bathroom. We had a four foot
shower with an insert and shower curtain and linoleum floor. We now
have a five foot shower, tiled all the way to the ceiling with a
glass shower door and tiled floor.”
Aussieker offered this advice, “Our suggestions to others are to:
shop around for materials, visit other work that your contractor has
done and stay involved in the entire process. Many times the job
takes longer to complete, but be patient. Sometimes that is hard,
but it is well worth it in the end.”
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Assieker, who is retired from her teaching job at Northwest School,
has more time to enjoy her bathroom. “They say that remodeled
bathrooms and kitchens sell a house, so don't be afraid to put a
little money into your remodel. And don't just do it when you are
ready to sell; do it and enjoy it yourself. We plan on enjoying ours
for years and years!”
Aussieker is so right about the importance of upgrading your
bathroom. When it comes to remodeling your home and possibly getting
it ready for resale, the project that continues to dominate these
days is the bathroom renovation. According to some reports, a new
bathroom has taken over the number one spot, knocking a kitchen
renovation down to number two.
Local realtor Seth Goodman weighs in, “I believe that bathrooms are
still equally as important to homebuyers as kitchens. Being that
these two areas tend to be the most expensive spaces to remodel,
buyers can find value in them being updated unless the home has been
priced to reflect the upgrades needed/desired.”
Corey and Lisa Leonard of Mount Pulaski are in the beginning stages
of a master bathroom remodeling project. They were not necessarily
looking to upgrade, but since their plastic one piece shower/bath
unit cracked after ten years, they have no choice but to replace it.
The Leonards have decided now they want to do a complete tile
shower. Corey, normally a do-it-yourself kind of guy, admitted that
he is not totally confident that he can do the tile/shower project
as a home improvement project, so he and Lisa have sought out
Stewart’s Carpet Service of Mount Pulaski for help. “They have a
wide selection of ceramic tile and they will also do the
installation,” said Lisa. “A lot of the carpet stores do, do tile,”
Lisa and Corey both recently learned. “Stewart’s is now looking into
getting me the tile that I want. They can do it all,” said Lisa. “We
are actually going to be tearing out our old unit ourselves to save
on some cost and we are basically going to have it carpenter-ready.”
While Corey admitted the original shower/bath unit was relatively
inexpensive, Lisa, who has been doing extensive research on the
project, said this time around “I want it to last for 25 years.”
Whatever your desires, just know there are many options available
and ideas worth exploring. Whether you want marble, quartz, granite,
ceramic tile, subway tile, multiple shower heads, shower jets,
double-sinks, heated bathroom floors, a water-resistant music
system, a streaming Bluetooth system that operates wirelessly or a
new powerful flush system by American Standard that also scours and
cleans the bowl at the same time, just know not to get overwhelmed.
Consult the professionals for help. Even talk to family, friends,
neighbors and coworkers who may have gone through the process of
renovating the master bathroom already.
While many of today’s latest styles and trends are very impressive,
remember in the end it’s all about what makes you happy and what
makes you feel better.
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