Ashburn Virginia Bathroom Remodel on a budget Part III.

by Lauren Murphy | Dec 11, 2020 | Bathroom, Learning Center, Remodel, Terrace Turnaround Project

Ashburn Virginia Bathroom Remodel on a budget Part III.

It’s time to share the final photos of our Ashburn “Emergency” Bathroom Remodel on a Budget. We weren’t prepared for this remodel, hence the emergency part and we had to tap into our savings in order to do it. If you read my post about Mold and Mushrooms then you have the background. Basically, six months into our new home our hall bath revealed a silent problem. (If you haven’t read the entire post you can access it here:).

Now for the logistics; we were blessed to have enough savings but this was going to be a very tight budget for a full gut remodel. many new homeowners go into the first year cash poor and this project is a great example of a very tight budget for a full gut remodel. My decision to gut the bathroom was made easier as I know from my training that the only real fix is to have waterproofing installed. Plus, I’m a health and wellness specialist and getting it done, the right way, once was important to us.

First step; top of the line Schluter Systems Kerdi waterproofing. This is something we do for all of our bathrooms at Murphy’s Design. The mold problem was caused from the builder not water proofing, then previous owners not maintaining the grout and caulk. After experiencing the mushroom sprout it was even more obvious the importance of taking this step. Proper waterproofing adds to the cost of materials and to the labor but it protects your investment forever. Tip: Dont forego the Waterproofing….ever.

Because of the added expense in fixing the mold and doing the waterproofing we needed selections that were affordable, very affordable. We purchased all of tile off the shelf from our local Floor & Decor and our vanity came off the shelf from Ikea. Our Tub, toilet, and other plumbing fixtures came from build.com. For the paint in this bathroom it’s Benjamin Moore’s AURA Bath and Spa Primer and Paint. This is a special formula specifically developed to handle moisture. We probably could have gotten away with using regular primer and the Aura paint but we wanted to be extra cautious.

Something I Love,

One thing I love about this finished space is the shower tile. I am obsessed with organic nature of it and at the same time the modern geometric straight stack pattern we had it laid in. The naturaI imperfect edges mixed with the high gloss white and straight stack just gives it a nice transitional feel, blending both my natural organic preference and my partners clean modern aesthetic perfectly.

Really, photos just don’t do this space justice, the vertical straight stack pattern that this tile is laid in makes the room feel so tall and bright! When you’re in the shower it has an open and airy feel to it that I’m just so happy with.

Something else I’m really happy with is the use of a marble threshold as the base of the niche. When we use these marble pieces it makes for a nice clean surface without any grout lines when your product drips. And let’s not overlook the bronze Schluter edging. I love how it frames the niche and matches the fixtures. This is a fun way to incorporate some classy marble and a natural material while also creating a surface that is much easier to keep clean. I love how this niche takes an otherwise simple white shower and gives it a little art.

Something I’d Change,

I have to be honest and say that because we had such a tight budget for this space I didn’t do as much research on the actual bathtub as I should have. If I could go back and select a soaker tub, I would. Even though it would’ve tapped into our savings a little more, in the end, it would have been worth it. This tub will work great for small children, and it also works great as a tub for adults who don’t take a bath and primarily will use the shower. It’s easy to step over and it’s easy to bend over. What it’s not is a tub for adults to soak in. It will work fine for us and it won’t affect resale value but if I could go back I probably would’ve spent more money and gotten the bigger tub. on the positive side, by not getting the bigger tub however we saved money because we didn’t have to move the plumbing fixtures up and the less fancy tub obviously costs less. It’s definitely something I’ll think harder about from now on though.

Something That Surprised Me,

I can confidently say that I would buy another Ikea Hemnes Vanity. If you have the patience to wait for the vanity because of COVID it’s a great update. I replaced the hardware for some more high end pulls instead of their knobs and it really pulled everything together. The vanity is solid, it comes with the top, nice size drawers and has tons of storage. I may even put the white version of this same vanity in our master bathroom just for consistency.

We are thrilled with how this bathroom turned out, I learned a lot working for myself on making sure the pieces we choose works for the long haul. Hopefully, for our next space, we’ll have just a little more time to plan.

About the Author
Lauren Murphy has worked with Murphy’s Design since 2010, she has a background in photography and is a Certified Home Stager and Redesigner. She currently lives in Loudoun County Virginia with her partner, Jonathan and their dog Rory. // 703-854-1343

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Is it time to remodel or move? 5 Tips.

by Cynthia Murphy | Nov 2, 2020 | Home Buying, Learning Center, Remodel

Is it time to remodel or move? 5 Tips.

Have you asked yourself, “Is it time to remodel or buy a new house?” We hear all the time about weighing the decision between remodeling or selling, and moving into a house that has the features and finishes you dream about. Too often I see the approach of starting with the logical needs-based evaluation. Cost, fixing what’s broken, and other task based decisions are reassuring to the logical brain but this can lead to flawed thinking.

There are two key influences we all operate from when making our big life decisions. They are;

Wants: The emotional brain response

Needs: The logical brain response

We all make decisions based on these two values everyday. We will procrastinate our needs much longer if we don’t also build the wanting.

Tip #1. Make a list of what you want.

Walking through the house and write down everything you would change if you could. You might think that this will make you more unhappy but putting it on paper makes us feel like we are taking steps to correct things. Dream a little and challenge that logical brain.

Tip #2. Make a list of what you need.

Now add to the list what needs to be done. This is the time to let your logical brain look at what it’s going to take to keep you happy in this home or what would need to be done in order to put the house on the market for sale.

Tip #3. Make a list of what you don’t like but can’t change even if you want to.

Location, yard size, living in a Colonial and you love Modern, these are all things that weigh on you everyday. Sometimes we convince ourselves that everything is fine and we should stay put. Maybe that’s because moving can be a lot of work. Even if you don’t remodel there are sure to be a lot of projects that will need to get done to be “for sale ready”. But embarking on a major remodel only to realize that you still aren’t any happier can be heartbreaking. Leaving behind your newly renovated dream space is hard. Put your logical brain to work here.

Tip #3. Rank the your changes by urgency into (3) categories;

Need: it’s broken and should be fixed ASAP regardless of what we do.
Want: Wouldn’t it be great if we had more storage, new finishes?
Need and Want: the tile is chipped, faucet leaking and the vanity door just fell off.

Tip #4. Make sure everybody is on the same page, just put it on a different page.

This is by far the hardest to accomplish for many. Don’t do the first (3) steps together with your partner. That might sound like the worst idea ever but you are sure to get stalled when you hit the inevitable roadblock of not wanting and needing exactly the same things. Instead, make sure everybody gets to go through the process so all the proverbial cards can be laid on the table and compromise can be reached. This is a critical step to coimpromise!

It’s time to create a plan.

With the heavy lifting done now you can review your lists and make a plan. It should become obvious whether it’s time to remodel or if moving is in your immediate future. Do you decide to stay or go? That’s up to you and you don’t need anyone else to convince you otherwise.

About the Author

Cynthia Murphy

Cynthia Murphy is a Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodelers in Northern Virginia. She owns and operates Murphy’s Design with her husband John and daughter Lauren. Her 40 year career has focused on providing homeowners with the answers they need to make smart emotional and financial decisions around their wants and needs.

← Emergency Remodel Bathroom Selections Part II. Ashburn Virginia Bathroom Remodel on a budget Part III. →

Emergency Remodel Bathroom Selections Part II.

by Lauren Murphy | Jul 9, 2020 | Bathroom, Learning Center, Remodel, Terrace Turnaround Project

Emergency Remodel Bathroom Selections Part II.

Well, here we are. I had big dreams of remodeling our home but I have to be honest I didn’t think that they were going to go like this. Making Emergency Remodel bathroom selections are very different than making selections when you’ve saved and prepared for a remodel. I had planned on saving a good deal of money, I had planned on having time to make my selections, I had planned on a very different experience. The truth of the matter is with remodels you don’t always get to have what you planned. Sometimes there are air ducts that cant be moved, electrical that can’t be moved, mushrooms magically appearing and forcing you into an impromptu renovation during a global pandemic. Things come up. It happens. Luckily, it’s part of my job to figure it out.

If you’re just joining me and haven’t seen my previous post about the Terrace Turnaround Project and how I got here, I recommend giving it a quick read for a little back story. It will get you up to speed and paint a clearer picture of this situation.

So, it’s time for the Terrace Turnaround Bathroom Selections. I LOVE making selections. It’s what I’m good at, I can visualize spaces before they’re completed simply by pulling the right selections. Very few things in life give me as much of a rush as good selections.

First things First with this space, the mold. Honestly as much fun as making selections is solving that problem, getting rid of it and making sure it never returns was my top priority. So as I mentioned in my last post, we made sure the mold hadn’t spread outside of the bathroom and then cleaned the mold and sealed the sub floor and drywall with KILZ. Once all of that was done the guys added new drywall where it was needed and waterproofed the space with Schluter products. We use Schluter on every job. A good bathroom starts with great waterproofing, never let anyone cut this corner in your space. Without good waterproofing your new bathroom was basically a waste of time.

Now that I think I’ve sufficiently lectured you about properly waterproofing your bathroom I think we can move on to the fun stuff!

Tile Selections

My significant other loves clean warm grays, so we went with a white ‘subway tile’ laid in a vertical straight stack pattern. I really wanted to add height to the space and this is a good way to do it. For the niche I chose a tile that coordinated nicely with the vertical pattern as well as the marble look of the porcelain floor tile. We topped the niche off with a piece of marble threshold for ease of cleaning and to dress it up a bit.

Plumbing Selections

As far as plumbing fixtures I went straight for my go to Delta Trinsic Facuet and shower head and tub filler. They’re simple, affordable, and the style is transitional enough to work in most spaces.

The Mood Board

As a whole this space needed to have products that were quick and easy to source as it was a last minute must do remodel and they needed to be affordable. As far as the design went I wanted to be slightly masculin since this is my significant others bathroom in his office but at the same time neutral so that when we sell the house in the future it doesnt turn anyone off by having too distinct of a style. With my background in Home Staging I am constantly thinking about resale, sometimes to a fault. But we know this isn’t our forever home so in this case it was important the space work for both my significant other and future children that may inhabit the room.

My next post will share with you the after photos of the space and I am SO thrilled with how everything turned out. I’ll also talk a little about selecting a bath tub and some things I would’ve done differently in hindsight.

About The Author

Lauren Murphy is Murphy’s Designs Selection Specialist and has been working for the company since 2010. She has a background in photography, and a certificate in Home Staging and Redesign. She loves to spend time researching new products and materials and staying up to date on all the Kitchen and Bath design trends.

What is the best home flooring choice for you?

by Cynthia Murphy | Sep 17, 2019 | Learning Center, Remodel

What is the best home flooring choice for you?

Choosing flooring can be one of the toughest tasks. Whether you’re on a tight budget or the sky’s the limit, it’s never easy to decide on something so permanent. Here we’re breaking down the pros and cons of all the different home flooring choices.

Image of kitchen where the owners chose home flooring in wood

Wood & Engineered Home Flooring

$3 to $12 Per Sq. Ft.

PRO:

Warm, beautiful, forgiving, and durable when maintained regularly. Great for living spaces, kitchens and half baths. While wood is far from waterproof it will last indefinitely in the kitchen if spills are addressed quickly and the floor is maintained with the correct cleaning products and practices.

A sister to solid wood floors are engineered wood floors- a sandwich of solid wood and plywood. They are not to be confused with laminate flooring- an image of wood printed on a thin plastic or LVP planks a 3-D printed composite. The top layer of engineered wood is solid lumber, meaning nicks and scratches only add charm, not unsightly scars. Also, the floor can be sanded and refinished to restore its beauty. Scraped Engineered wood floors have a rich rustic patina that removes the worry from scratching and dents.

Engineered wood floors are most often finished in the factory, which allows a wide array of tones and a more durable wear surface finish. They shrink and expand very little leaving little to no gaps between boards which is good when installing over concrete or in high humidity climates.

CON:

You’ll pay a premium for the factory finish on the engineered wood floors. Solid wood floors can be damaged over time with the continuous abrasion from your pet’s nails. Softer solid wood floors with very dark finishes can be problematic showing every imperfection. Long term exposure to wet conditions is not advised.

Bamboo

$3 to $7 Per Sq. Ft.

PRO:

Durable, sustainable, distinctive, bamboo is best for kitchens and living areas. Bamboo is more resistant to water, stains, and warping than other hardwood.

CON:

Bamboo is harvested and early harvesting can cause long term issues once the material reaches your home and is installed. Always purchase bamboo flooring products from reputable and reliable resources.

It can still expand and contract so its not best in high-humidity environments like bathrooms and spaces that are exposed to higher humidity fluctuations. The natural color is best as the wide array of colored finishes are very difficult to restore if damaged.

All bamboo is bonded together with adhesive, so look for formaldehyde-free and low VOC. Also make sure it can be sanded and finished (some can’t). There is no reliable grading system for bamboo so look for a reputable manufacturer. Prices can fluctuate based on product availability.

Ceramic & Porcelain Tile

$5 to $20 Per Sq. Ft.

PRO:

Tile is waterproof, super durable, green, and with endless design choices. Also, this is best and traditional product for high functioning bathrooms.

There is common ceramic and a harder formulation called porcelain. Porcelain is a stronger product. Ceramic is more affordable but less dense and more porous requiring a hard surface glaze to protect it. Porcelain is durable and waterproof and is made with a process that allows almost endless design options including the look of concrete, wood, or natural stone without any of the maintenance they require.

CON:

Though high quality tile ages beautifully, grout doesn’t. So experts recommend keeping grout lines on the small side and sealing them well to prevent staining. Ceramic tile is more fragile because of the glaze than porcelain so stick with porcelain for underfoot. Tile at its core is a hard non-moving material and will aggravate those with leg and back conditions if they stand or walk on them for long periods of time.

Luxury Vinyl Plank or Tile

$3 to $8 Per Sq. Ft.

PRO:

This is least expensive home flooring option for kitchens and bathrooms when installation cost is factored. Comes in an infinite number of styles to suit every taste. Its resilient nature makes it comfortable for hours of standing. Installs quickly compared to tile or unfinished hardwood and most are installed in less than a day and put to service immediately.There are numerous brands available that are impervious to pets, waterproof and acceptable to be installed under heavy furnishings such as Pool Tables, in laundry rooms and kitchens.

CON:

It’s not as tough as porcelain tile and cant be refinished like hardwood. Visible damage requires replacement of the individual tile or tiles. Some lower priced brands can be damaged by pets and heavy objects cannot be placed on them. Finding the right product for your space is the key to this flooring product.

Cement Home Flooring – Encaustic Tile

$10 to $18 Per Sq. Ft.

PRO:

Cement tile is thick, durable, and honed finish with crisp bright patterns. The materials are durable, and the results are unique, vibrant colors in a matte finish, with no glazing to mask their beauty. With time and traffic, cement tiles develop an aged patina that only enhances their handmade look. The tiles can also be resurfaced if desired.

CON:

Staining is a concern. Regular resealing helps to avoid the possibility of staining. Tiles will also chip when heavy objects are dropped on them. Similar to ceramic and porcelain tile, encaustic flooring does not offer any give when standing or walking on it. Therefore it will aggravate people with leg and back conditions.

Natural Stone

$2 To $30 Per Sq. Ft.

PRO:

A durable, beautiful, and natural flooring. Natural stone is available in a wide range of stones and sizes, while offering rich history and soulfulness about where it was quarried. High shade variation adds to the natural beauty and visual interest.

CON:

Stone must be sealed, resealed, and cleaned with specially designed products. The high shade variation causes color unpredictability by piece often giving you a different look than you may have seen in the showroom. You must buy stone finished specifically for floors not walls, to avoid slips and falls. You should order 20-30% more material than needed to pick through. Close attention to the grade of the marble is important as low grade materials although well-priced also have more imperfections, pitting, veining and discoloration than high grade select materials. Similar to tile stone does not offer give when you are walking or standing on it and can aggravate those with leg and back conditions.

Linoleum

$2 To $5 Per Sq. Ft.

PRO:

Warm, durable, and green, with brilliant colors, the solid sheets create a floor with fewer seams making it suitable for kitchens and bathrooms. The tiles & planks are DIY Friendly. Quick and Easy installation saves money.

CON:

The solid sheets do require an experienced linoleum installer who can heat-weld the seams and make the edges water tight. Although the seams are tight they’re not recommended for a children’s bathroom where there may be standing water. Staining, scratches and discoloration is a common complaint with this home flooring option.

Home Do We Figure Out Our Remodel Budget?

by Cynthia Murphy | Sep 16, 2019 | Budget, Learning Center, Remodel

Home Do We Figure Out Our Remodel Budget?

Figuring Out Your Budget (updated 6.5.18)

It’s a big day, you have decided to remodel your kitchen, bathroom or another important room in your home.

You’ve probably already tried to answer this question with google. You type in “How much does a bathroom remodel cost” for example, and the results are endless and overwhelming.

You’ll quickly learn that the cost of a remodel starts with your location. So you enter in your location and your results diminish a little bit but not much and you’re quickly buried in search results that don’t make you feel any better. The key to creating an effective remodel budget is not spending countless hours getting estimates but instead by fine tuning a budget range that you can be comfortable with.

Five Major Factors In Remodeling Costs

There are 5 Major factors in how much it will cost to remodel a bathroom or kitchen. They are;

1. Where: your location

Where you live is one of the biggest influences on overall cost. The best source of information based on where you are located is

http://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2018/

This report is compiled each year by location. It gives both a national average and your regional information. It’s a great starting point!

2. What: the details of the work you want done

What you want to have done? We call this the “scope of work” and the best resource for that is speaking with your local professionals who have completed projects similar to yours. Most can provide you with a low to high range with a detailed discussion.

3. Size: the overall square footage of the room

Size matters. A local Remodeler who specializes in your project can give you an excellent range based on your square footage. This works particularly well for Bathroom Remodels.

4. Quality: the products and workmanship you expect

This will ultimately cause great fluctuations in your final cost. Understanding the cost between the different materials is the best way to manage the overall budget. Focus on the Construction cost because material cost can be managed.

5. Who: the professional you ultimately hire

Hiring a professional that fits the scope of work you want done with all the licensing and insurance that is required. Hiring a handyman for a complete gut remodel or a company specializing in additions to design a simple pull and replace kitchen will cause you to spend more in the long run then getting a professional who specializes in exactly what you are looking for.

How do we fine tune our remodel budget?

The most important factors will be;

1.What you are comfortable spending?

You should have an idea of what you would be comfortable investing in the project before talking to anyone. Present your thoughts as a range, such as; “we were thinking of investing 30-40k”. Then begin by asking if yours is a reasonable expectation. How they answer will be a clue to whether you are; in the ballpark, material considerations, and how easy they will be to work with. Make sure you are speaking to professionals who specialize in your projects work.

2.Do you feel like you have a partner in developing your project around your comfort level?

Starting the planning of your project with open and honest conversations around spending is very important to developing trust. Not every client has an open ended budget so working back from your comfort zone can be an effective way to establish a budget. It’s important that your choice of Remodeler respects your boundaries around cost. If you choose to spend more on any item that is your decision to make once you have all the specific details and can review the importance to you. A process like this leads to feeling confident that you have selected the right person to help guide you, someone who has your best interests at heart and will be upfront about ways to keep the cost in line.

What Happens If What We Want Is Too Expensive?

First, make sure that you are looking at the right team of professionals. There are many times when a client calls us for a project and in talking with them during our *FREE* Virtual Consultation I can give them guidance on who would be the right team. Here at Murphy’s Design we specialize in Master Bathrooms and Kitchen’s with a focus on making changes to the floor plan through design. Minor Bathroom updates would not use our greatest skills but we have great partners who can handle these items. During our conversation I can offer expert guidance on possible solutions for trimming the fat off the budget.

Even major remodeling has cost considerations. When doing large projects look at the project as a whole and make compromises in the materials or finishes you select. In other words, don’t over design without taking the time to go back and make sure your decisions are really providing the best value for the dollars. Often you can select products with the same look, feel and quality for much less. Products such as sinks, tile, and lighting are great examples of these types of materials. Next, looking at alternative floor plans can often achieve your project goals without some of the expensive modifications. A wonderful example of this is taking down walls. It is almost always possible. However, the cost to completely remove a wall can vary greatly depending on your particular home. I have done many projects where we modified the amount of wall we removed or how we created the structural support to still open up the room but in the end save thousands of dollars.

Final Thoughts

The right budget for your project needs to to be developed, having an ally with the experience and access to up to date information during the planning stages is crucial. I believe it is my job to open and honest and guide and educate you as we are designing your project. Through years of experience I have learned that an educated customer is happier overall. Seek out those types of professionals and that’s how you will find the right budget for your project.

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