Kitchen & Bath Business November/December 2023 - 43

CHALLEGE #2 - CONCRETE COMPLICATIONS
Eversoll wanted to take over the toilet and shower room for a zero-entry
shower, so she planned to shift the toilet back and turn it 90 degrees. That
kept the skylight in the shower ceiling where it would have the most benefit.
In the enclosed water closet, a new wall-hung toilet meets the clients'
request for cleanability and privacy.
But when the plumber opened the concrete slab to relocate the drain for
the toilet, an oversized footer would not allow the plumbing to be run that
close to the exterior wall. Instead, they added a pony wall inside the toilet
room to provide the space to house the in-wall toilet tank.
" We had to pad out the knee wall that housed the wall-hung toilet components
farther than expected, " said Eversoll. " It could have been an issue,
but with a little problem solving on site, and it turned out fine. "
Wrapped in marble-look porcelain tile, the knee wall brings flair and
cleanability to the toilet room and is deep enough to double as a shelf. A
similar situation occurred when installing the wall-mounted faucets above the
vanity, which were also intended to fulfill the clients' request for easy cleaning.
Like the toilet wall, the one behind the vanity is a concrete exterior wall, so
a bump out was added behind the cabinetry to accommodate the faucets.
" It required a bit of work among contractor, framer and electrician, but
it gave the clients a ledge they love, " said the designer. " It was a happy
accident. "
CHALLENGE #3 - MISTAKEN MEASUREMENTS & THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Using larger-format porcelain wall tile in this bathroom was part of meeting
the clients' need for a space that would be easy to clean. Although Eversoll
planned for the typical overage with the tile order, it was not nearly enough
for the room's many walls, mitered turns, shower bench and knee walls. The
ABOVE LEFT The clients did not
want niches in the shower,
which may collect residue,
so Brooke Eversoll, CMKBD,
CEO and principal designer
of St. Petersburg-based Bee
Studios, created a ledge for
storage instead. She met
the clients' love of scalloped
tile by incorporating it on the
upper part of the shower
wall where soap residue is
less likely to appear. Floating
the cabinetry ensures easy
floor cleaning, and the wallmounted
faucets offer a more
clutter-free look.
ABOVE RIGHT It was a
challenge to hang the toilet,
but it makes the space easier
to clean. The knee wall
installed to hide the plumbing,
necessitated by the concrete
wall and footer behind it, is
also a design feature.
ceiling height was also a true 96 inches, but the
tiles were a nominal 24 by 48 inches - the actual
dimensions were 23½ by 47 inches. To stack the
tiles to the ceiling, the team needed five rows of
tile instead of four as originally planned.
" Typically, tile is listed as a nominal size, but
you need to get the true and actual dimensions, "
said Eversoll. " It's imperative in planning, especially
when you have really tiny grout lines and
lots of smaller walls. "
She had to put in an extra tile order, but because
the project installation took place during
the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the
tile came from Italy, the vendor did not have it
stocked in the U.S. She split the cost of a fast
air freight delivery from overseas with her clients
- waiting would have pushed the whole
project back.
The tile emergency was the biggest lesson
Eversoll learned from this project. She now recommends
ordering considerably more tile than
estimated for large-format tiles and expecting
more waste. It is good practice to check this with
the tile installer, too.
" There are always things you have to adjust
in the field, " she said. " Nothing that came up
was catastrophic, and we never lost the design
intent. "

SOURCES: DESIGNER: Brooke Eversoll, CMKBD, CEO & Principal Designer, Bee Studios Inc.; PHOTOGRAPHER: Rickie Agapito of AOFotos; GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Lindross Remodeling
● ACCESSORIES, FAUCETS, SHOWER FIXTURES & TUB FILLER: Brizo; CABINET HARDWARE: Top Knobs; CABINETRY, SHELVES & VANITY: Holiday Kitchens; COUNTERTOP: Silestone;
FLOORING: Crossville Studios; LIGHTING: Hudson Valley; MIRROR: Room & Board; PAINT: Sherwin-Williams; SHOWER DRAIN: Infinity Drain; SHOWER ACCENT TILE: Arto; SINKS: Kohler;
TOILET: Toto; TUB: Victoria + Albert; WALL TILE: Imola Ceramics
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