Project Summary
This Brewerton, NY bathroom remodeling project features an expanded 60″ x 48″ Onyx Collection walk-in shower, a custom-fit Fabuwood vanity with an Onyx countertop, a freestanding soaking tub, and Tarkett ProGen luxury vinyl flooring. The existing layout was completely reworked to create a larger shower, improve the functionality of the vanity area, and make better use of the bathroom’s existing square footage.
The Original Bathroom
We first met these homeowners at the Syracuse Home & Garden Show, where they had an opportunity to see some of our products in person. They interviewed a number of bathroom remodeling companies before ultimately choosing Bath Pros, with the quality of the materials being one of the things that stood out to them.
The home is located in Brewerton, NY and was built by the homeowner himself roughly 20 years ago, including the original bathroom. His craftsmanship showed, especially compared with some of the existing construction we encounter when opening up older bathrooms. He was also quick to point out that not everything was perfectly plumb or square, which would become a consideration as we started fitting the new layout into the existing room.
The biggest issue wasn’t really the age or condition of the bathroom. It was how the space was being used. The original shower was tucked into the corner with a footprint of approximately 48″ x 32″, while a large garden tub occupied the opposite side of the room despite rarely being used. The existing vanity and linen cabinet also didn’t provide as much practical counterspace as the size of the room allowed.
We planned to substantially change the layout. The shower would be rotated and expanded, a new pony wall would separate it from the vanity, the garden tub would be replaced with a freestanding tub, and the vanity area would be rebuilt to make better use of the available width.
Demolition and an Unexpected Change of Plans
The homeowners actually got a head start on demolition themselves. They invited their son over and removed the existing garden tub before our crew arrived. They did a great job with it, and the area was left clean and ready for us to begin reconstruction.
Our crew removed the existing vanity and linen cabinet and then demolished the entire shower area down to the studs, including the separating wet wall and the header above it. Our original proposal called for removing that header completely to open up the new shower area.
Once everything was exposed, we found a plumbing vent running through the header and into the adjacent wall before eventually exiting through the roof. Removing the header entirely would have meant substantially more plumbing work than anyone anticipated, without providing much practical benefit to the finished bathroom.
We discussed it with the homeowner and modified the framing around the existing vent instead. His main concern was simply that whatever remained looked intentional and properly finished. We rebuilt the opening around the vent and incorporated it into the finished structure rather than unnecessarily relocating the plumbing.
This is fairly typical of remodeling existing bathrooms. Even with careful planning and measurements beforehand, there are some conditions you simply can’t see until the walls are open.
Expanding and Rotating the Shower
The biggest change in this Brewerton bathroom remodel was the shower itself. The original walk-in shower measured approximately 48″ wide by 32″ deep, which felt relatively cramped given the overall size of the bathroom.
Instead of rebuilding within that footprint, we rotated the shower and increased it to approximately 60″ wide by 48″ deep. A new pony wall was constructed along the left side, creating separation between the shower and vanity while allowing the two areas to share the same portion of the room without feeling crowded.
The shower was built using The Onyx Collection, with a custom shower base in Safari and wall panels in Prospect. Safari is slightly darker than Prospect, so the shower base and coordinating horizontal surfaces provide some subtle contrast while still looking like part of the same overall material palette.
Homeowners should keep in mind that lighting can have a dramatic effect on how cultured stone colors appear, however, and in this bathroom the two colors looked much more similar once installed than they did as samples. For that reason, we always recommend viewing and comparing your color selections under the natural and artificial lighting in your own bathroom whenever possible before making a final decision.
For the fixtures, the homeowners chose an American Standard Spectra Versa rain shower system. We like this style of rain shower for open-concept installations because it does a better job of keeping water directed where it belongs rather than spraying toward the open side of the shower. The Spectra Versa also includes a separate handheld shower wand, which we recommend whenever possible—not only for the added flexibility while showering, but because it makes rinsing down and cleaning the shower considerably easier. We also incorporated a recessed storage niche into the shower wall so shampoos and other everyday items could be kept organized and off the shower floor.
The additional depth made a particularly noticeable difference. At approximately 60″ x 48″, the finished shower has substantially more room to move around without becoming disproportionately large for the bathroom.
Building the Vanity Around the New Layout
The vanity was designed around the new pony wall rather than treated as a separate part of the project. We wanted it to fit tightly into the available space and provide more usable countertop area, but there wasn’t much reason to incur the expense of completely custom cabinetry to accomplish that.
We used a standard 48″ Fabuwood Galaxy vanity in Desert Oak with separate his-and-hers drawer storage. Our installers then cut and fitted custom filler trim on the left and right sides of the vanity to fill the available opening. Once everything was assembled and finished, the fillers made the standard-size cabinet look like it had been built specifically for the space.
The countertop was custom fabricated by The Onyx Collection in Prospect at approximately 54″ wide by 22½” deep and 1½” thick. We paired it with a white rectangular Venetian ceramic undermount sink and an American Standard Rumson widespread faucet.
That combination gave the homeowners more practical counterspace while maintaining plenty of drawer and cabinet storage underneath. An oversized illuminated mirror was installed above the vanity, which also works well with the unusually tall ceiling in this bathroom.
Replacing the Garden Tub
The homeowners didn’t want to eliminate the bathtub altogether, but the original garden tub simply wasn’t earning the amount of floor space it occupied. It had seen relatively little use over the years and visually took up a substantial portion of that side of the bathroom.
We replaced it with a freestanding soaking tub and a floor-mounted tub filler with an integrated hand wand. The new tub still provides a full-size bathing option, but its smaller footprint and open space around the base make that entire side of the bathroom feel considerably less crowded.
It also became a much stronger visual feature. With the old garden tub and surrounding construction removed, the freestanding tub sits cleanly beneath the window and allows the flooring and surrounding space to remain visible.
Flooring and Finish Details
For the new bathroom flooring, the homeowners selected Tarkett ProGen LVT in Travertino, Horizon, installed in a 12″ x 24″ format. The pattern has enough movement to resemble natural stone without competing with the Prospect and Safari finishes used in the shower and vanity area.
We also matched the new base trim to the existing trim throughout the home. That may be a relatively small part of a project this size, but it’s something we pay attention to when remodeling an existing space. The bathroom can look completely new without looking like it belongs in a different house.
The same approach applied to fitting the shower, pony wall and vanity into a room that wasn’t perfectly square. There was quite a bit of field fitting involved that isn’t particularly obvious in the finished photographs, which is exactly the point. Existing conditions should be something the installers deal with during construction, not something the homeowner has to notice every time they use the bathroom.
The Finished Brewerton Bathroom
The finished Brewerton, NY bathroom remodel uses essentially the same room the homeowners had for the previous 20 years, but the allocation of space is completely different. The approximately 48″ x 32″ corner shower was replaced by a 60″ x 48″ walk-in shower, the seldom-used garden tub was replaced by a freestanding soaking tub, and the original vanity and linen cabinet were replaced with a fitted vanity arrangement that provides more useful counterspace and storage.
There were a few challenges along the way, from working with walls that weren’t perfectly plumb and square to discovering the vent inside the header after demolition. None required compromising the overall design. We adjusted the construction where necessary, fitted the new components to the room we actually had, and ended up with a bathroom that functions very differently despite occupying exactly the same footprint.
For a bathroom that already had a generous amount of space, that was really the purpose of the project: not to make the room bigger, but to make much better use of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much space do you need for a larger walk-in shower?
It depends on the bathroom and existing layout. In this Brewerton bathroom, the original shower was approximately 48″ x 32″. By changing its orientation and making better use of space previously dedicated to the garden tub and vanity area, we were able to build a much larger shower measuring approximately 60″ x 48″ without expanding the bathroom itself.
Can you replace a garden tub with a freestanding tub?
Absolutely. In this project, the homeowners rarely used their large built-in garden tub but still wanted to keep a bathtub in the primary bathroom. Replacing it with a freestanding soaking tub maintained that functionality while making the room feel considerably more open.
What type of shower system was used in this Brewerton bathroom remodel?
The shower was built using The Onyx Collection, with wall panels in Prospect and a custom shower base in Safari. The two colors are similar, but Safari provides a slightly darker contrast on the shower floor and other selected surfaces. We recommend viewing Onyx samples in the actual bathroom whenever possible, since natural and artificial lighting can significantly affect how the colors appear once installed.
Why use a rain shower and handheld shower together?
This shower uses an American Standard Spectra Versa system. Rain-style showerheads work particularly well in larger, open-concept showers because they direct water primarily downward and help keep overspray under control. The handheld wand provides additional flexibility and also makes rinsing and cleaning a large shower considerably easier.
Can a standard vanity be made to look custom?
Yes. A fully custom cabinet isn’t always necessary to achieve a built-in appearance. For this bathroom, we started with a 48″ Fabuwood Galaxy vanity in Desert Oak and fabricated fillers to fit the cabinetry precisely into the available space beside the new pony wall. We then paired it with a custom-sized Onyx countertop approximately 54″ wide, giving the finished vanity the appearance and functionality of a custom installation without the cost of fully custom cabinetry.
What happens if you find something unexpected after bathroom demolition?
It’s fairly common to uncover conditions that couldn’t be seen during the initial estimate. In this Brewerton project, demolition revealed a plumbing vent running through a header we had originally planned to remove completely. Rather than unnecessarily relocating the vent through the home and roof, we modified the framing around it and incorporated the remaining structure into the finished design. When unexpected conditions arise, the goal is to find a practical solution that still looks intentional when the bathroom is finished.