John and Kelly were ready to leave their outdated tub behind in favor of a more accessible and sleeker walk-in shower. With travel plans already booked for a well-earned cruise, they handed the reins over to us to take care of the transformation while they were away — talk about trusting the process!
Before we arrived, John took the initiative (and saved a bit in labor) by taking the time to demo the old header himself. Kelly, in particular, wanted the new cultured stone to extend all the way to the ceiling. We touched base with them once more to go over every minute detail of the job before they left for their cruise, and agreed on a secret spot where they would leave the keys for us.
Once our team — Ricky and Stacey — got started, things moved along smoothly, though we did hit a few small bumps. The couple had designed their shower with a recessed caddy along the left wall, and there was a bit of back-and-forth on placement. Also, while reviewing the wet wall framing, we realized some reframing would be necessary to ensure long-term durability.
Now, reframing is typically an upcharge — and understandably so — but with John and Kelly cruising out of signal range, we made an executive decision to move forward anyway, knowing it was the right thing to do. In situations like this, it is usually less of a headache.
While we were in the wall, John also asked if we could run a Romex electrical line from the basement to the attic and we were happy to oblige without charging anything, granted we weren’t modifying any existing electric or running new circuits.
As for the install itself, we had one more twist: the custom Onyx Collection “Pepper” cultured stone pan showed up with a center drain, not the right-side drain we had originally planned. (Yes — even Tom Wolff, owner and occasional project manager, is allowed one rare mistake.) Thankfully, Ricky and Stacey rolled with it and reworked the plumbing to fit center drain placement. And honestly? We all agreed it looked better that way — a happy accident that added to the clean look of the final design.
The Onyx surround and 300-pound shower base gave the bathroom a luxurious, modern vibe. We finished it off with brushed nickel bypass-style sliding glass doors and the American Standard Spectra Duo shower head — perfect for switching between fixed and handheld use.
The entire install wrapped up in just four days. When John and Kelly returned from their cruise, they were greeted not only by their brand-new walk-in shower, but also a personalized note from Stacey with care instructions and a warm “welcome home.” It was a small touch that left a big impression — we even received compliments on Stacey’s attention to detail.
John told us he’d “happily recommend us to anyone,” which is always the best kind of feedback. And as luck would have it, a week before we began construction, we were contacted by one of Kelly’s best friends — completely coincidentally — to take on her own bathroom remodel. Thanks to John and Kelly’s finished project, we were able to share real photos of the exact materials and layout, giving her full confidence in what to expect.
There’s nothing better than neighbors recommending neighbors — it makes choosing the right contractor that much easier.
Another beautiful transformation, another happy customer — and definitely a project we’ll remember.