With the first-floor walk-in shower finished, we moved on to the second bathroom in Bill and Jessie’s new place—a classic alcove setup upstairs that had just as much potential (but thankfully, fewer surprises). To read about the first corner shower we completed downstairs for the same homeowners, click HERE.
Before we could even start setting panels or plumbing fixtures, our team—Vincent Aponte, with help from John Hardy—had to wrestle with the less glamorous side of remodeling: bitter cold, snow on the ground, and a full house of other contractors coming and going. It’s one thing to install cultured stone panels in the middle of winter—cold temps make cutting the slabs without cracking a real challenge. It’s another thing entirely to do it while coordinating with painters, electricians, and flooring crews, all racing toward the same move-in deadline. There were moments where Vincent and John were practically dancing around other trades, trying to keep tools and materials organized in an already tight upstairs hallway.
Despite the weather, demo went fairly smoothly. Our team cut the existing fiberglass enclosure in half and hauled it out without a hitch. Then came the plumbing. The existing tub’s drain and waste line didn’t line up with the new cultured stone shower base, which meant we had to open up the subfloor and relocate the PVC trap and waste line underneath. Not a huge job, but in an older home like this, small adjustments can quickly snowball. Luckily, our team had just enough room to make the change cleanly, without needing to pull the ceiling below or cause any lasting disruptions.
For the shower itself, Bill and Jessie stuck with the same Samuel Mueller “Monterey Creme” cultured stone they used downstairs, which was a smart call—creating a soft visual connection between the two bathrooms. The warm, natural tones worked perfectly in the upstairs space and paired well with the matching low-profile stone base. No grout lines, no maintenance headaches, just a clean, seamless finish that will stay looking good for years to come.
Instead of a swinging door like the one we installed downstairs, this space got a double sliding shower door in matte black. The bypass-style design is ideal for tighter rooms since it doesn’t require extra clearance to open. And the matte black hardware added just the right amount of contrast, giving the space a more modern, intentional feel.
There was one more hurdle before we could start putting everything together: the cultured stone slabs were just a bit too big to fit through the bathroom doorway. To get them into place safely, we had to temporarily remove the vanity. It’s one of those small, behind-the-scenes moments that rarely make it into the highlight reel, but it matters—handled carefully, with no damage and no drama, just a clean reinstall after the slabs were in.
For fixtures, Bill and Jessie went with American Standard’s “Aspiration” valve trim in matte black, along with the upgraded Spectra Duo shower head and handheld wand. It’s a solid, practical setup that still feels a bit luxurious. The wand adds flexibility, and the shower head offers a more spa-like experience without going over the top.
Despite the weather and the usual winter challenges, the upstairs shower install wrapped up in about three days—right in line with what we typically estimate for a wet space like this. No major setbacks, no delays—just solid work and steady progress.
Now that both showers are done, Bill and Jessie are ready to move in with two fully updated bathrooms and one less thing on their to-do list. We can’t always promise a pre-holiday finish like this one, but when all the pieces fall into place, it’s a great feeling.
And for anyone planning a bathroom remodel: thoughtful design choices, a realistic plan, and a bit of flexibility go a long way—especially when the snow starts falling and the trades are all working elbow-to-elbow.