Remodeler Bob DeHaan fit the stacked washer/dryer into a custom cabinet so that it blends better with the design. The cabinet includes a pull-out hamper, and the pull-out board above the vanity drawer creates a surface for folding laundry.The mirror above the new vanity covers an existing window. Removing the window would have changed the look of the homeís exterior, so DeHaan placed plywood over the glass and painted it gray to create the illusion of a dark window. He insulated the opening and covered the interior with drywall.
Zolton Cohen Remodeler Bob DeHaan fit the stacked washer/dryer into a custom cabinet so that it blends better with the design. The cabinet includes a pull-out hamper, and the pull-out board above the vanity drawer creates a surface for folding laundry.The mirror above the new vanity covers an existing window. Removing the window would have changed the look of the homeís exterior, so DeHaan placed plywood over the glass and painted it gray to create the illusion of a dark window. He insulated the opening and covered the interior with drywall.
DeHaan installed a 24-inch deep cabinet next to the toilet. That depth allows for storage in a small closet located behind the cabinet, which is accessed from the hallway. When the homeowner saw the cabinet, she requested that the cabinet company include a tilt-out section to hold magazines.
Zolton Cohen DeHaan installed a 24-inch deep cabinet next to the toilet. That depth allows for storage in a small closet located behind the cabinet, which is accessed from the hallway. When the homeowner saw the cabinet, she requested that the cabinet company include a tilt-out section to hold magazines.

A remodel during the 1970s combined two closets to create a master bathroom in this Kalamazoo, Mich., home. In a recent remodel, the homeowners sought to update the bathroom’s cabinetry and fittings to create a retreat tailored to their lifestyle.

The couple was willing to give up the master bath’s tub for a luxury shower — they have a tub in another bathroom for their young children. Local remodeler Bob DeHaan, of DeHaan Remodeling Specialists, did the remodel. He says that, when removing a tub — even if it’s the only bathtub in the house — most of his clients are remodeling for their lifestyle and that resale value is less of a concern. He also points out that replacing the tub with a shower increases the standing space: “It’s almost double that of a curved and contoured tub.”

With their overlapping morning routines, the owners wanted two sinks in their remodeled bathroom. DeHaan was able to accommodate a second sink by installing a shorter vanity in place of the existing one, moving the toilet into the available space, and repositioning a radiator. “We put a towel bar on the side of that new vanity cabinet so the towels can get warm from the radiator,” he says.

He took advantage of a closet next to the toilet to add a 24-inch deep cabinet to provide more storage. DeHaan also asked his custom cabinet company, Great Northern Cabinetry, to create a suite of cherry cabinets for the vanities, a storage unit, and to fit the cabinetry around the stacked washer/dryer.

—Nina Patel, senior editor, REMODELING.