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Nicole McQuade and her husband renovated the 40-square-foot bathroom in their historic Richmond, Virginia, home after aging plumbing problems made repairs urgent. They report spending $17,000 on supplies and hired labor, below contractor quotes of $30,000 to $50,000, and did some demolition and finishing work themselves.
Nicole McQuade and her husband renovated the 40-square-foot bathroom in their historic Richmond, Virginia, home after aging plumbing left little water coming from the sink faucet. In a report published by Apartment Therapy, McQuade said the couple spent $17,000 on supplies and hired labor, while doing some demolition and finishing work themselves, and created a bright, vintage-inspired room with terrazzo flooring, bronze fixtures and a marble vanity top.
The couple had lived in the more than 100-year-old house for eight years and had postponed renovating its bathroom while they saved and planned. McQuade told Apartment Therapy that the room had been renovated in the 1980s, and that its plumbing and electrical systems were old. After years of problems, the sink’s water flow became so weak that the couple decided they could no longer put the work off.
They sought contractor estimates to understand the likely cost. McQuade said the quotes ranged from $30,000 to $50,000 for the small room, without relocating plumbing or selecting premium materials. The couple said they spent years planning, finding subcontractors within their budget and overseeing the work. Their reported $17,000 total covered supplies and hired labor; the article does not provide a separate itemized budget.
To lower costs, the couple handled some tasks themselves, including demolition, wall repairs, Roman clay painting and sewing curtains. They used some of the savings to choose materials and details they preferred, including terrazzo floor tile, a creamy white textured wall finish, bronze-colored faucets and a showerhead, and a Calacatta Viola marble countertop. Rounded corners on the vanity, countertop and recessed medicine cabinet were chosen for the compact room.
How They Managed the Renovation Cost
The project shows how one household approached a costly renovation in a small, older home: it combined paid specialist work with tasks the owners said they could do themselves. The reported gap between the $17,000 final spend and the initial contractor quotes may interest readers weighing a similar project, but the figures are specific to this home and are not a general estimate for bathroom renovations.
The work was prompted by more than a style preference. McQuade said the home’s aging plumbing and electrical systems had caused problems, and the plumber warned that a serious plumbing emergency was a matter of time. Fixing those systems before a larger failure became an issue was a practical concern alongside the design. The report does not detail the work performed on the electrical system or identify the subcontractors’ qualifications.
The couple also had to manage the disruption of losing access to their shower. McQuade said the family went without one for two weeks, using showers at a local YMCA and a friend’s house. That gives readers a clearer sense of the temporary inconvenience involved than the final room photographs alone would.
vintage style bronze bathroom faucet set
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A Long-Delayed Bathroom Overhaul
McQuade told Apartment Therapy that the bathroom had bothered the couple since they moved into the house, but they believed a quick paint job would not address its problems. Because they were renovating an older home room by room, they spent time saving money and deciding what to do. The deteriorating faucet flow ultimately changed the schedule from a future design project to a repair they felt they needed to address.
Their design goal was for the room to feel as though it could have been part of the house for a century, while updating the plumbing and electrical rather than preserving old systems. McQuade said the couple searched for distinctive fixtures, a suitable marble remnant, a wall color and a vintage rug. They also made choices intended to suit a small footprint: curved edges and a recessed medicine cabinet that adds storage in the family’s only full bathroom.
The renovation account comes from Apartment Therapy’s before-and-after report, which attributes the project details and descriptions to McQuade. It is a single homeowner’s account, rather than an independently audited project budget or a survey of renovation costs.
“Since the day we moved in, we’ve hated this bathroom, but knew that a quick paint job wasn’t going to do much.”
— Nicole McQuade, speaking to Apartment Therapy
Costs and Work Details Not Itemized
Apartment Therapy’s report does not give a full breakdown of the $17,000 project cost, so readers cannot tell how much went to materials, subcontractors or individual parts of the work. It also does not specify the renovation’s completion date, the exact scope of the plumbing and electrical updates, or which tasks were completed by hired tradespeople.
The contractor estimates and final spending are figures reported by McQuade, not independently verified comparisons. The account does not state whether permits were required or obtained, or describe the home’s historic-district review process. It also does not provide details about the particular products’ prices or identify the rug shown in the finished room.
No Further Project Plans Reported
Apartment Therapy’s account focuses on the completed bathroom and does not report a next renovation phase, further work schedule or planned follow-up from the couple. The immediate development is the replacement of a bathroom with failing, aging systems and a newly finished design.
For readers considering similar work, the account leaves practical project questions unanswered, including the local approval requirements, the condition of hidden systems and the costs of hiring qualified tradespeople. Those details depend on the home and location; the couple’s reported total should not be treated as a quote for another property.
Key Questions
What prompted the couple to renovate the bathroom?
Nicole McQuade told Apartment Therapy that the bathroom’s older plumbing and electrical systems had caused problems. The sink eventually produced very little water, and the couple decided to address the room rather than wait for a more serious plumbing issue.
How much did the renovation cost?
McQuade reported that the couple spent $17,000 on supplies and hired labor. They had received contractor estimates of $30,000 to $50,000. The article does not provide an itemized budget or independently verify the figures.
What work did the homeowners do themselves?
McQuade said they handled demolition, wall repairs, Roman clay painting and sewing the curtains. They also planned the project, located subcontractors within their budget and oversaw the job.
What design choices gave the small bathroom its vintage look?
The couple chose terrazzo flooring, bronze-colored fixtures, a creamy white Roman clay wall finish and a Calacatta Viola marble countertop. They also selected rounded forms for several pieces and installed a recessed medicine cabinet for storage.
How long was the family without a shower?
McQuade said the family went without a shower for two weeks during the renovation. They used showers at a local YMCA and a friend’s house.
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