This 95-square-foot main bathroom is the only full bath for a Stoney Creek family of five, including three kids under twelve. The existing space had a fibreglass tub-shower insert that was cracking at the corners, a single-sink vanity with almost no counter space, and 12-inch ceramic floor tiles with grout lines that had turned permanently grey. The family needed a room that could take daily abuse, dry quickly, and still feel like a genuine upgrade.

We proposed a classic clean palette — white subway tile on the walls, penny-round mosaic tile on the floor, a warm wood double-sink vanity, and brushed nickel fixtures — chosen specifically because every element is easy to source for future repairs and timeless enough to outlast the next round of trends.

After removing the old fibreglass insert and vanity, we discovered water damage along the tub wall's bottom plate — not unusual for a home built in the late eighties. We replaced the affected studs, sistered the floor joists beneath the tub footprint, and applied a Kerdi waterproof membrane across all wet-area walls before any tile work started. The new alcove tub — a 60-inch cast-iron Kohler Bellwether — sits on a mortar bed for zero flex, surrounded by a three-wall subway tile surround running to the ceiling.

The floor is a classic white penny-round mosaic on mesh backing, set in a charcoal epoxy grout chosen for its stain resistance in a household where bath time involves a lot of splashing. A 48-inch warm wood vanity with two undermount sinks replaced the old 30-inch single, and we added a full-width mirror with integrated LED side lighting to open the room up visually.

The finished room is brighter, feels larger, and handles the daily routine of five people without showing wear. The cast-iron tub holds heat for longer baths, the subway tile surround wipes clean in seconds, and the penny tile floor dries faster than the old ceramic ever did thanks to its smaller format and sloped grout lines toward the floor drain. The double vanity eliminated the morning bottleneck entirely. Six months after handover, the homeowner sent us a photo of all three kids in the tub — the ultimate stress test — with the caption: "Still looks brand new."