The Challenge
The homeowners in this South Loop condo were living with two bathrooms that had not been touched since the early 2000s. The primary and the guest bath still wore the same beige and brown builder-grade finishes they came with. The 120-square-foot primary and the 60-square-foot guest bath still functioned, but nothing about them matched how the rest of the home felt or how the homeowners actually live now. The goal was a pair of bathrooms that read fresh and modern together, with the primary in particular pushed toward the clean, crisp sanctuary the client described on day one.
Our Solution
To hit the vision without opening scope into walls that did not need to move, we kept both bathroom layouts exactly where they were and put the investment into gut-level material and fixture upgrades. In the 120-square-foot primary, we installed Carrara Chateau polished marble on the walls and floor and built a walk-in shower with a floating bench, two tile niches, and a custom glass enclosure sized to the space. Kohler brass fixtures, a semi-custom vanity, and updated lighting were selected specifically to sit inside the new marble palette. The 60-square-foot guest bath received the same gut-and-refresh treatment scaled to its role: a new Kohler soaking tub with a shower curtain, a new vanity, updated tile with a custom niche, and Kohler modern brass fixtures that tie the guest bath back to the primary without copying it. Running both bathrooms on a single bathroom remodeling timeline kept one trade pass per room and pulled the homeowners out of daily disruption as quickly as possible.
The Result
Six weeks after we started, both bathrooms read as one coordinated refresh rather than two projects done at different times. The primary now functions as the clean, crisp retreat the client asked for, with the walk-in shower, floating bench, and dual niches doing the quiet daily work of making the room feel larger than its footprint. The guest bathroom gives visitors a space that matches the rest of the home instead of fighting it. For homeowners in South Loop with multiple dated bathrooms sharing a condo, this project shows what's possible when layouts stay put and every material and fixture does meaningful work, an approach that also carries into our whole home remodeling in Chicago.
"We recently hired Wood Contracting to remodel two of our bathrooms, a full bath in hall and a master bath, both completely overhauled, and we couldn't be happier with the results! From start to finish, the team was professional, transparent with pricing, on time, and respectful of our home. They kept the workspace clean. Whenever they had a bag of trash it was taken out that day.Their expertise showed in the fine details—tile work, plumbing, and fixtures all look fantastic. Communication was excellent, and they kept the project moving on schedule. We highly recommend Wood Contracting for any bathroom remodeling needs and definitely will call them for any future projects."
