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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 worsened. They reported spending $17,000 on supplies and hired labor, using a mix of subcontractors and their own work to create a bright, vintage-inspired room.
Nicole McQuade and her husband renovated the 40-square-foot bathroom in their historic Richmond, Virginia, home after its aging plumbing and electrical systems became a concern, Apartment Therapy reported. The couple said they spent $17,000 on supplies and hired labor, combining subcontractors with do-it-yourself work to give the room a bright, vintage-inspired look.
The bathroom had been renovated in the 1980s, and the couple experienced plumbing and electrical problems over the years. The immediate prompt to act came when water barely flowed from the sink faucet. McQuade said their plumber warned that the plumbing issue could become an emergency. The couple had wanted to renovate since moving into the home eight years earlier, but had left the room mostly untouched while saving and planning.
They sought contractor estimates to understand the project’s likely cost. McQuade said bids ranged from $30,000 to $50,000 for the small bathroom, without moving plumbing or selecting premium materials. The couple could not afford those estimates, so they spent years planning, found subcontractors within their budget and oversaw the work themselves. Apartment Therapy reports the final spending as $17,000 for supplies and hired labor; the source does not provide a detailed itemized budget.
The couple handled demolition, wall repairs, Roman clay painting and sewing curtains themselves. They used a creamy white Roman clay finish, terrazzo floor tile, a bronze showerhead and matching sink faucet, and a marble countertop. Rounded shapes in the vanity and countertop, along with a recessed medicine cabinet, were chosen for the compact room. The family’s only full bathroom was without a shower for two weeks during the renovation, McQuade said.
A Cost-Conscious Fix for Aging Systems
The renovation was not only a design update: it addressed deteriorating plumbing and electrical systems in a home more than a century old. The weak sink flow and plumber’s warning gave the couple a practical reason to proceed after years of postponing the project.
The reported gap between the contractor estimates and the couple’s final spending shows how they managed the project, but it is not a like-for-like price comparison. The $17,000 figure includes supplies and hired labor, while the article does not detail what each contractor bid covered or provide a full breakdown of the final costs. Their approach also depended on taking on demolition, repairs, painting and sewing themselves, as well as coordinating subcontractors.
For readers with a small bathroom, the project offers a specific example of pairing updated infrastructure with period-inspired finishes. The couple’s choices—compact rounded forms, a recessed cabinet and carefully selected materials—were intended to suit both the room’s size and the home’s historic character. The report does not establish that this budget or design would translate to other homes.
vintage style bronze bathroom sink faucet
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Years of Planning, Then Two Weeks Without a Shower
McQuade told Apartment Therapy that the couple had disliked the bathroom since moving into the Richmond home eight years earlier. They knew a quick paint job would not address the larger issues and spent time saving and deciding what to do. The room had already received a renovation in the 1980s, according to the report, and its plumbing and electrical systems had become a concern.
The home’s age and location in a historic district formed part of the couple’s project context. McQuade cited contractor prices as a reason they could not proceed with the estimates they received. The source does not say that historic-district rules caused the high bids or describe any permits or approvals, so those details cannot be assumed.
Design decisions were also made over time. McQuade said the couple searched for distinctive fixtures and a suitable marble remnant, tested Roman clay colors and looked through vintage rugs. They wanted the room to feel as though it could have belonged in the house for a century while updating the systems behind the walls. Their only full bathroom was out of service for showering for two weeks; the family used the local YMCA and a friend’s home.
“Since the day we moved in, we’ve hated this bathroom, but knew that a quick paint job wasn’t going to do much, so it has been largely untouched while we saved money and figured out what to do.”
— Nicole McQuade, speaking to Apartment Therapy
Project Costs and Approvals Not Detailed
The source gives a total of $17,000 for supplies and hired labor, but does not itemize the costs, specify how much work subcontractors performed or say whether the figure includes every expense. It also does not explain what was included in the $30,000 to $50,000 estimates, so readers cannot directly compare the bids with the reported final spending.
The report does not identify the exact plumbing and electrical work completed, whether permits or historic-district approvals were required, or the project’s completion date. It also provides no independent verification of the couple’s spending or the plumber’s assessment. Those details remain unreported, rather than evidence that any particular work or approval was omitted.
No Further Project Update Reported
Apartment Therapy’s account describes the completed bathroom and the decisions behind it; it does not announce another renovation stage or give a date for further work. The next developments, if any, would depend on whether the couple shares additional details about the project, its costs or the historic-home work.
For readers considering similar renovations, the reported experience points to the couple’s own next steps: obtain project-specific estimates, clarify what each quote covers and plan around loss of bathroom access. Plumbing and electrical conditions vary by home, and this report does not provide a technical assessment or a transferable cost estimate.
Key Questions
How much did the bathroom renovation cost?
McQuade told Apartment Therapy that the couple spent $17,000 on supplies and hired labor. The article does not provide an itemized budget or clarify whether that amount includes every project expense.
How large was the bathroom?
The bathroom was 40 square feet, according to Apartment Therapy.
Why did the couple decide to renovate?
The bathroom’s plumbing and electrical systems were old, and water eventually barely came out of the sink faucet. McQuade said their plumber warned that the plumbing could lead to an emergency.
What parts of the renovation did they do themselves?
The couple handled demolition, wall repairs, Roman clay painting and sewing the curtains. They also found subcontractors within their budget and oversaw the work.
How long did the family go without a shower?
McQuade said the family was without a shower for two weeks during the repairs. They showered at a local YMCA and a friend’s house.
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