When you envision your dream bathroom, your vision doesn’t look exactly like anyone else’s. Sure, you may draw inspiration from Pinterest and HGTV, but how you piece all of those ideas together in a way that reflects your personal style and enhances how you use the space is what makes it truly yours.
That’s exactly what Shack Built did for this REMY award-winning project, where we renovated pieces of the client’s entire home—from the primary suite and powder room to the modern kitchen and bar—through thoughtful design and masterful craftsmanship.
The best part? We made it exciting for the homeowner, not stressful—because that’s the way it should be. Here’s an inside look at how we approached this one-of-a-kind bathroom remodel in Olathe, going far beyond builder-grade basics.
Step 1. Listen and Set Goals
Every project starts with putting all of your ideas on paper, so you—and we—can understand how everything comes together. We don’t give you a booklet of pre-made designs and finishes to choose from, but rather give you complete control and help you mesh and actualize your bathroom remodel ideas.
As a design-build company, Shack Built’s designers and contractors collaborate closely from the initial consultation to the final walkthrough, ensuring that everyone is on the same page at every step. During that consultation, you’ll meet with Cara, our designer, to put your ideas together. Then, after walking through your current space, we’ll brainstorm the logistics of how to bring it to life. Trust us, taking the time to plan every detail of your bathroom remodel near Mission Hills, Olathe, or, well, anywhere, saves you time, money, and stress.
→ Learn More About Our Collaborative Process
This Client’s Vision: Goodbye Early 2000s Aesthetic
For this project—including an extensive bathroom remodel—in Olathe, the client’s primary goal was to tailor her space to her personal taste, refreshing the (at the time) trending designs used when the house was constructed in 2004.
Beyond the aesthetic, she also wanted the interior of her home to align with her lifestyle, offering space for work, relaxation, and entertainment. She’s remodeled every home she’s lived in, so she came in with a clear vision.
Step 2. Get to Work
For the primary suite, specifically the bathroom, we created a list of action items to accomplish her goals, including:
- Replace the jetted tub with a freestanding tub and a mounted filler
- Remove the bench from the shower to create more space
- Paint the existing cabinetry
- Replace the countertops, sinks, cabinet hardware, lighting, and plumbing fixtures
- Rearrange the primary closet to accommodate the new powder bath in the entry hall
But, we also saw the bigger picture and considered her overarching goals, creating a harmonious blend of functionality and aesthetics that reflects her identity.
Making the Space Feel Bigger
One of the main goals for her bathroom remodel in Olathe was to make the space feel larger without increasing the square footage, requiring a highly intentional design. Beyond optimizing the layout, we expanded the shower to enhance functionality and luxury.
→ How to Make the Most of a Small Bathroom Remodel in Overland Park
Designing for Daily Life
We get it—it’s easy to focus on making your space look like it belongs in a magazine when planning your bathroom remodel in Olathe, but it also has to work in real life. That’s why working with a design-build team makes such a difference in your project’s success, as we understand how the design and functional elements work together long-term—something we call building science.
Smart Plumbing & Infrastructure
For this project, one of our objectives was to replace the jetted tub with a sleek, freestanding tub. While this may seem like a simple task from an aesthetic perspective, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes effort that goes into making that new bath work.
To accommodate the new bathtub, we ran new water and drain lines to connect to the plumbing. However, those lines had to reach a good distance, requiring a creative solution to hide that work in the basement. So, this new tub didn’t just transform the vibe of the room, but also made the experience of using the tub luxurious.
Shining a Light on Your Investment
Even small light fixtures can make a big difference in your space. When it comes to bathrooms, lighting is especially important, as you want a brightly lit space by the mirror, but maybe dimmable lighting in other spaces, like the shower. Beyond how the light fixtures themselves look, consider the color temperature—from warm to cool—and placement of the lights, which emphasizes specific design elements.
For this bathroom remodel in Olathe, we upgraded the vanity fixtures, complete with gold hardware to match other details in the space, alongside overhead lighting. In the powder room, the homeowner found a stunning fixture with dangling gems to act as a centerpiece in the space.
Details That Make It Yours
It’s one thing to have a beautiful bathroom, but it’s another to feel like it couldn’t belong to anyone else. Once you’ve nailed down the bigger picture, you can focus on the details like finishes, which can infuse more of your personal style into the space and make it function more seamlessly.
Artisanal Finishes
Every finish in this bathroom remodel in Olathe was chosen with intention. When we expanded the shower, we also replaced the dated tan walls—a staple of the early 2000s—with unique chevron tiles to act as an accent piece. We also retiled the double-sided fireplace with elegant marble, bringing style and warmth to the space.
In the powder room, the client chose brass hardware and a hand-painted artisanal sink, which acted as a focal point beneath the captivating light fixture. In this space, the client opted for black countertops so these special elements could truly take center stage.
Small, Special Pieces—Everywhere
This client’s finished space is filled with custom finishes you won’t find at your local hardware store. From the doorknobs and cabinet handles to the sink and tub filler, all of these small gold pieces work together to create a cohesive aesthetic.
This homeowner loves to showcase her treasured personal belongings, so we incorporated built-in shelving that’s just as beautiful as it is functional in the powder bath, kitchen, and bar area. This grants her even more creative freedom to display her decorative pieces however and wherever she sees fit, making it simple to adjust the feel of the space as her preferences evolve.
Overcoming Unexpected Challenges
Like most projects, this bathroom remodel in Olathe came with some unexpected hoops, requiring a precise strategy to jump through. While careful planning during the design phase helps reduce obstacles, no designer or contractor knows what’s going on beneath the surface until they break into it.
The Tile Dilemma
When we went to remove a bump in the shower wall with the niche—a recessed area—we discovered the opportunity to enlarge the shower, as we previously explained. However, doing so revealed an interference between the thickness of the client’s selected tiles and the existing inset for the wall cabinet and the proposed glass door hinge location.
To overcome these challenges, we moved the plumbing supplies inside the wall, and after identifying the exact thickness of all the materials related to this area, furred out the wall to fit them. “Furring” a wall consists of using thin wood or metal strips to raise the surface, which we often perform when soundproofing a room or to create a smoother, more level wall.
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→ Dos & Don’ts for Your Shower Remodel in Overland Park
Step 3. Show It Off
Once we’ve wrapped up the building phase, it’s time to show you your new space. This finished bathroom was modern and luxurious, but still functional for how the client uses the space.
This project won the Gold REMY Award in 2024 for residential interiors. The REMY Awards recognize the best remodeling projects in the Kansas City area among members of the Professional Remodeling Collective (PRC).
Our Promise to You
When we say we take pride in what we do, we mean it. That’s why when we do our final walkthrough of your bathroom remodel in Olathe, we take note of any last-minute adjustments you need, or adjustments we need to make to uphold our standard of excellence. After making any adjustments, we give you a year-long warranty, meaning that we’ll come back and fix anything that doesn’t remain at those standards for free.
Because you deserve honesty and accountability, even after the job is done.
We’re Taking the Stress Out of Remodeling
Shack Built didn’t become one of the most well-known renovation companies overnight—it took years of hard work. From exterior to interior design in Overland Park, we do it all, and we do it all to the highest standards.
Contact us to begin your project with professionals who not only know what they’re doing, but who truly care about your project and your satisfaction.
Work With an Award-Winning Team
Our team is just as interested in your project’s success as you are. We take pride in building lifelong relationships with our clients, not just beautiful homes. That—and our collection of 5-star reviews and REMY awards—is what sets us apart.
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