Understanding In-Wall Systems
UTILIZING EXISTING SPACE 1980s Colonial Home - Troy, Michigan
Ronda Ballard, Lead Designer at Borchert Kitchen and Bath in Washington, Michigan helped her customers understand the benefits of the Geberit in-wall system and gave them the updated master bathroom they wanted.
The Challenge
The original bathroom in a 1980s colonial-styled home in Troy, Michigan needed updating. The homeowners wanted more shower space in their L-shaped, 13x8 master bathroom and were skeptical of getting it without costly structural renovations. An adjacent two-story staircase and a wall-to-ceiling window made redesign difficult. The window could not be altered or reconfigured as it was part of the outside façade of the home, and the staircase did not allow for expanding the shower. Additionally, an old sliding-glass walk-in shower abutted the bathroom’s window, and an old floor-mounted toilet and tank were placed in an awkward and tight position near the shower. Exiting the shower meant side-stepping the toilet, leaving little space for maneuvering and safety.
The Solution
Ronda Ballard, Lead Designer at Borchert Kitchen and Bath in Washington, Michigan, recommended a Geberit in-wall toilet system. While her clients were unfamiliar with the in-wall tank and wall-hung toilet system, Ballard had visited the Geberit booth at the 2017 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and was impressed with the in-wall system’s benefits and features. In fact, she used the system in three bathroom designs prior to tackling the Troy, Michigan remodel.
Ballard showed her clients a design that removed a closet and utilized the Geberit in-wall tank and wall-hung toilet system to give them the larger shower they wanted. The resulting layout offered more free floor space without extensive structural renovation, at lower costs. The contractor on the job also endorsed the Geberit system, explaining to the homeowners that it’s easy to install and that all the working parts of the system are accessible behind the flush plate.
“Our customers were very pleased with the end results,” Ballard says, “especially the way the Geberit system opened up their floor space. We replaced the closet with a linen cabinet for storage space and maintained the integrity of the structure.”
On the design side, the bathroom was highlighted with quartz countertops and large format marble-look porcelain tile. A pewter paint was added to bring “definition” to the bathroom while the heated tile floor in wood-look porcelain anchored the room.
Ballard chose the wall-mount toilet carrier for 2x4 walls with dual-flush (1.6/0.8 GPF) Sigma concealed tank that conveniently fit the home’s existing structure. A white TOTO wall-hung toilet gives the bathroom an open, spacious feeling.
The final elegant touch Ballard chose was a Geberit Sigma30 flush plate in white with polished chrome accents, complementing the contemporary appeal of the bathroom. The Sigma30 offers intuitive dual-flush buttons, a large button for solids and a small button for liquids, giving an effective flush volume of 1.1 GPF (4 LPF) and saving thousands of gallons of water per year when compared with a standard toilet.
“Today our customers are happy with their easier-to-clean bathroom and freer access to the shower and toilet. New white blinds on the floor-to-ceiling window completed the renovation,” says Ballard. “Geberit in-wall systems helped keep costs down and gave us a satisfied customer.”