Two in One
MAXIMIZING SPACE X 2: BACK-TO-BACK INSTALLATION Mid-Century Single-Family Home - Kanata, Ontario
Susan Ozipko of the Canadian design firm sO Interiors installed two Geberit concealed prewall systems with a back-to-back vertical drain connector when renovating two residential bathrooms, increasing usable space and maintaining the existing footprints.
The Challenge
“The two bathrooms in the mid-century style home in Kanata, Ontario needed renovation. There was no space to increase the footprint of the bathrooms, so maximizing their attributes was an absolute necessity,” Ozipko says. “A natural progression of the design was to lift the toilets and vanities off the floor, increasing the visual footprint of the spaces.”
The Kanata homeowners wanted more bathroom and storage space in their two bathrooms, one a small ensuite and the other a powder room, while maintaining existing footprints and meeting budget parameters. The value of homes in Kanata, many in the vicinity of hi-tech companies, can reach a half-million dollars. City lots are small, and restrictions are in place that prevent the exterior expansion of homes and limit water usage.
The small rectangular-shaped ensuite was limited in space, merely 6 ft. x 8 ft., typical of homes built in Kanata during the 1950s. A shower took up one-third of the bathroom, leaving little space for the door, sink, and toilet. The half-bath, 8 ft. x 4 ft., was long and narrow, with the entrance door nearly as wide as the room and the toilet at the far end.
The Solution
“Since there was no space to increase the footprint of the bathrooms in the renovations, maximizing space was an absolute necessity. By using the Geberit concealed systems the visual footprint as well as the actual footprint was increased” explains Susan Ozipko. Ozipko chose a Geberit pre-wall 2x6 in-wall system because of its minimal height, which allowed space above the toilet for a cabinet. Geberit Sigma01 dual-flush plates in Alpine White and white Duravit Starck wall-hung toilets in both bathrooms complement the “light and white” look.
“Our customer wanted an easily accessible cabinet in the small main bath next to the sink as part of the renovation. The bath had a very restrictive footprint and wall space was very limited. We chose to mount the cabinet above a Geberit extended 8” pre-wall system, the exact same space the cabinet took up. Another Geberit pre-wall system was mounted in the half bath on the other side of the communal wall with a Geberit “back-to-back” connector, saving time, money, and plumbing costs,” says Ozipko.
The main bath shares a communal wall with the small and narrow 8 ft. x 4 ft. half bath (shown above). Using another Geberit pre-wall 2x6 system in the half bath’s wall cavity allowed space for a “back-to-back” connector to the main bath’s plumbing system, unusual in a residential home, saving space and installation time. Light wood cabinets for additional storage carry the same “light and white” aesthetic from the main bathroom. A wall-hung cabinet and faucet with a circular white ceramic sink and a wood finished floor with perpendicular tile visually expands the narrow half bath.
“The Geberit System provides unlimited flexibility in design and installations. The Geberit HDPE vertical connector with 2 x 90° bends allowed us to mount the toilets back-to-back, saving time, money, and space. The 1.6/0.8 GPF (6/3 LPF) system saves water and more than meets the water saving guidelines of the local municipality and, of course, meets the ICC/ANSI A117.1 requirements,” Ozipko concludes.
Design Firm: sO Interiors
Interior Designer: Susan Ozipko
Photography: Becca Wallace Photography