Luxury Spa Ensuite

Before & After

Before

After

The Design Challenge

The existing ensuite was a builder-grade bathroom from 2004 with a dated jetted tub nobody used, cramped glass-block shower stall, and vanity-to-wall cabinetry that consumed floor space. The homeowners wanted a spa-like experience without expanding the footprint.

Our Solution

Jon reconfigured the layout within the existing footprint by removing the jetted tub platform (reclaiming 18 square feet), replacing it with a freestanding soaker tub positioned beneath the window. The glass-block shower was demolished and replaced with a generous curbless walk-in shower featuring floor-to-ceiling large-format porcelain, a linear drain, and a frameless glass panel. The existing vanity was replaced with a custom floating double vanity in warm walnut with vessel sinks.

The Full Story

This Niagara-on-the-Lake ensuite had been functional but uninspiring for two decades. The homeowners, a couple approaching retirement, wanted to create a bathroom that felt like a daily retreat — a spa experience they could enjoy every morning without leaving home. They had collected inspiration photos from luxury hotel bathrooms and brought them to Jon during the initial consultation.

Jon's design immediately addressed the room's biggest limitation: the oversized jetted tub platform that dominated the space. By removing it and repositioning a sleek freestanding soaker tub beneath the window, Jon reclaimed nearly 18 square feet of floor area. That space became a generous walk-in shower with a curbless entry, allowing the heated porcelain floor tile to flow seamlessly from the bathroom into the shower.

The shower became the room's design centrepiece. Floor-to-ceiling 24"x48" porcelain tile in a warm Calacatta marble look, with a single accent wall of book-matched panels creating a dramatic focal point. A recessed niche with integrated LED lighting stores products without interrupting the clean tile planes. The curbless entry and linear drain create a zero-threshold transition that is both visually seamless and accessibility-friendly.

The heated floor system (Schluter DITRA-HEAT) was installed across the entire bathroom, including under the shower. Warm porcelain floors in a Niagara winter transform the bathroom experience. The custom floating vanity in warm walnut with integrated LED undermounting adds warmth and depth, while the vessel sinks in matte white ceramic complete the spa aesthetic.

Key Features