Primary Bath Remodel · Design concept

Symmetrical primary bath

Centered freestanding soaking tub on a fluted-tile feature wall, mirrored his-and-hers walnut vanities with quartzite counters and brushed-brass faucets, heated porcelain floor, and a layout that lines the tub up with a live-oak window view.

This is a design concept — a photo-real rendering of a typical project, with the scope, materials and schedule a build like it usually involves. Your project gets its own scope and itemized estimate after a free in-home walk-through.

Get my free estimate About primary bath remodel

Typical timeline

~28 working days

Service

Primary Bath Remodel

Scope tier

Luxury scope

Symmetrical primary bath — design concept rendering

The scenario

A typical starting point

A 2000s primary bath with two undersized vanities, a corner tub no one used, and a layout that ignored the room's best feature — a tall west-facing window framed by a mature live oak. The homeowners wanted symmetry — equal walnut vanities facing each other — and a freestanding tub centered on the window so the view becomes the focal point of the room. We rebuilt the room around two clean axes: the tub axis (centered on the window) and the vanity axis (perfectly mirrored).

The scope

What's in the scope

A scope checklist is how every Tanbark project starts. Below is the checklist for a project like this — the same level of specificity goes into the itemized estimate you'll get after your in-home walk-through.

Full demo back to studs in the wet zone
Layout change: corner tub out, freestanding tub centered on the window
Symmetric his-and-hers walnut vanities with custom drawer layouts
Honed quartzite counters with mitered edge
Fluted-tile feature wall behind the tub, floor-to-ceiling
Heated porcelain floor with smart programmable thermostat
Brushed-brass faucetry (unlacquered, designed to patina)
Layered lighting with three dimmable circuits
Plumbing + electrical permits with Placer County

Materials + finishes

What we'd specify

Finishes are what make a build feel custom — and the cheap version of every line below is the difference between a one-year project and a twenty-year project.

Walnut his-and-hers vanities with custom drawer layouts
Honed quartzite counter with full-thickness mitered edge
Fluted ceramic feature-wall tile (vertical grain), warm cream
Heated porcelain floor with smart programmable thermostat
Unlacquered brushed-brass faucetry (designed to patina)
Frameless 3/8" tempered shower glass

Day by day

A typical 28-working-day schedule

Here's how a project like this usually breaks down. Your exact day count lives in your written estimate.

1
Demo + protection
Day 1-3
Full demo back to studs, floor-to-finish-door floor protection laid for the whole project.
2
Rough-in
Day 4-9
Plumbing re-routed for the freestanding tub, electrical for radiant heat + lighting.
3
Floor + heat
Day 10-14
Heated mat laid, porcelain floor set, grouted, sealed.
4
Feature wall + tub
Day 15-19
Fluted tile set floor-to-ceiling, tub placed and centered on the window.
5
Vanities + counters
Day 20-24
Symmetric walnut vanities hung, quartzite counters templated and set with mitered edges.
6
Fixtures + lighting
Day 25-27
Unlacquered brass fixtures across vanities + tub, three-circuit dimmable lighting wired.
7
Inspection + reveal
Day 28
Placer County final inspection, deep clean, walk-through, warranty handover.

Why it matters

The details that make it work

Symmetry is hard — it requires both vanities to be exactly the same width, the same drawer layout, and the same plumbing rough-in distance. Easy to draw, harder to execute.
Centering the tub on the window is a free design move that completely changes how the room reads.
Unlacquered brass is the right move for clients who want their home to *age*. Lacquered brass eventually flakes; unlacquered just patinas.

Free · No spam · No phone calls

Want the same scope-checklist for your project?

Grab the free 2026 Sacramento Remodel Planning Kit — the scope worksheet, contractor question list, and material spec sheet behind a primary bath remodel like this one.

Scope-Built Quote Worksheet — for apples-to-apples bids
10 questions every Sacramento contractor should answer
Sacramento permit reality check by jurisdiction
The 5 line items that blow most remodel budgets
Material + finish cheat sheet (what to spec, what to skip)

About the number on a project like this:

We don't publish project totals because the same build can cost very differently depending on the home, the existing conditions, the finish level you actually want, and how much custom millwork or stone the design calls for. The right number for your project lives in your itemized written estimate, which we deliver within 48 hours of your in-home walk-through.

On the walk we bring the same scope-checklist approach you see above. By the end of the visit you'll know exactly which line items are fixed scope, which are selections, and where the real budget pressure lives.

Articles about this kind of project

Sacramento-area context for a primary bath remodel like this — permits, timeline drivers, and scope decisions.

Article · Folsom

Folsom primary bath remodel: how scope tiers actually differ

Refresh, mid-tier, premium, luxury — four scope tiers for a Folsom primary bathroom remodel. What's in each, what's not, and how to pick the tier that fits your home and your timeline.

Keep reading

Article · Sacramento

Sacramento bathroom remodel permits: a city-by-city homeowner's guide

Which bathroom remodels need permits in Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom, Granite Bay, El Dorado Hills, and the surrounding cities — and what each jurisdiction actually requires for inspection.

Keep reading

Article · Sacramento

Curbless ADA showers in Sacramento: planning an aging-in-place primary bathroom

What a real curbless ADA-friendly shower needs in a Sacramento home — continuous waterproofing, slip-rated porcelain, blocking for grab bars, and the design moves that make it look like a designer shower, not a hospital.

Keep reading

Next step