P O W E R S H O W E R

Multicolor tiles that

protect water-prone

walls create an

unbroken canvas that

visually expands Mike

and Jackie Dinkins’

bath. A curved bar

brings the curtain out

slightly from the tub,

making the shower

more spacious when

the curtain is closed.

s q u e e z e p ie t y A sophisticated, upbeat redo

gives this couple a tnt more room to groom.

When you live in a one-bath house, as Mike and Jackie Dinkins do, jockeying for space in front of the sink

is simply part of the morning grind. “We tease each other and say, ‘Hey, why don’t you use the other

bathroom?”’ Mike says. These days, the joking is easier to take. The bath in their 1930s Kansas home is

still small, but newly remodeled, it has more elbowroom. “Our goal was to make something functional and

long-lasting—that looks as bigas possible,” Mike says.

Space-stretching moves came by first swapping the location of the toilet and bulky sink cabinet that

butted up to the shower. Now the most-used part of the room is less congested. The compact open vanity

Mike built also brings a visual lightness, although it meant givingup storage space. The solution: Mine

wall space with a built-in cabinet on the room’s entry wall. “We call it our giant medicine chest,” Mike

says. Other space enhancers are more subtle, such as the 3><4-foot mirror and the light bar that span the

wall above the sink and toilet. Now, it’s easier for Mike and Jackie to double up when they’re getting ready.

5 8

AUGUST 2010

B ETTER H O M ES AND GARDEN S

P H O T O S : B O B G R E E N S P A N ; P R O D U C E D BY S U S A N A N D R E W S