PROJECT STORY · CONDO BATHROOM RENOVATION · KING WEST, TORONTO
How We Fixed the Layout of a King West Condo Bathroom
At 705 King Street West, Toronto, a carefully planned pocket door, walk-in shower and fixture layout made this compact condo bathroom substantially easier to enter and use.
- Location
- 705 King Street West, Toronto
- Project
- Complete primary-bathroom renovation
- Original problem
- Swinging door and toilet restricted access to the bathtub
- Layout changes
- Pocket door, walk-in shower and relocated shower controls
- Work
- Demolition, plumbing, electrical, pot lights, tile, fixtures, vanity and finishing
- Condo logistics
- Elevator booking, staged deliveries, common-area protection and trade coordination
- Related service
- Bathroom Renovation
- PLANNING A CONDO BATHROOM?
Original layout
The bathroom was difficult to enter before the renovation even began.
At 705 King Street West, Toronto, the original bathroom contained a bathtub, toilet and long vanity, but their relationship made the room awkward to use. The entrance door swung inward across valuable floor area. When it opened, it occupied the same approach needed to reach much of the bathtub, while the toilet narrowed the remaining route on the other side.
The photographs do not establish exact room dimensions, but they clearly show the circulation conflict. A person entering had to negotiate the door, toilet and tub edge before using any fixture. The renovation therefore began with the floor plan rather than a simple exchange of old finishes for new ones.
Bathing area
Replacing the bathtub created a more practical shower zone.
The original tub occupied the full bathing wall and relied on a curtain. Its controls were positioned for the bathtub arrangement rather than for convenient use from the room. Because the door already interfered with the approach, retaining the same bathing configuration would have preserved the central layout problem.
Replacing the bathtub with a walk-in shower allowed the renovation to reconsider where the enclosure, entry and controls belonged. The finished photographs show a glass shower with brighter surfaces and open sightlines, without supporting an unsupported claim that the shower is curbless.
Condo logistics
In a downtown condo, demolition begins with the elevator reservation.
Condo buildings commonly require insurance documents, WSIB information where applicable, renovation forms, elevator reservations and common-area protection. Requirements vary, so the practical first step is confirming the corporation's current process before demolition equipment, protection materials or debris carts arrive.
This project required a full demolition window, service-elevator coordination and protection through the approved route. When the reserved elevator period ends, another resident or contractor may have the next booking. Missing equipment or material cannot simply be moved upstairs whenever it becomes convenient. Debris removal and later material staging therefore had to fit the access plan.
Rough-ins
The new layout had to be settled before the walls were closed.
After demolition, the room was open for the connected work that could not be deferred until finishing. The plumber and electrician had to be scheduled while the walls remained accessible. Plumbing was altered for the new shower configuration, the control position was changed, and pot lights were incorporated into the lighting plan.
Pocket-door construction also depends on available wall cavity space and the location of utilities. The door path, shower entry, controls, vanity, toilet and lighting therefore had to be coordinated before closing and finishing the walls. The photographs show exposed wall services and active trade work without establishing brands, wiring specifications, permit status or concealed construction details.
Doorway
The pocket door gave the floor plan back to the bathroom.
A conventional inward-swinging door would continue to intrude on the compact bathroom, while reversing it could project into the adjoining living space. The matched doorway photographs show why a pocket door was useful here: the original hinged slab occupied the room, while the completed door withdraws into the wall and leaves the passage open.
A pocket door is not automatic for every bathroom. Wall structure, utilities and sufficient cavity space must be reviewed first. In this King West room, resolving those conditions as part of the complete layout allowed the doorway to stop competing with the toilet, vanity and shower approach.
Shower controls
The shower controls were moved where they could be reached before stepping inside.
The completed control is positioned near the shower entrance rather than forcing the user to reach toward the far wall. That lets the client turn on and adjust the water before stepping fully inside. It is a small planning decision with a direct everyday benefit.
Shower controls can often be relocated during renovation when the plumbing route and wall conditions allow it. Here, their location was considered together with the glass enclosure, entry path and handheld shower so the bathing area reflects how the client would actually approach and use it.
Fixtures and openness
Lighter fixtures made the compact room feel less crowded.
The finished room combines a floating vanity, modern toilet, glass shower and bright wall surfaces. Raising the vanity exposes more floor beneath it, while the more compact toilet reduces the visual bulk that previously narrowed the approach. Glass keeps the shower visible as part of the room rather than closing it behind a curtain.
These choices do not add floor area, but they improve how much of the room can be seen at once. The wider views show a clearer path from the pocket-door opening to the vanity, toilet and walk-in shower, which is the practical outcome of planning the fixtures as one layout.
Lighting and surfaces
Pot lights and brighter surfaces completed the layout change.
Reworking circulation solved the main functional problem, but the lighting and finish choices make that improvement legible. Pot lights provide clean overhead illumination across the shower and vanity zones, while the brighter wall surfaces reflect light through the room and around the glass enclosure.
Homeowners planning connected work can review Strataline's bathroom renovation service and broader interior-renovation approach. The useful lesson from this project is to settle access, fixture positions and rough-ins before treating tile, lighting and paint as separate decorative decisions.
FINISHED PROJECT
The completed King West bathroom from every angle
Planning value
What this project shows homeowners
- Confirm the condo corporation's current renovation and service-elevator process before scheduling demolition.
- Stage equipment, debris removal and later material deliveries around the reserved access window.
- Finalize the door, shower entry and control positions before plumbing and electrical rough-ins begin.
- Review wall structure and utilities before assuming a pocket door will fit another bathroom.
- Treat vanity, toilet, glass, lighting and tile as parts of one compact visual layout.
Planning answers
What homeowners can learn from this project
How can a pocket door improve a small condo bathroom?
It removes the clearance required by a hinged slab. In this King West bathroom, the door withdraws into the wall and stops competing with the toilet, vanity and shower approach; another room still requires a suitable wall cavity and utility review.
Can shower controls be relocated during renovation?
They often can when the plumbing route and wall conditions permit. Here, the control was moved near the shower entrance so the client can turn on and adjust the water before stepping fully inside.
Why does bathroom demolition require advance condo planning?
Equipment, protection and debris movement must follow building access rules. Reserving the service elevator and demolition window lets the crew bring up the required equipment and remove debris during the approved period.
What documents may a condo corporation require from a contractor?
Requirements vary, but corporations commonly request renovation forms, insurance documents and WSIB information where applicable, along with details about common-area protection and building access.
Why must service-elevator reservations be planned carefully?
Another resident or contractor may have the next booking. Tools, equipment, debris carts and later material deliveries therefore need to be staged around the reserved access instead of moved whenever convenient.
How does a floating vanity affect a small bathroom visually?
It exposes more visible floor and reduces the amount of cabinetry meeting the floor. In this project, that helps the central route appear clearer beside the modern toilet and glass shower.
Should a bathroom layout be finalized before plumbing and electrical rough-ins?
Yes. This project required the shower, control, pocket door, vanity, toilet and pot-light positions to be coordinated while the walls were open, before finishes concealed the connected work.
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