Not every bathroom needs to be gutted. Bathroom updates in Nashville homes are often one or two pieces that have worn out or gone out of style: a vanity with a swollen base, a toilet that runs, a tile floor with cracked pieces, or a light over the mirror that never gave enough light. Changing those pieces on the layout you already have can make the room feel new without tearing it down to the studs.
Salt and Cedar Home Remodeling is a locally owned remodeling company in Nashville. Kitchens are the core of what we do, and bathroom updates use the same skills: cabinets, counters, tile, fixtures and finish work. We take on these smaller jobs one at a time or a few together, and you have one point of contact from the first visit to the final walkthrough.
This page covers the updates homeowners ask about most, what each one involves, and where the line falls between an update and a full bathroom remodel.
Vanity and Sink Replacement
The vanity is the piece you use most every day, and it takes a lot of water. Old vanities often have a swollen or soft cabinet floor under the sink from slow drips over time. A new vanity can add drawers, change the counter height, or swap a single sink for two if the room and the plumbing allow it.
We remove the old vanity, check the wall and floor behind it, and set the new one level and fastened to the wall. The sink, faucet and drain are connected to the existing supply and drain. If a line has to be added or moved, for example to center a sink in a wider vanity or to add a second sink, a plumber we bring in does that part. A vanity that is close in size to the old one is the simplest swap, because the floor and wall under it are already finished to that footprint.
Choosing a vanity size
Measure the space you have, then leave room for the door to swing and for drawers to open fully. Check where the supply valves and drain come out of the wall, since that decides where the sink can sit. If the new vanity is smaller than the old one, there may be a gap in the floor tile or paint where the old cabinet stood, so plan for that edge.
Toilet Replacement
Toilet replacement and toilet installation are some of the most common small bathroom jobs. A toilet that runs, rocks, or cracks at the tank is usually a candidate. Before choosing a new one, measure the rough-in, which is the distance from the finished wall to the center of the floor bolts. The new toilet needs to fit that measurement, or the drain has to be moved.
We shut off the water, remove the old toilet, and look at the flange and the floor around it. A soft floor around the base is a sign of an old leak, and it gets repaired before the new toilet goes down. The new toilet is set on a fresh wax ring or seal, bolted down so it does not rock, and connected to the existing supply line. If the drain needs to move, a plumber we bring in handles that.
Tile Backsplashes and Floors
Bathroom floor tile and bathroom tile installation come up whenever a floor has cracked pieces, stained grout, or a pattern that dates the room. Tile on the floor has to handle water and still feel steady underfoot, so texture and tile size matter as much as color. Smaller tiles mean more grout lines, which add grip.
A new tile floor in a bathroom usually means the toilet comes up and the vanity may come out, so floors are often paired with a toilet or vanity swap. The old tile is removed, the subfloor is checked for soft spots and repaired, and the new tile is set over a flat, solid base. Where the floor meets the tub or a wall, the joint gets caulk instead of grout so it can move without cracking.
A tile backsplash behind the vanity protects the wall from splashes and gives the counter a finished edge. It is a smaller job than a floor and can go in with a new vanity or on its own. If you want tile elsewhere in the house, read about tile flooring for kitchens, entries and laundry rooms.
Grab Bars and Safety Upgrades
Grab bars by the toilet and in the tub or shower make a bathroom safer for everyone, and they let many people stay in their home longer. Grab bar installation is about what the bar is attached to. A grab bar has to hold the full weight of a person who slips, so it is anchored into wood blocking or studs behind the wall, never just into drywall with plastic anchors.
Where there is no stud in the right place, blocking has to be added behind the wall. That is easiest when the wall is already open, such as during a tile job or a shower update, so it is worth planning grab bars at the same time as other work even if you do not install them yet. Other safety upgrades include a taller toilet, a handheld shower, and textured floor tile.
Mirror, Lighting and Fixture Swaps
Mirrors, lights, faucets, towel bars and paper holders are quick ways to change how a bathroom looks. Choosing finishes that match each other ties the room together, and a mirror sized to the vanity makes the whole wall look planned.
Bathroom light fixture installation is a straight swap when the new fixture goes on an existing electrical box. If you want a light where there is no box, new wiring, or a new circuit, that work goes to a licensed electrician. Heavy mirrors are hung into studs or with hardware rated for the weight, and towel bars and hooks get the same care, since they are pulled on every day.
Update or full remodel?
An update keeps the layout you have. The toilet, sink and shower stay where they are, and the pieces around them change. If you want to move the toilet, turn a tub into a walk-in shower, change the shower itself, or rework the layout, that is a full bathroom remodel, and we plan it differently. A small bathroom remodel can also make sense when several pieces are worn out at once, since the floor, vanity and toilet are tied together.
If you are not sure which side of the line your bathroom falls on, we can look at it with you and talk through both options.
How a bathroom update runs with us
It starts with a visit. We look at the room, the pieces you want to change, and what is behind and under them, then talk through options with you. You get a free estimate that lays out the work. On the day, we protect the floors on the way in, shut off the water where needed, and do the work. At the end, we walk the room with you before the job is called done.
If you have a list of small fixes around the house too, read about our handyman services. When you are ready, tell us about your bathroom.
Why homeowners call us for bathroom updates
- One point of contact. We run the job from the first visit to the final walkthrough, so you are not passed between people.
- Plumbing and electrical handled. When a line has to be added or moved, a plumber we bring in does it. When new wiring is needed, a licensed electrician does it.
- Cabinet and tile work we know. Kitchens are the core of what Salt and Cedar does, and vanities, counters and tile are the same kind of work.
- Locally owned in Nashville. We serve Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville, Mt. Juliet, Nolensville, Hermitage and Bellevue.