Lake of the Pines Walk-In Shower
A 1980s lakefront primary bath in Lake of the Pines, used as a second home. We replaced a fiberglass tub-shower combo with a low-threshold walk-in shower over the daylight basement and sent the owners weekly photo updates while they were away.
IllustrationIllustration — representative of the finished design, not a photograph of this job. Photos of our recent foothill work are on the projects page.
This 1980s lakefront home in Lake of the Pines is a second home, so the owners weren't on site during the work. The 8×10 ft primary bath had a fiberglass tub-shower combo over a daylight basement, a single oak vanity, and a window facing the lake that the design needed to protect and feature.
What we changed
- Replaced the tub-shower combo with a low-threshold walk-in shower, keeping a 1″ tile-clad curb because there is living space in the daylight basement below
- Built a stone-tile shower with a built-in bench facing the lake window
- Replaced the single oak vanity with warm walnut on a honed quartz counter
- Planned the lighting around the daylight: minimal sconces outside the shower zone and one shower-rated recessed light directly above the shower
Permit: Nevada County, despite the Auburn address
Lake of the Pines homes have an Auburn mailing address (95602), but the community is unincorporated Nevada County — so the permit came from Nevada County, not the City of Auburn or Placer County. The Nevada County permit guide covers how that process works. Because the home was built before 1994, California Civil Code §1101.4 also requires any noncompliant plumbing fixtures to be replaced before the permit is finaled.
Result
A walk-in shower with a bench facing the lake, finishes chosen to be easy to keep between visits, and a project the owners followed through weekly photo updates rather than site visits.
