Interior designer Ashley Macuga’s husband, Ben, was undergoing cancer treatment when something wildly unexpected happened—the couple got pregnant. “ We weren’t supposed to be able to because of the medicines, but lo and behold, we had a fourth child,” Macuga says. “Totally unexpected, but a total blessing; he’s the most incredible caboose, but our house was way too small for this little soul that decided to join us.”
The joyful surprise inspired the addition of a second level to their Southern California home, including a new primary bedroom with an en-suite bathroom. Yet just a month before breaking ground on the 16-month build-out, the couple faced devastating news: Ben’s cancer, once in remission, had returned. Conceived as a space for a growing family, the bathroom now had to serve as something more than a luxurious home extension—it needed to be a place of comfort and care.
Macuga designed a bathroom with ample space for two people to share comfortably, complete with a steam shower with two heads and a floating bench and a generous stand-alone tub for lingering soaks. “A bathroom should take care of you,” she says. “ Maybe in a different way than we typically think about, but it should.” While working on the project, costs ballooned unexpectedly—reaching well over six figures—and this doctrine became an important reminder when justifying the expenses.
Macuga pushed on with the reno, and when finished, the room served Ben well while undergoing treatments, up until he lost his battle with cancer three years after the renovation’s completion. Today, the space remains a lasting source of comfort for the family. Below, Macuga discusses the items that contributed to the extra costs and why she has no regrets.
AD: What was your initial budget, and how much did the room end up costing?
Macuga: I anticipated that the cost would be between $ 75,000 to $85,000; I was not expecting $135,000. One of the big hidden cost drivers in the bathroom was the steam shower. It was $6,500 for the mechanics alone, but I soon realized that was just the beginning.
