bathroom adjustments

The bathroom is mostly complete.  The contractor packed up his tools on Friday and won't return until the linen closet door is finished and ready for installation.  So while I wait to take the official AFTER photos, I thought I'd give you a sneak peak into the space and some of the adjustments we made during construction.  If you're curious where we started, you can check out the original lookbook here.

We used a marble mosaic from The Tile Shop on the floor instead of the black and white ceramic mosaic originally planned.  And because of this, I don't think I need to add the Aztec Diamond bath rug.  We'll continue to use our basic white bath rugs that won't compete with the loveliness of the floor.

I painted the walls Heaven by Benjamin Moore, matched in Valspar Ultra.  It's probably a bit too lavender for my husband's tastes, but I think it suits the pops of citrine on the shower curtain and stool well.

I ordered the Miley scones shown in the original lookbook for the room but didn't end up using them.  The Miley sconce is an up light, where the shade sits on top of the fixture and directs the light up.  My initial design provided for a sconce where the shade hung down from the fixture, or a down light. The mounting height for the down light was 6'-3", higher than where I would have located an up light sconce.  When I picked the Miley sconce, I never revised my elevation drawing to show a new mounting height and so when I returned from vacation and the electrical rough was already done, I realized that I needed to find a down light fixture to use instead.  I ended up with the Moen Iso Vanity Light in chrome.  They are larger than the original sconces I selected and so help to fill the space flanking the mirror better.  And they worked with the rough height I originally specified in my drawing.

I also eliminated one row of wall tile to bring the overall height of the wainscot down.  The bathroom doesn't have the highest of ceilings and I didn't want to make them feel even lower by taking the tile too high.  The final wainscot height ended up being about 42" above the finished floor.  Instead of being capped by a two-inch high bullnose tile, I used the full size bullnose tile available in the same line as the wall field tile, Daltile's Lillis White with a matte finish.

 

I also decided to use bathroom fixtures that were more minimal in appearance than those I had originally proposed.  The shower trim, tub spout, and sink faucet are all from the Amalfi line by Danze in polished chrome.  You'll also notice that we went with a large medicine cabinet, the largest single door cabinet we could find, in lieu of a round mirror.  We decided that the additional storage a medicine cabinet would provide in a house with such limited storage space would be more attractive to buyers.  This Nutone Simplicity cabinet is gigantic!  Both Ted and I can stand and use the mirror at the same time without fighting each other and the extra deep design accommodates products that we used to have to keep elsewhere.

I couldn't be happier with how the space is functioning for us so far.  I've been pleased that even when our 80-lb dog, Henry, wanders in while I'm giving Ella a bath, I still feel like we all have space to move around.  Heck, it might actually be one of the only rooms in the house he can sprawl out on the floor and not be in the way.

bathroom vanity knobs

I knew that when we chose to use IKEA's HEMNES sink cabinet in the new bathroom I would be replacing its standard knobs with something more unique.  I've just started looking at some options and am trying to decide among a crowded field.  Here are a few contenders.

The Octadic Knob from Anthropologie is a pretty straight forward choice.  Lime knob, citrine stripe shower curtain, and dip-dyed citrine stool - maybe too matchy-matchy, but I like the idea of adding some color here.

I've been eyeing the Cloisonne Diamond Knob from West Elm too.  I love the sleek, graphic black, white, and taupe design.   And they're currently on sale (bonus)!

And then yesterday, while I was at Home Depot picking up a few things for the bathroom, I spotted these, the Vesper Knob from Liberty Hardware.  I promise they look much better in person than they do in this photo.  And super bonus, these guys come in at just under $3.00 a knob which in reno-to-sell world is a good thing.

some more bathroom progress

I love our contractors and they do great work BUT they are so slow!  We returned home just over a week ago now and we are still showering at the Y.  Even Ella, who got a kick out of our frequent trips to the Y to shower at first, seems to be tiring of the whole process.  She asks me at least once a day if she can take a bath in her new bathtub.  Sigh . . .

Despite my dissatisfaction with the schedule, I am very happy with the way the bathroom is looking.

All of tile is in except for a few remaining bullnose pieces around the shower niche.  Calculating tile amounts for a tile job of this size was quite new to me.  I over ordered the wall tile and black liner accent tiles, but severely underestimated the number of bullnose pieces I would need due to the three outside corners in the bathroom.  I am happy to say, however, that I was dead on with the floor tile.  And this is the first time I've been able to see it all uncovered.  I'm so glad that we went with the marble instead of the ceramic.  It adds another texture to the mix which this large space can certainly handle.

Everything was just grouted today and soon, I'll be priming and painting the walls and ceiling before the light fixtures, medicine cabinet, and recessed fixture trims are installed.  We are also waiting on the door for the new linen closet.  I tried to track down a door at local architectural salvage yards and recycling centers with no luck, so we are having a new wood door made to match the rest throughout the house.

Would it be wrong to just paint the bathroom white?  If not white, perhaps a very pale shade of grey/blue?

bathroom progress

When I returned from Cincinnati, two weeks ago now (Where does the time go?), I was so excited to see the progress that had been made in the bathroom.  Ted had been sending me photos but there's nothing like seeing things in person.  Though I use my floor plans to check (and double check) clearances and measurements, it's always fun to see how the space actually feels when partitions go up.  You get a sense of the space that is impossible to get from a drawing.

The contractors had completed most of the rough plumbing, installed the new subfloor and even some of the cement board (the underlayment for the tile).  Ella's new closet had been framed and the new supply duct to the bathroom had been reconfigured.  It seemed a lot of progress was being made until everything sort of came to a halt with the installation of the new tub.  After it was removed from the box the day after I returned, we discovered that a corner of the front apron, or skirt, was cracked.  It had to be repackaged and returned to the store and a replacement tub couldn't be delivered until March 7th!  So we had to scrap that tub model (and unfortunately drop a bit more cash) to get one with similar specifications that the plumbing supplier had in stock, or at least that could be trucked from their warehouse next day.

But seeing all of the tile in person and in the same room helped to steer my attention away from the tub calamity.  So I went to work laying some of it out to see how everything would look together.  We ultimately decided to go with a marble mosaic floor tile as opposed to the ceramic mosaic I showed in the lookbook.  The marble floor is polished, but the white 4" x 16" wall tile has a matte finish.  The 1/2" x 6" black liner accent band has a gloss finish which ties the floor sheen and wall tile installation together nicely.  My biggest concern was that the modern proportions of the white wall tile wouldn't work with the classic style of the floor mosaic.  Frankly, I'm still a little unsure about it all but I like the idea of the mix so I'm not going to change directions now because at some point, you just have to call it.

bathroom BEFORE

I quickly snapped a few photos of the bathroom before getting the little one and I out of the house and out of town to avoid the demolition dust.  Just take a look at this beauty!  Prior to the plan to completely renovate the bathroom, we had plans to paint the room, hang some things above the tub, and generally make it look moderately better.  As good as a room with brown floor tile, a yellowed and peeling tub in need of re-glazing, and what I like to call the prison shower, could look.

The great thing about this bathroom is how spacious it actually is.  But it is super underutilized in it's current arrangement.  I am looking forward to gaining a large linen closet, a usable bedroom closet for Ella, and a great soaking tub without a peeling finish.  I am also excited about gaining some counter space with a real, live vanity!  Check out the plan here and here (just in case you forgot).

bathroom lookbook

How time has flown!  I can't believe that in just a week time our bathroom remodel will start.  It is the next room to be completely renovated in this house of ours and I've been struggling with what it should be versus what I, or my husband, might want it to be.  In trying to stay focused on our goal of resale value, I have arrived at the following - a mix of classic tile and fixtures true to the age and style of our home with some fun and lively pops of color and texture in the changeable accessories.  If you need a memory jog, the existing and new floor plans can be found here.

1_ HEMNES Sink Cabinet in White with RATTVIKEN Sink by IKEA  This cabinet and sink combo was a given for us based on it's price and classic style.  I plan to replace the standard knobs with something a bit more special.  Maybe these in green or even these. 

2_ Grant Mirror from Schoolhouse Electric in Aqua  I've been thinking about giving up on a medicine cabinet, especially now that we'll have a sink cabinet to store items in, and I've been looking at this mirror for a long time.  It's a great place to sneak some color into the room, although at just 20" in diameter, this might be too small, proportionally, for our space.  Still, it has inspired me to look for an appropriately sized mirror from elsewhere and give the frame a coat of color.

3_ Miley Sconce by Hinkley Lighting in Chrome  I think these sconce fixtures walk the line between classic and minimal and so, we're going with them.  We'll install two, one on either side of the mirror.

4_ Nate Berkus Aztec Diamond Bath Rug from Target  I love the texture this rug will add to the room.  With all of the sleek, hard tile on the floor and walls, this rug will really help to warm the space up.  Otherwise, I fear the space might feel a bit sterile.

5_ Daltile Lillis Matte White 4" x 16" Glazed Ceramic Tile with Daltile Semi-Gloss Black Flat 1/2" x 6" Ceramic Liner Tile, both available from Home Depot  We will be using this combo for both the tub/shower surround and a tile wainscot around the entire bathroom.  The black liner tile will occur at the top of the wainscot as shown in the mock-up above, with one additional row just above the tile base.

6_  Dip Dyed Stool in Citrine by Serena and Lily  We'll need a place to perch while giving Ella a bath, and I love both the pop of color and natural feel this stool introduces to the room.

7_ Daltile Matte White with Black Dot 12" x 12" Ceramic Octagon/Dot Mosaic available at Home Depot  This was a classic go to for the floor.  It doesn't get any more basic than this but it's a floor that will, at least stylistically, stand the test of time.  And it will coordinate nicely with the black and white tile theme throughout the bathroom.

8_ Stripe Shower Curtain in Citron by West Elm  This shower curtain is simple but will also help introduce some color to the space.

9_ Portsmouth Single-Hole Bathroom Faucet in Polished Chrome by American Standard  We tried to spend modestly on the sink cabinet and faucet so that additional money could be spent elsewhere.  These are things that can be changed out easily by new owners if they decide they want something different, whereas tubs and tile cannot.  This sink faucet was a good buy and fit the classic styling and installation requirements of our sink top.

Ella and I will be heading out of town when the construction begins, while my husband will stick around to keep an eye on things.  We've been promised a quick turn around on this project by the contractor since we only have one bathroom in the house.  And I think it will be possible, especially considering the fact that we were able to inspect the condition of the bathroom plumbing during the kitchen remodel when they ceiling was taken down.  All of it had previously been replaced with new PVC and so I'm hopeful that there won't be too many setbacks.

kitchen: week 2 and . . . say hello to the bathroom

This past week, all of the electrical was completed in the kitchen - the recessed lighting was installed and the center pendant fixture was shifted to align with the center of the sink and the range, switches were moved, and outlets were shifted to correspond with the new plan.  And the drywall finally went up!  This coming week: mud, and hopefully the installation of the base cabinets.  I just ordered the backsplash tile and can't wait to head back to the stone yard to pick out a slab.

In the meantime, I've been working hard to finalize the plans for the bathroom remodel.  Plan options always seem to come to me fairly quickly.  It's the selecting of materials that takes me the most time.  And I've been doing it all online, for the most part, because it isn't easy hitting up showrooms with a two-year-old in tow.

Here is the existing plan of the bathroom.  It is a large space as bathrooms go, especially considering how small our house is.  We currently have both a freestanding, clawfoot tub and a small, stall shower. But what we have in bathing options, we lack in everything else, from storage to counter space.  Our current sink, a small pedestal sink, represents all that is bad about pedestal sinks.  There is barely space to rest a bar of soap on it's ledges, and, of course, no storage.  I do like pedestal sinks, in theory, for powder rooms and oft used guest bathrooms.  But for the only bathroom in a family home - no way!

The new bathroom will have a large soaking tub/shower combo.  We can fit a 36" wide tub, still 60" long.  It will definitely feel a bit more luxurious than the tiny-barely-enough-room-for-one-person shower that we have now.  And we'll get something that will allow for a deeper soaking depth than the current clawfoot.  A new vanity with lots of storage and additional cabinets across from the toilet will provide more than the double the amount of storage we currently have - a great thing when there isn't a separate linen closet.  And Ella's room will get a normal closet!  We don't want to do a lot of construction in her room so the door to the closet will stay the same.

And most importantly, we're gaining a lot more "walking around" space.  The clearances in the previous bathroom didn't allow for more than one person to move between the edge of sink and edge of tub.  And forget about more than one person using the sink at a time.

We're still getting the elevations figured out and I hope to post them next week.

happy family bathrooms

Now that we're signed up to have the kitchen renovated (they'll be coming on Friday, eek), we need to start thinking about the bathroom.  Just like in the kitchen, we plan to keep some of the current fixtures and reuse them in the new bathroom.  We're also planning to adjust the layout a bit in order to give Ella's room a more traditional closet - you'll see what I mean when I post the plan, but her closet is currently just 18" wide by 5'-0" deep.

I am torn between creating a modern, but classic bathroom with adult appeal or a more playful, kid-friendly bathroom.  I could definitely do a combination of the two ideas - something that is fun for us for now and could easily be revised for a potential buyer without kids (think neutral paint).  I've had my eyes on these fun spaces that just make me smile.  Perhaps Ella might learn to love bath time again . . .

from left to right: source 1 / source 2 / source 3 / source 4

on the boards: bathroom renovation

we travelled to Cincinnati this past weekend to check in on our current home project: a complete gut renovation of the small full bathroom in my previous home turned rental property. though this project was on my to-do list for the house, it was effectively put on hold when we moved. but after a series of mysterious leaks and the final discovery of large cracks in all of the drain and waste pipes, we had no other options. I am very thankful for our extremely patient and understanding tenents!

for this project, we needed to stick to a somewhat strict budget. because we no longer live there, it wasn't worth the expense to expand the small bathroom per previously conceived plans. I also had to temper my desire for pricey modern tiles and fixtures. but I am happy with the materials we found and think that the bathroom will be, like the remodeled kitchen, a clean and modern space. here is what is currently on the boards:

1_IKEA SAVERN Mirror, stainless steel
2_IKEA SAVERN Wall lamp, double, nickel plated
3_IKEA SAVERN Double hook, chrome plated
4_Danze Amalfi Single Handle Tub &Sower Faucet,chrome
5_IKEA LILLANGEN Sink cabinet with 2 doors, white
6_ceiling mounted curtain track, white, with ball chain drops and white subway tile. I am planning to use a medium grey grout with an 1/8" grout joint.
7_custom flat roman shade from The Shade Store in an Eames inspired dot pattern sheer fabric
8_The Tile Shop Soft Dreams Beige 13x13 inch porcelain floor tile
9_Benjamin Moore Cinder wall paint

now that the demolition is complete, the major work of re-plumbing the entire bathroom will begin. the waste stack from the basement to the bathroom is being replaced as well. I am looking forward to seeing this project completed in several weeks and will post more pictures as construction continues!