Thursday, March 03, 2011

happiness is a finished bathroom

well, it's one step closer to happiness. february may have been a bear of a month, with everyone in our entire, extended family getting fantastically sick, but at least one major thing was accomplished - the end of our bathroom renovation. as with the vast majority of "quick" renovations, this one was much longer and more costly than we'd ever imagined, especially since we didn't do it ourselves this time around. because it's our only bathroom, we decamped to d's parents' house for several weeks (but not before spending three fun-filled days and exciting nights camping out in a house with no bathroom right before Thanksgiving) while our contractor hurried to get the room in some kind of working order before Christmas and the arrival of houseguests.

when i look at the before and after, i sometimes wonder what all the fuss was about, as they aren't dramatically different - if you exclude the peeling plaster, bulging moisture-ridden walls, cracked tile, exposed lathing, and jury-rigged garden-spigot-as-shower of the original 1925 bathroom:

IMG_1171
but oh, i loved that deep wonderful cast iron tub




after living with this arrangement on and off for 30 years, it was time for a change. we basically kept the period style (read: subway tile and mosaic floors) with a few marine-inspired touches, like shiplap-style wainscotting and a salvaged overhead light. we also incorporated storage where ever we could, which sadly meant doing away with the pedestal sink. we have very few, very small closets, so anywhere we can add storage, we do.






the vanity pendants hang at the same height, 
even if that doesn't appear to be the case

our contractor, d's cousin, custom built 
and finished the shelving


trim tile from ebay

home depot marble 12X12 tile
cut down to 6X12 subways

light fixture salvaged from second chance

while the budget for this bathroom was necessarily higher than that for our portland bathrooms because we had to hire a contractor, we tried to keep costs in check by bargain shopping. yes, this meant lots of made-in-china, big box purchases. sigh. home depot and ikea have me in their pockets.

rainshower head not shown, because nobody
needs to see our heinous shampoo caddy

home depot mosaic and subway tile.
stock - who knew?



h checking out the craftmanship
now, on to a DIY update of our 1960s kitchen, on a $1500 budget. this should be interesting...

10 comments:

Brita said...

It's a really nice update--true to the spirit of house but fresh, clean, and functional. Well done, you.

Anonymous said...

Hi. I stumbled upon your site and saw that you used marble in the shower. Have you have any issues since the installation? Thanks!

lily said...

No issues at all. I avoid using abrasive or acidic cleaners, and it's held up wonderfully!

Unknown said...

What is the mint green paint color used above the sink? Looking for that exact very pale mint right now. Thanks!

Lily said...

Thanks - that's Martha Stewart's Bakery Box White, which definitely reads minty onscreen and IRL.

Unknown said...

Hi! I have the exact same colour tile ('Dreadful Almond') in my bathroom AND the exact same mosaic floor. (I actually kind of like the floor....) The sad part is this place is a rental.... but I keep staring at the walls and tile and wondering if there's anything I can do to improve it. Did you paint the tiles? Or totally refinish it? Just curious because my real problem is the almond colour of them... trying to find a paint colour for the top half has been an ordeal since white is clearly just making the tiles look old/yellower. Any tips would be helpful... what WOULD you do if you couldn't replace the almond tile?

Dave said...

Hi Lilly, I love what you did with the glass panel from the Ikea wall light. Can I ask how you fastened it to the wall? Would love to do the same myself and have one of those light panels laying around.

lily said...

Andrea, have you considered going in the opposite direction with a dramatic dark grey or navy color on the walls? It might tone down the Dreadful Almond just enough. Dave, I used Command strips to hang the glass panel...

Anonymous said...

Hi! I got the same vanity you got, but I haven't installed it yet. Online reviews say that joining the IKEA plumbing to American pipes is a real challenge. Did you have problem with it?

Lily said...

We had read that as well, but didn't have any trouble at all...