Return to
Main Home Page
Return to "Our Home" Page
Diary of a Bathroom Remodel
Before
Ah, the old bathroom. 'Tis now but a
memory - the etched swan shower door, the pink tub, the wire shelving, the
plastic shower surround... But renovation had to wait until we first
attacked the non-functional upstairs bath. Finally, after three
years of using this not-so-elegant bath, it was time to launch the last big project
of the house. Nadine was not employed at the time, and took this project
on with minimal assistance. Plumbing was the frightening part, but with a
little assistance when things went wrong, she got through it.
The Demolition
The first order of business was to remove the plastic tub surround, thereby freeing the window which had been buried beneath. Next came the moldy drywall which covered the original beaded board wall. Now we could see the ghost of what was once a larger window in that space.
We also got a glimpse into the past with this love note scrawled on the wall. Ah, the romance of history.
Rebuilding The Shower
Naturally the plumbing had to be redone, but
details would be boring. The tub area got a base of concrete board, a
mishmash of salvaged tile, and finally, a tub refinish kit to help bid adieu to
the pink tub.
The Ceiling
This is a plastic product replicating the old
tin ceilings. I wanted to use this in the kitchen, but it would have
consumed more money and energy than I cared to give. The ceiling, along
with the crown moulding, gives a nice punch to the bathroom.
The Cabinetry
This hutch from a used furniture store is what
I could find to fit the space, and so it dictated the style of the bathroom. The
bottom half became the sink vanity, and the top half was placed atop a cabinet I
built from scrap wood.
The end product was these two pieces. The mirror was pulled from a neighborhood trash pile.
Finally, the wire shelves were replaced with wood ones.
I had actually painted the walls a more neutral color, but somehow it just didn't have the zippity doodah we were looking for, so it's now this funky dramatic purple. It's hard to capture a good picture that gives a sense of the space, but we're happy with it, and even happier that it's just plain DONE!