Stick a fork in it!

 That's right, it's done, baby! It took longer than expected, cost more than we thought, but we love it!

Let's take a moment to remember where we started.  It was with this. That awesome 1980's glazed tile that started to fall off the wall, and let's not forget those surprises that we found when we started tearing it all down. All the wet and the mold and the beer can, ah, good times. This renovation was not on our radar, so it kinda morphed as we went. You can read more about how we got


to where we are HERE and HERE and HERE aaaand HERE. We learned alot as this project went on. We learned about products that we like, products we hate, what we really want, and what we're willing to splurge on in order to get a better end result. This bathroom is as re-done as it's gonna be for a long time, it is now at the bottom of the list, and yet it has set the bar so much higher for the rest of the house. So without further adieu, here's the after:

I'm going to go ahead and throw in a few shots from other angles so that you can kind of see how it all gels together. 

The first thing you might notice is that we ran the tile all the way up to the ceiling. This was for a couple of reasons, the first being that we had to cut the drywall out back there anyway. The second reason was because we wanted to eliminate any drywall in the shower vicinity, and the third was because it was only 1 tile higher and it added so much more visual height that we just couldn't resist. We did not remove the tub for this renovation so it's the original unit. We really would have liked to remove the tub and installed a walk in shower because neither of us ever take an actual bath and in the even that we needed a tub, we have one in the hall bath, but that wasn't in the cards or the budget or the plan so we kept the tub. We also did not replace the floor tile. We talked about it but again, this reno wasn't planned so we decided to stick with things that were less labor intensive that wouldn't spin out of control cost/time wise. If it wasn't broken or seriously ugly, we left it alone. In all honesty, the weird tile color is less ugly now since the wall tile actually has that color in it. It sort of seems like it belongs now so we kinda like it again. I have to add here that we painted the grout lines on the floor with this  grout re-colorant product because it would make that grout the same color as what we put in the tub area and because it was supposed to make the grout look new, but I gotta say I'm not loving it. For starters, you have to carefully paint all of the grout lines with a brush and it says to work the paint in and I dunno about you but the only brush that I know made for that is a toothbrush and that makes a hellova mess. If you don't work the paint in, it just sorta sits there and looks stupid, I finally taped the lines going one way with painters tape and just went at it like an angry spider monkey mad at the world because he started something and had to finish it even though he knew he wouldn't long term like the results. I repeated this with the lines going the other way and I vowed that I'd never paint grout lines again. It's too much work for something that doesn't really look like new grout, and something that you have to be so careful with. You can't scrub it, or use solvent cleaners, or let it stay wet for a long time. Just keep these things in mind if you think you'll Young House Love-it and paint your grout. They love their painted grout, I'm not so sure about it. I know that I've shown my sexy sink area before, but I had to include a shot of it again, I really think it's my favorite thing in the entire house. We also did not replace the actual vanity, just the top and faucet and added the back splash. We also replaced the light, mirror, outlet/switch, and towel holders. We have aspirations to replace the door handle and possibly the door but that's another project for another day. Here are some more details that we put into this space.

We added this awesome toilet. Now I know that a toilet is not something that one typically gets excited about, but I love it. It takes some getting used to because there is less water in the bowl and it flushes with more of a suction than just swirling water. That being said, it flushes very fast and it's fairly quiet given how it functions. I like it so much I even got it it's own little dish garden of succulents to keep it company while we're away.
 We also got a new towel holder for bath towels that works really great because it allows 2 towels to be hung up to dry without being folded or bunched up. We are usually Home depot people, but we visited Lowes some during this renovation to get some selections not available at the Depot. *shock*

For example, by visiting Lowes, we got this
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ladder shelf to hold extra stuff like make-up, towels, washcloths, (pretend that I've done laundry and the shelves are full) and the new laundry basket that is on that bottom shelf. We also got this amazing  roman shade ------------------------------> that I love so much I went back and got one for all 3 bedrooms upstairs. I thought it was pretty when I saw it in the store but it wasn't until I got it installed that I realized the true awesomeness of it. This folks, is a "cord free" shade. All of the cords are on the back and to raise and lower it you just pull it down or push it up. No dangling cords, super easy installation, and a great price! Let's not forget that price, because if you want custom ones you'll pay hundreds of dollars, but this one is only around $30-40 depending on what size you get. I highly recommend them.

A few of our other upgrades include shower stuff. 

While we did not replace the actual faucet (mostly because we don't know that much about copper plumbing and are too cheap to call a plumber if it's not really necessary), we did give the existing faucet (and tub trim) a facelift with a retro-fit kit that replaces everything but the mixer (the part that controls how much hot and cold water mix before coming out the spout). We replaced the drain cover, tub stopper flipper thingy (see how technical I am?), the tub spout and the handle and face plate of the faucet. I want to note that I am semi unhappy with how the handle feels. I think that there is a design flaw that doesn't allow the handle to fully seat on the mixer so it feels a little loose but other than that I'm totally happy with it. We also got a new shampoo and "stuff" holder and chose to get oil rubbed bronze instead of being so matchy matchy. We like the depth and the pop that it gives the shower, it's just a little something unexpected that we're digging since we tried it in the kitchen with a little light update over the sink. I thought I blogged that and I was going to include a link, but I was wrong. You'll see it when we get to the next round of kitchen updates that we're planning. Anyway, the baskets slide apart to accommodate the hose on the hand held portion of the shower so that you're not reaching in behind it to get your stuff. We got the semi rain head one with the hand held because at the time we were still bathing the kids in our shower, but now that they and all their tub stuff have been shuffled off to the hall bath, we're thinking about upgrading yet again to a full on rain head.
O.K. so I told you that I'd explain about the mosaic tiles in the shower, here's what's up with that. We used floor tile instead of wall tile in the shower because we wanted 12x12 tiles and that was the only way that we could get them. I don't know if you know how thick floor tiles are, but let me tell you they are thick and very hard. To give you an example, when we hung up the shower curtain bar it took two hours, yes that's right folks, two hours to drill the 4 holes needed to put the screws in, Yes we did use a tile bit, and yes we did use an electric drill, and yes we did swap out, and yes our arms were very sore the next day, but it's up there and I think that nothing short of an elephant will ever tear it down because the kids aren't allowed in our bathroom. Anyway, what does the shower curtain bar have to do with the faucet? It is there to illustrate that with our lack of knowledge, skill, and tools, cutting a hole in the center of a tile for the faucet and spout to stick through just wasn't gonna happen. We tried, but we quickly gave up when it became obvious that we were in over our heads. Our solution to this was mosaic tile right down the center of the shower. We pondered this for a few moments and decided that it would not only make making an opening for the plumbing easier because we could just remove the tiles that were in the way, those tiles were easy to cut in half on the tile cutter if need be and stuck back up there if they were a little shy of covering things. We also decided that we thought it would be cool to run it all the way up as an accent, and then we realized that if we were going to buy mosaic tiles we could do a backsplash to match so that the stripe in the shower didn't stick out like a sore thumb and that is what cemented the decision to get a new sink. So you'll also notice if you look very hard that around the faucet plate, there is yet another square of mosaics and the reason for that is because the thickness of the mosaics was less than the thickness of the previous glazed tile to the face plate didn't fit snug against the wall and our solution to that was to add another accent to fix the problem. It seems like a really stupid thing to do, but we pondered our options and held tile up and took it away and repeated that several times before we decided that we not only thought it fixed the problem, but we that it looked pretty cool too.
So there you have it, the master bath. We made some mistakes, we learned some things, we raised the bar, and you can bet the our next renovations are gonna be slammin' awesome too. All said and done, we estimate that we spent between $1200-1500 on this project, but we think that it was well worth it to have a room in the house that makes you feel like you're on vacation at the end of every day. ~Kellie~

The devil is in the details...

I think that the person who coined the phrase "The devil is in the details" was a home owner and a do it yourself-er, and I'll tell you why. At the end of a project when you are in fact down to the details, you're tired. In fact, you're not just tired, you are sick and tired of the project or at least I am. Having to work around the kids and other normal house stuff, it seems like the project drags on for-ev-errrrrr. It typically does take longer than we anticipate, but that's partly due to the manner in which we approach projects. As we do more projects and realize that we don't really "come back and finish it better later" we have taken the approach of doing it better to begin with and sometimes that means that the project morphs and grows as we go but in the end we end up with something better than we might have anticipated in the beginning. We are in week... 6? of this remodel? It was going to be a "long weekend project" but the more we thought on it the more it was apparent that we should make the most of this project and turn it into a remodel and be done with that room for a while. It's turning into a serious oasis in the house and I have to admit that I just go into that room and smile because it's like a vacation. It's totally raising the bar for the rest of the house but that's ok. We're planning to let the awesomeness spill out into the master bedroom and out into the hall and slowly work its way downstairs. It's the details that make it better which brings me back to my original point. I think that the devil is in the details because at the end of a project, after you've put all that hard work into everything, how you finish the details can be what either brings everything all together or sends the entire project to hell in a hand basket.  Details can also be the point when, because you're so ready for it to be over, that you begin to insert expletives into conversations about the project. Sentences like "Why the (your choice of expletive) can't this just go smoothly?!?!" or "When the (your choice of expletive) is this going to be done?!?! are common in this house. Today, I am finishing one of the last few tiny details of this bathroom remodel. I hope to bring it to a full close in another day or two due to the drying time of paint and caulk. Here's a little snap shot of what I'm doing.

I'm not sure if I've blogged on this ^^^ whole situation before. I tried to go back and find a post about it but pfft, it was so long ago since I originally did it that I have no clue which post it might have been in. The long and the short of it is this: The tile in the master is a really odd color. It's not really tan or rose, it's like an odd combination of those things. It's kind of a pink-y tan-ish? Anyway, when I originally painted the bathroom, every sample I held up next to that looked like crap. The odd color just brought out hues in the paint that were not flattering. To overcome this I broke out my trusty cans of spray paint and painted the baseboard tiles white, problem solved. When we had to rip out the wall around the tub/shower, some of the tiles went with it so we had to replace them. The awesome thing is that I found a perfect match (shape wise) at Lowe's (but not Home Depot *sad face*), but because they were made a nice shiny white they didn't match the others that were spray painted. It was a necessary evil to paint them with spray paint in order to have a perfect match so that's where I am today. I still have to put a couple more coats on, then a tiny bit of caulk to button things up, then a tiiiny bit of paint touch up after that, then, I'll be done. Oh and I need a new bath rug too, but anyway. So there you have it, that's what's going on in my bathroom. ~Kellie~

BAM! This just happened!

Let me just state the title again in case you didn't read it. BAM! This just happened! Let me start with what I started out with.

 Here is the partially finished vanity area of my master bathroom. This is how it looked at about 10:00 this morning. It's getting there but it has a long way to go. The big hard things are done, but sometimes it's the little things. Like a faucet. And a mirror. And drawers. I had a mission, and today was the day for it to be completed. I've decided that in order to get this remodel buttoned up, I'm gonna have to break it down in smaller sections and bust them out. I really only have nap time to work on things and I have other things to do in addition to finishing the bathroom, so I work on the bathroom every other day. Earlier this week I painted some grout and started cleaning up a little. Pics of all that business will come in a later blog. Just know that it was tedious and I'm not really looking forward to doing the grout lines on the floor but they have to get done so I'll have to suck it up.



So anyway, that was the bathroom when I started. I started by taping (which I have never done before but man did it make the job easier and neater and more professional looking) and caulked the joint between the top of the tile and the wall as well as the one between the counter top and bottom of the tile. I also hung up the mirror and let me tell you, that sucker is heavy.  I was installing the towel bar when BAM! This happened.

It hurt. Really bad. The blister filled with blood before my eyes and got huge before I finally found the clippers to snip the skin and let it drain.This also happened during the course of things.

Maybe later today when my finger stops throbbing I'll go upstairs and clean this up.
Even with all that going on, this ultimately happened.

BAM!

Just in case you can't see it very well, here's another shot. 

Is that not just the sexiest sink that you have ever seen in  your life? Even if you don't think so, just say that it looks nice because I'm in loooove with this sink. I got in, caulked everything, installed the faucet and drain, hung the mirror, installed the new electrical outlet, replaced the drawers, installed the towel bar, and was done just three short hours later. There are no leaks, no drips, and nothing has fallen off the wall. The area really looks way better in person than it does in the pictures. The light is awesome and white, the tile gives excellent texture, the mirror is very rich looking, and the faucet is that little touch of bling that ties it all together. The towel bar and hardware on the cabinet kind of help spread the love out a little and the new rectangular outlet and switches (which are the rocker style) are very crisp against the dark wall. I sound like I'm writing an article for Hustler but it's really hot in there. Just because it's the most amazing thing in my entire house at this time, here's one more shot for the road. If you come over and can't find me, look in the bathroom, I'll be in there staring and thinking I'm on vacation at some elaborate resort.  ~Kellie~