Royal Flush

Okay, while it's perhaps not fit for royalty, we are very happy with our downstairs bathroom remodel. After much trial and tribulation, heartache and hairpulling, we have a working, attractive bathroom again. There are still several little details on the punch list to complete, but given how we roll, they may go unfinished for years!

Bathroom before:

I had tried to freshen the bath up a bit right after buying the house, but it was still an eyesore (that shower curtain is hiding an abundance of ugliness):

And now, for the big reveal!

From the mudroom entrance (the door you see straight ahead is off the guest bedroom, so this bath is like a Jack and Jill of sorts):

Vanity nook (mudroom doorway to the left, linen closet on the right):

Window wall:

Shower view:

Shampoo shelf (I'm OCD enough to want matching, pretty bottles, but frugal enough that these stay until used up!):

Here are the details:

Shower tile: American Olean Monte Carlo 1x2 glass mosaic with Polyblend Oyster Bay non-sanded grout
Tub: Bootz Maui enameled steel extra deep soaking tub
Faucets: Price Pfister brushed nickel; shower is Marielle, vanity is Amherst
Toilet: Danze Orrington
Vanity: St. Paul Madeline 36" chestnut
Flooring: Style Selections 12x24 White Travertine with Blue Hawk Saddle Gray grout

I'm not convinced the shower curtain is the right one. I'm still planning on sewing a custom creation, but this little TJMaxx find fills the spot for the time being. I also am hunting for a better plant stand. Sadly, we couldn't center the toilet under the window because of crazy old house plumbing, so the live plant deceives the eye as well as clears the air! But it deserves a nicer perch, when I can find the right one. You'll notice I also haven't shown any light fixtures. I'm really debating whether to go transitional/contemporary, blingy, or vintage basic with the overhead light and vanity sconce, so the old ones are still in place.

And if anyone knows where to purchase the skinniest trash can imaginable, please let me know. I have just a few inches to the left of the vanity and would love to squeeze in a slim waste receptacle. Otherwise, I'll probably look for a small door mounted version for inside the cabinet.

All in all, it's still only a bathroom. Just a simple tub/shower combo, toilet, and sink. The pictures are pretty, but the real dramatic difference is the function. We have new PEX pipes that won't freeze or corrode. Our water doesn't run red. Our hot water flows quickly and forcefully from the taps. Our toilet flushes the first time very time. Our tub isn't leaking into the wall. Our floor is level and clean. Our sink doesn't cause backaches to use. So if you'd like to come to inspect and appreciate the form and function in person, we're ready for houseguests anytime!

P.S. A big shout out to Christina from Little Victorian for the photo tips! It made a big difference in getting nice shots of all our hard work ;-)

Merrily we floor along

I've been busy installing the new bathroom flooring this week. It's not difficult, but it is time consuming. I feel as though I've been on my hands and knees for three days straight now, but it's really been on and off. I've been priming and painting all the casing and baseboards that will trim out the bath, too, so that gives me a chance to stand and stretch! The contractor should be back tomorrow to begin installing the trim, which is exciting. The room is really starting to come together.

Underlayment puttied, caulked, and sanded smooth

My working position 75% of the time

Almost done!

Squeaky Clean

Though I love our newly restored wood floors for their timeless appeal, unique grain, and unmatched color, I suspect Jeff is tickled pink because of their semblance to a basketball court!

Okay; I more than suspect, I actually know this because he stated it himself. I can just picture him dribbling down the length of the room and dunking into the fridge cabinet!

I noticed that the floors are so glossy, you can actually
see the cabinets reflected in them! That will calm down a
little bit with time and wear, but it's a nice place to start.

The floors are not quite done, but they sure look pretty. Like everything else we have taken on, the process was not nearly as simple and painless as my research had led me to believe. I have three coats of Waterlox on the heart pine, and now I need to go back and very light sand it all on hands and knees and apply one last coat. Or I hope only one. The pine is really drinking the tung oil up and leaving some rough patches and microbubbles (though not visible unless you really get down on the floor and look/feel). I'm tempted to just let it be, but I can't come this far and then settle for second best. These almost 90-year-old floors deserve better! (Reading the Steve Job's article right before beginning our kitchen remodel has either made us better craftsmen or clouded our judgment about what is achievable for amateurs; I'm not sure which, sometimes!)

Just for funsies, here is a photo taken before the floors were sanded:

Fuzzy Floors

Since removing the final layer of vinyl tile from the kitchen floors, we have been living with furry floors. The tiles left a sort of brown paper backing stuck down in a lot of places, and I was afraid of gouging the wood if I scrapped too hard.

Since there was also a good bit of water damage to the finish (the white splotches), we decided a DIY gentle screening with a buffer was not going to be sufficient. I have seen horror stories of homeowners with drum sanders mutilating their vintage wood floors, so Jeff made the executive decision on knowing our limits and we hired a lovely older man to come in and do the deed.

There is much to be said for the right equipment in the right hands! Hubert has been in the floor sanding business for almost 50 years, and his experience shows! Here is what we saw in just the first few minutes.

He took our floors from this:

To this:

We will be using a modified tung oil finish to really bring out the color and grain. I can't wait to apply that final coat and see the beauty of the old growth quartersawn heart pine!

I’m just floored about it!

I finished laying the new floor in the laundry room! I did the kitchen flooring back in January when we put in the new cabinets, and I’ve had the bathroom done for a month, but the laundry room was on hold until Jeff could help me move the washer and dryer. He did the weekend before last, and it’s done! It's lovely to have so much storage space for all my ingredients, equipment, and supplies just steps from the kitchen. I even added extra pantry shelving to the coat closet beside the bathroom just for narrow bottles and jars that get lost in the cabinets.

I did all the priming and painting on Jeff's last business trip, as it took a few days of uninterrupted work to prep and finish that job. The new lighting, pulls, countertop, and open shelving were done in spurts. But the floor was the final project. This room and the bath both took a deceptively long time to lay, given the small space. There were so many tiny, tricky cuts and angles. Jeff would come home and count my fingers to make sure I hadn't lost any digits to the compound miter saw, jigsaw, or undercut saw! Since the flooring was seconds from a discount building supply place, I had to work around blemishes and damaged spots to salvage as much material as possible, so that took a long time, too.

All I need now is a counter height rolling chair for my menu planning area and I'm all set.

Here’s the before and after.

BEFORE

AFTER (same angle)

AFTER

SOUTH WALL (from kitchen)

NORTH WALL (from kitchen)

STRAIGHT ON (from bathroom doorway)

NORTH WALL (from bathroom doorway)

SOUTH WALL (from bathroom doorway)

PANTRY RACKS (in coat closet)