Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Bathroom Game Plan

I've embraced a life with avocado green bathroom tiles.  and toilet.  and sink.  Yet, I'm starting to get green with envy when I see a beautiful vintage/modern style bathroom all decked out with subway tiles.  I could make excuses and say that it's a practical change...the sink drips, the toilet is inefficient, the tub doesn't plug.  And while those are all great reasons to plan a bathroom renovation, I am more interested in creating a beautiful space that matches the rest of my house and doesn't keep me up at night. 

Here is a reminder of what the bathroom looked like before I moved in.  The walls were a dark purpley-grey, and the toilet seat had fur.  There was nothing wrong with the wall color...I just felt as if it clashed with the avocado greenness theme going on. 
There were also 5 towel rods.  5.  Who needs 5 towel rods in one little space of a 1,000 sq foot bungalow?  Not me.  I removed all 5 towel rods, spray painted the fixtures (toilet paper holder, both light fixtures, hinges and knob on bathroom storage closet).  Recaulked the bathtub, painted the dark purpley-grey walls a linen white, and replaced the weird mirror with an antique one I already had.  This was a major improvement and it didn't cost me a thing since I used leftover paint. 
This bathroom has served the house well for 86 years.  And while I want a new bathroom, I don't want to rip the soul out of the house.  I want this remodel to be a modern/vintage mixture; beautiful yet classic.  Which is why I love subway and hex tile. 

Here is a mood board I put together to show what I would like the room to look like.  Some things may change, especially if I discover that the plumbing on the new fixtures isn't a fit. 


1.  Pottery Barn Recessed Vintage Medicine Cabinet
2.  Kingston Brass Oil Rubbed Bronze Faucet with Porcelain Lever Handle
3.  Crane Plumbing White Pedestal Sink
4.  Wood Paneling painted white - I am debating if I want the paneling to run horizontally or vertically.  I'll keep you up to date (it's horizontal in the picture).
5.  American Olean White Hex Tile & Non-Sanded Grey Grout #9
6.  Aquasource White High-Efficiency Toilet
7.  Restoration Hardware Plush Pile Bath Rug (Sable)
8.  Benjamin Moore's Rockport Gray - it's a great neutral that looks gray or brown depending on the light.  Love this mixture.
9.  World Import's Oil Rubbed Bronze Semi-Flush Schoolhouse Light (globe replaced with $5 replacement from Home Depot, which is smaller in diameter) - This is the same light I have in the rest of the house.  I accidently broke the large, thin globe that comes with the light out of the box.  Unable to replace it (even after calling the company directly), I decided to visit HD to see if I could find something similar.  HD sells a replacement globe that is smaller in diameter and about 3 times as thick - I'm sure it's meant for a ceiling fan.  But I ended up liking the look so much that I bought several others to replace the large globe with the HD one in smaller rooms.  Bonus - I keep the large, thin globes for insurance if I get a little crazy with the mop again and shatter another one.
10.  American Olean White Gloss Subway Tile - I actually bought this tile from Lowe's on a super discount the week I bought my house.  I knew I would use it somewhere in the house and I got 40 sq feet for $15.  And since it's American Olean White Gloss it is very easy to find.
11. ORB Shower System with Porcelain Lever Handles -  not a huge fan of the size of the shower head, but I just wanted to see what the ORB would look like.
12. Skirted Tub - I could replace my cast iron tub because it's frankenstein green, but it would just be replaced with a fiberglass tub.  Cast iron is a great product, so I am going to have to my tub sprayed with a white epoxy coating.  Yes, I've heard good and bad about this.  However, with a reputable company I will be able to get a good finish that lasts a long time.
13. Dark weaved baskets - I already have built in shelves in the bathroom sitting behind a shutter door.  I have plans to remove the door, replace the shelves and keep it open with dark baskets as storage.
14. ORB Towel Hooks - I have a thing against towel rods.  I swear they didn't do anything to me, I just prefer a hook to a rod.  Weird...I know.

If you have never done a mood board before, whether electronically or with samples and pictures on cardboard, I would always recommend it.  A mood board allows all of your ideas to be put together in one area to see if they work or not.  It's a game plan so you know where you're going.  A coach doesn't go on the field with out his game plan, and neither should you.  And a coach will always revise his plan as the game goes on.  You can thank Justin for the sports reference. 

Alright, I'm ready.  Now where is that sledghammer....

Have you ever created a mood board before?  How do you plan for a big renovation? Does renovating your only shower space scare you...it scares me.  This means I actually have to start using that gym membership I paid for.

Mary

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