I’ve been riding the high of Rue Magazine’s feature all week, and I thought it would be fun to tell you a little bit more about our bathroom remodel. Its transformation happened right along with the rest of the house.
This place was a wreck when we picked it up. It was bank-owned and had been empty for two years. The previous owners hadn’t done it any favors either.
We discounted it at first. But the price was so nice, Dave and I decided we could tackle it with both of our talents.
Sometimes it’s hard to believe it’s even the same house.
{We still need to re-do the decks and put on soffit and facia. We hope to have that done this summer.}
Our main bathroom (I hesitate to call it the master bath, because this house doesn’t really have one) was one of my favorite parts to design.
As stated in Rue, it was originally minty green with animal motif wallpaper trim, which was peeling off. It had one sink, a formica countertop that was bubbling, and pink tile. I guess that’s why the owners put in a pink fringed valance?
The amazing part about this house is we didn’t do any significant structural changes. It wasn’t worth the cost. We kept all the rooms and walls in place.
We did, however, gut ALL the finishes.
When it came to this bathroom, I wanted to make the renovation feel like it had been here forever. I wanted it to feel fresh, yet be right at home with its farmhouse architecture.
I usually start my designs with the architectural details and cabinets. The bathroom was no exception. We painted the ceilings and walls white to expand the space. Then to counteract all the white, I designed a quarter-sawn white oak vanity in a “black” stain.
A lot of people wonder about the top of my vanity and how it holds up to water.
Would I do it in a kids bathroom? No.
But for two adults it is great. We don’t let water sit on it, of course. I don’t use harsh cleaners. I wipe up water, soap drips, and hairspray with a damp rag. It has a polyurethane finish, just like a kitchen floor. It still looks as good as it did when it was installed two years ago.
The other thing people ask about is storage.
Where do you put makeup, curling irons, and items that would go in a medicine cabinet, they ask.
One, I think I don’t have as many girly things as most women. My makeup bag is small, I don’t own nail polish (I hate the stuff) and so that’s that. My curling iron, blow dryer, and straightener fit. A few women’s hygiene items are kept in the drawers, plus all of our hair styling gels, deodorants, combs, and brushes. I fit a few more things into the basket on the toilet. The rest is kept in bulk down in our storage room.
A few notes about the items in this basket. Those fancy glass jars? They’re not fancy. They are leftover canning jars. The watercolor is a study done by me in college. The wash clothes? I use them every day, and they are totally random. Rebecca White did an amazing job with the photography!
The other important part of designing this vanity was making it not look heavy. This bathroom is extremely narrow. A vanity with closed doors would have felt heavy, and I’ll admit, a little boring. That’s why I opted for the open spaces with baskets. Isn’t the large v-groove in the back cute? It mimics the tongue-and-groove ceiling.
We ripped out the tub combo and put another from Kohler
It’s not a fancy tiled shower, but it is easy to clean, even with our hard water.
The rain shower head from Delta adds a touch of luxury, as well as a regular rug in place of the normal bath rug. This bathroom is over the garage, and the tile floor is freezing in the winter. I love to have bare feet, so the rug makes the floor comfortable while I’m getting ready in the morning.
Here’s another beautiful shot taken by Rebecca that didn’t make it in the feature at Rue.
One of my favorite additions to this house are the doorknobs. They are crystal egg knobs on a oil-rubbed bronze back plates from Emtek. It may be a little bizarre, but they make me crazy happy whenever I grab them.
We thought it odd that someone would stick a light on a perfectly nice wooden beam, but nonetheless, that’s where the original light fixture was. We replaced it with a narrow one from Visual Comfort. It took forever to find a light fixture the right width.
A few of the other odds and ends we used to make the bathroom pretty were botanical prints from Etsy, fresh flowers from Flower Muse, and small items from World Market. All of these are really accessible if you are ready to tackle your bathroom.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the tour of our bathroom.
I have to say thanks to all the people that made this happen. Crystal at Rue, thank you for showcasing our remodel so beautifully. Tobi Fairley, for teaching me the art of getting published. Rebecca, for taking such beautiful photography. And most of all to my husband, who constantly works to make my dreams a reality.
Happy Weekend Everyone!
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