bathroom redesign 05: reveal (so far)
[want to read from the beginning about my bathroom redesign? then click this post!]
Let’s just get right to it, shall we? You remember this:
Now dig this:
To say I am happy with this transformation is an understatement. The joy of removing carpeting from a bathroom, forever, is heady. The whole thing isn’t done (shower stall needs to be dealt with and toilet replaced and a couple of odds/ends to be done) but I’m fine pausing here and taking a big breath.
Paint: Valspar Rugged Suede in semi-gloss for the vanity ($6 for two sample cans); Valspar Filtered Shade in semi-gloss for the walls ($34 for one gallon with built-in primer; only one coat needed, sort of). Rugged Suede and Filtered Shade! The ceiling was left its original sand color, which helps to integrate the I’m-too-poor-to-replace-it faux marble counter.
Tile: Midnight Slate Copper (unbranded) 12″x12″ from Lowe’s ($1.68 ea). Grout: Mapei Sanded Grout in Pearl Gray, $14.
Knobs: Gate House 1-1/4″ in brushed nickel, $21 for 10. Rug is from Cost Plus, borrowed from my bedroom. It’s not quite the right one for here, but that’ll do for now, pig, that’ll do. Baskets are from the artist’s private container collection.
Ikea FRÄCK Mirror ($4.99). Now I can see myself up close, eeek! And birthday flowers. Lots of plants got I for my birthday, I like that.
Looking opposite the vanity. Try to imagine, a new, sleek, low-flow (and non-leaking) toilet here. Soon!
Flower pot is a birthday gift from my friends Brad and Joe, the first friends to give me a present from my Pinterest Board!
Shelves: Ikea FABIAN ($6.99 ea), using narrower scrap wood (instead of the supplied, too-wide boards) and installing the brackets (intentionally!) upsidedown.
Small frames: Ikea RIBBA ($6 for 2).
Tins: Ikea TRIPP Storage tin with lid, set of 3 ($3.99).
Art: Vintage scrap of map found among my wrapping paper. “Listerine” print by Andy Warhol (cut from a magazine). “Pills” original print by Jordan Crane, bought at Bizarre Bazaar in LA in 2005. Thrifted planter. Toilet paper by Ralph’s.
Large frames: Ikea NYTTJA Frame ($1.99 ea). Super cheapie in price and quality. Which is okay, it’s just a bathroom — I’m not going to live in here. Maybe I’m going to live in here.
Art: These are a couple of scraps of fabric designed by Heather of skinnylaminx, a super talented South African textile whiz!
Hardware: GRUNDTAL towel double rail ($14.99), GRUNDTAL toilet paper holder ($4.99)
Don’t look over there! Oh, no, you saw. Hello, prison shower, looking as bad as ever. I may have an inexpensive solution to make it slightly less horrible. In the meantime: eyes closed when looking to the north!
I sewed a single curtain panel and hung it with clip-on curtain rings (Ikea Stockholm Blad fabric, $7.99/yard, Martha Stewart Living Pewter Clip Rings 7-Pack, $8). Jeana’s vote for fabric (Kajsastina) came a close second, but this one felt like the right one, color- and pattern-wise. The greys in this room are a little complicated, and mushroomy-taupey colored fabric seemed to pull them all together.
The window ledge is wide enough to host a tiny plant party. Why yes, that tall one is housed in a ceramic replica of the Bonaventure Hotel. Thanks, Attaboy Vintage, for fulfilling my weird planter needs!
Curtain rod: Signature Series Large Ball Telescopic Rod Set 28-48” Satin (from Joann on sale, $12)
Bakelite mirror and antique glass dish from Attaboy Vintage! Tray by Ross; I’ve kindly hidden my night guard that usually lives there, for photographic purposes. You’re welcome.
Before I let you go (and before the budget breakdown), how about some hot before and afters?
BUDGET BREAKDOWN
Paint and supplies (paint, primer, sandpaper, spackle, dropcloth, dusk masks, TSP, etc.) $82
Drawer stuff (drawer liner, divider bins) $17
General hardware and flooring supplies (mollies, wax ring, screws, threshold, etc.) $31
Baseboards $14
Tiles 49 tiles total (2-ish left over) $83
Fabric 1yd for $8
Home decor/hardware (frames, tins, shelving, towel rails, TP holder, etc) $90
Free (borrowed/used from friends OR stuff I had already): Large paint roller, brushes, painting edger, buckets, grout sealant, knee pads, most tools, all the time my friends and I put in (about 30 hours-ish over five weeks, including a 10-day pause while my floor committee recuperated from a cold)
– – – – –
GRAND TOTES: $325 (or thereabouts, not including a future $150 for new toilet/hardware and $?? for a shower stall solution)
Many, many thanks to the people I cajoled and/or threw money and/or food at to come help me: Jeanie, Carla, Kim, and Jeremy!
Master Timeline (new and improved)
Remove hardware and buy replacement hardware (knobs, TP holder, hook, curtain rod, towel rod,switchplate,shelves)Paint drawers and cabinets, wallsReplace hardware(knobs, TP holder, hook, curtain rod, towel rod, switchplate,shelves)Rip up carpeting, assess what kind of prep floor needs for tiling (handy friends will help)Remove toilet (handy friends will help)Purchase last round of expensive crap for the floor (adhesive, threshold, seal, grout)Tile floor (handy friends will lend tools and set me started)Touch up drawers, sealGrout tileInstall baseboardsInstall old toilet (again with the handy friends)Seal tileBuy material, make curtainsArtwork and decor- Install threshold (I’ll get to it, I’ll get to it)
- Figure out an affordable way to make shower stall look better (replace glass only? or take out the door and do a curtain??)
- Have shower stall power cleaned (hire expert — they use acid!)
- Notice how this list just got longer and longer and longer?
Previous bathroom posts:
Beautiful! What incredible work you have done! Amazing! Thanks for sharing it in such pornographic detail!
Ah…it looks a million times better! And even though my favorite fabric didn’t get chosen I really like the one you picked–it’s perfect for the room. I think my very, very favorite details are the little art prints and I especially like that the Listerine bottle came from magazine–DIY Frugal Recycling right there!
Question: where did all the crap from the extra plastic storage tower and baskets on the counter go? Does it all fit in the cabinets now?
Friend, you deserve a prize and a vacation for this makeover! You’re awesome!
Thanks, Tristy! I could’ve gone a lot more porny (see the exhaustive photoset), but it’s porny enough, no? Carla and Jeanie think I should have a teeny tiny cocktail party in the bathroom only.
And Jeana: Major, major purge. I’d say about 2/3rds of the crap in the storage tower got tossed. That stripey basket on the counter was full of stuff I use a lot, so I just put it, as is, in counter under sink and pull out what I need (then put back!) The drawer dividers helped to get things unchaotic, and I cold-stored some stuff in the other bathroom (there are THREE bathrooms in this house).
It was great to get things cleaned up. I’m going to be traveling a lot next month so now I have a dedicated drawer to travel stuff, all of my glasses get their own drawer, etc.
Wait till I purge the crap in the other bathroom (stuff of my elderly relative’s). Just a spot check last week revealed a glass vial from a Santa Barbara pharmacy — from the late 1950s!
Great ideas, like always! I am very much impressed with your work..
It looks so good. Your vision of what it could be was 20/20. Even the old toilet looks better, but I think it feels the noose tighening around it’s neck, or downspout or what ever you would signal doom to a toilet with. Good job Becky.
Fabuloso! I especially admire the credit given to Ralphs for the TP, you could have pretended to go upmarket and say it came from a highly curated Anthropology window display. But you didn’t, I call that integrity. Anywho, have you considered window film to un-prison the shower stall? It’s basically a bandaid solution for the larger problem, but pretty film might make it much more liveable in the meantime.