Friday, April 8, 2011

Bad. Bad Bathroom.

Yes, the title is both a description of our bathroom as well as a punishment TO our bathroom. You...sasifrassin'...dang...grr...BAD! Just bad. Yes. You're a bad, bad bathroom. Now. You. You just...you just think about THAT!

Of course, it was way worse when we moved in - like, as in, the pipes had burst. Nooiiiiice. Thank God for an uber-helpful stepdad who just happens to be a plumber.

Walking into the bathroom made you rethink purchasing the house. At least, that's how I felt about it. I don't think it's ever really bothered Dave TOO much. But, I've been used to having some nice, if not small at times, bathrooms over the years, thanks to the above-mentioned handyman. So, this was just...just AWFUL.


The sink got ripped out, along with the cabinet/mirror (which appeared to be handmade - seriously, I wish we had a better shot, there were carvings in the side). It didn't take me long before I decided that open shelving would still be an improvement on the built-in cabinets to the left of the bathtub - so I removed the doors. Jerry put in our new, low-flow toilet and the pedestal sink I chose, and Dave helped him put up a new vanity and light/vent near the shower. Oh, and we immediately put in a new hand-held shower head (which, I believe, is another water-saver) since the roof line is shared with the ceiling of the shower (ie you can stand...but the old shower head didn't actually clean your hair or face unless you ducked...and who wants to duck at 6am?).

So, things have progressively gotten better. But, some things have gotten progressively...worse. Namely, the ceiling. My mom gave it a quick coat of cheap ceiling paint (while I was painting the bedroom -- you can't STOP that woman) but it has since started peeling. Actually, whatever paint and some of the drywall tape is peeling off, too, so I KNOW that's not from Mom's handiwork. There's more everyday.


Gross, right? It embarrasses me. So, this shall be the first of several projects that will eventually complete our 2011 Bathroom Reno. It's called the "2011" renovation because there's no way I'm going to let this drag even longer. We're not going crazy, but I'm hoping that you'll be able to notice (as well as our guests and maybe the cats) a remarkable change. Here's hoping.

So, I thought I'd show you the rest of the nastiness. Get ready for a wild, nasty ride. However, you should know that everything's quite spic 'n span in our bathroom -- just nasty, decor-wise.

The floor that's currently in the bathroom has split personalities. The linoleum flooring was here when we arrived. After pulling up the vanity, and to keep everything relatively on the same plane, we used cheap tile squares to fill in the weird empty spot that was left over. I'd LIKE to replace this all with some inexpensive ceramic tiles that we didn't get to use at the theater (and were, seriously, uber cheap - like 2 cents apiece cheap), but there's so much unevenness going on that I'll definitely have to call in the pros -- ie Jerry, my stepdad.


Here's a shot from the door showing what we're working with. There's a wall justting into the right side of the room that is shared by our office closet (it's actually a 3rd bedroom), so it's not a very spacious bathroom. However, the size and setup don't bother me, just the decor.


There's my wonderful pedestal sink with its wonderful brushed nickel faucet and mirror, sitting near its friend, our wonderful low-flow toilet. What's not so wonderful is the un-anchored storage unit that's surrounding the toilet. We've gotta get this thing finished before kids come along and attempt to knock it over! As it is, I fear whenever a guest heads in to go potty that we'll hear a loud crash and have a friendly lawsuit on our hands.


Our cabinetry...currently painted brown with natural wood and sticky contact paper lining it. I'm foreseeing some white paint and a bit of trim to help our organization look rustic chic. For now, the cats are the only ones who actually enjoy the space. Climbing wall!


Okay. My biggest pet peeve about the place is the wall. Half of it is covered with this mosaic. I've heard several people say that they don't mind it. I guess can see why. There was a day and age I might have agreed...when I was a faux hippie in 10th grade. Now, I've got dreams for the wall, and it includes white beadboard. Oh, and a toilet paper holder that isn't recessed into said wall, thankyouverymuch. We have the new one sitting in the built-ins. Be patient, my dear.


Speaking of recessed, there's a hole in our house, and it's covered with tape. This actually held a weird...I dunno...I think it was supposed to be a recessed soap dish or something, but it had to come out immediately. Of course, when the cats came along, this meant that it had to be covered -- and what better than Dave's packing tape to do the job? Well, it's kept Winston out of the walls, so it's working...for now.


Well...the color of the woodwork sure does help you want to USE the bathroom. Yuck. Ugly brown. White paint will replace all of this, and the walls -- well, we're looking at options, from greige (that's a hip new term, yup) to very light greens and tans. I'm thinking rustic spa, though. Oh, and by the way, that door has shifted over the years so that there's a huge gap between the floor and the door. This makes it quite easy for the cats (namely, Winston) to join you during potty time. Be forewarned for your next visit.


Just had to share how badly I'll take it when, one day, children destroy all that I own. This is the shower curtain I purchased before moving in. Those pulls are where the cats have decided to stick their claws in and PULL. Hee hee, isn't it so funny the way Mommy gets all red in the face and loud? Tee hee, so silly. They really do enjoy it. (And, strangely enough, Mr. Perfect Beardslee is the first to attempt this trick. They don't do it anymore, but the damage is done.) So, I'm looking for a heavier, canvas-like shower curtain replacement. I'd like to try to salvage the rest of the shower curtain for use as a billowy window treatment.


While we're not tearing out the tub (that's heavy work AND not very eco-friendly--not that tile rippin' is, but bear with me), this color probably won't go with our final color scheme -- and it's scratched to bits. So, we'll eventually be *hopefully* retiling (is it called retiling if it's simply a shower liner that's falling apart now?) the shower ceiling and walls with subway tile and, while we're at it, will reglaze the tub. Notice our ALBA body wash? That IS eco-friendly. ;-)


See what I meant by that slanted ceiling?! And who uses wood trim to face out a shower?!?! Oh, but on a good point, that curved shower curtain rod was a godsend. It really makes the shower feel less claustrophobic. 'Tis great.

So, that's what's what. For months, I've been thinking about how badly I wanted to chip away at the mosaic tiles (yes, I'm going to take them all down, see how the wall is doing, patch and/or replace if need be, then apply the beadboard), but it seems that the ceiling is crying for some gentle help, first. I'll be sure to keep you posted. Even if you don't care a wit about it, posting "before" pictures forces me to get into the project - so, I thank you!

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