Bathroom Reno Progress

Well, here we are after week one and already my bathroom is taking shape! Today is grouting day, and Monday the floor gets ripped up and the toilet moved...until then, here's your sneak peak:

I am so pleased with the mosaic border, Rona is having a truckload sale with glass and marble mosaics! Luckily, they had this one which has the perfect blues and greens to go with my bargain floor tile. For those of you curious about the price, a border of this size cost around $40 (at 6.99 a square foot), and the subway tile was a bargain at 1.99 a square foot. A good way to get a classic look that will suit lots of tastes.
Hope you have a good weekend and I'm looking forward to sharing progress next week!

Bathroom Reno:Phase One

Today is an exciting (and anxiety filled) day for me; the day my tub gets replaced! We decided that the bathroom reno would be a little much for my husband to handle right now with work and a new baby on the way (speed is also an issue-I don't want to spend six months with a new babe and no tub!). Our contractor has decided to do this reno in "phases", this week the tub and surround will be completed. To stay on budget, plumbing stays as is: if this was a forever house I would have probably separated the tub and shower. Of course, there are lots of economical and stylish options out there if you just shop around and keep it simple:

 Home Depot

The American Standard "Minimalist" tub is the one we will be going with this time: it is cheap and offers clean lines and a deep soak.

 

The shower head and faucet will be replaced with a brushed nickel finish. Our contractor recommended Moen because he has had wonderful experience using their products.

This is as far as we have had to buy at this stage, we will be picking out tile today! Without further ado, here are the nasty before pictures (avert your eyes if you dislike slimy mold).

Shallow tub, bubbling vinyl floor, mold, rotten wood...not exactly luxurious; but we were using it! Lets hope I have some progress pictures for you next day!

The Bumpy Road in Renovations

Remember the deal on a vanity that I mentioned a while back?

 

I scored a vanity from IKEA at an unbelievable price. Well, turns out that deals are not always what they seem, and I have learned another renovation tip: talk to your contractor or handyman in detail before making purchases. Turns out all sorts of complications come with floating vanities in old houses: moving plumbing, creating access panels, tearing out walls...all of a sudden the deal of a century does not become so deal-like. So back to the drawing board. 

Turns out vanities are expensive. And I hate most of the ones you can buy out there. This is where I turn to the internet to help me find an alternative, to see if something can be done to magically make the vanity of my dreams:

Apartment Therapy

I think most of us have seen this piece of kitchen furniture at IKEA some time or another. Other than the open shelving (I don't want to see the pipes), I think it is a little piece of genius. 

Ikea Hackers

Same idea with IKEA effectiv office furniture.

Ikea Hackers

These people used one of the bathroom cabinets from Ikea that I do not like, Lillangen (I thought it looked kind of cheap at the store). I really like it here though, the customized fronts and handles make it look less Ikea-like.

Another person who customizes furniture to use as bathroom cabinets is Sarah Richardson. Here are a few of her gorgeous transformations:

Decorpad

This cabinet was from pier 1!

This is not a cabinet, but a was originally a rusted out iron table she transformed.

pinterest

Another beautiful transformation, she lucked out by finding a sideboard with a marble top for $350...I wonder if I could be so lucky.....

There is also the option of making one or getting one custom made, which sounds expensive too. You also have to somehow protect the top surface of the furniture which could pose a challenge and add to expense. Does anyone have any other ideas to share? Have you re-purposed any furniture for a kitchen or bath?

Happy Long Weekend

Yes, I am camping again this weekend (at almost 30 weeks pregnant), so you will have to forgive the lack of project updates. I don't know if it is a faulty nesting instinct, but I am suffering of severe house envy lately, spending more time dreaming of my one-day "forever" house instead of working on my own. In fact, dreaming about my perfect house is one of my favorite things to do! So to end this lovely long weekend, I would like to leave you with a tour of my "ultimate" house...

 Pinterest

The only thing missing from this entryway (which may be out of sight) is a large closet. High ceilings? check. Mouldings? check. Gorgeous light fixture? absolutely.

Emmas Design Blogg

The Marion House Book

My dream living space will be white with warm elements, and ooze character. Eames lounger is a must! Large windows and high ceilings are what usually attract me to old Victorian houses, my ideal future home.

 

Ideas to Steal

Pinterest

My dining room would have a long table ideal for entertaining, and vintage chairs of course. I could not decide whether I would prefer dark and dramatic bistro-inspired decor (shelving and black walls?) or loads of windows to dine in the starlight.

House and Home

I love a simple kitchen with some open shelving and shaker style cabinets like my own. The upgrades would be in an industrial range, quartz or marble countertops and a big restaurant style sink!

Desire to Inspire

La Dolce Vita

Aside from the kid's rooms, which would of course include lots of storage and fun stuff, my dream would be a gorgeous bathroom and closet; a sanctuary every mom needs, right?

Lonny

Apartment Therapy

To end the tour, I take you outside to the amazing pool (chandeliers outside? yes please!) and playhouse for the kids. I would never leave this space in the summer! 

Well, back to reality; while some of these things are attainable, I still like to dream large sometimes! If you could picture your ideal space, what would it include?

Beautiful Bathrooms

Like Leila, the bathroom is a project that is on my radar (I have a promise for this summer, but I need that in writing still!). Because I gravitate towards several styles, it has been really hard to hone in on the look I want to achieve. While I love clean lines and a more modern aesthetic, I also love the charm that comes from a traditional bathroom! I thought it would be helpful for me to gather some pictures and pick apart the key elements:
White and Wood:
I'm not sure how I feel about this entire bathroom, but I like the way they combined traditional elements (white hex tiles) and an organic-modern element as well.

House Beautiful

A Hint of Fresh Colour

Whether it be aqua, green or blue; I always love a clean crisp colour paired with white. A deep soaker tub doesn't hurt, either.

House beautiful

Lots of Storage

This is one aspect of my house that drives me crazy; I would love to build in storage wherever I can

Via Elle Decor

Lots of Light and Elements of Nature

Love the open windows and skylights in this bathroom; would feel so nice to have a bath here on a summer day, don't you think?

Elle Decor

A Touch of Glam

A sparkly mirror or chandelier, or feminine and luxurious accessories are a must!

 

 Pinterest

And that about sums it up! I can definitely see a theme forming and will use these photos to pick the finishings ( on a budget, of course). It will be interesting to see how my girly traditional side can merge with the sleek contemporary spa like feel I want to create. Any ideas or suggestions?

Powder Room Inspiration

I have a very tiny powder room in my foyer that I want to reno this summer. It will be my first major home DIY project. There are quite a few challenges in the room, namely exposed plumbing including the stack vent/stinkpipe.

I'm really inspired by black bathrooms like this (The Marion Housebook):

Though I would prefer a more contemporary edge. I love the way the white trim interacts with the black walls. I like this one from digsdigs too


After our huge success in painting our living space dark grey, we are pumped about bold neutrals! We'd keep the fixtures white and the fittings sleek.

I think I'd like to go luxe and have marble floor tiles. It's a small space so it's a very affordable splurge. I'm torn though...do I go for a basketweave like this (suite7 creative):


or this (travertine x)?


or this (Ceramic Tileworks)?

I think large tiles would make the room seem even smaller. Which tile would be the best?