The Never-Ending Renovation project
When we moved into our house 2 years ago, the bathroom on the first floor was a mess. The previous owners were going to rip it all out and outfit the bathroom for their handicapped daughter, but in the midst, decided to separate and sold the house. So the bathroom had a pink tub and silk, outdated vanity, ugly pink tile that was half ripped out, and the sheetrock had been completely removed.
Over the course of two years, my husband has gutted the entire bathroom. Ripped up the floor, and redid all the insulation, floor joists, new tub, new trim, installed a new window, new trim around the window, bought a new toilet, hung up all new sheetrock (the special stuff for bathrooms), painted the walls, hung up crown molding, bought brushed bronze fixtures for the shower, tiled the floor with slate, and is now in the process of tiling the shower with slate.
The bathroom will be fabulous when it's finally finished but it feels like it is taking forever. Joe only usually works on it on the weekends. Now I see why paying someone large amounts for labor, is sometimes worth it because it gets done in half the time. But really, it's good that we are saving all that money, and Joe is really quite handy.
It's a good thing I'm around though. For some reason, and I don't know exactly where I get this knowledge from, I always know what I DON'T want.
Joe will say " Honey, what do you think if I took 2 inches high sections of slate and used this as the molding along the floor?"
I immediately know that NO, that is not what I want. I think regular molding will look better. How I know this, I don't know. Maybe I'm just picky. Or maybe it's all those home renovation shows I watch. It was the same way, when he asked me if he should put little corners shelves using slate tiles into the shower. Ummm. Nope. Not having it.
One this is for sure. I'll be glad when this bathroom is done, for easier access to a bathroom, but really I will be relieved to have
this cleaned up. This is the family room. The bathroom is to the right of that window.
It's looked like this for 2 months now.
Good thing we don't have a lot of friends coming over. I'd be so embarrassed.
Home renovating is fun eh?
Are you working on any projects in your house?
There is always a project in our house, although as we get older they are taking sooooo much longer!
ReplyDeleteThe slate tile is awesome, I have a smaller version in my kitchen as a back splash. I sealed it with a high gloss to bring out the colors.
I think the family room is the perfect place for the toilet ;) It will look absolutely fantastic when it's finally done!
ReplyDeleteAh, Lorelei! We have a bond - perhaps we are married to different incarnations of the same husband. The minute I saw the sheetrock up in the bathroom (not yet mudded, I believe) I felt a surge of familiarity.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is probably the handiest guy on the planet. I sincerely believe that there is nothing he can't fix, repair, or build. And he does incredibly good work, better than he could pay to have done in almost every case. But he is SLOW. Particular and SLOW. And he prefers starting jobs to finishing them. Two months of having a toilet in your family room does not sound unusual to me. We have had an assortment of boxed up books in our great room for maybe six months with no end in sight. He is planning built-in bookcases in our bedroom but he's only gotten as far as cutting a hole in the wall. The fact that he works 50-60 hour weeks as an electrical engineer and sings and plays trombone in 3 jazz bands probably has something to do with that. (Right now he is singing and acting in a local production of Fiddler on the Roof.)
In a marriage that spans a little over twenty years and two houses I have stories to tell about home improvement projects, but really it is just too depressing. Sorry for being so wordy. Good luck!
Even your mess looks tidy. Joe is very talented, I married a city boy so I am the one with the power tools in this family.
ReplyDeleteWe are doing the big reno on our house so it can go one the market. New bathroom and laundry, replace the decks (I am the official rotten board-finder) paint everything inside and out, resurface the drive etc etc. Oh and finally finishing some stuff we never got around to when we did the original build!
ReplyDeleteI would be more embarrassed if that toilet was connected. Although, put a flat screen and a fridge in there and it would be the ultimate man-cave.
ReplyDeleteI like the toilet in the family room. Think of as post modern installation art.
ReplyDeleteThese are the things that drive me insane. Haha! My hubby tends to have several "projects" going at one time. I just got my boy's sink fixed after 7 weeks of all 4 of us sharing a bathroom. At least you dont have to do your makeup in a mirror spattered with toothpaste! I wish you luck getting it all done!
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ReplyDeleteWe redid the main bathroom in our lake house a few years ago - boy does your post bring back memories - we only worked on it on weekends took - it too forever but really nice when it was finished. Yours look great so far!
ReplyDeletelove the toilet in the family room shot! Fortunately when the room is done all the pain goes away and you'll be so glad you have a handy husband saving you lot's of money. We're just starting a yard remodel and dh is single handedly doing the demo.....it's going to be a long winter...
ReplyDeleteLove the look of the slate. Wonderful organic feel. Projects go on forever unfortunately!
ReplyDeleteOh, come on...you could start an entire new trend in home decor...family rooms complete with decorative toilet seating area ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt's awesome that your hubby has the skills to do the work, though. I'm still waiting for my insurance company to finish putting my second floor back together after the flood in MARCH!
Your bathroom is going to be gorgeous! Three years ago we renovated our beach house for living year-round. At one point we had a path weaving throughout the house just big enough for our bodies to pass through! I'm glad that's over!
ReplyDeleteYour bathroom is going to be gorgeous! Three years ago we renovated our beach house for living year-round. At one point we had a path weaving throughout the house just big enough for our bodies to pass through! I'm glad that's over!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your project. Nothing here at the present, but come January it will be a redo frenzy!
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