Monday, May 24, 2010

Weekend Update, part II

When this bathroom project began, I wasn't sure what I wanted the final product to look like.  While I didn't love my bathroom, I didn't dislike it.  So I hadn't been thinking about how to make it look amazing.  Moreover, the renovation began for very practical reasons: the 85 year old plumbing was leaking and had to be replaced.  The old pipes ran along the floor and then up the wall that connects to JT's bedroom.  The plumber and I agreed that the best strategy was to streamline the plumbing into one place.  So a new wall was built, dividing the shower and bathtub from the toilet.  With the fixtures placed, the rest of the plan was up to me.  

As I thought about the final product, I kept envisioning a light-filled space that felt clean and relaxing.  The bathroom isn't huge, but it does have high ceilings.  The plumber and carpenter agreed that the window in the shower-space could be contained with tile and marble and therefore saved, preserving outdoor light in the room. But the toilet, now behind a partition with all the shiny new plumbing, is at risk for seeming dark and dank; I decided that lighter colors would prevent that corner from a cave-like feel.

I settled on a combination of white tile and trim, complemented by a blue-grey paint (the color is Behr's rain-washed) and a line of opaque glass tiles in shades of the wall color  Right now, the old flowery wallpaper is still in place.  Within the next month, it will be replaced by something in the new color scheme.
Later this week, the toilet, sink and radiator will be re-installed and the bathroom will be fully functional again.  In the years ahead I will never take for granted an upstairs toilet in the middle of the night.  I've already begun to enjoy the amazing new shower.  I'm feeling good about the tile and color combination.  The hard parts are finished and I only await the new wallpaper.  When I've settled on a pattern and it is hung, I will make and post final pictures of the completed renovation.

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