And Now a Word About Plumbing

For the better part of the last 20 years, I have lived in older homes.  Not surprisingly, these older homes have also featured older plumbing.  And plumbing of a certain age must be treated with care.

So it was that I quickly learned to avoid flushing or running the water in the sink when another inmate was in the shower.  The occasional mistake on this front, most often the flush of the toilet while the shower was running, would result in the shower victim receiving an unpleasant dose of scalding hot water.  The flusher would then be the recipient of a loud and often profane scolding.

One learns to take care.

Since the new plumbing arrived in the upstairs bathroom, JT and I have discovered that we can flush and wash at the same time.  In other people this might not induce happiness, but JT and I are really quite giddy with the arrangement.  The other day my boy announced that this was "fancy living."

It takes so little to please us.

Completing the Ceiling Quad-fecta

The final ceiling due for painting in my house is the kitchen ceiling.  The water leak there precipitated the bathroom renovation and so, technically speaking, this repair is also a function of that job.  The carpenter and plumber who completed the bathroom repaired the ceiling.  All that remains is for me to clean and paint it.

Is there anything more fun than painting a kitchen ceiling in August?  Easy-peasy and all that.

The rub at the moment is that I'm not sure which color to use.  The current color is a creamy white; it matches the wood trim in the room.  I could get a can of that paint or I could go ahead and use bright white; the color used in every other ceiling in the house.

The current color looks fine, and so I'm not adverse to repeating it.  But there are some good arguments for switching to bright white.  First of all, a different color makes it easier to see what has been painted and what hasn't, a huge advantage when one is painting ceilings.  Second of all, the slightly brighter color might make this room a little lighter, which would be nice.  Third, I have white ceiling paint on hand and that might save me the cost of another gallon.

I remain indecisive on this question and so I'm turning to you, Internet.  Photos show the current ceiling (as well as the plaster patches applied courtesy of the bathroom leak earlier in the year). What say you?  Stay with the creamy color or go to bright white? 

The High Water Mark

For most of my adult life, I have had bathrooms most easily distinguished by their lack of creature comforts.  All of them were functional, though they were invariably small and dark.   A few stand out…and not for good reasons. 

The worst of the bathrooms had to be the one on 1st Street when I lived in Nebraska.  In the middle of my first year in that apartment, the landlord confessed that the apartment had been completely built before they realized it had no bathroom.  So they converted a closet into a bathroom.  It was so confined that you could sit on the toilet and either wash your feet in the shower or rinse your hands in the sink.  Or both, if you were very well-coordinated.  The cave-dark room was functional and easy to clean but that was about all that recommended it.

The bathroom in my first house in Nebraska was also small, though larger than that apartment bath and equipped with a window.  Both helped to rank it as a significant improvement, though the original bar was low.  My next house, in New Jersey, had two bathrooms, an improvement in numbers if not design.  The downstairs bath was a pretty decent size, but it sported 1970s linoleum and tile and the ugliest sink ever.  The only member of the household who liked that room was the dog, who enjoyed resting in the cool tub on a hot day.  The upstairs bath, the one most often used, had a small window but it was narrow, cold in the winter, and hot in the summer. Not exactly welcoming.

Five years ago I moved into my dream house.  It has two bathrooms.  And for the first time, they were truly likable rooms.  The downstairs has a half bath; small, but functional and stylish with updated plumbing and features.   I painted it and replaced the tile floor a few years back.  The upstairs bath is a nice size, a room which measures about 12 x 8 with great natural lighting and a whole lot of potential.

Including 80 year old pipes and the potential for a plumbing disaster. 

The renovation began in late April.  Within two weeks, the bathroom was fully functional.  The only remaining task was wallpaper installation.  That job was finished this past week.  I now have new plumbing, a new tub, a new toilet, an amazing tiled shower, and a new tiled floor.   The lower walls have been insulated and replaced with waterproof sheetrock.  Aside from the needed practical improvements, the renovation afforded me the opportunity to paint and wallpaper with colors I have always wanted to use in my bathroom.  I chose crisp white tile for the shower and the floor.  The new walls have a cool blue paint (the color is called rain wash).  There is a line of blue translucent glass tiles in the shower and the wallpaper has a white background with the blue color in both the paper's texture and the blue and green circles.

The new wall between the toilet and the bath houses all-new plumbing and a kick-ass shower head.  JT especially enjoys the new toilet paper stand; he feels it's the height of elegant living.  It's actually a practical choice to prevent a certain young man from yanking the toilet paper holder right out of the wall (and I speak from experience).

The room is large enough to be spacious and the light colors magnify that feature (my dark bathroom days are over!).  There isn't much storage, but what's there is well organized and easily used.  There are some small final additions under consideration.  I'm thinking about adding this storage shelf from Pottery Barn.  I'm considering a print from John W. Golden's etsy shop, though I'm also tempted by some wall decals from Elephannie's etsy shop.  Whatever I decide, those additions are just the frosting on the big improvement that has already been made.

 It's now my perfect bathroom; a well-lit room that is both functional and beautiful.  And it's Life List #28 come true.

Insert Your Own Caption

 Obviously, the word that first comes to mind: classy.  My family is classy.

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.

All Taped Up

The woodwork painting was completed last night and this morning I got out my painter's tape and went to work.  This afternoon, I'll paint the ceiling and then the color will be applied to the walls.

 The upper third of the walls is slated to have wallpaper.  I'm undecided about wallpaper on the new wall, so I've decided to paint both sections of that corner and then decide if that upper third should also be papered.

 Updated photos later today.

Weekend Update, part I

This week, my bathroom renovation reached the point where things needed time to dry and set.  So each day featured just a little bit of progress.  As of this weekend, I'm at the paint stage of the project.  I am doing the trim, wall, and ceiling paint myself in order to save some money.  It's not a huge job, but it does require that I plan out my attack.  The trim ---- both the chair rail, the molding, the door and its frame ---- will be painted first.  In the case of the door and the door trim, that will require some sanding and a tackcloth. The door trim took a beating in the renovation (and hadn't been perfect to begin with).

Update: the first coat of trim paint has been applied and things look good. The contrast isn't easy to see (the hazards of an all-white bathroom), but I'm happy.  Tomorrow's paint will be the color and once that's up, I'll have a better feel for the changes.

Gooder

There is still plenty of work to be completed in the bathroom, but as of last night we were authorized to shower.  Words cannot express my true joy at this development.  The first thing that the boy and I did when we got home was set up the new shower curtain.  Before bed, JT enjoyed the first run in the new shower.  As he stood under the full force of a brand-new shower head and plenty of warm water he announced, "Mama, this is gooder than the old shower." 

The grammar might be imperfect, but the sentiment is spot on.  Gooder, indeed.

Suds in the Bucket

Some years ago, JT was fixated on a Sara Evans song, "Suds in the Bucket."  He loved the tune and would sing it from his perch in the backseat of the car.  It was one of the great pleasures of my day to hear his little voice sing that song.  And it came to mind when the bathroom got torn up and we went to bathing in this:

Last Thursday, the tub was installed and limited bathing was once again authorized.  But as tile and grout are drying, the tub, which looks most lovely from a distance….

…has briefly returned to the forbidden zone.

And so this morning found me once again humming "Suds in the bucket."  The marble apron at the door is installed and some of the new floor tile has been laid down.  Paint has been secured and today more tile and more new drywall is being installed. 

 We're getting tantalizingly close to completion. 

Real Life Conversations with JT: Speaking in Codes edition

The backstory: My parents are in town for the week (to help supervise the bathroom renovation and generally hang out) and Thursday night we were sitting around the table after supper.  Supper was late because baseball practice ran until 7:30 and things were more chaotic than usual (which is saying A LOT). Why? Because in addition to the non-functional bathroom upstairs, the toilet downstairs had sprung a leak.  The leak required water shut-off to said toilet, rendering it useless as well.  Living without a shower is one thing; no toilet is a whole other.  So I devised a solution, albeit a risky one whereby the victim would use the toilet and then I would quickly turn on the water to fill the tank, flush, and then shut off the water at once to minimize leaking.  Flushing that toilet could no longer be considered easy.

My life is so glamorous.

So we had things generally under control, though I wouldn't call it a restful evening.  JT, eager to comply with the rules, started the following conversation with me as we finished supper.

JT:  I have to use the bathroom.

Mama:  Well go ahead.  BUT DON"T FLUSH.  I'll flush it later.

JT:  That won't do.

Mama:  Why?

JT:  Because, Mama.......

And then he made one hand into a glove and with the other flashed two fingers, just like a catcher calling the pitch.   We fell out laughing.

Friday morning, the amazing JP the Plumber fixed the new problem before he set to work on the old.  The man is a miracle worker.

The Spa Life

Yesterday, a package arrived at the house.  My sister sent my mother and I spa slippers.  They are a most impressive addition to my world.  Soft, plush, and unbelievably cushioned...these slippers are a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

My mother and I immediately put them on.  Chances are good that we will never take them off again, which should add some color to the weekend's shopping errands.

We plan to wear them to the local spa tub, which isn't quite the elegant setting one would hope for when one owns spa slippers. 

Things are coming along nicely in the bathroom, by the way.  The tub is actually functional as of tonight (limited bathing.....but bathing nonetheless) and tile is being installed tomorrow.

Bathroom Update I

Things are proceeding apace in the bathroom.  The old pipes are gone; the rest of the wall clean-up has been started.  This room will have new insulation when the project is done.  That's happy.

Last night, we took a trip to the store to score some tile for the tub and shower area.  Floor tile will be secured later this week.  JP the plumber is under the impression that the tub, currently chilling on the front porch, might be in by Thursday.

JT the boy is under the impression that the new bath-free regime might last forever.

My hopes are more with JP.  So far, so good.

Demolition

You might recall the trouble in the bathroom.  Yesterday, the trouble got bigger.

I'd be worried, but this particular trouble is self-induced, so I can't get too excited.     Bathroom demolition has begun.  It is to be followed by bathroom reconstruction.  JT took a final bow in the old bathtub on Sunday evening. 

When we got home from school on Monday afternoon, the bathtub was no longer suitable for a leisurely soak as it was in three pieces on the front porch. 

The toilet is now in the closet in JT's bedroom closet, which JT finds oddly unsettling.  It's not flush-worthy at the moment anyway.

And we've gone down to bare studs. 

The lead plumbing is making an exit, to be replaced by new plumbing, insulation and waterproof sheetrock on the walls.  These will be installed alongside a  new tub and a whole lot of tile.

Take note: For the moment, bathing in this house is confined to a wash rag and a bucket...unless you'd like to go outside and enjoy a chilling shower in the sprinkler.

Updates as warranted.