Half-Bathroom Reveal

 

It's been a long time comin'!

This little space is not 100% complete, but with the exception of a window treatment, it's ready to be enjoyed.

 

Months ago, I had to take a long break from my living room projects when our tile installer called on a Friday and asked us if we would be ready for our new floor to begin installation on Monday. We couldn't say no. We had been waiting a year or so to get this situation fixed!  So that weekend, we demolished the bathroom. And by we, I mean my husband and a sawz-all. He rippeth out, I maketh beautiful!

{Just to recap, we had installed new tile 3 years ago, and much to our surprise, about a year after installation the grout started cracking and chipping, and the tiles were coming loose.  That's how this whole process came to start, although we had wanted to renovate this bathroom for some time.}

 So, after dreaming and pinning from inspiring blogs, I created a design board, which I really didn't stray too far from, besides the wall color.

I had a little debacle with ordering the Montaigne Vanity from Home Decorators collection, a piece which I had a crush on for years! It just goes to show, you must always measure twice and cut, er... order once.  But that gave me the chance to try out my new Kreg Jig I got from my husband for Christmas, and build a similar vanity using my own modified version of this vanity from Ana White. Ah, I love new tools! 

 

I had painted the ceiling a month or so prior to demolition with a free sample of Clark & Kennsington paint I got from Ace Hardware. They used to give those away quite frequently. They should start that up again. ;) Then I painted the upper portion of the walls a different color than what I had specified on my design board. After seeing a photo on Young House Love's site, I decided to go with a darker gray up top; Benjamin Moore's Kendall Charcoal (HC-166), instead of continuing the minty ceiling color onto the walls, as originally planned. I'm happy I did, because the contrast with the planks and the ceiling is refreshing!

 While the new floors were being installed, I got busy planking the walls. Any excuse to use my air compressor, and I'm happy! This process moved quite quickly by myself, but I can't imagine planking a large space, like some inspiring bloggers have done. My biggest challenge was cutting around the window, toilet paper holder, and all of the electrical boxes. Electrical work was something else I also tackled for the first time while working on this bathroom!

Then I primed a couple of coats and painted a few more, and sealed it all off with a coat or two (depending on the area) of Polycrilic.

After the floor and walls were complete, I set the vanity in place and had a template made for the quartz counter tops. And then we waited... 4 weeks. I suppose this would have been the perfect time to get those doors done in the living room, but I didn't. 

 

I worked on other projects, like renewing the sconces in the bathroom...

 and painting a couple of baskets as storage for the vanity (this is an unseen action shot of how I sometimes get projects done with the boys).

A month had come and gone just like that. Who am I kidding? We were in the dead of winter just trying to survive the Michigan Snowpocalypse of 2014! But we kept busy, and waited patiently. As soon as I got the call that my vanity top was done, I dragged the boys out of bed to pick it up! I saved $80 and installed the counter top myself by applying a bead of silicon adhesive to the vanity, and then caulked the two edged with a waterproof silicon caulk as well. Super easy, since this piece weighs only about 50 pounds.

Then I half-way succeeded to hook up the plumbing myself. I installed the faucet, but I didn't have the right drain pipe (or know-how) to complete that myself. One quick call to our plumber, and the drain was hooked up the next day! Now we can wash our hands ensured that water won't be leaking all over my precious vanity.

After placing the baskets, a sweet little painted pot with a succulent my little guy picked out, and hanging the mirror & a painting my husband and I got in Key West from our wedding/honeymoon, the bathroom is complete. Enjoy some photos while I continue my search for the hand towel that started it all!

And now for everyone's favorite shot, the side by side before and after:

So, what do you think? I love it so much that I'm trying to figure out how to get a mattress to fit. :)

Sources:

Ceiling Color: Benjamin Moore Fresh Dew

Wall Color: Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

Plank Color: Benjamin Moore White Down

Floor Tile: MS International Metro Charcoal @ Home Depot

Vanity: DIY

Baskets: Found at Meijer and Dipped

Countertop: Cotton White Quartz fabricated by Top Of The World

Faucet: Pfister Ashfield in Tuscan Bronze

Sink: Kohler Kelston Undermount in Biscuit

Mirror:  Bolivar Decorative Wall Mirror

Linking up to:

I Heart Nap Time: Link Party Palooza #37
Design, Dining & Diapers: Inspiration Gallery Link Party
The Cards We Drew: Sunday Soiree Link Party
A Bowl Full of Lemons:  One Project at a Time
The Holden Sycamore: Inspiration Gallery Link Party 
Liz Marie Blog: Inspire Me Please - Linky Party  

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