I realize bathrooms are not all that exciting, but this bathroom (along with bathroom #1) will be the first finished space(s) on the main floor of this old house that we have been renovating for the past 2 years.
It has been a difficult and very slow process.
So, bear with me while I gush over our beautiful bathroom #2!
This bathroom was designed as the kids/guest bathroom and, unlike the first bathroom, I had a clear vision from the start. My plan was modern farmhouse with traditional tiles and a unique counter top.
The tile
There are certain elements of modern farmhouse design that are a must and subway tile is definitely one of them.
I went totally traditional, choosing white, but wanted a larger tile (4″x16″) to reduce grout lines.
For the floors I wanted to go a little modern, with a black floor, and chose this beautiful charcoal tile with dark gray accents in a 12″ x 24″ rectangle.
Classic black and white, I loved it!
However, that was not to be.
Are you sensing another adventure?
You’d be right!
Apparently a national restaurant chain (never found out which one) decided to build a bunch of new restaurants across the country and wanted this exact floor tile, so needless to say it was out of stock and back ordered for months.
Our wonderful tile guys found me some alternatives and floor tile #2 is better than the first!!
This beautiful, black, 12″ x 12″ square tile with streaks of gray and specks of silver set on a diagonal with black grout, is perfection!
(The white specks are sheet rock debris that have since been cleaned up! Putting up drywall, taping, mudding and sanding is a very messy job, one that we are happy to pay someone else to do! Yep, gotta know your limits!)
Top Gunn tile helped us out again and did a great job!
Tub, shower or both?
This was the most difficult decision I had to make for this bathroom. For our family, a shower was all we needed but for resale, it would be good to have a tub. The bathroom is small, about 9′ by 6′, so two separate pieces was out of the question.
A shower/tub combo it is!
Top Gunn did the tile work in the shower as well, first by putting up the cement board
and then the waterproofing. Yes, there really is a tub under that wood and cardboard.
And finally the tile!
Check out these sweet penny round tiles! My little bit of whimsy that every space needs!
Lighting and Cabinets
Lighting was simple, a couple sconces flanking the vanity and some recessed lights over the bathtub and in front of the linen cabinet. The cabinets are white shaker style and solid maple.
Countertop
So, I got this crazy idea to make the bathroom counter top with a couple of beautiful pieces of wood I had set aside while gutting the old family room.
It’s been really important to us that we preserve and reuse anything and everything we can, to keep the history of this home alive, but this one was a little out there!
I was determined to make it work though!
Look at this beautiful wood!
First, Steve cut it to size and screwed & glued the pieces together. So far so good (says the girl with the crazy idea!).
The first challenge was to sand or not to sand.
We debated this for weeks, seriously!
It certainly would have made it easier to care for but the rough/aged character, from 80 years of service holding this house together, would be lost. Steve thought he could seal it smooth enough that upkeep would not be an issue, but I absolutely did not want a shiny plastic look to the surface.
After testing several sealers we found Waterlox to be exactly what we were looking for. Steve used multiple thin coats starting with the original sealer and finishing with a satin topcoat.
The second challenge was a sink. An under-mount sink would leave a live edge of wood that would be impossible to waterproof long term. so I had to find a drop in that I could live with. I eventually found a unique porcelain sink with a unique shape that fit the room perfectly!
Isn’t it beautiful?
The faucet is Kohler, with a sweet vintage porcelain cap for hot and cold.
It finishes off the sink beautifully.
Shower enclosure
Glass shower door or shower curtain?
Oh, so may pros and cons!
For me though, this one was easy.
The tile was way too beautiful to hide behind a sticky and stinky shower curtain, so it was glass all the way!
It’s gorgeous and definitely the right decision.
The door
We salvaged a bedroom door from the original master. The jamb and framing did not survive the demo so Steve built it new and hung this beautiful door.
Still deciding whether to repaint and distress or sand and stain. What do you think?
The original hardware didn’t work properly so Steve scoured the internet for replacement parts and was not successful.
We opted for these reproduction glass door knobs/hardware. They are gorgeous!
We need some finishing touches to complete this room, so stay tuned.
Up next: the utility room and master bedroom!
As always, keep is simple but do it with sass!
Kim
I,Lindsey Hill, really like what you did in the bathroom. I can’t wait to come and use it. Miss you guys, love Lindsey
Thanks Lindsey! It is my favorite bathroom even though Zach uses it not me. I cannot wait until you can come down and see us too!
Love,
Kim
Wow gorgeous, where do u get all the energy to do this! Auntie
Thank you! Finding the energy at the end of a busy day or busy week is challenging but seeing these rooms I’ve dreamed up come to life is powerfully motivating.
Kim
I LOVE the bathroom. Really like the counter tops.
The whole room looks beautiful. You guys are doing an awesome job!
Can not wait to come and see it!
Thanks Tiffany! It’s a great space. We are trying to add a unique element to each room to add interest. Wasn’t sure the counter top would be all I wanted it to be but it turned out great. We miss you guys and cannot wait to share the whole house with you all.
Kim
Hi Kids: Beautiful material choices, Nice finishing work. I can’t wait to see the finished kitchen, but I also enjoy the rough space it is created from. Keep the creative juices going.
Love Dad
Thanks! It’s really fun to demo a new space and then the really hard work starts as we manipulate it into the images I’ve created in my head. Steve is very patient as I have changed a few things along the way :). I have been anxiously waiting to get my hands on this kitchen space for 3 years, finally!!
Love,
The B’s
Love
Kim
I love this Kim! Such talent you two have. Hope Florence does not come to visit in the next few days. Keeping our fingers crossed.
Thanks Aunt Judy,
We are having the time of our lives! There are days though, when we look at each other and say what the heck are we doing. We could have bought a big beautiful house completely done and ready to go but no, we decided to take a leap of faith and restore the love to this small, run down, old house to make it our home!
Love,
Kim
You two are amazing! It is so beautiful. I would never had been able to picture that before hand.
We are definitely having fun! We make changes as we go until it feels right. Check out my new post I published today,
Kim
Our week with the B’s was great in October . Dad B. & Steve work so well together. And Mom B. enjoyed pulling ALL the 1940 square headed nails. Thank-you B’s for the experience !! Memories will go on forever. Love, Mom Baumann.
We enjoyed your visit so much and appreciate both of you pitching in to bring this old house to life!