I was even tempted to salvage some of it with epoxy, but made the wiser choice and impulse designed this while picking out tile:
(Sorry for the less-than-fancy showerhead/hose – we give Nemo showers in here, so function over fancy!)
Thanks to a contractor with honest opinions and a husband who saw my future of regret in short-term savings, we gutted this and said goodbye:
I know. I know. What could I possibly want out of THAT? It was the moroccan trellis/lantern tile. After telling a contractor I loved everything about it, except the mustard yellow, he suggested I epoxy the back wall of the tub and floor, along with the original cast iron tub “since they don’t make them like they used to.” Between seeing the savings and knowing new tile of the same shape was beyond out-of-my-budget, i convinced myself it was a good idea. I told the contractor I ended up using and he said, “Listen, I’ll do it if you want, but if it doesn’t look good, don’t tell anyone this was my job.” That quickly dissolved my genius savings idea into doubt. I was still convinced I could pull it off and started planning.
As they were gutting all but the tub, floor and tub wall, we were out choosing tile for the other two walls of the tub. I went into panic and thought about the obscene cost it would be to rip it out and replace it should I hate it… and if that would even be an option. So I called and said, “I just picked out all new tile for everything, along with a new cast iron tub. It’s ready at contractor pick up. Gut it all.” He laughed and said good thing, because he had a surprise for when we got back. It turns out, the ceiling above the tub was lowered without a purpose, so in gutting the entire bath, we actually gained almost 2 feet of ceiling in the shower area (I guess people were shorter in the 50s?). The decision increased our budget significantly, as we now purchased more marble, floor tile, a cast iron tub from Kohler, and needed a full gut. But it was well worth it.
By the way, when you purchase a new tub, do not try to save money by opting for a material cheaper than cast iron. You do not want your tub to crack if you drop something on it, or even worse, stand on it. Just count that job into the cost of your “savings.”
I never knew I could enjoy decorating an area by the toilet so much that I actually thought it looked pretty. Looks are best when they serve a purpose, so I chose to use some glass shelves from Ikea along with a few of their glass canisters to hold our cotton products. Since the top shelf is more to bring the eye up and draw attention to the crown moulding, I chose a few decorative items from TJ Maxx. The three pieces on the top shelf totaled a $20 investment and create visual interest, while adding some color to a small space. Bathroom decor shouldn’t be ignored because it is just a bathroom; it should get just as much attention as any room because it is YOUR bathroom!
The only piece I did salvage was the vanity. Partially because there was nothing wrong with it and mostly because it was an irregular size and difficult to find an all white vanity. Somewhere down the line, I will replace the hardware with something in full chrome to match the rest of the hardware in the space, but for now it’s sitting on the to-do list. An important tip to create a seamless design is making sure all hardware has the same finish. You can get away with differences in handle shape, etc, but the finish is tough to miss.
Since it wasn’t a large space, I paired the vanity with a frameless mirror cabinet for extra storage, which had the bonus of soft-closing doors. This is a nice perk to have when morning rushes often end up in slammed cabinets, which could end up in a very expensive crack in the mirror.
As always, it’s all in the details. Along with the space above the toilet, I paid careful attention to where else I could create visual interest. The light fixture, as it did in the dining room, was cause for debate. When I saw this fixture at (surprise, surprise) Home Depot, I knew it was the one, but hated the idea of again, buying the most expensive fixture at the store at $100. So of course, we bought a couple cheap-o $60 or $70 fixtures instead thinking any 3-light fixture in a chrome finish would do the job. When we took it out of the box, we realized how ridiculous it was to try and save $40 on a renovation that was costing us thousands of dollars. We switched it, loved it, and even our contractor wanted to know where we bought it.
Since we opted not to carry the marble into our flooring, I used a mixed glass and marble tile mosaic to be used in both the tub walls and the flooring. I created a 3-feet mosaic on the floor following the direction of the tile lengthwise, to create depth in the space. Always lay tile following the length of the space to make it seem longer. Our brains play tricks anyway, so might as well use it to your advantage!
I chose a simple curved shower rod from Moen and complimented it with a patterned shower curtain and these adorable knotted curtain rings from TJMaxx. Make sure your curtain rings are rustproof, since rust on your shower curtain rings can scratch up the bar.
Our original budget, when I was salvaging all of that lovely tile, was $3,500. After the decision to upgrade, I increased the budget to $5,000. Our total was aroudn $5,500. This comes out to a 10% overage, which is more than reasonable for significant material upgrades and for what the design did for the space. In most rooms, a coat of paint will do the trick, but a bathroom is a long term investment, so choose wisely and as always, be happy with your decision!
If you aren’t already, connect with me @JennChanRealtor
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