This is Mother’s downstairs bathroom. We (the kids) have been riding her for YEARS to update it. When you see the before, you will know what I mean. 1970s decor…yes, that is metallic wallpaper & because it’s an interior bathroom, the flash on my camera has washed out the floor tile. The floor tile actually looks like an oilslick. The vanity & toilet are original builder’s stock.
Couple of things to note:
1 – this is the ONLY downstairs bathroom, so it must WOW any guests yet be practical for the mucky gardener running in from outside.
2 – Mother is a very visual person, so we had to rip everything out first in order for her to be able to “see” what she would like as decor. Even so, it was difficult because I could “see” things right away but ended up bringing home samples to lay down or hold against the wall.
A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails…
Replies
The bathroom measurements are approximately 60x50 inches & the left side of the bathroom ceiling has ductwork or something boxed in. It's annoying as heck but it's something we are stuck with. For sure, not the nice symmetrical look that would be perfect.
So, Buck & I got the wallpaper off, which was very easy & came off largely in whole sheets(Mother has unused pieces still in the basement). Removing the tiles was harder work but since "regular" grout was used, it just ended up being grunt work. Grunt work made easier once the toilet & vanity were removed.
A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
Maybe I should have titled this "before, DURING & after" because we really aren't quite done & even after Thursday it won't be totally complete. Ah well, to continue the tale...I had taken Mother on scouting expeditions, Expo Center (a division of Home Despot), The Great Indoors (Sears), Ferguson, Studio 41 & quite a few model homes, so that she would be able to see ALOT of vignettes & maybe get an idea of what she liked. I was able to narrow down that she did not like Asian or contemporary but did like rich, elegant and semi-ornate (NOT Baroque with the gilded gold look). Mother made an offhand comment that she liked my bathrooms, so I started checking out websites that had "furniture vanities". Oddly enough at a completely by chance stop at HOBO, Mother found a vanity that was PERFECT.Because of space constraints, the vanity had to be around 31 inches or less in width. Because of the door opening, the depth of the vanity had to be around 22 inches. After we brought home the vanity (less than 400USD including the Baltic Brown granite top & undermount porcelain sink, we couldn't resist placing it in the empty bathroom, just to see what it would look like<G>.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
Tile & paint (sigh). This is/was the most difficult because after ripping everything out, the room was literally a blank slate and as I stated before, Mother needs to "see" the idea in place. I did use a vinegar & hot water mix (old ribbed Tshirts as washcloths) to remove the leftover sizing/glue from the walls before priming. It took 3 gorounds to make sure everything was removed. In the meantime, I had found a really cool dogbone tile online. It's similar to a basketweave tile but is called dogbone because the shape of the larger tiles are higher on the ends than in the middle. The effect from further away is curvy. Mother liked the tile, so I tried to track it down. Turns out that it is a Michael Smith mosaic tile, only available thru Ann Sacks. The only Ann Sacks distributor around here is up in Winnetka (Gold Coast of Chicago - ritzy area). I was able to find something similar at The Tile Shop but the size was much larger & all in marble. Soooo we took a roadtrip to Ann Sacks & I have to admit, the people there were really great. After seeing the tile in person, Mother said it was too cold BUT she saw a vignette in the shop that she really REALLY liked. Custom made, random glass pieces w/10% sparkly bits(mirror) & 10% cream coloured glass, the rest of the glass pieces gave an overall blue effect. I told the sales person that I would need to measure the height of the room because the original idea was only floor & walls up to chairrail height. This particular tile just SCREAMED one wall only. We were told the lead time was 6 weeks.On the way back home, we missed a turnoff & ended up on Lake Cook Rd. By sheer coincedence, Mother spotted a sign that said Banner Plumbing Kitchen & Bath Showroom. We skreeched into the parking lot to check out the displays (hey! it WAS on the way home<G>). One of the vignettes really impressed Mother. Of course, I didn't have my camera that day but ended up going back to get some photos. Turns out that all the tile was available at the Tile Shop & the paint was Benjamin Moore. The showroom people had all the info handy (tile name, grout colour, paint colour etc).A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
A little more info on tile cost calculations. The Ann Sacks dogbone mosaic tile was around 38USD/sq foot, the custom made glass mosaic was approx 132USD/sq foot (depending on the number of colours) & the Tile Shop tiles were much less. I think 18USD for Cafe Emperador (the marble tile on the floor) & approx 14USD for the Bizbane basketweave.Finding a tile setter is a whole other experience. The guy that did my bathrooms & kitchen (found him via word of mouth) had disappeared off the face of the earth. In desperation, I had asked a server at a restaurant where I was having lunch if she knew anyone & oddly enough she had a tenant. Carlos said he was in the middle of a 3wk job but wouldn't have a problem coming to check things out & give us an estimate. Mother found the actual tile setter thru a neighbor's son (Carlos never called us back - it's been over 4wks now). When this tile setter said he could start on Friday, panic set in. We only had samples, no tiles!!Tricia, at the Tile Shop in Lake Zurich was a HUGE help. She was able to tell us which store had enough of the Cafe Emperador, so that the floor could be installed. We then placed the order for the rest. Seems like the stores don't have actual inventory, just displays & the stock comes from a distribution center in Michigan.So before the tile setter started, I used Zinsser over all the walls & ceiling. After the floor tile had dried, I used Zinsser tinted a dark grey for the back wall.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
After the tile setter came out to look at things, the measurements changed abit. I had calculated 42 inches of wall tile because the vanity is 36 inches in height. The tile setter said that an outlet interfered, so that was changed to 43 inches. This thru everything off. Now we had the capitol (chairrail), the base & a HUGE amount of basketweave in the middle. It wouldn't look right. In addition, the original Banner vignette showed Cafe Emperador in 12x12 tiles on the floor. Since Mother's bathroom is smaller AND we weren't surround by all that open space as in the showroom, I thought that the one foot tiles would look wrong. I asked if he could cut the tiles into 6x6. Not a problem. Sooo, I changed the look slightly:
1 - Floor cut down from 12x12 to 6x6
2 - Framed the Bizbane basketweave w/4inches top & bottom of plain Fiorito tile instead of having extra basketweave with the capitol & base, which would have looked too unbalanced (it's hard to describe why it looked "wrong" to me)This is where we are at currently:
the tile setter is returning on Thursday to grout (Kahlua & Autumn Wheat weren't available in epoxy grout (these were the 2 in the Banner vignette)), so we went with only one epoxy grout that should look good on both floor & wall called Latte.the tile setter suggested a very dark green on the back wall, instead of a brown, soo I get to put test patches of colour on the primer, once he's done w/the tiling. The test patches will be bittersweet brown (from the original vignette), Bungalow Brown (which is on my livingroom ceiling) & some kind of Hunter Green. I then have to take samples of all the tiles AND the back wall colour to find a neutral colour, which MUST look good, for the other 3 walls & the ceiling. sigh Ah well, but it IS looking good. So good, in fact, that Mother is already talking about changing the decor in the Master Bathroom (YIPPEE!!).A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
Oddly enough my unemployment is kindof working out. Don't have much money but at least Mother's downstairs bathroom is almost done. It would have taken much, MUCH longer if I was still employed. Still could use a Mega/Powerball/Lotto win, tho<G>.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
Very, very cool.
I LOVE that basket weave!
Think a new job in bathdesign?Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"We strive for conversion,we get lost in conversation, and wallow in consternation. "Me.
Same here. Excellent tile pics and the basketweave is gorgeous. Did that come in sheets or as loose tiles? I've with the tile guy...i'd like to see more color in there now. What a vanity! After reading the description, i expected ho-hum, but that is rather elegant. That's the great thing about small spaces...you can splurge on materials and not break the bank. If you learned how to lay tile, i think you'd create a nice niche for yourself.
Sphere & Splintie
The basketweave is called Bizbane & it's not white/brown. It's sortof a flan/caramel creme colour w/really dark brown, say 60% chocolate bits and comes glued on mesh sheets. The floor is 70% bittersweet chocolate with swirls of cream in it. Everything is marble. Oh the capitol, base & marble "frame" are called Fiorito, also available at The Tile Shop.After some thought & more conversation w/Mother, the test patches are going to change (she picked up the grout today, so we are ready for the tile guy tomorrow). 3 test patches so far will be: the bittersweet chocolate brown, a dark Hunter Green & a dark barn red. My livingroom ceiling colour is wrong. Also any colour in the blue spectrum...that dark grey primer makes the tile look dingy. It's really interesting how batches of stone differ in hue. The colour search is gonna be another project (lights & cabinet too).I saw the work this tile setter was doing (he & his helper are both Polish). Ye gads, it is work and he is GOOD. I will have to take a couple of closer shots of how he fitted the capitol into the door frame. There is NOWAY that an ephemeral DIY could have done this room. I am sooo glad that we got a professional<G>.My only regret is that I didn't talk to MWE#1 way sooner. I didn't have enough time to rip out one layer of the subfloor before he came & laid the DURROCK over the top. Looks like we have to cut down the door, 'cause it opens on the inside. sigh And the height from the bathroom into the hall is pretty substantial. Ah well, live & learn.edited to add mosaic details.
Edited 6/4/2008 6:34 pm by plantlust
Any chance of using a pocket door -- cat's meow for small spaces. Or one of the doors that mounts on the outside of the opening and slides like a pocket door but doesn't require opening the wall? A door in that bathroom occupies a lot of real estate...bifold?
What is that kindof door called? The one that mounts on the outside?A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
I saw it in a magazine. Let me do some /looking/googling...Here ya go for ideas:http://www.trendir.com/archives/000693.html
http://www.baulinks.de/en/2005/1698.php4
http://www.yarravalley.co.uk/Top_lit_wardrobe.htmlHere's some hardware for sale:http://jhusa.net/wmindex.aspxI'd bet you could buy parts off the shelf for patio doors and modify the mounting to do something similar. I don't think you could reuse the existing door, though, bec it would need to overlap the jamb for privacy.I just did a quick search using "sliding door" in Google Images as my search term. There's even more there to interest you.
Edited 6/5/2008 12:00 am by splintergroupie
Thanks for the info. The original door is luan (hollow core, of course), definite 70s stuff. Fingers crossed that I can convince her to change it. A pocket door would be cool but I'm cringing at the whole ripping-out-the-outside-wall that it would entail. Well that and the hallway would end up more cramped and potentially claustrophobia enducing.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
A barn door.A pocket door would also require redoing the inside wall. So if that wall is tiled then you don't want to do that either..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Just wanted to echo the others who say they're impressed with what ya did. Didn't know ya had it in ya.(-:
Q: What are the three types of men?
A: The handsome, the caring and the majority.
Hey, nice work you did there. I really like the dog bone tile pattern. Seen it before, but never knew what it was called.
It's a shame though, that the old floor tiles had to go. They'll probaby be back in vogue pretty soon. :D--------------------------------------------------------
Cheap Tools at MyToolbox.netSee some of my work at TedsCarpentry.com
Thanks Boss. Actually I think I can be the perfect designer, afterall they spend OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY<G> (kindof like architects)Ted
The basketweave tile was installed. Mother nixed the dogbone (I still think it looks good, just not in this application). The tile & wallpaper will be sold on http://www.ola.com. Too bad there isn't more of it, I suspect there's money to be made in recycling this stuff (don't even ask what I rescued from an aunt/uncle's place before they sold to developers. They rescued stuff from Chicago demolitions in the 50/60s).A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
Ah, now I get it.
I always thought basket weave was without the smaller tiles (or stones) in between, more like a zig-zag pattern. Anyway, the bathroom looks great and I'm glad you're giving someone else the chance to enjoy the vintage stuff.
They rescued stuff from Chicago demolitions in the 50/60s
One of my favorite places to kill time is Salvage One. Love that old stuff! :D--------------------------------------------------------
Cheap Tools at MyToolbox.netSee some of my work at TedsCarpentry.com
If you like Salvage One, try Architectural Artifacts. They had a set of Egyptian Revival front doors to DIE for. O'course, if you buy them, you would need to build a house around them...A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
If I remember correctly, I visited Architectural Artifacts some years ago and found they are waaaayyy expensive and don't have nearly as much stuff. I think they limit their selection and do a lot of the restoration before putting it up for sale, thus the high prices. What I like about Salvage One is they're huge, and they stock everything just as the found it. Both are great places, but I'm more a salvage kind of guy. --------------------------------------------------------
Cheap Tools at MyToolbox.netSee some of my work at TedsCarpentry.com
Ah! Are you thinking of herringbone pattern? That doesn't have the little bits in between and is vagely zigzag shaped.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
That's the one. I thought basket weave was the square (not diagonal) version of herring bone. Well, live and learn. --------------------------------------------------------
Cheap Tools at MyToolbox.netSee some of my work at TedsCarpentry.com
Found a picture of the dogbone tile that I was looking at before Mother nixed it. The white portion is ceramic, so it is very white. The dark part is actually stone & not ceramic, as I had originally thought from this photo.I always thought this would look very cool on the floor & framed, similar to an Oriental carpet. I also think that it doesn't look as harsh as a regular basketweave would look in those colours because of the curving effect. The Bizbane basketweave on Mother's wall is also less angular looking because of the colour variation in the marble.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
Thanks for that picture of the dog-bone style; i had been imagining an Escheresque pattern instead. I like the shapes of the dogbones more, but i like your colors better in your Bizbane.I was thinking about colors...seems like burnt oranges and deep golds would work very well with that stone. Here's an idea of what i mean from my solarium and vestibule, though more intense colors may work better:
Multi color/texture slate? I think I'm going to be using your floor for my wood stove surround (wall). Gonna run it behind the stove, then down the wall and around into the entryway. Haven't decided if I want to run it 4 or 5 tiles high, nor what to cap it with. I was thinking of an earthy color for the wall above, but not sure what.
jt8
"If we don't put effort into creating what we want, we must then put effort into coping with what we have." --EPNIA
Yes, i got that slate at Lowe's and it was gaged, so it was a lot easier to lay than the stuff i got at HD that wasn't. The stuff from Lowe's was labeled as "exterior", too, and it was much more solid than the HD brand. This stuff came from India and is very colorful. They weren't just exactly 12x12 as advertised, so you can make the grout lines better by moving some around...or maybe i'm too picky. <G> A tip is to roll on the sealant before grouting them. I tried both ways and clean up went very much faster with the sealant on the slate first. I put on about four coats in all, two before grout and two after. I'm ready to put on another coat because of wear in the pathways.
Yes, i got that slate at Lowe's
LOL, that's where my 6" samples came from. I decided I didn't want to mess with all the little ones and would probably do it with 12"ers. Thanks for the sealant tip, I assume you were just sealing the face?
jt8
"If we don't put effort into creating what we want, we must then put effort into coping with what we have." --EPNIA
Yes, and i was even careful not to let the sealant run over the edges of the slates. I'm not sure how much it matters, but i thought that the edges should remain unsealed so the grout would stick better.
I had tried several tile places before buying my Lowes samples. Surprising how much cruddy slate tile is out there. Some of the stuff at the tile places was $10-12/ft and to me looked like someone had printed a slate pattern on a porcelin tile. Just didn't look like slate at all.
IIRC, Lowes had those 12" tiles on sale for like $2.50-3/ft. They have the color and texture I was looking for. Just need to trade in my 6" samples for several cases of 12"ers.
[edit to add] When I look at your sun room floor, it really makes me think I should run the wall tiles 5 high. Maybe do some kind of plate rail on top of it to transition to the drywall.
jt8
"If we don't put effort into creating what we want, we must then put effort into coping with what we have." --EPNIA
Edited 6/7/2008 2:22 am by JohnT8
Apropos your pic, the attachment is what i did for a backing for the woodstove. Those inferior HD slates were used on this project.You might think of incorporating the 6x6 tiles with the 12x12 in a pattern of some sort for increased interest, esp if you are covering a large area. Vast seas of tile seem boring to me, even when the color is so arresting. Here's a wonderful idea source for patterns: http://www.ashlandfloor.com/tilepatterns.htmSlate is very easy to cut with a tile saw. I have only a $88 tile saw that i've used to lay several tile and slate floors so far and i'm still using the first blade i started with.
Apropos your pic, the attachment is what i did for a backing for the woodstove. Those inferior HD slates were used on this project.
That's really neat. A simple pattern, but it really looks nice. How did you do the floor? Is it fixed or mobile? on top of the wood flooring or on top of the subfloor?
My initial thought had been to copy Justin's pattern in a shower he posted a few months back. Ripping each 12" tile in two and put them in a ....what the heck is it called... layed out like brick, offset from each other (running bond?). But I was afraid that the color/texture of the slate might not lend itself to that style.
Part of my situation is that it won't simply be the wood stove surround. My plan is to sell this house in a couple years, so I have to keep an eye towards resale. Around here, the mass of home buyers are uneducated as to the benefit of wood stoves, so if necessary I will yank it out. So the slate will be wall covering. And I'll try to rig a mobile stove platform (mount the tile on a sheet of ply or some such?) so that it can also be removed if necessary.
I had stumbled on some design book a year or so back that talked about using textures/materials to tie different rooms together. So my variation on that will be to take the beadboard ceiling of the porch and carry that on into the entry way. Then in the entryway, the slate wall covering starts and carries on into the LR. Then the wood flooring in the LR flows back through the entryway and into the K/DR. Don't know if it will work, but I'm gonna give it a try.
I'm going to give that website another look when I have more time.jt8
"If we don't put effort into creating what we want, we must then put effort into coping with what we have." --EPNIA
There was a fireplace in that area, so i just cut the oak flooring back a little farther from the original hearth. There's a layer or two of Durock over the subfloor, but the cats lie right on the floor under the stove, so it never gets very hot at all. I used a sheet of Durock to build out to the level of the plaster wall around the fireplace, then i used another layer of Durock as the substrate for the slate. It doesn't ever get that warm, but that's an outside wall, too.
I'm not sure lots of people would like a rock wall, either, if you're considering re-sale now. One solution might be to just mount the durock with spacers and screws to the wall behind so that the holes could be patched easily is someone wished to remove the stove. This is actually a better way to dissipate heat with an air-space behind the stove. There is a metal channel used for the stand-off or you can improvise something. You can also buy hearths that just lie on the floor, unattached to anything. Another option behind your wood stove would be a metal surround. I fabbed one for a shop woodstove out of some metal roofing that came my way. It reflected heat and kept the wall behind it cooler that the slate does now. How about a half-circle of Stainless Steel behind the stove? Look, Ma...no screws!
Well we finally found the correct colours. We are going with a Chrome Green (a darker & richer version of Hunter Green) for the back wall & Linen White for the 3 walls & ceiling. The Chrome Green is actually an exterior house colour, so the paint guy at Licht's had to whip something up in the back<G>. Then a mistake was made in the quantity (we only need a quart) & they mixed up a gallon, so they were nice enough to only charge us for a quart.
Once the Chrome Green is dry, I will take another photo. I have run up north to pickup Pumpkin the Gargoyle so downloading the photos won't occur until later on tonight.
Neither a rich red, the original brown from the vignette nor a deep orange looked right against all the tiles. The Chrome Green looks F.I.N.E!
I do have a couple of questions for the next phase of this project. Leaning towards a Panasonic Whisper fan (no light) 80 CFM. Is there a huge difference in quality between Panasonic, Broan or Fantech fans? Trying to find one that has a metal grille.
Second question is regarding lights. We are thinking of using a flexible Monorail type light. Because the city requires electrical wiring in conduit, it would be a pain to rip open the wall just to extend wiring to accomodate wall lights. Soooo we figured this might be the easiest way (and unique looking) to point lights where they are needed. Can anyone point me to a decent online lighting company? The ones I saw at the local lighting place are very high-tec modern looking. Don't mind the flexible bend but I'd like the shade/lamp portion to be elegant. A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
try here for monorail lighting:
http://www.lightology.com/index.cfm/method-light.store_subcat/lcat_id-1/dept-MonoRail%20%26%20Kable/subdept-BUDGET%20RAIL.
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You might need the gallon. I painted one 8x15 wall of my bedroom a color just lighter than Navy Blue. It took a whole gallon and i could have used another coat. <!>
If I get to thinking that my 4 or 5 high slate wall with plate rail on top isn't going to appeal to the average buyer, then I'd probably just go with the run of the mill drywall wall and forget the surround for the wood stove.
The stove is shielded and while it looks close to the corner, it is actually spaced far enough out that I could drywall behind it and not worry about a surround. Over the last couple winters, I've had that stove up over 650F and those studs behind aren't even warm to the touch. The chimney pipe is double wall.
jt8
"If we don't put effort into creating what we want, we must then put effort into coping with what we have." --EPNIA
My stove is lined with firebrick so the only part the throws much untempered heat is the top of the firebox where the firebrick stops. Chimney is single wall to the ceiling, though.Former house i had, when i removed the first layer of charred drywall around the woodstove the previous owners used, the paper on even the underlayer of DW was charred....spooky. I got much more conservative after that.
Edited 6/8/2008 4:46 am by splintergroupie
2 shots after removing the blue painter's tape this morning. Chrome Green looks like the interior growth on Taxus spp, er that would be Yew. A very dark almost black green. Linen White hasn't been painted on the 3 remaining walls or the ceiling yet. Deadline is Father's Birthday...21 June. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
This is the kindof lighting we are looking for. The only problem that I can see (other than not having a choice of more traditional/transitional looking lights) is that the mounting piece is smack dab in the center of the light. As far as I can see, I can't install the light diagonally. Soooo, I'm trying to find a light that has placed the mount asymetrically. sighA gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
if the mount has to be off center then it seems that the monorail track is your best bet,
or even plain 'ol track with mini fixtures on itsomething like this:
http://www.lighting-fixtures-ceiling-fans.com/store/PPF/parameters/3253_435/more_info.aspor you might think about buying the style you like as a pendant and then make a swag out of it with some chain and stuff.
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I have one of those very lights, PL, except the four-lamp model, and i don't recommend it. The halogen bulbs make a small bath very warm. I also won't buy anything with a GU10 type of end anymore bec they burn out more quickly than any bulb i've ever used and cost about 4-5 bucks each. Of course, if you have to have it, you have to have it. <G>
Shame Huck doesn't live closer. He could paint a mural on those walls and make it feel like you're in a much larger room :)
I like those wall tiles and will admit that I wouldn't have thought to use them.
jt8
"If we don't put effort into creating what we want, we must then put effort into coping with what we have." --EPNIA
Even better he could paint the illusion of the correct ceiling light, so we wouldn't need to find a real one<G>.sigh Too bad there isn't a company out there that could come up w/a decent light based on customer ideas. Well at a reasonable cost, of course.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
We have poopability!!!Plumbing Plus out of Warrenville IL was able to come on short notice and Gary LIKES to work on old plumbing. The following still needs to be done: towel bar(s), bath vent/fan, soap dispenser, medicine cabinet & makeup mirror. There were a couple of plumbing problems but we worked thru it (the floor slopes?!?!). Well, well worth the price.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
Looks fabulous! I hope you post more pics when it complete and the towels are hung.
Did you decided what to do about the door?
Splinty - The door was cut down (wince).Forrest - Will do that later today.And I found the perfect towels (black w/cream & gold embroidery) & wastebasket (Mother had put in WICKER?!?!?!) that's kindof curvy in stainless steel at Tuesday Morning. The mirror/medicine cabinet thing is killing me, tho. Oh & I think a really cool vase should go in there somewhere, maybe not on the back of the toilet but on a shelf on the opposite wall?MWE#2 comes in this morning, so maybe I'll have her hold the towels in the next photo.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
Hey there, been looking for that dogbone, what make and model? thanks ...
Are you looking for the black/white dogbone photo that I posted earlier? The one that ended up NOT going in the bathroom?If so, it's only available thru Ann Sacks & is a Michael S Smith design. The white is ceramic (shiny) but the bits of black are stone (dull finish). Model# is AS2336. Seems to also come in an off (Linen White) colour. This dogbone/basketweave design is small.A larger version, all marble, is available thru The Tile Shop.Dunno, if any of this is available in Canada. The Tile Shop is a chain here.If you are looking at the current almost-totally-done bathroom photo, the tile I ended up using is an actual basketweave mosaic from The Tile Shop. That's a beigey coloured marble w/small dark brown marble squares.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
Almost, almost done photos. Still left to do? Soap dispenser thingy (need a cutting blade for the Dremel) & bathroom vent/fan. Ignore the reflection in the mirror, that's the kitchen/hallway wallpaper & the towels are folded wrong because Mother wanted to coverup all the toilet paper (from the inside of the vanity- see Dremel remark above).White-spotted Sable or 8-spotted Forester Moth sighted NW of Chicago on 21 June.
very nice...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
WOW
and that light fixture looks perfect in there
"Never pick a fight with an old man. If he can't beat you he will just kill you." Steinbeck
Great transformation! Now all ya gotta do is swap out that flat panel door and generic door knob...
... and off down the hall ya go! LOL!
If I do that, then I need to do all the other Luan doors & doorknobs in the house....ugh. Besides, I consider it an effective disguise for what's behind Door#1<G>.White-spotted Sable or 8-spotted Forester Moth sighted NW of Chicago on 21 June.
thanks, I've been looking for the biege one you used, I can only find basket weave up here in rough travertine (ceratec), not the best for a wet room .. I'll keep hunting ...
Super!
You might want to tear the tag off the plumbing riser, tho'!
Forrest - picky
Man I love that tile. Looks great.
Doug
Presto!
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Thanks for that!Mother purchased a mirror/cabinet & soap/lotion dispenser yesterday (we did ALOT of looking over the past several weeks...AND online). I'm going to be painting part of the medicine cabinet frame an old gold and I TRIED to install the soap/lotion dispenser (it was a Kohler) but I will need to whip out the old Dremel. sigh There's a piece of wood interfering with the bottle portion. Should be able to install the double towel bar, pretty easily (fingers crossed). The embroidery on the black towels looked GREAT but the black part didn't work. And OF COURSE, I wasn't able to find a chocolate brown towel with that embroidery on it. I returned the stainless steel wastebasket because it was too small. Now I'm going to have to get it again as everything ELSE was smaller & not as well constucted.We are still focused on the End Look.Pumpkin countdown - 2 more days.
<< will need to whip out the old Dremel. sigh There's a piece of wood interfering with the bottle portion.>>Famous last words.... <G>
Ok, do it took a chisel & hammer & the Dremel to get that plastic soap bottle to screw into the thread but the room is DONE, DONE, DONE!!
Woo Hoo!!
Now to find a job...White-spotted Sable or 8-spotted Forester Moth sighted NW of Chicago on 21 June.
Super, super, super!
feel free to post any more cool work.
Did guests go in that old bath, turn on the light, and stagger out holding their faces and screaming, "my eyes - my eyes!!!"
Forrest
LOL. No they didn't as it was a pretty hot look when she first put it in. We (that is ALL the kids) have been nagging her to change it.And then I found out that metallic is coming back in on the East Coast. thudA gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
Only in Joisey.
Forrest
(hand over heart) Honest, I spoke to MWE#2 after we found & picked up the vanity & one of her co-workers said that it was THE hot new look in Manhattan, right now. eeeeeeekkkkkkI hafta admit that I did see some really cool irridescent glass tiles...plantlust - trying to figure out WHERE in Mother's house that can be putA gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
It looks great. Agree with Splintie that smaller spaces let you use nicer components.
I've got a small world story for you, we were at the Lake Zurich store a month ago and Trish was our salesperson. Turns out she lives a couple blocks from us too.
The Tile Shop does a nice job with their vignettes.
Edited 6/4/2008 9:31 pm ET by JAlden
That IS a small world story<G>. Tricia was such a HUGE help that I gave a good report to her boss that day & then wrote to The Tile Shop HDQ via their website. People whine alot but when someone gives me great customer service I ALWAYS pass my thanks on. That's the only way the higher ups will know.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
Very cool!! I know how you hated that metallic wallpaper!Great job.
Good work! Absolutely love the basketweave tile!
It'll be sure to WOW anyone!