The Big Reveal

I don’t normally go through life thinking people want to visit my bathroom. A bathroom? Maybe. Mine? Not likely.
If, however, I have spent the past six weeks writing at least twice about said bathroom, then the uptick in interest makes sense.

Thus follows a photo-heavy post I call The Big Reveal. 

Apparently, there was a time when I thought that a jaunty feather and a pumpkin were the perfect addition to any bathroom. I was mistaken. Seriously, I looked at this bathroom and thought "Yes. That works. Perfect."




On the left you see the gi-normous shower, dark and unlit (aka “the cave”) and the slim yet wide cabinet to the left. It was so deep that you couldn’t reach the back – but all your toiletries, first aid, and sundries could and often did. We didn’t normally stash a toilet IN the shower, but by the time the renovation was underway it was as good a spot as any – with room to spare.



These are the “toilet lights” of column fame. The vote ran about 50/50 for keeping them, with all the “yes” votes being male. This is where the sink was prior to the renovation. It is now the space for the toilet and we can use that without spotlights. We’re talented like that. (Note: the wall is not really a strange, sickly green. Bad shot).



Finally we have what may be my favorite part of the entire renovation – the laundry area. I neglected to take a true “before” photo but you can just imagine it. From a dark closet space with choppy, hacked off cabinetry and machines so old they featured faux-wood panels – we now have a light, bright laundry area and machines with more chrome than a classic car. I love this space.



Boywonder has finally reached the age where his help isn’t just adorable (right before we pry the hammer out of his chubby toddler hand) – but actually crucial to the completion of a project. This was a happy day for us – if not necessarily for him. I have written more than once of the time we suspended the radiator from the ceiling and removed the floor underneath it. That project is visible in the 1999 photo, as is our toddler working valiantly to pitch himself into the basement below).


The cabinetry is new but the drawer pulls are actually salvaged from the kitchen. Brass is baaaack baby. At least at my house. In order to find a cabinet that fit the space and style of built-ins often seen in older homes, we traveled from the land of standard bathroom design across the aisle to kitchen cabinetry where a pantry unit proved a perfect fit. Seriously, keep an open mind and you will be amazed at what you find.


Of all the changes in this bathroom I think this $25 window just sets the whole look. Our goal was to update the bathroom to how we imagine it would have looked had it been original to the house. This window was a big part of any success we have had with that. A quick scrub and coat of Sherwin-Williams Alabaster was all it needed to fit seamlessly into the room. The original hardware was used to install it. It slid into place as if made for the house. I truly feel as if this window was kismet. (The ceiling in this photo had not yet been repainted. The small blemish shows where bolt holes were used to hang the radiator from the ceiling and rebuild the floor underneath – in 1999).


A simple schoolhouse style pendant and all trim painted a creamy alabaster works to keep the rooms many elements harmonious. The bead board was raised from the original height and the trim around the doorway completely rebuilt.


If the floor looks familiar it’s because it is. The same tile was installed in the upstairs bathroom (as was a companion window).


Along the way we did a lot of this:

(I’m sure his girlfriend is texting with crucial construction information).


This (He is the Brains – and ability to destroy things and make them pretty again) of the operation.


At one point people just thought she worked there
(Hello Home Depot! We had fun visiting y’all ALL THE TIME!)


Hello deranged renovator! Do these glasses and the bad ponytail make me look smart?

We lived like this (savages!)


Which led to this (Jagger gives up. He just. Gives. Up.)


And lots of random moments like this (and yes that IS Polly Pocket on the back of our washing machine. Our daughter is 13. How LONG has that been there?)


In the end we have - and love - this:

Columns relating to this project include: 

Renovation Junkie
Draft Dodgers
You Light Up My Life
It's a Wash

Special thanks and credits:

Home Depot, Sherwin Williams, American Standard "Sausalito" tile, Lou Berry's Antiques, Delta Faucets (kudos for having a late night hotline) and many others.

Paint: Wall, Sherwin-Williams Emerald in Grecian Ivory; Trim: Sherwin-Williams Emerald in Alabaster