Primary Bath Renovation
I’m sure our story isn’t all that different than a lot of yours. You know the one…the one where you’re able to afford a great house in a terrific neighborhood. With a catch. The house hasn’t been updated since it was built over 20 years ago. Well we’ve been catching up in our “new house” for six years now, and we have been slowly but surely worked our way through the very, very long list of needed updates. This year, 2023, was deemed the year of the bathroom. In our house, we are fortunate to have three bathrooms. One powder room and two full baths, including an en suite to the primary bedroom. Stay tuned for our primary bath reno for a journey that included some crazy twists and turns – and dubious sales tactics – but ultimately a great result.
Let me set the scene. Nothing indoors had been updated when we bought this house. Nothing. No new flooring, appliances, paint (inside or out). Nuthin’ (spelling changed to indicate my disgust). The first couple of years on what has become our dream home, we spent a lot of time painting. Lots of time painting lots of surfaces. ALL the rooms and ALL the hallways including ALL the trim. Although that effort put the “pain” in painting it was rewarding to see each room get updated and look loved. I always say, painting means instant gratification.
Next came replacing all the appliances from stoves to water heaters and air conditioner and everything in between. That was not a very satisfying year (from my decorator’s point of view). The pretty stuff is way more satisfying to spend money on than the stuff that makes the house actually run. However, with houses you need to take care of substance ahead of style. Now, finally after six years of painting and many projects including replacing all the stuff that makes a house run, it was finally time to tackle bathroom makeovers. Yahoo!
Bathroom Fixes, Changes & Upgrades
The whole shower area needed to be replaced from tile to new surround.
The door could no longer be cleaned and the tile was beyond repair at this point.
We painted the walls in here when we moved in, but the countertop and faucets needed to be replaced and it was time for a paint refresh on the walls and cabinets.
Our full list of updates was…comprehensive, to say the least:
Countertops
Shower surround
Shower system
Shower enclosure
Tub surround
All faucets
New paint
In a previous year, we had to do one step of the makeover early because of the major yeee-uck factor. We replaced the flooring in the bathroom. It was CARPETED! All of it, even the water closet! Twenty-plus years of blue-light horrors. Let’s move on...very quickly.
Bathroom Makeover Process
We hired professionals to do all the tile work and countertops. Getting the old shower out was quite a process!
Everything old is gone!
With the old shower removed it was time to reseal everything and make sure there were no leaks. And good news! No mold anywhere!
New tile going in and a nice niche added!
The Big Bathroom Reveal!
Beautiful new shower and tub area.
Who wouldn’t want to soak and relax here now?
Fresh paint, quartz countertops, new faucets and mirrors!
Artwork supplied by me as well as a thrift store find (the towel storage) — a perfect piece once I restored it!
Final Thoughts
We are really pleased with how this project turned out. It was well worth the wait, even though it never seems that say while you’re waiting. 😊 Most of us have to figure out a logical order to complete big house projects and schedule them as time and budget will allow—even if that means spreading them out over multiple years before we can stand back, smile and say, “done.” Parting tip: figure out ahead of time which parts of the project you can do yourself versus when you need to hire a professional. Make sure to factor those answers into your budgeting and scheduling. Now, onto the next project!
Now, what will you do next to love where you live?
Please feel free to reach out to us at The Redesign Habit and ask questions or simply share a project that you are working on or have completed.
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