Master Bath Reveal

It's finally done.

The bathroom we've waited for for 2 1/2 years.

We live in a different state than all of our extended family. Which means, when anyone comes to visit they are staying in our home. And with one [you read that right] bathroom, it just wasn't as "hospitable" around here as we would have hoped.

Throw in the fact that the current bathroom is pretty much caving in, but a remodel would mean showering at friends' houses and running to the nearest convenient store for a toilet... It was time for a master bath!

Boy did I have fun designing this room! It used to be our "cloffice" (Closet/Office) so we were literally starting with nothing! I loved dreaming up anything and everything, while working with the challenge of 2 fully windowed walls. 

That's right. Windows in the bathroom. 90% of the reason I loved this house when we bought it was the huge, beautifully trimmed, original windows. And I just couldn't bear the thought of REMOVING any of them. So, we made it work!

Here are some pictures of the "cloffice" after clearing things out for our biggest Demo Day yet.
 

After taking out the floors and drywall behind the shower we had the plumbing roughed in, then  started with the tile. I knew we wanted to do white hex floors because we have the original white hex in our existing bathroom and I wanted this one to fit the period of the rest of the house.

For the shower, I wanted to match the muted tones and compliment the antique white walls and greige trim that has become the color palate for the bedrooms. But, because of the size of the room I wanted it to have a little more dimension than the popular white subway. So, Carerra Marble Subway it was! [Also: Please check out the cherubs on that wallpaper. I resisted the urge to pull some off and from them.]

So, while this was going on in the bathroom, I was scouring Craigs List for a vanity...

Which I then painted navy, removed the top, rebuilt the supports, and had a countertop installed. (All while A was out of town. That's right. I mastered the Sawzall.) 

Now, we had to paint and have the fixtures installed. I couldn't resist pairing some brushed gold (or champagne bronze, or 100 other  names because every company is so creative) with that navy, despite the risk of looking a little "80's reno". WOW am I glad we made the choice to go with gold!!!

Next, we installed blinds, mirrors, and cut the drawers to fit around the plumbing. Originally I wanted mirrors that hung from the ceiling, but our sinks sit back on the vanity because of the lip at the front and we didn't want the mirror to block space over the sink. A ended up engineering a bracket system, and they turned out amazing!

Then the shower door got here, the hardware showed up... and we can finally say it's FINISHED*!!!!

(*Is any project really ever "done"?)

Drumroll please....

Until the next one...

Old Light Love

There's no denying we have a thing for old lights over here. I don't know what made me fall in love with them, but after scouring our options nothing quite measured up to a period-appropriate fixture (Just say NO to can lights!). Unfortunately that meant searching high and low in every estate sale, vintage shop, and dumpster I could find. It hasn't come easy but it has been one of my very favorite things to look for now! And thanks to my new best friends at the cutest little hardware shop down the street, they are all working like new, and doing a great job lighting up our old wood floors and thick crown moulding that I have become so obsessed with.

Fast forward 9 months of two holes in the ceiling with no light fixtures decided upon, and I stumbled upon these beauties at a house down the street. One of our neighbors apparently used to own an antique store, which the remains of now reside in his basement. Once a year he opens it up to the public and I did a happy dance when I saw this matching set hanging in his carport. You read that right. 

Onto the dining room. This one needed to make a statement, but because it is open to the living room and the two lights on the west end of the house would be in line, they needed to coordinate. I found this one at an estate sale for a local architect who was selling from his warehouse and lucky for me, he collected LIGHTS (and chairs...) This beauty was a no-brainer.

Now we move into the kitchen. Which, this light will eventually hang in the mudroom but when you find something this great you put it wherever is available! This one was hanging in the littlest antique mall, and had a tag on it for $20. The woman at the register was SURE it was supposed to say $200, but she couldn't get a hold of the booth owner so 20 bucks and it was mine for the taking. All the praise hands for that little misprint! I also have a thing for cow paintings, and this little copper lantern goes perfect with Bessie. 

This sweet light is the one that started it all. We found him and his matching friend in the garage of an old oil tycoon mansion. They were both in pretty rough shape, so we used the more broken one for parts and put together this little gem. He floated around as a place holder for a while in other rooms, but now resides in the basement until the master bath is completed where he can one again shine in all his glory. 

(PS- does anyone know what those little bell-shapes are called on each socket? I would love nothing more than to repair the matching one but they seem impossible to find!)

These schoolhouse lights are ones I had my eye on for a while, so when the cutest little shop had their twice-a-year sale I jumped on them. They will go in the kitchen, which seems like it will never be finished, but I couldn't take the chance of waiting on such an awesome find! Have I mentioned how impossible it is to find 2 matching lights?

Finally, I didn't "find" this one, but it was already in our house when we got here and I love it. A couple of Edison bulbs and moved to a more appropriate sized space and this fixture gives the perfect little bit of charm to our hallway. 

We want to see your best finds!! Link up in the comments, or tag us on Instagram! @oldhouse_newhome

Happy hunting!

One year later

You know what's harder than refurbishing a house by yourself? Remembering to blog about refurbishing a house by yourself.

Life lately:

(window glazing, pane replacing, storm window donating)

(trim sanding, plaster repairing, wall painting)

(Fence designing, inventive constructing, dog out-smarting)

(Weed wacking, shrub removing, brush dumping)

(rod spraying, curtain barganing, privacy gaining)

(light hunting, re-wiring, fixture hanging)

Along with loving, laughing, and friend making. Because those are the things that make a house a home.

(Ok... that photo was not at our house, but you get the idea.)

What have you been up to at your house? We want to see it! Link up in the comments.

To an early resolution of blog posting,