DIY Bathroom {Demolition & Assessment}

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After a year long break, work is resuming in our bathroom. I thought this would be a great time to bring you up to speed on that project.

****I interrupt this post to tell you that the redesign of our living room is taking a short sabbitical. Sabbatical-a period of time Lisa takes to research and decide on decorating/ design plans before moving forward. And now back to the regularly scheduled programming***

You remember this from the before tour?


 

Believe it or not, Hubby and I were delighted by the original state of this bathroom. For us, original meant no hackjob renovations to work around.

Within weeks of closing on Seaborn, we rented the largest roll-off dumpster and began a full-on house renovation.

This bathroom was high on our to-do list. So take a closer look...I don't want you to miss any of the details:

Dated vanity and faucets

Stenciled vanity, laundry chute and linen cabinet

Pink and blue wall tile

 Mosaic Floor Tile

After gutting the bathroom, it functioned as a janitorial closet for two years. When work resumed last February (2009), we remembered why we had stopped.

Hiding behind the wall was a BIG secret. The toilet's cast iron vent stack had corroded. For a cost of $1500, the plumber was more than eager to replace it.

Lucky for me, Hubby is a jack of all trades and my Jeff-dad {ex step-dad} is a professional contractor. The only obstacle was the 120 miles between our homes.

Once we found a time that worked for both guys, it took two loongg days of filthy work to replace the vent pipe and re-plumb the entire bathroom.

Newly installed PVC vent pipe

Once Hubby installed new greenboard around the bathtub and backerboard on the floor and walls, we finally had a blank slate to begin construction.

The total cost to replace the vent stack AND install new plumbing was about $200... well below the plumber's quote of $1500.

ASSESSMENT

As a DIY decorator, I try to assess every element of the space {floor, trim, walls, window treatments, lighting, furniture and accessories} before moving forward with a design plan. Here is my assessment of this bathroom.

1. 
   
   I liked the mosaic floor tile. However, the original tile needed replaced due to it's poor condition.
2. 
   
   I didn't like the pink and blue tiles, but I liked the shape and size of the 4x4 wall tiles.
3. 
   
   I liked the frosted window glass for increased privacy.
4. 
   
   I liked the idea of sconces flanking the mirrored medicine chest. Did not like that the sconces were the only source of general lighting.
5. 
   
   I didn't like the dated vanity and toilet. However, I loved the cast iron tub with period styling.
6. 
   
   I loved the style of cross handle faucets that were originally on the tub.
7. 
   
   Hubby hated that there was no real shower; only the hand-held jobby in the low clearance bathtub.
8. 
   
   Liked the built in features (shower bar, toilet paper holder, and laundry chute).

So there you have it, the demolition and assessment of our bathroom and a preview of what's to come. I hope you'll come back to see the updated pictures. I think you'll like it!

Check out the links below for more creative ideas!

Sincerely, Lisa

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage

Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk Interiors