Bathroom Remodel Before and Afters: ORC Reveal

I can 100% promise that you are not as happy to be reading this post as I am to be writing it!!! It's been a LONG haul but we are finished, people. F.I.N.I.S.H.E.D. Well, except for that one tiny detail called a shower glass panel, but I figured that shouldn't keep me from showing you how things turned out. 

The glass panel is scheduled for installation on Monday so make sure you come back and see it!

One more important thing to note...I'm NOT superwoman and these two remodels DID NOT happen in just 6 weeks like the ORC typically operates. In full disclosure, we've spent a full 12 weeks from start to finish.

Okay, now take a look...

Custom vanity paired with Vicostone quartz countertops in Titanium. Sconces from AllModern.

Can you believe I originally considered keeping the previous cabinets? That would have been tragic. You'll have to scroll way down to refresh your memory of what they looked like. I was trying to save money, but honestly, keeping them would have ruined the whole design. So glad I came to my senses! 

I love the glow the sconces put off.  I ended up using the Hovet mirror from Ikea.

Mixing vintage with modern.

My salvage yard tub makes its debut!

The unique shape sold me instantly. 

Here you're looking at the back portion of the shower which will also be the way we'll walk into the shower since the glass panel is freestanding without a door. I'm planning on using the hand hooks and bench area as a dressing space. We'll hang our bath towels on hooks that we'll place on the tile wall.

If you've read this blog long, you know I love a little bit 'o quirk in a space. These hands make me smile.

Hold on, Mr. Showerhead, one day you will get used! It's such a tease having an "almost" completed bathroom with the most important item missing.

The devil's in the details, right? I thought painting the edge of the door was a great idea until I had to start taping! John was super thrilled to see our gold handles spray painted black. He's been asking me to paint them since we moved in (almost 2 years ago).

I found this little plant stand at an estate sale in our neighborhood awhile back. I wasn't sure where I was going to put it but now it's found the perfect spot.

Here's a wide shot so you can get a full understanding of the space. Can you believe we started out with flower wallpaper and a HUGE jetted tub? We've come a long way.

BEFORE:

Remodel #2

Now, we'll move on into the guest bathroom. Our main goal here was to 1) get RID of the mirrors (see below) and 2) add a shower so guests didn't have to share with us or the kiddos.

I got a little creative and funky with this space. It's typically my goal to come up with original designs that keep things fun and unexpected.

And, I'd say our utility cart turned vanity does just that...provides the unexpected. I'm fully expecting our guests to scratch their heads a little and wonder what I was thinking?! Honestly, this was an element that wasn't part of the original design plans. It just popped into my head one day and I couldn't shake it so that's when I started scouring craigslist. It was meant to be when I ran across this one and it was the perfect size.

Love how the stained stripe breaks up our white wall and helps tie everything together throughout the space.

It's super hard to see in these pictures, but there's a frameless shower panel between the toilet and the shower. See the little chrome piece on the curb, holding it up?

This big, round mirror helps offset all the hard lines in the space. It also compliments the round vessel sink nicely.

Not the best picture, but it helps you see the shower panel.

99 cent art from Goodwill, purchased years ago but still going strong.

And for your viewing pleasure, this is what it looked like a mere 12 weeks ago (although my hairstyle has changed at least 3 times since I actually took this picture).

May these pictures never resurface again and please, please don't EVER add mirrors to every wall in your bathroom. Take it from me...it's not a good idea.

I hope you've had fun following along with the progression of our remodels. I've had so much fun reading your comments and feelin' the love. It makes all those days of wondering if I'll ever get the paint off my hands and the dust off my floors, beds, tables, walls, etc, totally worth it!

Thank you, Linda, for challenging us all through the One Room Challenge. You've managed to create quite the buzz in blogland! Don't forget to click through to see numerous other makeovers.

Lastly, check back in next week to see the real deal final reveal of our master bathroom!

Ways to save money during a remodel (ORC: Week 2)

I'll be honest, deciding to tackle two bathrooms at once was not an easy decision...until one of the contractors I interviewed told me I'd end up saving about 20% by doing so. That's a hefty chunk of change, hence my decision to dive right in (without the contractor though, I decided to take on that role myself).

Today's post is a great time to share other ways we've pinched our pennies thus far.  First up, I found our bathtub at a salvage yard. Actually, I saw it on Craigslist, fell in love but wasn't ready to commit since I hadn't created the new layout at the time. But as luck would have it, months later it popped up again!! I was super excited since I hadn't been able to get this tub's unique shape out of my head. When I inquired, it turned out to be listed by the owner of a local salvage yard. Score! I was thrilled to add a new resource to my list of places to scour. 

This cast iron beauty has a 1938 date embossed on the bottom along with a LOT of rust and daisy non-slip pads on the inside that were enameled over numerous times but still peeking through.

One side of the tub appeared to be covered in paper that someone had painted blue along the way. Luckily, it peeled right off. I made my best attempt at refinishing it myself but ultimately decided to have it refinished by someone who knew what he was doing.

Oh, looky there...a tiny sneak peek at it in its shining glory! 

Next up on the money saving list, was taking on the demo ourselves. While tedious, it was completely doable and saved a ton of money in the long run. I was nervous about ALL those mirrors but they came down much easier than I anticipated. (We're only staring 21 years of bad luck in the face. ha!)

Another money saver is offering to help your trades. I was very upfront that I'm very willing and capable to help out. So when your plumber starts telling you costs are rising, what do you do?...grab a chip hammer and tell him you'll find those pipes for him!

Don't you love how I'm knee deep in our foundation? That's Frugal with a capital F, friends. I told my plumber I'd be available for hire when we're done with this project. ;)

I'm SO over dirt and rocks but when you're reconfiguring a majority of the space, this is par for the course. 

I stumbled upon my next money saver by accident, but it's the best one yet! Once I finally decided on tile for the guest shower, I went to purchase it and realized many of the area Lowes were marking this as a non-stock item. That meant they were ready to have it off their shelves fast so instead of $7/sq ft, I scored it for a mere $0.87 sq ft.!!!

The only bad part was I had to drive to 8 or 9 different locations to gather the quantity we needed. I even had my mother-in-law pick some up for us on her way up to visit one weekend. Saving money is a family affair!

Okay, last tip...if your tile needs sealing, do it yourself. I painted sealant on all 800 of our tiles since they're concrete and pourous. I bet my tile installer was secretly thrilled that I took this job off his hands.

I'll leave you with one last glimpse...herringbone!

Don't forget to stop byThe One Room Challenge  to see the progress of other participants!