Bath Remodel (part 3 of 4)

This is part 3 of the first floor bathroom remodel.

See previous entries: Part 1; Part 2.

Since the last entry the bathroom has been painted on one side only. The old sink and toilet were cleaned/refurbished and were installed along with new water shut-off valves and bendable, rather than corrugated, water supply lines. The bendable smooth water supplies are more period correct than the flexible braided type found at big box stores.

The water supplies and shut off valves came form Signature Hardware and repeat the cross-handles found on the shower hardware.

Before ... ugh

After ... sans wall paper - yet to be installed.

Why didn't you just paint the whole room and then install the fixtures?  

Really, if I was only concerned with keeping the room on track, I would have painted all at once. We had to make this first floor bathroom usable for a holiday party. this limitation gave me a chance to show off the unfinished side's structure. I think that it's educational for guests to see and ask about the "during" phase of home restoration. They often believe that home restoration is mystical or too hard and in this way can see how simple and straightforward it can be. Maybe, hopefully, they will even rethink tearing out old historical features in favor of anything new (and probably with questionable taste.)

Below are a couple of photos of the finished paint, just before installing the fixtures.

The paint color, by-the-way, is a pale warm grey. It's very period and was used often in service areas. Sometimes referred to as drab (light drab in this case) it is utilitarian and easy to live with. It is the color of brushed nickel that has aged and obtained the smooth golden patina of 150 years. It is the color of dried straw that was left in the sun a bit too long. It is lovely and antique and modern all at the same time. It looks stunning with the pale pink ceiling and will carry into the adjacent hall and kitchen very well when we rework those areas.

The top part of the wall is primer.

that bit of white paper towel is because we have to repair a leaking nipple connection for the toilet inlet line.

This corner includes a new double outlet where a 1940s electric heater used to be. We couldn't figure out a good spot to mount the toilet paper holder so we got a free-standing one.

In order to save a few dollars we didnt tear out the floor - plus its appropriate to the era. I don't care for the maroon tiles, so to lessen the impact I am adding dark walnut things to the room - a couple of mirror frames and a cool toilet seat I found.

Reused the old sink with a new faucet. 

Bath Remodel (part 2 of 4)

This is part 2 of the first floor bathroom remodel.

See previous entry: Part 1

In part 1, I left off where the shower had been retiled and new faucet and shower head installed. Since then the walls have been patched, electrical repaired and repurposed and lower walls clad in bead board and cap and baseboard trim.

General overview of the room with woodwork in place, but before any cleaning and painting. Even so, it looks pretty darned good since its last inception.

First sections of bead board go up. No, its not real beaded board that is hung similar to T&G floors, but it'll do. The outlet is where a terrible old huge heater was circa 1940's. Reused the electric for the outlets, which the room lacked.

Same as above but with baseboard and cap in place. note notched cap for the wall switch - easier to notch the wood than to move electrical.

The Sink Wall ready for caulk and paint. The floor still needs to be scrubbed and the scuffs on the wall removed before painting.

More electrical excitement: This is the recess behind where the old medicine cabinet was.
The previous cabinet was a chromed 1940's behemoth that looked more like a Chrysler than a medicine cabinet.
It had 2 lights integral to the structure that were fed by a single electrical line to the top of the cabinet.
That line was split into 2 for some 1880's Bradley and Hubbard sconces that I will add to either side of a custom built medicine cabinet with an antique walnut framed mirror.