The art of learning how to make snap design decisions while navigating the challenges of a changing bathroom renovation.
If the master bathroom reno was a book, I would title it Pivot.
As you might be able to tell, it’s been a trying week. And I’m generally a pretty positive, glass is always full type of girl. But Gurl, this one is starting to get to me. It feels like there’ve been so many bathroom changes made this week. My head is spinning. So instead of dwelling, let’s start with the positives this week has brought! Focus on the good so there’s no room for the negative.
Here’s the stage we are now at:
ORC Week 4
There’s actually been a lot of progress in the bathroom! Being a guest participant in the One Room Challenge has been amazing and nerve-wracking. There is a tight deadline, you’re being held accountable and supported by so many other participants, whom you can check out here, and you are stretching yourself to meet your goals and design ideas. So thank you to the One Room Challenge and Better Homes and Gardens for holding this amazing bi-annual event.
PREP– WEEK 1– WEEK 2– WEEK 3– WEEK 4- WEEK 5– WEEK 6
Accomplishments
The shower looks like a shower now! That is a big bonus. Plus, I don’t think I mentioned that when they took out the subfloor and shower unit, there was no major water damage. Hooray! It’s always a concern as to what you will find behind the walls or floors in a humid room.
So last week, we left off with the walls framed in.
The next day the plumbing and electrical were finished. And drywall went on the walls. In the week since then, all of the walls have been patched, mud and taped. The ceiling in the water closet (aka toilet area) had to be patched which meant the drywaller needed to scrape the popcorn stipple off. Instead of stippling it again, we opted to leave it a smooth and flat surface. The drywaller primed and painted the ceiling for us too. So one less thing for me to do. And a flat ceiling is much easier to wipe clean.
Waterproof Shower
Inside the shower is a waterproof cement board by Wedi. It’s not a sponsored link, but I am a fan of their materials. The Wedi shower system was installed, including the walls, the joints were sealed and we headed into the weekend- where I took off for a girls trip to the city.
I went on a weekend trip with my mother and sister in law. It was great spending time away with them. And to focus on other things for a few days (like Christmas).
Back home, my husband was busy putting drawers together for our wardrobe units. He built all the drawers except the last one which was missing hardware. He also found a black towel hook at Canadian Tire to match the nickel one in our other bathroom, and he made our toddler feel special having Daddy to himself all weekend. What a rockstar!
Bumps In The Road
I recently read a book called Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo. This saying has come to mind so much during this bathroom reno. Every time there is a hiccup I say to myself, everything is figureoutable, and make a decision for a new plan of action.
There were some things we missed after the framing inspection. We should have requested that the switches for the shower light and fan were moved closer to the doorway instead of centered on the wall. I didn’t pick up on that until the drywall was up. The plan was to put a full-length mirror on that wall, which we had salvaged from the original mirror bi-fold doors. Pivot (bathroom reno change #1). The mirror is now going on the wall across from the water closet door.
Tile Pivots
The horizontal tiles were going to be a stacked pattern but then the grout lines wouldn’t match up to the vertical tiles. Pivot. The tiles are now staggered. I was not giving up the mix of vertical and horizontal patterns since that is the key feature. It’s different than any other shower I have seen or installed and I knew it could work with some patience and precision.
The adjustable shelf inserts for the niches are too thin for the tile trim to fit it properly. Pivot. We will install glass shelves, which will be ready in a week. Except, it’s going to take 2+ weeks for the shelf clamps to arrive. Pivot. We will install a track between the tile for the glass to slide into. But the track is also 2+ weeks away. Pivot. We will install a metal shelf designed for niches, and it’s available in a city near me. Plus it looks really sleek and allows for drainage.
Unfortunately, there was a family emergency amongst the tile installers. We are pausing the tile install while arrangements are sorted. That is something no one is prepared for and you must have compassion and be understanding of circumstances. We are all human and need to care for one another.
Wardrobe Pivots
The last Kompliment drawer from Ikea didn’t have any hardware in it (it’s always the last box right?). Pivot. We contacted Ikea and they are shipping the missing hardware directly to us as the closest store is 4+ hours away. We will be setting up the wardrobes without the last drawer while we wait on hardware.
But amongst all the shuffling I keep my mood board in mind so I can focus on the end result.
Keep Going
So If I look back at the checklist of things to do, we faired not too bad! It felt like a crazy week of snap decisions but we are where we need to be, maybe a day or two behind. The tile needs to be finished and grouted, the shower fixtures attached, and then the shower will be working again. The drywaller is done so I can pick up paint and get color on the walls.
If all goes accordingly, next week the tiling will wrap up by the end of the week and then it’s game on the get everything done in the last week. Here is the ideal To-Do List:
- Paint Toilet Paper Holder
- Paint Walls
- Install Towel Hook, and toilet paper holder
- Install shelves above toilet
- Hang mirror
- Put baseboards back on
- Finish tiling
The final stretch is coming up fast! I have a feeling it’s going to be a mad dash to the finish line!
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