Master Bathroom

In college, I shared a room with Michelle. For two years, we lived in an apartment that had a bathroom in our bedroom. It was so nice and so convenient to have a bathroom to ourselves. That was the one and only time I actually had anything close to a master bathroom. So, when we looked at our house for the first time, the fact that there was a master bathroom was a big plus for me. It didn't even matter that it was hardly bigger than a closet. It had all the essential parts, and with some updating, I knew we would love having it. As the rest of the house was getting de-wallpapered, the master bathroom did too. We found out that the sink was leaky and that the toilet didn't work very well, and so then the bathroom sat and sat. After living in our home for a few months, I realized that it would take a little bit more than some new paint to fix up our master bathroom. Here are some of the major issues that I had with the bathroom:

1. The bathroom felt dated with the wallpaper, color scheme, etc.
2. There was a window to the main bathroom.
3. The shower was claustrophobic. It was almost completely closed in and was dark.
4. The shower-head was about a foot too low.
5. The shower-head was not centered, so you had to hug the wall to be able to use it.
6. The linoleum was stained and peeling.
7. There was not enough light or storage in the bathroom.

One night in October of 2010, I decided to start demo in the shower. I didn't really have a plan, but it felt good to be doing something. I also found a vanity that I liked in the online classified for a good price, so I bought it even though it would be a while before we were ready for it. In January 2011 we decided to use our tax refund to have someone come in to rebuild the shower and fill in the window between the two bathrooms. After we had that done, we now had: more lighting, an exhaust fan, a solid wall without a window, and a lighter prettier shower. At this point, the bathroom sat again for a long time. I got motivated to patch the walls and do some painting in the summer, but then it sat again. In October, my dad came over and helped Jared tile the floor. In January of this year, we bought a new toilet and as amateurs, 8 wax rings later, we finally got it installed. Then, last week we found out that some frieds were going to stay with us, and we had the extra push to finally finish the bathroom. I found a sink faucet that I liked, and after a few hours longer than Jared would have liked, and 3 trips to Lowe's later, we had a leak-free new sink with running water.

So, last Saturday marked the first day in the 20 months that we have lived in our house, that we were officially able to use our first ever master bathroom. It has been so great! No more having to keep the door closed to cover a major eyesore and no more having to shower downstairs. It is so nice to have another room updated, and I think that it looks great. My husband is awesome. He did most of the demo, tiled his first floor, and installed his first toilet and sink. Here is the almost finished room:

Now we have a white subway tile shower with a new centered shower-head and faucet handle.

Even though it is hard to tell from these pictures, the walls are actually gray. I like the look of stenciled walls, but opted for vinyl instead because it was less time consuming and is easier to change.

We have a new dual flush toilet. I left the cupboard doors off for open shelving.

We no longer have a vanity floating around from room to room, but it is actually in its final resting place providing valuable storage and counter space.

Again with storage in this room at a premium, my easy solution for updating the medicine cabinet was to cover it in a solid piece of white vinyl. It provided a new easy-to-clean surface, and was much easier than trying to paint it. I also put the gray vinyl pattern over the top for a decorative touch.

No more linoleum! I love the way the floor turned out. It is light, but has gray in it so that it matches the walls and the vanity.

We still need to put a few light switch plates on, hang the door, and finish up a few minor odds and ends. It is fully functioning and useable, and so nice to have.

And here is one more picture for the side by side comparison:

-Mandi