Well, I wasn’t quite planning on starting the bathroom renovation quite yet, but you know how sometimes things just happen.
This is our full bathroom.
Yes, we have 2 scales. The one above is Mary Lou – my scale. John used the numbers scale.
It’s actually a nice size room and it has a big window in it, so that it nice. Since we have a 100-year-old house, we have a couple room that have an angled ceiling and the bathroom is one of them. That means the shower is weird.
We’ll just ignore the shower curtain hanging issue for now.
This seems to be 1980s era tile. I don’t know how well the color shows, but it is dark green and kind of an off white tile. It was okay for a while when we moved in, but there are certain things that I really don’t like. I hate how this vanity was tiled to the walls.
We don’t have any drawer storage, so stuff just gets jumbled up underneath – and I end up leaving stuff on the counter (jumbled up).
The thing I hate the most is the toothbrush holder. Why? The holes are all different sizes and my toothbrush doesn’t fit in there.
Good quality check on that one. Sorry for any of you with OCD tendencies as this photo probably drives you as crazy as it does me! The brush gets stuck in there too, and I have knocked the cup over that sits on this because of that. Annoying.
The floor tiles is also cracked and broken in spots.
We had a few thoughts. One was to have a company come in and refinish the tub, then put wainscoting over the tile in the rest of the bath and putting in a new vanity. However, I didn’t want to risk dampness in between the tile and wainscoting. Plus, behind the current vanity there is no tile, so we would have to build the wall up with plywood or something to have the same depth. Then we thought about have them come in and refinish all the walls as well and we would just replace the flooring. However, that still leaves that annoying toothbrush holder, and the current vanity.
After John and I did some talking and I presented my ideas, John pretty much said to do whatever I wanted. He really needs to be careful about saying these things! The bathroom is now all my project to do with as I will.
Well, today in prepping for doing something at any rate, I got out my safety glass and a chisel:
And popped off one of the towel holder tiles. It had a hole in it and the tile just popped of the wall.
Okay – that kind of made my decision. I started working and the tiles pretty much popped off on this wall.
If you work with tile stuff, please wear gloves. I was remiss and broken tile is razor sharp. I didn’t realize I had cut myself until a tile slipped in my hand because blood was dripping everywhere.
I left that picture small. Over sharing, but safety is serious business in rehab, so be prepared. I bandaged, got work gloves and continued thereafter.
No going back now! I have just a few patches and a skim coat of mud will do it. The other wall behind the toilet is not as easy and I will have to replace some drywall.
For inside the shower, we are going to try a new product by Rustoleum called Tile Transformations. It especially made for tiles and showers. Then we will have a professional come in and resurface the tub (although that may be put off until next year). That’s not something I would try to do myself. The walls I will. Hopefully that will turn out. If it doesn’t, we will just have the pro do the walls when he/she does the tub. Guess we will find out.
I now have my work cut out for me for a bit! Hmmmm… am I ready? It’s a big project. Little nervous because you never know what you will find underneath stuff in an old house.
It’s a little complicated as well because it’s our only working full bath. Thank goodness we put in the half bath downstairs. That will come in handy when the floor comes out. I figured best to start fairly soon so it isn’t interfering with biking season 
I’ll be making the signup announcement this week for the February Health Heart Weekend! I need to come up with some prizes, so stay tuned!
I’ve been looking at all the Rustoleum trsnsformation products, too, but I think I’m going with the beadboard backsplash in the kitchen. They do look like easy-to-use products, at least in the videos. 🙂
Looking forward to the finished project!
Rustoleum is a pretty amazing company. They guarantee their stuff, so it never hurts to try.
I know you’ve done this successfully many times, but it still takes nerve to knock that first piece off the wall. Keep progress reports coming.
Yes it does take nerve. If I had started with the other wall, I would have felt worse than afer doing the one pictured above because demo hasn’t started so well on that one. Lots of drywall repair so far, probably just replacement. good thing it is cheap! 😀
Oh that makes me tired just looking at it! The shower curtain remark cracked me up. If the shower’s out of commission, remember what I learned. You can wash and rinse your hair with just 5 cups of water. And even less to give yourself a sponge bath…just saying…
We are hoping for a max of 3 days of shower out of commission state. 2 days for the tile resurfacing and 1 day for caulk to cure. That’s the plan any way…
That bathroom was majorly due for a renovation! But yes, the first whack is the scariest. We keep looking at our master bath (and it’s only 12 years old) and thinking about redoing it, but the fear factor (not to mention we could go to Hawaii or redo the bathroom) stops us. Can’t wait to see what you do; have fun with this!
You just brough DIY Network and HGTV to my computer 🙂 I am addicted to those shows – more so now that we just bought our first home. I hope to do a few reno’s myself. Best of luck with yours – can’t wait to see the finished result (and no more injuries, Missy!)
Renos are addicting, so look out! 😀
I love these episodes of “Home Improvement With Lori”. It is fun to follow along with the progress and it also gives me confidence. If Lori can re-do a bathroom, surely I can replace the sprayer with my kitchen sink:)
You can do it. Sprayers are very easy – and you will feel awesome after you do it 😀
That definitely could use a renovation – good work on getting started (which is half the battle in this house 😉 ).
Ooh, fun! Can’t wait to see how it all turns out. Is there anything you can do to make the shower bigger?
No – the angled ceiling is the roof line, so we can do that. To move the shower would be a complete demolition and rebuild and that’s not something I want to do or can afford currently.
I’m not going to show this post to R. because John has to afraid of losing you and I of losing R. R. loves a woman who can do jobs like this and for that he’s with the wrong woman at the moment 🙂 If I show this to him, he would say to me “why don’t you do that?”
Look forward to the progress of your bathroom.
This just cracks me up because of where you work! 😀
I know 🙂 Biggest DIY company in the country and I can’t do anything myself LOL
Oh, this is exciting! I look forward to watching your progress. You are ambitious, woman!
As always, since I am an old home owner as well, I am completely fascinated and in deep admiration of your renovation. Cannot wait to see how it all turns out!
Lori – your scale is maned Mary Lou??? 🙂 Honestly, you amaze me with all your home projects & how great you are at them!!! I cannot wait to see what you do with this but I am in awe of you just doing it! Hope the finger is alright!
The scale is Mary Lou Retton’s scale. She talks to you instead of having a digital read out on the scale. So I call the scale Mary Lou.
IM CRACKING UP as I read and reread as RENO as in NEVADA
I must need a vacation 🙂
and Im barely unpacked…I await yer primer of LIFE ORGANIZING AND HOW TO JUGGLE IT ALL….
I could use a good read of that primer myself! I still have a couple boxes in the basement that remain upacked 6 years after we moved here.
There are so many projects I want to do around the house to fix up 80’s looking styling but I am more worried about messing up. Time to start looking through YouTube videos so I can prepare a bit more. Even ripping out though is good because that saves $$ when you DIY.
Cannot WAIT to see the end results.
Oh my goodness! Good luck with yet another very challenging project. We are considering doing major reno on our kitchen. It’s outdated but I hate losing some good OLD features. In with the new, right?! 🙂
We redid our bathroom before our exchange student came – our whole bathroom (and only one I might add!) was pepto bismol pink – even the tub! That’s the last thing we have to do is refinish the tub – hopefully some time next year.
I wish I was as handy as you! (and just throwing it out there, hope some of your roasted coffee is in the mix for Heart Health month!)
So exciting!!!! Can’t wait to see the reno as it progresses!
Looks like loads of fun!!
I’m looking forward to heart healthy weekend! 😀
That’s cool! It looks like you have your work cut out for you.
You are amazing and fearless! I would never attempt such a big job! I love seeing what you are doing and hope you will post the different phases along the way!