A new record for me...

Can you believe it's only been four days since my last post. (hmm, that sounded vaguely like the beginning of confession, but I digress) anyway, I really do want to write more and while I'm dragging my feet on the next chapter of Lammy's World, I can certainly hit the keyboard here and let some of the words that crowd up my brain spill out on paper, so to speak.

Tomorrow begins, hopefully, the start of another house beautification project. My lovely ranch style home was built in 1969, and while bell bottoms and other retro and vintage fashions are cool again, an avocado-colored tiled bathroom is just not hitting on much anymore. I've remodeled the rest of the house except for the main bath...

I am showing this view, so you will see where the bathroom/living room wall is now.  Note the positioning of the red sofa. That is where the wall will be upon completion of the remodel. My contractor and I (in our combined brilliance) decided that moving the furniture before-hand would help me get a feel for the smaller size of my living room. The wall will be removed, and rebuilt three feet out, to allow for the larger floor plan of the new bath.

Since I think big, I am also taking part of my bedroom closet (it extends out to the left of the door jamb on this shot about 24 inches) to make the bath even larger. Yes, you heard me right. I'm willing to sacrifice accessory space for this new bathroom.  Here you see the emptied (sort of) closet.

 Here are several more views of the main bath as it currently looks...

As you can see, green tile and a yellow tub make for a very dated look.  I am removing the tub completely, as I never use it. I just prefer to shower, so the new bathroom will be dominated by a very large shower.

Now, about that half-bath off the guest room...

 It is so quaint, and I like it, but it really is time for a change...

It is still in it's original wrappings, so to speak. I will only be doing a face lift here. I'll be replacing the red vanity with a modern version. We will be stripping the old wallpaper and painting the walls a soft white called Polite White, which I have throughout my entire house...

We will be replacing this old vinyl flooring, which I actually like, as it brings to mind my Mom's kitchen floor from back in the old days, with the same wood that was used in my hallway...

I actually planned ahead and had the contractor order extra wood to do the bathroom, thinking that I would use it in the main bath. That idea changed, leaving lots of flooring for the half-bath. 

With most remodeling projects, like I mentioned above, things are often subject to change and one has to be flexible. Case in point...the original tile that I chose for the bath was Travertine, a natural stone that has lovely pastel coloring, which I currently have in my kitchen, using as the backsplash. Well, I didn't take into consideration that this stone would have to be sealed, because it is being used in the bathroom, where the moisture level is much higher that that of a kitchen. Sealing this type of stone changes the color drastically, so it was back to the tile showroom for me. After much consideration, I chose a porcelain tile by Fontana in a color called Marini Grey, as seen here...

This comes in small, medium and large tiles with a lovely random pattern.  All three sizes will be used in the new bath, making for plenty of visual interest.  Most of the bath will be devoted to the shower, with a custom-built vanity and a matching linen cabinet.  There will be plenty of room for an accent table to hold decorative items and perhaps a book or two.  I will be installing a white rectangular sink and high arc faucet, in brushed nickle.

Well, I suppose that's it for now.  I do hope you have enjoyed this portion of the Remodeling with Susan show.  Stay tuned for the next episode, which may be titled, "cough, cough, why is there so much dust?"