Finito!  Completion!  Concluded!  Hook, line & sinker . . .  Lock, stock & barrel!  Okay, the shower glass goes in later this week, but it doesn't really count, right?  And I need to hang a little art, maybe add an orchid, etc., etc.

His & Hers vanities with a Linen Storage Cabinet

You can find links and sources on my Bath Reno board on Pinterest.  If you haven't discovered Pinterest, I will happily send you an invite to lose countless hours pinning away beautiful magazine quality images.  It's my down-time just before my bed-time.  A few of the show-stoppers include the grasscloth wallcovering and the polished nickel fixtures.




Kraftmaid Hardware in Polished Nickel



More hardware by Kraftmaid {I love to mix knobs & pulls in a space}

 

I'm completely certain one can't have too many blue & white garden stools. 
This is en route, and will be my shaving perch in the shower.  Makes me soooo happy!

Crema Maril Hexagon Honed {Shower Floor}

The space is on the second floor, nestled under a huge canopy of trees. 
Even on a cloudy day {pictured} it gets plenty of natural light.

 

I'm not ready to put holes in my new grasscloth paper yet!  Maybe next week!
I have a sweet black forest deer that will probably go between the mirrors.

 

 

The shower held it's own set of issues.  Mold and rot existed under the old shower pan.  Electrical ran under the old seat/bench.  And there was a window.  In the shower.  On the front of the house.  A major privacy issue, yes.  But I learned winter-time showering with a single-pane window can lead to some major chill-bumps and razor burn!  It is now "gone" from the inside, but remains intact to balance the exterior window design on the front of our home's exterior.  We planned to use the subway tile in the shampoo niches, but ran into some cutting/pattern issues, hence Plan B which included some travertine and the crema marfil marble mosaic.  Truthfully, this was one of those problems that worked out for the best. 

The Water Closet was given a face-lift as well . . .  Paper, new loo & cabinet upgrade.
 

So far only one bath in my new soaker-tub.  Hoping for some quiet afternoon R&R in it soon! 

 

The drawers are lined with a soft tone-on-tone scenic toile paper, a freebie from my mom!

To recap:
-Cabinet color is Benjamin Moore "White" {satin impervo finish}.  "White Dove" is usually my go-to paint color for cabinets, but my bathroom needed something brighter.
-Wallcovering is Seabrook Eastern Expressions Grasscloth GP1016
-Wallcovering lining cabinets/drawers is an unknown toile, leftover from my mother's house
-Flooring is Halilah Gold travertine honed & filled
-Counters & Tub Deck feature Crema Marfil marble, honed finish
-All fixtures are Newport Brass Chesterfield Collection in a polished nickel finish
-Sinks are Toto Rendezvous Cotton White undermount style basins.  I love their Sanigloss finish which really keeps things neat & clean.  Also, they don't put a label on their sinks, which keeps things looking crisp. 
-Cabinet hardware is from Kraftmaid, polished nickel finish {special order at Home Depot}
-Toilet is Kohler Bancroft elongated comfort height in white.  I love this toilet!!
-Shower Field Tile is ADEX Hampton Collection Beveled Subway in Bisque/Bone Crackle Finish
-Shower Floor Tile is Hexagonal Crema Marfil honed with
-Bathtub is Kohler Portrait Collection
-Shower Glass was Mirror Gallery Inc. in Houston.  I loved working with Glen Bray, and highly recommend their company for any glass or mirror needs you have.


There you have it!  The million dollar question my husband and I have asked one another for months {six very long months}, "Is this going to be worth it?" is now answered!  Absolutely!!!

I will find myself tomorrow morning with a very hot French vanilla thanking my lucky stars that a contractor doesn't ring my door bell and find me in my pajamas!  Pretty sure they're thankful, too. 



Tomorrow!

My pint-sized sous chef will be FIVE!!!

She is a snuggle bug, still, always. 

Always up for some glam time with her momma. 
This girl of mine can hang just fine with the boys--neon manicure to boot!

 

More on this TOMORROW!  Wallpaper goes in and I can hardly wait!

Master Bathroom gets GUTTED!

Gutted.  Stripped to the studs. 

This means lots of new!  New electrical.  New plumbing {pipes & fixtures}.  New drywall.  New cabinets.  New shower--every bit of it. 

Greg is an architect.  I am an interior designer.  You might think that this would lead to a simple renovation.  Sadly, you'd be wrong.  We have learned a lot in this process--and, we're over budget and currently running six weeks past the time frame we set for completion.  From both of our professional endeavors, we estimated about 10% overages in terms of both budget and time.  We're way past that!  That said, any time you have to go "behind the scenes" unexpected problems arise.  We found electrical lines routed inside the existing shower bench.  Then there were complications sealing off the old window inside the shower.  Our master bath shower is on the front of the house with a window in it, which leads to some major trouble when attempting to shave one's legs in the dead of winter, not to mention a privacy-issue.  There were drains where floor joists should be and floor joists where drains should be . . .  And of course, we moved copper lines.  For the record, the copper pipe lines may be more expensive than my cherished polished nickel fixtures!  We found serious mold & rot.  Nearly twenty years of leaking led to some really ugly discoveries.  But this is a pretty blog, so I'll get on with it!



That's me with my real estate agent.  Took this photo on our first walk-through--before we bought the house. 
The Master Bath featured wall-to-wall carpet & white and brass trim-out!

The tub and deck were HUGE.  Avacado green walls were super-flattering!

Upon moving in, we painted the walls Artic Grey {Benjamin Moore} and added a pretty travertine stone flooring.  The rest of the bathroom would have to wait.  Four years, to be exact.

 

Day 1 Demo begins!

 

I was tempted to drench the entire room in lavender scented Chlorox!

Look at that beautiful shower bench!  Makes you feel squeaky clean, right?

 

Progress--the tub deck and shower surround are removed. 

Old white melamine plastic vanities are outta there! 

I planned, price-shopped and pinned at night.  Greg drew up fancy plans.  We figured out some ways to get some serious storage inside the tiny footprint of our master bath.  Since we were creating such a big mess, we tapped into the attic space above the master closet and raised the ceiling of our closet, allowed for additional overhead hanging storage.  Much-needed, as this house doesn't offer much in the way of closets/storage.  We knew we'd have to commit to custom millwork for this project.  We planned on sliding drawers and a custom linen tower with electrical tucked inside.


Better Homes & Gardens {Pinterest}

Better Homes & Gardens {Pinterest}

I searched high and low for plumbing fixtures, mirrors, even toilets.  I fell in love with these mirrors seen on Cote de Texas.  Found a good looking look-a-like at Ballard Designs and promptly ordered two!  So thankful I did, as Ballard has discontinued the Alayna Mirror. 


Cote de Texas

Ballard Designs Alayna Mirror

Truthfully--inspiration was easy.  Many a pretty bathroom caught my eye.  But we had some very real budget and space constraints!  Cabinets had to be super functional, and we needed to eliminate the knee-hole area {designed for a vanity stool} to regain some precious storage.  My vanity {originally next to the window on the right-hand side of the photo} had to slide down towards Greg sink area to make room for the linen cabinet.

Cabinet Day {iPhone photos, sorry}

Love the clean simple lines of a classic Shaker door.  Love the "feet", too!

I'll leave you with the first of the really pretty photos.  The stone was installed Friday!  I selected crema marfil marble with a honed finish and a simple square profile edge.  Crema marfil is a very affordable marble, and is typically a very soft neutral beige with light veining.  Marbles tend to be softer than granite, so some shy away from them for fear of scratching.  Personally, I love the soft patina that marble acquires over time. 

Crema Marfil Marble {honed finish} with undermount sinks & polished nickel fixtures.

Back soon with more . . . after my plumber works his magic.  There's a divine hexagonal mosaic and a French-style tub faucet, grasscloth paper and a beautiful Kohler bathtub.  Stay tuned!


Missing in action . . .

An apology is desperately needed here . . .  Forgive me.  For the record, I did not fall off the face of the earth, although--there were plenty of moments I wanted to. 

I have felt paralyzed.  Unable to write . . .  Or maybe unable to come to terms with my emotions?  Not sure which, maybe both. 

To post a pretty picture seemed unkind.  To focus on details wasn't fair to the big picture. 

 

My sweet mother-in-law lost her fight with cancer, and as much time as we've had with her--as prepared as I thought I might be to let her go--no one could have prepared me, or my family, for the struggle and the physical despair she faced in the last months.  We have been through a trauma, and we're all still very much on the mend.

I really can't put my words here.  I'm not afraid to do so, I just haven't found my voice yet.  We are healing.  We are stronger.  I am not afraid.  I love actually knowing that His peace is made perfect in weakness.  I the midst of the great sadness there is so much peace. 

I'll not leave you for long this time.  There are flowers to plant, and growing children to document.  We are in the midst of a huge bathroom remodel, and we're finally at the pretty stage.  A beautiful new-to-me sofa has found a home in our living room, after I discovered his faded beauty on woodlands online, my new favorite virtual garage-sale!  Spring is springing, and my camera is fully charged. 

I'll bring some beauty and some fun and some whimsy when I return.  And I'm so looking forward to it.  See you soon.  Very, very soon. 

Facelift!

Before.  My Dad's favorite post-golf chair, inherited when they moved.

Facelift!  Pretty new cotton toile with flat-welt details and waterfall skirt!

I highly recommend Lam Bespoke for upholstery work {and incredible shopping}!

Holly claimed her spot immediately, just as I knew she would.

Halloween 2012