Working fast to buy all the basics for my mom’s impromptu gut-bathroom renovation,I first decided tile for the walls and floor…. next, chose the decorative trim tile…. and next, chose the vanity. After that, it was filling in all the “little” pieces that were, for the most part, purely decorative decisions.
The white countertop that will go on the vanity is pre-drilled with three, four-inch spread holes — so we had to find a faucet to fit those holes. At Lowes, we saw the Kohler Fairfax single-hole faucet in shiny chrome. But, they did not have any other varieties. The minute I got home, I jumped online and found the style above — in satin nickel with an escutcheon plate — at FaucetsDirect.com. I slapped down my credit card and payed $20 for two-day shipping and boom, it was here in a flash. We like this faucet for its vintage look — and also because of that white porcelain dot on top. Happy happy.
For the vanity hardware, I found brushed nickel-look Liberty cabinet pulls and knobs with white-porcelain (look) inserts. Just to further indicate the travail in all of this, I actually found these at a Different Home Depot.
I had to drive to Shepherdsville to pick up more rope trim tile; there was not enough at the E’Town Home Depot. They say, “It’s not the years — it’s the miles.” This week, I’m puttin’ on plentttttty of miles.
For the lighting, the clear choice was black porcelier. I chose this Rufus black porcelain bathroom light with a white shade from Rejuvenation. Many thanks to the lovely folks at Rejuvenation for helping me get the order real fast!
The bathroom light will be centered above a 30″ Kohler recessed medicine cabinet, also from Lowes. Yikes, though, I just went online to get a photo and see this has received poor reviews for the hinge design. We’ll see. I certainly liked the idea of maximizing the medicine cabinet space. The original recessed medicine cabinet was just 14″ wide — to fit between studs. When we had the walls open, we enlarged the space to hold this cabinet specifically.
For towel bars and TP holder, I bought a sort of flowery (not literally — just “swoopy”) design from Baldwin, at Home Depot. I can’t find this on their website, or even on Baldwin’s. I think the design may have been being discontinued. The reason, in particular, that I liked the Baldwin, was that it was heaviest. I like my brass to be heavy enough to use as a weapon. All the hardware is at Mom’s waiting to be installed — I’ll grab and add a photo later.
Oh, I almost forgot. We decided we wanted the Jacuzzi toilet. It was like this, only taller. We wanted “comfort height, elongated” for Mom. When I worked for Ford, I actually met a member of the Jacuzzi family. He worked in the auto industry in communications, like me. I remember, when we were first introduced, I thought the person introducing us was just kidding about the last name of his friend. Like, this person was so laid back that they called him “[first name] Jacuzzi.” But it turns out: There really is a Jacuzzi dynasty!
Finally (sort of): I used basic Moen for the shower. And, we chose a sliding glass shower door from Lowe’s with obscure glass. This, in fact, is the only thing that we ordered. We knew it would be the very last thing to go in the bathroom, so there was time. Just barely.
Tomorrow, I’ll report on Aunt Mary Anne and my crazed trip through Target for towels, rugs and bathroom bling. Oh, make that two trips becaus we had to go twice… plus, I had to marshall my sister Jenni to get some stuff at the St. Matthews store, too, because we exhausted the stock of a critical item here in E’Town. I am not obsessed with making this perfect. Oh no. Not me.
Melanie says
Love that light fixture. It’s making me rethink my light choice for my bathroom. Can’t wait to see the end results!
K says
Oh, I love pink w/ black!
TroySF says
Go, Pam, go! Can’t wait for the reveal!
Jane / MulchMaid says
Love the Rufus. I’m a sucker for a porcelain finish lamp in almost any decor. I think that black will really set off your liner tiles, too.
Good work figuring out all the little details: they are the killers, I know!
Lynn-O-Matic says
Ah, the Rufus! One of my all-time favorite Rejuvenation lights. I am still trying to figure out how to put one somewhere. Well done, Pam! I’m waiting for the reveal tomorrow like a kid at Christmas.
pam kueber says
ummmm, i mis-spoke. we’re putting final touches in tomorrow… ummmm…. then, i might just hold this for sunday 🙂
michelle pond says
I am doing a five-day renovation on my seventy-five year old bathroom. Trying, because it is so small to make it wheelchair accessible. Talk about a challenge. I am inspired by your posts about your own project. Thank you.
lady brett says
lovely, lovely. those cabinet pulls are awesome for a quick and cheap furniture upgrade – we’ve got them on a second-hand flat-pack hutch and a “kitchen dresser” from the re-store. a sample size paint color and ceramic pulls, and you’ve got a whole new thing for $15!
Dale says
Hooray for chair height toilets. Makes all the old ones seem so uncivilized.
rebecca says
I got the same light in my bathroom reno with a similar theme. Medicine cabinets were the main challenge…. everything looks so modern. Ended up with a similar plain recessed mirror like you’ve chosen.
Kate H says
You are a MACHINE of EFFICIENCY despite the obvious obsticles that the Home Depot crowd put in your way!! I think you might be tied in my book with that extremely energetic woman with the many sons who redid her kitchen in metal cabinets. Seriously. I am in awe.
I also have questions: For the floor, which I am guessing was originally mud-set, how will the new tile go in? On top of the old? And how did you reconcile your adoration of pink bathrooms with Mom’s choice of black and white? Did you decide to skip ReStore because of your time constraints? (Reason I wonder is, they might have been able to help with the vanity. Or not, since it’s unpredictable what they’ll have.)
Can’t wait to see the finished project and see what Mom thinks.
pam kueber says
Hey, Kate, the old floor was vinyl — went in in 1974. So out it came in a heartbeat. No Re-Store here that I know of in Elizabethtown. But you are right, I shoulda asked. Pink? Well, pink goes fabulously with black and white, don’tcha think? 😉
Kate H says
Well, I think you made some great choices, especially since you worked with new in-stock materials. I have lived with that kind of medicine cabinet and it’s nice. And I love the light above. It reminds me of something Frank Sinatra would have had.