Master Bathroom, Done.

It's been 6 long months of renovations to get to this point, of a completely finished bathroom. Man it feels good to say that. I think we both got quite a reality check by taking on this total renovation of our master bathroom almost entirely DIY.

The original master bathroom was really a good size but it lacked some major components besides the blah style of it all. Our bath when we moved in consisted of a long double sink vanity, a closet with mirrored doors directly behind the vanity, which cause the "fun house effect" a toilet, and a good size two person shower with bench, but no bath :(


Before
This shows the original vanity from 1975 and the carpet, which we covered with a piece of new carpet temporarily.


We actually considered keeping the glass blocks at one point, hehe.






Here is Rory taking the mirrored doors off the closet in the bathroom. Who needs a closet in a bathroom anyway, wouldn't you rather have a bathtub?







Here is a list of everything we DIY-ed or had done to the bathroom. Be prepared it's long.

1. Demoed out the closet, floor, vanity with counter, shower tile & glass blocks
2. Rebuilt entire whirlpool plumbing system on "new to us" tub, installed new motor
   
3. Jack hammered out shower mortar floor
4. Removed the lowered ceiling & can light above shower to be flush w/rest of the ceiling
5. Removed the lowered ceiling & 4 can lights above vanity to be flush w/rest of the ceiling
6. Poured new mortar shower floor, lined it and poured rest of mortar floor
7. Removed all existing drywall in shower
8. Replaced all moldy decaying studs in shower
9. Installed new purple board in shower with complete water barrier behind it
10. Installed Hardiebacker board everywhere tile is going
11. Jack hammered trench across the bathroom for new tub plumbing
12. Plumbed in sewer line, hot & cold water lines (done by pros, kind of)
13. Moved toilet water valve to the back so it's hidden
14. Ran electrical to area for whirlpool tub motor
15. Filled in the plumbing trench with concrete
16. Set cast iron tub in place, whew!
    
17. Plumbed water lines for roman tub valves
18. Built tub box anchored to floor
19. Designed and had the vanity made by Rory's old boss
20. Primed, painted, and finished the vanity, installed hinges & hardware
21. Had the large wall mirror removed and cut down (by pros) then reinstalled
    
22. Resurfaced all walls in bathroom with hand troweled finish
23. Primed & painted walls
24. Had hardwood floor installed (done by pros)
25. Installed vanity
26. Cut out sink holes
27. Tiled, installed over 3000 tiles, grouted and sealed 3 times
28. Installed sinks
29. Caulked everything needing caulk
30. Installed all faucets and valves for 2 sinks, a bathtub and shower
31. Installed all accessories, such as towel bars, toilet paper holder & hooks
32. Installed glass door to shower
    
33. Had shower glass walls made and installed (by pros)
34. Painted and installed baseboards
35. Framed mirror

Finally the After!
















We got our fabulous tiles and sinks from Fine Craft Imports

Too much chair posting?

Well I think so too, so this is the last post I swear!
I finished the 2nd chair today while I watched the USA vs Ghana game. I was yelling at the TV while I struggled with the upholstery staple gun. It was giving me trouble, then Rory fixed it but had to oil it in the process. The oil then got on the white linen after I had diamond tufted the whole back. But I got it out! They are a cute little pair and have come a long way since the smokey and floral mess that they once were.
Before


After

Tried my hand at fresh Pasta

I had never made my own pasta dough before today, I think I've been intimidated by it. We conveniently have a fantastic Italian spot in town when we get the craving for delicious Tortoloni. But that isn't always in the budget, and much to my surprise the dough was so simple to make and even more delicious.

I filled them with a mixture of ricotta, spinach, Italian sausage, parmesan, and mozzarella. Brushed the edge with egg and sealed them up.


Aren't they cute!




Here they are after they've been boiled, ready for sauce.


Yum! You can see Baxter giving them "the eye" lucky for him he got the extra egg scrambled for his after dinner treat.

Chair Before and After

I couldn't wait to share the transformation of these chairs, in fact I only finished one so here it is even though it's not a fully finish project.
I bought these 2 cane sided barrel shaped chairs just last weekend at an Estate sale. The home was clearly owned by a heavy smoker and these two chairs although a bargain brought the odor along with them. I left them outside for 4 days, ripped all the material and stuffing off of them, sanded the wood (which also smelled like smoke) then gave them two coats of oil based stain finish called Polyshades by Minwax in Bombay Mahogany.
I bought all new foam and materials, the fabric is 100% Linen in a creamy white. It was a lot more work than I expected, the upholstery job was challenging but I think the first chair came out pretty good.

Before


After


Before


After


The 2nd chair will go on the other side of the book shelf to frame it. Now the walls above are looking a bit bare to me, I might have to get back to painting soon...



*Here is a little more detail on exactly how I did this.
I removed the screws that held on the seat, carefully stripped off all the materials one by one on both seat cushions and on the backs of the chairs. (I wore a mask and gloves, that's how smelly these were)
I took pictures of every step so I would remember how to put it back together with new everything, and I even kept one seat foam cushion and the foam from the chair back for a template for the button placement.

I washed the chair frames with a wood cleaner first and then dried them. Then I sanded the chair frames with a sanding block 180 grit then 220. I lightly sanded the caning with the 220 just to give a little rough surface for the stain.
Wiped them down to remove the dust then painted on thin coats the Polyshades, which is more of a paint varnish than a stain so you don't need to sand too much, it kind of lays on top on the wood but is still translucent. It's oil based and I found it too thick after the first coat, so I diluted it with turpentine on the second coat. Extra thin coats on the cane parts, I waited a day between coats.

Here is the close up of the old finish


After 2 coats, it was done.
Here is the frame fully refinished ready for upholstery, the red rich mahogany color came out great and it now matches our bar chairs and dining set.


The seat backs consist of many layers 8 to be exact if you count the buttons as a layer.
The first layer is the Linen fabric for the back, then a layer of dacron (white polyester badding) then webbing straps for support, then the foam with holes punched out for the buttons, then more dacron I used a liner fabric of white material then the Linen outer fabric. The buttons were made using a 5/8" button kit and I used cotter pins to secure them with a special washer thing I took off the original upholstery job on the chairs.


I used this technique on Apartment Therapy for the diamond tufting and had done it once before on a larger scale for this headboard. I copied the pattern from the material I took off the chairs, which made it easier. The tufting is done before I stapled it on the chair frame.








Then I made what's called double piping or welting and hot glued it to cover the staples and give it a finished look. Double piping up close.


The seat cushion reupholster job was much easier and pretty basic, a layer of dust cover over the springs, then foam, a layer of dacron, a layer of white liner fabric then the Linen. You wouldn't need a liner fabric if you have a thicker upholstery but I used this a 7.1 oz linen and you could see through it just slightly.
I spray painted the frames of the seats black (just because I had black spray paint) to seal them and cover the smell of smoke that was in the wood. A single piping edge was stapled to the frame before I screwed the seat bottom back on.

Outdoor Moroccan lounge

Home Depot had a great summer deal on their website offering free shipping and I took them up on it. I found these online for $100.00 off each chair. They are from the Martha Stewart Lily Bay collection and they are so cushy and comfortable, they even came with 2 coordinating blue outdoor toss pillows each as a bonus (that's 4 pillows I'm in heaven!). I had to break up the blue with a cute Moroccan patterned red hued pillow, the other blue pillows now have a home on the other side of the yard.







I think Baxter found his new spot to catch some rays.


The old Lounge chairs that I bought on clearance last year have been moved over by the diving board. We couldn't fit anything over there before because the pool cover was in the way. They look better with their new cobalt blue pillows and I'm sure they'll get some use despite their lack of style!

Pair of cane chairs

These were an unexpected purchase, but I really couldn't pass them up. I know I don't need another project but this pair of cane chairs are just begging to be fixed up. They are airing out in the sun for a few days before I rip off that lovely floral upholstery and paint them.
The previous owners we heavy smokers but took pretty good care of these chairs other than that. They have a few flaws but harldy noticeable and are very sturdy and comfortable. If you have any suggestions of what colors these two should be please let me know!

Gifts Galore

I don't know what I did this year to receive so many wonderful and thoughtful gifts? I must be loved! This year I am 28 and although it stings a bit to inch closer to 30, these fab gifts make it all better.
I got this beautiful Ginger Jar from Rory.


Along with my new favorite spot in my very own Mayan Hammock!




I also recieved thoughtful cards from family, dragées from Rory's mom! A Serger from my mom and dad that I can't believe I ever lived without. A facial from my mom that was wonderful, and a delicious dinner with my husband. Just what I wanted and so much more. What a day! Thank you all so much!