Posts tagged diy

We need a reno on our main bathroom something fierce. Like, a we’re showering in the basement (and have been for five months) kind of need. But as you’ve heard in the past, I’m a tiny bit afraid of my own home and of making any changes to her. So we called in professionals for an estimate, but their price was a hefty $5300. 

So… it looks like we’ll be smurfing it. 

I finally bit the bullet over the weekend and started pricing our reno. Right now, it’s coming in around $1350 before plumbing supplies, new sheet rock, paint, cement, and grout. (Because I don’t know how to estimate that shit.) 

But here’s what I do know/want/need/love:

Archer 5ft Tub in white by Kohler, photo via ($438)

This is your standard tub—no jets, no crazy light show, nothing special. Translation: the kind of tub that is within our price range. But considering I haven’t had a fully operational tub in over a year, I’ll take it. And really, the only tub indulgence that really pulls at my heart strings is a good set of claw feet. And well, that just ain’t happening.

Devonshire Faucet by Kohler, photo via ($180)

No bathroom is complete (literally) without a shower and tub faucet. I’m not particular enough to get my designing rocks off on a faucet, so this is another practical choice. Brushed nickel (read: the timeless quality of chrome without the fingerprints and watermarks) was pretty much my only requirement. 

Alexa Collection 3-Light Vanity Fixture by Progress Lighting, photo via ($86)

This vanity light, although a total steal at $86, seemed slightly indulgent with it’s linen finish glass and crisp, clear edging. And although it’s more modern than the faucet, it’s brushed nickel finish is just enough coordination for me. 

NuTone Ultra Silent 80 CFM Bath Fan, photo via ($118)

Another practical choice that will bring light to my tub and shower and prevent mildew. Win-win! 

Forged Iron Glass and Stone Tile, photo via ($10.99 each)

When it came to tile, I knew I wanted something neutral that erred on the side of blue gray, and this tile was my jumping off point. It seamlessly blends that blue gray tone (which I have obsessed with in every medium for months!) with other neutrals in a way that is subtle yet dynamic. It will serve as a 3/4 height accent tile within the tub and shower surround. 

Astral Luna 3 x 6” Ceramic Tile, photo via ($0.30 each)

This tile is a very pale, sandy beige in a classic subway shape. It will comprise most of the shower surround and be accented by a 3/4 height strip of the accent tile. I think that the off set subway pattern (what you see within the accent tile) will really make elongate the walls, making the space look as big as possible.

Tuscany Rouge 13” x 13” Floor Tile, photo via ($2.00 each)

This final tile will be our flooring tile. It’s a great warm gray ceramic tile. Big plans include placing it in our front entry and a larger (18” x 18”) version in our kitchen. 

Below is a photo taken at our local Home Depot of the three tiles side by side. 

Also, here are the tiles pictured with a few of the paint colors we’ve been considering.

I personally favor the blue green shade on the left or the darker of the grays, on the left. Bill favors none of them. But Bill is difficult when it comes to paint, so I’ll probably just buy the blue green and go with it. 

The paint colors are all Behr brand.

• Atmospheric UL220-20
• Cathedral Gray UL260-7
• Pewter Ring UL260-4

We haven’t yet settled on a vanity because we’re unsure of how much space we’ll have for it to occupy. Everything is dependent on our being able to shift the plumbing for both the toilet and the sink. My fingers are crossed because our current vanity is not a vanity at all, but simply a sink. As you can see below, there is less than 2” of useable space surrounding the sink. 

Here is the floor plan we’ll be left with if I get my way.

A beautiful rendering, isn’t it?!?

Confession: A good room layout sketch is how most of this girl’s dreams begin. 

At this point I’m pretty sure my little DIY weekend project is going to absolutely underwhelm you. Not to be all self-deprecating and all, but it really is not some fabulous thing.

It is, in fact, a gate across the driveway to keep our puppies confined to give our puppies freedom of the backyard. 

I, of course, forgot to take any photos during the construction process because I’m not yet used to being an every day blogger. (I can’t use the term full-time, so everyday is my compromise with myself.) Thus, I will be keeping this post short and sweet. 

Due to my part-time blogger mentality, all my before and afters are pre and post-stain. To be completely honest, as is, I hate our stain. It’s supposed to be cedar naturaltone and it’s more carrot naturaltone. 

For some reason, we have trouble picking stain colors that are anything close to natural. See our cherry tomato picnic table. 

And our strawberry pink wedding arbor.

Which looks a lot less pink in this photo and has lessened in its pinkness over time. So I’m just hoping our fence does the same. 

But it’s up and (almost completely) stained and we won’t have to spend all winter lingering outside while the dogs take their time in the yard. And that’s really what it’s all about. 

Yesterday I told you all about Us v. Miss Nora, round one and the year that was. All in all, I’m feeling a little more zen about things today. Most likely due to the praise and encouragement of some lovely readers who I am fortunate enough to call friends. So today is about the plans, the to-dos, the dreams. 

Nora still needs a lot of work, so I’m going to break it down into three categories: functional (structural, necessary, high priority), aesthetic (beautifying, the fun stuff, unfortunately low priority), and power couple (a combination of the two, mid to high priority). 

Functional

• new roof
• full re-wire job 
  she’s currently rocking nob & tube wiring
• demolish and rebuild garage 
  there’s no saving her and as is she’s too small for Bill’s truck anyway
• chimney inspection and possible repair
• insulation
  she’s got none, which means our new windows are slightly a moot point
• replace remaining 6 windows
  we were on the fence about a few of them, because they have so much charm, but it’s really necessary at this point
• install glass block windows
  for the basement; ivy is growing through one of them as of now
• waterproof basement
• patch opening in attic
  we have birds

Aesthetic

• remove carpet and refinish existing wood floors throughout
• remove wallpaper in two rooms
  guest bedroom and dining room 
• new tile in entryways and kitchen
• paint in almost every room
• the yard
  it’s an absolute mess
• transport wedding arbor from Bula to backyard 
• furniture
  this may always be a work in progress though 
• second story back porch improvements
• fireplace surround and mantle makeover

Power Couple

• main bathroom overhaul
  showering in the basement is the worst
• full siding job on the exterior
  bill is fighting me on this one
• repair porch
  did I mention that I fell through our porch banister?
• increase exterior lighting and outlets
  mainly for the sake of christmas lights 
• repave driveway
• add portico to side entry
  it’s our main entrance and there’s nothing to keep us dry while hauling groceries in or fidgeting with the lock
• new exterior doors
  they don’t seal properly so we lose a lot of heat
• driveway gate
  to keep the puppies in the back yard without parental supervision
• build back deck off kitchen
  for grilling, entertaining, and a puppy-friendly entrance/exit

I’m fairly certain that’s the long and short of it.

Who wants to help?

This past weekend was the one year anniversary of the move into our first house. To be honest, I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. First and foremost, I am exceptionally proud of the simple fact that we have survived the past 365 days. Nora has not made it easy on us. (Yes, I’ve named our house. If you can name a car, you can name a house. And yes, she’s named after this bad ass broad.)

We’ve done a lot that I am genuinely pleased with. 

• Like new windows throughout most of the house
• A small kitchen renovation including new: paint, lighting, oven, (new to us) fridge, backsplash, cabinet hardware, and faucet
  
  
• Painting the half bath
   
• Painting our master bedroom (thanks for that Momma & Daddy)
    
• Some of the lawn work you heard about here
  (Should be noted that most of this went to hell due to our ridiculously hot summer—damn you global warming.)

But there have been some really rough days; days that left me emotionally exhausted and mentally scarred for life. There was that lovely day in February when we woke at 4 am to fuming furnace and 14 inches of sewer water in our basement. 

That fiasco led to a $5,000 insurance claim, new hot water tank, new furnace, new (to us) washer and dryer, five days sleeping on an air mattress in my brother’s living room, two weeks without our puppy, and several other horrible memories I have fully repressed. 

We’ve also had several problems with Nora’s plumbing in the main bathroom. Our baseboards had to be ripped out almost completely so that my dad and the husband could replace a line that was causing water stains on the (freshly painted) kitchen ceiling. Before we could manage to get new baseboards up, we found another and much bigger problem. A crack in our tub surround tiles caused a hole to rot in the drain line for the tub. Translation: The tub and surrond must be ripped out so that can be repaired. Then must order a new (custom size) tub and redo all the dry wall and tiling. FML. FThisHouse. 

So… for the last three months we’ve been showering in the basement. (Yeah, the basement that previously held 14 inches of poop water.) We’re in the process of saving some money and waiting for dear old (always saving my ass) dad to have time off work so we can smurf this shit.* (smurf: verb; to blindly attempt a project, usually of the home improvement nature, with zero professional training or guidance) 

Remember when I said mixed feelings? Yeah, I’m talking shaken, stirred, blended, whipped, and beat to hell feelings. 

I genuinely love this house. I love that it is ours. I love the memories we have made here and all the things I know are yet to come. I want to make it truly lovely. I want to do justice to her 81 years of beautiful history. But I am terrified to even pick up a paint brush. So many things that began as small and manageable changes have become overwhelming renovations. 

In closing,  I am a grown woman who is terrified of her own home. And I suppose that means that round one year one goes to Nora. 

Year One:

Nora- 67
The Wilts- 58 

Wish us luck for year two; we’re going to need it. 

______________________________________

*Note: My dad does have some professional training as a plumber, so we’re not technically smurfing it. But considering the first recorded use of smurf as a verb was my Papa’s doing, it doesn’t actually have a technical definition. 

Tomorrow’s post will be all about the big plans that we have for Nora despite everything she has done to break our hearts and crush our dreams. 

My grandfather was an interesting man.

He wore long pants and flannel shirts in the summer. He’d buy any pair of shoes he could find at Goodwill, no matter the size. He would make the same phone call to my dad every single day in the winter—something to the effect of, “Be careful. And remember, the bridges freeze first.” He loved watermelon and hated pizza. He smelled like chewing tobacco, and I mean that in a good way. His first name was Delus. He had a thing for hideous baseball hats. And he drove around town in an old dump truck he’d procured from who was, I’m sure, one of Ashtabula’s finest. 

But my favorite of all his little quirks was his need to paint everything red, including the aforementioned dump truck. To him, it was the end-all-be-all. If you really loved something, you’d paint it red. 

I’m not sure if it’s because of him or not, but over the years, red has definitely become one of my fail-safe colors. So when my parents purchased an unfinished picnic table for us a couple weeks ago, I jokingly remarked that I’d paint it red for Grandpa. My dad’s face lit up in the quiet way it does only for Delus. When he asked if I was serious, I simply answered, “Why not.” Then he made me promise that I’d stain it rather than paint it. (Apparently the paint will chip after a few months in the sun.) 

Here’s the end result of phase one. I’m debating on a little customization, but that’ll be a project all on it’s own. Thus far, I’d say it’s pretty damn red—and pretty damn pretty.

Grandpa passed away when I was in seventh grade. That seems like a lifetime ago and some days my mind has trouble putting together a clear image of his face. Lucky for me, my dad looks exactly like him. I just have to remind myself of that every once in awhile.