bathroom
Oh, the bathroom. The space had some serious functional and aesthetic challenges and gutting it was our only option. We did a few things during the first couple of years (adding an exhaust fan, replacing the toilet, and attempting to install a wall heater), but the real work came in 2008 when we took everything down to the studs and started fresh.
August + September 2006
Before we moved in, the floral wall paper had to go.
November 2006
The bathroom had no exhaust fan, so we spent a long saturday in November installing one.
A view from the bathroom (through the hole for the fan) of Kyle up in the attic.
The bathroom light switch was located in the kitchen (??), so with the addition of the fan we added new switches and moved them inside the bathroom. This is a good example of the juxtaposition of old, new and exposed that we’re now accustomed to living with.
January 2007
By January we decided to install a used wall heater to help heat the bathroom.
July 2008
In July of 2008, we were finally ready to rid ourselves of our outdated bathroom!
At this point, the bathroom was in far worse condition than when we moved in. Most of the cracking and missing tiles are from the structural work we did in the crawl space below. However, we had a feeling this would happen and that’s why we did the structural work prior to any finish work on the main level.
This was our shower situation for a few months. Beyond the black plastic is the old closet, or what would become the new bathroom. To our friends who stayed with us during this time…we apologize.
October 2008
Sometimes, the best ideas come while lounging in your bathtub. We scored this Kohler Tea-For-Two off Craigslist. We love the clean lines and depth of the tub. In a one bathroom situation, we thought it was important to have a deep tub even if we mainly use the shower.
As a way to save on costs, we purchased two IKEA vanity units and screwed them together. Here is the assembled product before we installed the sink, teak plywood wrap, and remaining hardware.
We installed a new bathroom awning window (fir on the inside, dark brown metal on the outside). It can be seen in relationship to the old closet window here.
When in doubt, go back to the drawings.
Here is a look at the new plumbing for the shower/tub. The blue oval in the middle is the mixing valve that will control the temperature and function between the shower head, tub spout, and handshower. We also insulated the pex lines to keep heat from escaping.
Eventually, we got to the point where we could use the new tub (baths only of course), which meant we could rid ourselves of the old tub (in the foreground). The fact that we moved the bathroom allowed us to install the new tub before removing the old one, avoiding the need to shower at the neighbor’s.
To add some strength and stiffness to the existing plank subfloor, Kyle added 1/2″ plywood.
Suffice to say, when you’re remodeling, you make do.
With outdated plumbing and a completely new layout, we ended up replumbing the whole bathroom (which actually turned into the whole house). Here is a look at the new sink fixture and plumbing, as well as the necessary DWV (drain waste vent) pipe required for the toilet, sink and shower.
November 2008
After the plumbing was complete and signed off on, we installed durock (cemetitious panels) in areas that would receive tile and greenboard (water resistant drywall) on the remaining walls and ceiling.
Here, Kyle is prepping the floor for tile and our electric radiant mat system.
One of the few things we have hired out is the drywall mud and tape. It’s typically about a 5 day process to reach the right level of finish but it certainly transforms the space!
Tile time! We chose an inexpensive, clean subway tile from Dal-Tile (purchased at Home Depot) for the shower surround.
We built the low wall against the back wall of the tub as a place to store shampoo, soap, etc. without resorting to one of those over the shower caddies. Best of all, everything is within an easy arm’s reach whether you’re taking a shower or bath.
This was our first attempt at tiling. All in all, success! Installing the tile in a stacked bond pattern requires a bit more attention to detail but we like the modern aesthetic.
We had a radiant floor in the bathroom of our rental house and loved it! However, that system was on a crank timer which meant you’d have to wake up at 4 in the morning to turn it on if you wanted a warm floor underfoot when you woke up. This sytem (from Warmly Yours) is attached to a thermostat so the system is only on when we need it.
For the floor tile, we chose a dark brown, 12″x24″ ceramic tile. To visually lengthen the room, we ran the tile in the long direction and then up the side of the face of the tub framing.
We used a similar dark brown for the tile grout.
Click here for the after photos!
Found this text twice – second time in the wrong place…..
We installed a teak shelf in the shower (added punch of warmth plus teak is water resistant), and a strip of teak between the lip of the tub and top of brown tile. The wood bathmat is from Crate&Barrel, the shower curtian is IKEA.
i really like this bathroom. beautifully simple space. here’s what i did for color and artwork in mine…
http://tearinguphouses.blogspot.com/2009/09/before-after-pictures-little-blue-house.html
kelly
Just found your site thru houseblogs.net. The bathroom looks great! Excellent blend and use of new, old and hacked materials! I appreciate all the pics and details on the chosen materials. I’m looking forward to browsing thru more of your archives.
Thanks Troy! Just checked out your blog…the half bath looks awesome already! I really like the marmoleum tile colors you chose too.
-Lauren
You guys are doing a killer job, I love the bathroom especially the ikea vanity, I may have to use that one. Has anyone featured your home yet? I would love to on plastolux.com if that would be ok. Are you guys in Seattle? I am on the dry side of the state.
Hi Tyler, thanks for the comments! We have no objection to being featured on your website. =) We are in Seattle, although it’s not raining at the moment!
Hey very nice blog!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your blog and take the feeds also…
You guys have done a great job of documenting your projects. It’s fun to see what you started with and what solutions you’ve come up with.
FWIW, the old bathroom … the one you just tore out … dates to the 1940s-50s. That plastic tile was the bomdiggity in the 1950s. It was probably a remodel of an earlier bathroom. While it’s possible that your house was built without a bathroom, it’s just as likely it had one. Many of these old houses had them in locations that look like an afterthought to us now, but I suppose it made sense at the time.
See if you can lay your hands on a copy of V. W. Voorhees’s Western Home Builder catalogs (1907 to 1911). The UW and Seattle Public Library have copies, I think. According to the City of Seattle, he’s responsible for hundreds (in one location they say thousands) of Seattle metro houses. I believe his three earliest houses were built in Ballard. While many were fairly large, he had a nice range of small worker cottages like yours … most of which had bathrooms and pantries.
Wow, thanks for all the great information! We’ll definitely look for Voorhee’s catalogs!
absolutely love the bathroom and the house. I am an architect in Minneapolis and am about to add a bedroom and bath in the basement. We bought the Kohler Tea-for-Two tub in the 5′-6″ length. We are debating whether to undermount it to gain a little extra lounging space, or go with the alcove installation like you did. Do you find you have enough headroom when taking a bath? We have yet to start framing, so the tub is really the driving piece for room size right now. Thanks so much for sharing all your projects. Beautiful style.
Thanks Kirk! We have the 5′ Tea-for-Two and have been really happy with it and the alcove installation. In my opinion, because it’s so deep you don’t really need a lot of space around the tub. And as you probably noticed, we did a built-in ledge the length of the tub which is great storage space and gives another 6″ or so of elbow room while taking a shower, which seems to be more important than space at the tub level. Hope this helps…good luck!
Love everything about this remodel. Thanks for all of the helpful info and photos. Just wondering if you have any information about that great clock? Thanks again.
Hi Julie,
The clock is from IKEA, $9.99!
What a pleasant surprise. Looks terrific, thanks!
I’m definitely impressed by this renovation- nice use of materials. My inlaws used teak flooring and inlaid it with their shower tiles as well, and I am sure you love it. It’s a simple and unexpected touch in an American bathroom.
Could you tell me where you found the great sconces? I’ve been looking for something similar to replace some hideous ones in our rental.
Thanks!
p.s. found you through Apartment Therapy!
Hi Rachel,
Our sconces are from Restoration Hardware believe it or not! We got ours on sale so if you like them you might try wait it out till they’re discounted again.
http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod2550049&navAction=jump&navCount=3
Thanks- this gives me some great ideas!
Just found your blog a few days ago through apartment therapy and I’ve been checking it out since. I am really liking the work you guys are doing and it seems your styles and tastes really match my own.
I’m really impressed with the tight mitered corner on your plywood vanity wrap. Did you cut the miters yourself on a tablesaw?
-Eric
Yes, we made the cuts on the tablesaw…then glued, clamped and screwed from the inside. Kyle has some mad skills. =)
Beautiful job! I’m so inspired by this that I am trying to do a similar thing in the bath in our home where we live in France. Challenging to say the least over here. Can’t find the teak anywhere. For when I do, can you tell me how you “treated” it?
Hi Jenny, we just used a few coats of teak oil. It’s been about a year and a half and the piece in the shower is ready for a new coat so that’s probably a good idea of the maintenance schedule. One of the reasons we chose teak was because it is naturally resistant to moisture, mold, etc. (that’s why you see lots of teak in boats!).
Found your blog through Apartment Therapy
I love the art on your wall, is it made from cardboard rolls? I’m inspired to try to recreate it myself, could you tell me anything about its purchase or creation?
-Lauren
Hey Lauren,
Thanks! The art is made from toilet paper rolls that we saved. We just scored the tubes and then cut in varying width strips. Then we sprayed all the pieces with a clear acrylic spray (to protect against moisture) and glued them together with tacky glue. For the yellow pieces we just hand painted the inside face with some acrylic paint. It’s pretty easy…the hardest part is just coming up with the right composition. We did a little bit at a time and then took it into the bathroom, held it up and kept adding pieces till it looked about right. Hope this helps!
Hi there,
I love that vanity. It’s really gorgeous. I am wondering where you obtained the teak plywood. I am building a very similar vanity but I don’t know where to source the wood. I live in DC and I’ve found a few places online. Did you buy the wood locally or did you order it.
Thanks for your help!
David
Hey David,
We bought our teak plywood from a place called Crosscut Hardwoods in Seattle. Maybe try calling a few local lumber stores and see if they have any ideas? (You might also look for ones that specialize in woodworking/finish carpentry instead of rough framing lumber.)
Hey there,
Thanks for your help! I found the teak. Now I am wondering what you treated the teak with. The teak I picked up is much lighter and I am considering treating it with linseed oil to darken it. Is that what you used?
Thanks!
David
Hi David,
We started out with teak oil, but after a year and a half we decided to switch to a polyurethane varnish. The wood itself was fine, but the soap and water that collects at the base of bottles, etc. was creating some slight black spots. We just did the varnish this past weekend, so we’ll see how it goes! I think the teak oil may have darkened it a tiny bit, but not much. I’m not sure how linseed oil would affect it, but you might also look at tung oil if you want to go darker.
This is fabulous! I about died laughing about your black plastic shower. I also kicked myself- why didn’t I think of that when I was renovating the bathroom?? Genius! It really looks fabulous. I love the teak.
Thanks! Oh man…the black plastic was definitely a low point in that project, even worse was that we actually had friends staying with us for a few days!
This bathroom is stunning. I love the wood with the white! Wow.
Why did you build the frame on the face of the tub? I assume that it is not holding any weight? I have the same tub and thought it needed to be supported by the feet only>
Hi Ryan, the frame at the face of tub was needed in order to install the backerboard and tile. Since this tub doesn’t have an integral face or “apron”, you’ll probably have to build some type of frame to attach the finish material. Hope that helps!
So, I’m looking randomly at a collection of bathroom redesigns on Apartment Therapy, and I click on “Lauren’s Lovely Bathroom.” And as I’m reading through the description, I started to see familiar words (Lauren, Kyle, architects, Zerby). Then I realize that I might just know the person who owns the bathroom. Well, I’m acquainted with her, anyway, and attended random AT shows in Tulsa thanks to her driving skillz. Regardless, the bathroom is adorable, and I’m highly jealous of your remodels. We’ve been doing some remodels of our 1920′s home in Tulsa, but our know-how nowhere near matches yours. I’ve added you to my Reader, and I’ll be keeping up with your progress!
Hey Jennifer! I loved our AT Tulsa days!! I still look up their schedule to see if they’re playing whenever I’m in town but it never seems to work out. =(
Thanks for the compliments!
Nice work, your bathroom looks beautiful. Thanks too for all the content you’ve shared. It’s saved me and my wife hours of product research. How did you attach the teak shampoo shelf over the bath?
Thanks Jeremy!
For the teak shelf in the shower, we just glued it in place (with liquid nails or an equivalent) and then caulked around the 3 edges. (There is a framed 2×4 pony wall below with a layer of cementitious backer board on top.)
I’m curious how the varnish is holding up on the vanity? Thanks for your beautiful website. We were looking at a huge cost for countertops and you have given us the inspiration we needed!!
Thanks Caitlin! The finish is holding up pretty well…it’s probably about time for a fresh coat, but it’s been over two years so we’re feeling pretty good about it. It’s definitely not bullet proof and we wouldn’t use it for a kitchen sink, but it works well in our bathroom. Also, if you’re countertops aren’t too big, definitely look into remnants if you’ve been considering any type of solid surface or natural stone. Good luck!