Moving Right Along

With the bathroom finished, all we have been thinking about is our next project - the basement. Life kicked in and time has been lost. A mini vacay to Va. Beach was taken, baby showers and bridal showers galore have taken over, and visits from family have been had. Things are on their way to calming down, but summer's end is approaching fast and so is my free time! 

We have one small hang up in the basement that is also taking away from starting - a hole. The previous owners seemed to have a 20 gal fish tank in the wall. Before we can start painting, I want the hole taken care of. My philosophy is, if you don't fix it first it won't get done. It shouldn't be too hard to fix: measure, get some dry wall, drill, putty and tape, but like most things I am sure it will be easier said than done. 

We will be measuring the annoying hole this week and gathering materials for the patch. After that, it's on to painting. That's really all we're doing in the basement is paint. It's almost a disappointment since the bathroom was such an overhaul! 

We are pretty sure that the paint will make a very dramatic statement down there. Right now the walls have been painted a deep burgundy color with a contrasting tan. The colors are not hideous, but they are not conducive to the environment down there. There is very little natural light in the basement. There is a door leading to the side yard, but it does not let in a lot of light. As far as unnatural lighting goes, there is a small dome light on the ceiling that is a sad excuse for a light. To ease this we have added a floor lamp which helps brighten the space. 

Along with paint, we'll be adding a new light fixture and more floor lamps. With smaller spaces it's best to light those corners. Bright corners give the appearance of a larger space. Dark, unlit corners make the space seem much smaller than it is. We will be brightening up the room with lighter paints and adding an accent wall. There will also be some fun details, with the help of Sharon, Joe's mom. 

We've got the motivation for this project to begin, now I just need to find the time! 

~Finito~

Seven hours, 25 minutes, and only one cut thumb later, the bathroom floor, and the bathroom itself, is finito! Now, this time frame and casualty list is only the time it took to complete the floor of this 27 sqft space. We decided to go with a 12 x 12 tile. We chose TrafficMaster Ceramica Resilient-Vinyl Tile Flooring. This is a vinyl tile that has the look of ceramic at a fraction of the cost. Unlike other peel-and-stick vinyl flooring, this flooring gives you the option of grouting it. We chose to grout to give the tile a more realistic ceramic look.

In preparation for the new floor, I decided to tear up the old floor. This turned out to be a bear of a project! I think I stated in my last post, this step will definitely be skipped when we redo the kitchen floor. The reason for taking up the old floor was there was some water damage behind the toilet. I started pulling and from there I couldn't look back. My mom called at just the right moment and I enlisted her to help! In the end it was better that we took up the old bathroom floor because of the damage. This helped the new floor lay much nicer. 

Getting rid of that yucky old vinyl...

Ready for the new floor! 

As I said earlier, it took seven hours to lay the new floor in the bathroom. This is about three hours longer than I thought it would take. It's only 27sqft!  Again, I was saved by mom. She came over unannounced at the moment of truth- when I actually had to start cutting the tile to fit around hard objects. With her guidance and smarts, I was able to cut and lay the tile around the toilet, vanity and door frame - three very tight spots. When the floor was all laid, I was quite pleased with the results.

In the beginning...

So close, most of those tight space taken care of!

I was very anxious to get the grout down once the floor was laid. We had to let the new tile sit over night to let the adhesive cure, see we're learning the language ;-). The total time to add the grout took 25 minutes. This was more shocking than how long it took to lay the tile! I want to give a shout out to whomever came up with pre-mixed grout. Thank you for your smarts! My parents had ceramic tile laid throughout their kitchen, mixing the grout, as I remember was time consuming to get the right consistency. All I needed was a 2" plastic putty knife and a sponge. Unlike ceramic tile where you apply the grout over most of the tile, you need to be careful to avoid this with vinyl tile. I only applied the grout to the seams and wiped up any excess with a damp sponge. This was the one time, so far, the 1,2,3 steps held true!

Done, without the grout and 1/8" spacers still left ...

Grouted and ready to go! 

I have to say I am so excited to be done with this project. There are a few minor details left, like some shelving, but nothing that will prevent us from moving on to the next room. So we are dubbing this project as finito!

Before...

After....FINITO!

Almost There!

The bathroom is almost complete! We spent the better part of this weekend taking out and tearing down an old, rusty, moldy, stuck on sink, toilet and medicine cabinet. We put in the new toilet, vanity sink combo, hung the new mirror, and new light fixture. None of this could have been done without the help of Joe's dad, Mark. I should almost take out the use of "we" and say Mark did all this. Mostly Joe and I were there as spectators along with Joe's mom, Sharon. Let me just say we are sooooo appreciative of him coming over and wasting two days to complete all this work! It looks fantastic, or so we think! 

Before: wood topped toilet seat and bulky oak vanity  made  for poor flow in the room

After: smaller white vanity and toilet help open up the space. The white really helps light bounce off creating a more open look. We started with the toilet which wasn't too awful to remove, but it wasn't easy either. The floor screws were rusty and some trouble to remove. Taking out a toilet is not as easy as one would think. I won't go in to all the boring details, but let me say what I thought was easy as 1,2,3 turned out to be as easy as 1,2,3............25! After the toilet it was on to the vanity!

This was another project that seemed so simple. I read a lot about removing toilets and vanities on the internet and everything just looked so simple. Nothing over 5 steps. Rule #2 of small, or any home, improvement, don't believe what you read on the internet. The old vanity had four walls, one on each side. The back wall was the hardest to remove. It had holes cut for the pipes and the rest was solid. This was a bit of a problem, tight spaces don't make it easy to do demolition. It did get completed, and I think the sweat was definitely worth it. Although I'll have to ask Mark if he thinks so! 

We decided to reuse the old faucet on the new sink. There really was nothing wrong with it and the style went with the rest of the decor. Doing this helped us save around $50 for a new one. When you're working on a tight budget it's always smart to reuse. Not only is it more friendly for our environment, it's more friendly for your wallet as well!

Before: Small medicine cabinet with vanity lights. Not a lot of reflective surface with this small mirror. This makes the space appear even smaller than it is. Vanity lights are dated and don't provide adequate light.

After: Hanging the mirror horizontal provides more reflective surface to help the room appear larger.  Mirrors can be your best friend in a small space! The new light fixture provides more light and flows with the shape of the mirror.

All of this took place on day one. On day two, we took down that horrible medicine cabinet, hung the mirror, and installed the new light. Again, most of this was completed by Mark. A bonus to DIY projects is having someone who actually knows what they are doing! Even though Mark was the one doing most of the work, he really was a good teacher. I know I learned a lot and I sure hope Joe did, too. I think the next bathroom install will be something Joe and I could handle on our own, with Mark on call of course.

The last item on the bathroom list is the floor. I tore up that old linoleum in preparation for the new tile. Tearing up 19 year old linoleum is not so fun. This step will be skipped when it comes time to do the kitchen. Once the floor is done the bathroom will be completed! I cannot wait for this project to be finished so we can move on the next one.  

Enjoy these next photos. Next time you see this bathroom it will be complete! 

Budget

I know it's been said a hundred times before, but it is a tried and true statement, stick to your budget. With any home improvement project, budgeting is one of the most important parts. Without it things can get out of hand. A bonus of the budget is when the project is complete there is no buyers remorse involved while you are enjoying the finished product.

Joe and I have set a very strict and tiny budget to go along with our tiny bathroom. I really should extend this statement and say that this tiny budget also includes redoing the floor in the kitchen, refinishing the cabinets, adding a back splash, as well as painting the dungeon, I mean basement. Budgets can be hard to stick to and have a tendency to grow as you are making your way through your project. Here are some things we have learned about budgeting and being  frugal shoppers.

1. Price check. As I am sure most of you know, price checking is a very smart step in becoming a savvy shopper. With today's technology this is easier than ever. You can practically compare any item of choice between any major store and find which has the best price. This really is a great way to help you stay within your means. It is also a great way to help you explore options you may not have thought about before. While price checking the sink/vanity for the bathroom, that I was just so sure I couldn't live without, I found one I liked even more. As a bonus because of this price check I was able to add an extra $50 to our budget! A score for sure! $50 to help with those forgotten items like the toilet paper holder, or the faucet connectors.

2. Only take what you are willing to spend. With so much plastic floating around these days it is super easy to charge, charge, charge! It's almost like a battle cry at the register, "Charge!" The trick is to avoid this as much as possible. If you don't want to blow your budget only bring what you are actually going to be spending with some room to cover taxes or miscellaneous items you may not have realized you needed. This will help curb any impulse buys. Impulse buys can cut into your actual project, and while that light fixture may look pretty, you don't need it if you didn't budget for it.

3. Bring a strong focused shopper with you. Luckily Joe is not easily swayed by pretty shiny objects like I am. He is great at keeping us on track while humoring my path less taken ways. It usually ends badly for our wallets when I am left alone. He's like my conscience reminding me that I really don't need back splash right this moment!

4. Lastly, always bring a list. Having exactly what you want in front of you keeps you focused and less likely to get something you don't need. When you can see what you are buying before you buy you are not going to want to spend extra. A list gives you an idea of what you will be spending before it's spent. Remember folks knowledge is power!

Many of these tips are tips I am sure many of us out there know very well, but it is always good to have a reminder every once in a while. Don't be afraid to use these in other areas as well.

Happy shopping friends :)

The First Steps

So we have finally started the bathroom renovations! Thank goodness, I was getting antsy. We started with paint, of course, because we don't care about messing up the floor or the rest of the hullabaloo that is in there. The down fall to this is that once we remove the toilet, medicine cabinet and vanity sink combo, I'll have to make some touch ups for those hard-to-reach places. If you have the option of removing said items, then I highly recommend it. Unfortunately having one bathroom does not lend itself to do that option.

Before-Tan walls, brown bath mat. The colors really muted the space.

After- Cotton White with Blue Paradise accent wall.  Makes the space bight and open

We chose to do Cotton White walls on 3 of the walls and Blue Paradise on the wall with the sink, mirror, and toilet. The Blue Paradise is a great accent color to the shower curtain and lovely soap pump that inspired it all. It is by no means a match. I did not want a monochromatic bathroom. In small spaces monochromatic can look lovely, but this tiny bathroom could not handle that. We felt a splash of color would liven things up while the white would definitely brighten things up.  

The white that I went with as stated was, Cotton White, it is a shade darker than a clean bright white. It's amazing how many whites there are to choose from out there. I swear I spent 10 minuets considering my options between 3 different shades! While it is still a clean, crisp white, Cotton White was not as harsh as the Bright White I was considering or as yellow as the Yummy Vanilla that was also in the running. I wanted white, but not sterile white.

I started with the ceiling. I removed the vent and the fan cover first. One because they would be getting their own coat of paint, and two because it really just made sense :). Being 5'2", on a good day, was quite a handicap while painting this ceiling. From now on, this job will be left up to Joe. Because of my height, I will have to go back and do more touch-ups than I was anticipating, but I know it will pay off in the end. This is really a very important step in painting. Always go back and do the touch-ups. It really makes a world of difference in your paint job. Any small blemish can really be an eye sore to the casual on-looker. From there I tackled the walls. Now you may be saying to yourself, "Where is Joe during this?" Well, he had the luck of being at work :). 

Before Ceiling- Dingy with mold and mildew stains. Vent and fan covers yellow with age and  dirty, dirty, dirty

2 coats and newly spray painted fan cover and vent make each appear like new! Total cost of project $2.47 

I highly recommend patients while painting in tight quarters. Take your time and make sure you have the time to do so. I ran into many problems while painting this tiny room. The roller was too large for a space, I didn't have the height, the extender was hitting the wall, or my big butt was removing the coat I put on. Like I said, patients is most needed for small spaces. Also, please make sure you have a variety of tools to paint a small space. I know this is a mistake I will not be making again. In my haste to get this part of the project rolling, I did not prepare well. 

Before-Drab colors, muted and blending into everything made the bathroom dark and unwelcoming.

After- A touch of color make the bathroom open and inviting

I ended my last post with the #1 rule of working with small spaces, know what you are working with, and I broke it left and right during this project. I ended up with far too much paint and not enough wall to use it on, and I did not have all the necessary tools to use. All in all, the paint was applied to the walls as I wanted and the finished product looks better than I was expecting. But, because of the rule breaking, I'll have to do more touch-ups than wanted. 

Next on the bathroom agenda, it's demolition time! This is really the part I have been waiting for. Ridding this space of 1992 for good. Getting rid of that tired sink vanity combo and the medicine cabinet that is really an eye sore. I would love to do the floor and remove/replace these items at the same time, but as stated earlier, having one bathroom makes that option not ideal. Once these pieces are in, it'll be floor time! By doing the floor last we won't have to worry about adding missing pieces if something is not the same size. This will really keep the job from looking piecemeal. 

I hope you enjoy these early before-and-after photos. I apologize for the angles - it really is a small space!

Research

With any new project, research is key. I have been searching home improvement websites, contacting family, and skimming any home magazine I can find to improve my skills. From what I have found, I can do anything, as long as I have the right attitude, tools, and the right measurements.

When we first looked at this house, we ran practically screaming out the door. In fact, we didn't even step foot inside the door once it was opened. The problem? Not the size, but the stench. After much consideration, we decided on a second look. With hands appropriately clamped to noses, we ventured inside. What we found was a house with a simple design and a gorgeous picture window in the living room. Once we found out the bank was going to pay for paint and new carpet we were sold. This is where the right attitude comes in. We - I - had to get my head around space, or lack there of.

Working with small spaces can feel daunting. The space is small, but the ideas are large. This is a problem I was finding within myself. Many of the ideas I originally had for the house were just not practical. Hence why research is so important. I have started to grasp the small space design scheme.

While waiting on Joe to meet me at one of our favorite restaurants, Laurienzo's, in Mt. Airy, I stepped inside a joining store. An eclectic type store that has trendy items along with antiques. Sitting on a table at the front of the store was a book, "Small Spaces, Maximizing Limited Spaces for Living," by Elizabeth Wilhide.

How perfect! Sometimes websites and magazines just don't have enough information. I think I even gave out an audible "Hell Yeah!" in the store when I saw this book. I was so excited that I found a whole book dedicated to small spaces. I wasn't even looking for that. I was just wasting time :). Who needs more than 942 sqft? Not this couple! Now, I realize if I stepped inside a Barnes and Noble there is probably a whole section dedicated to this subject, but as I said, I wasn't in this store looking for small-space design books, so I felt it was meant to be, and I bought the book without even looking at the price. The smart shopper in me was not around to talk some sense in me. I immediately began reading, which in turn made me late for dinner.

I couldn't wait to get home to really read this sucker. The biggest thing I am taking away form this book is keeping that right attitude, and utilizing the positives of having a small space to decorate. For example, since there is less surface area to cover with flooring or paint, we have a little extra to spend on small details, which really pull a room together. Unlike a website or magazine, this book has helped me look at ever corner as an opportunity instead of frustration. I am now visualizing ways to use that tiny corner as storage! With all this research, I am realizing that some of my original ideas don't need to be tossed out the door, but tweaked.

Research has also shown that not all small spaces have to be white and sterile looking. Color is an option, people! Don't be afraid to go bold, but be careful on how you use it. A wall of a bold color, or a splash of color with a vase or inside a bookcase can go a long way. Also, just because it's white doesn't mean it has to look sterile. In my head, I'm knocking down walls and tearing up new carpet. In reality we're still starting in the bathroom :).

Paint is on the agenda this weekend along with a new fan and light. You've seen the inspiration so let's hope the finished project turns out. We'll be measuring twice and sketching to make sure it fits. Rule #1 of a small space design, know what you're working with!

Bathroom inspiration

So I'm wandering through a local store, think red, with my mom on a mission, finding inspiration for the one, yes one, tiny bathroom in our home. It's almost a blessing because bathrooms can be scary to decorate. So having only one in this house may turn out to be a good thing. So we're walking and chatting, sharing the latest gossip, making our way to the bath section, when I see it - a small soap pump. I knew as soon as I saw it I was sold.

Being a smart shopper, I breezed by it, only taking a quick peek. We browsed through the bath section commenting on this is nice or that is nice, but I couldn't get this soap pump out of my head. Silly as it seems, it was calling to me. So after much processing, I held it. After that it was all over. Finding coordinating pieces, and thinking of paint colors to match, imagining how the new floor will look with this small soap pump flooded my mind. 

Needless to say the bathroom will be the first project. It is a very dated space. Our house was built in 1992 and it shows. Our goal with the bathroom is to lighten up the space while giving it that sanctuary feel as all bathrooms should have. A place of solitude to attend to your needs.

On the agenda first is paint. The ceiling is in dire need of refreshing, and the walls leave a lot to be desired. We'll be adding a new fan with a light to improve the lighting in the bathroom. We'll be tearing down dated medicine cabinets and demolishing a child-sized toilet, updating light fixtures and faucets, as well as adding visual interest with shelving. 

The ball is rolling on this project so please be patient as pictures are soon to come. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!