Laundry Room Renovation...almost

So here we are with the before picture of the laundry room.  As you can see, storage was limited, I really didn't like the floor and well, my washer and dryer doors opened into each other making it very hard to do laundry.  The washer had also started running its own cycles, I'd put it on a 15-minute quick wash and come back to find it said 50 minutes!

So after much back and forth we finally decided on what we were going to do.  New floors, new cabinets, panel over the window and new paint.  On top of all of that, my very wonderful in-laws gave us the gifts of new washer and dryer!  The last time they had visited she had laundry to do and was very frustrated with my existing duo!

Randy wanted to update a few other things as well, so he stripped back the paneling behind the machines to replace the dryer vent and makeover the existing plumbing.

Next up was the floor.  After removing the pergo, we found the old vinyl, which I told him looked better than the pergo had!

Maybe I related to it because it was from the 80's!

In any event, the process moved on and paneling went up, painting happened and flooring went in!

I chose a really nice light shade of green for the room.  We added water to the paint to thin it down so that the wood grain would still show.  It sort of looks weathered and beachy to me, which is a good thing!

Next came my new washer and dryer, I never knew I'd get so happy over appliances!!!

Aren't they lovely?  I love that the doors open away from each other and that both are lighted.  As a bonus, they are high enough that I can see inside but not so high that I can't put the detergent it lol.  I don't think manufacturers think much about those of us that are vertically challenged!

Next came the cabinets.

The first set went over the washer and dryer.  There had been a small one there before that I never used because of how high up it was.  Same deal here too, mostly these will hold light bulbs and stuff that I don't need often on top.  The lower cabinets get paper goods because I can reach that with my small step stool.

The tall cabinets are shelves on top and drawers on the bottom.  All my cleaning supplies are loaded into them and I still have empty spaces!  The lower cabinets under the counter are for pet stuff and car cleaning stuff.  The uppers have gotten a mix of stuff, essential oil supplies, storage containers and some indoor gardening stuff.  Again, I still have empty shelves up top, but I need a taller step stool for these, I asked Randy to build me a two-step, step stool but he hasn't gotten to it yet.

After the cabinets came some Randy magic!

We had gone around about what to do in the corner behind the door.  I told him I wanted a bench, a place for work shoes, hooks and a place for our reusable bags.  Ta-freakingda!  He used leftover counter top and melamine scraps he had from other projects to build our bench and the cubbies above.  Now the only issue I have is the upper shelf is WAY up there and I can't reach it at all.  So I'm not sure what will end up in there, maybe hats or something lol.

Now I say almost because, we haven't picked out trim and the closet in the laundry room needs an overhaul.   It got a new floor, now it needs new shelves, nice white ones that won't give me splinters and that are spaced better so that I can actually store things like a vertically challenged girl needs to!

So there you have it.  My 95% completed laundry room.  Once it's 100% it's on to the kitchen for a minor update, than the great room, than...well who knows!!!

Step one..

Yes this is my first post of 2016, it has taken some time but the first of the new projects is underway!

For years we’ve talked about changing our master bath, we’ve toyed with adding a powder room somewhere else on the first floor.  The reason?  Well, we don’t have one so when company comes they are using our master bathroom and well, I’d rather not. So this is where the project started; a tub/shower surround, a vanity and a toilet.

Last weekend the bathroom looked like that on Friday and like what’s below on Sunday!

That’s the wall where the tub was, the wall where the vanity was and the new toilet that will be in the new powder room.

By the end of this weekend it looks like this;

sheet rock where the tub was, the framing for the new wall and the sheetrock behind the toilet. The new wall will condense the size to six by six.

The new vanity will go here, where the front of the tub was.  All of this is step one of a very long process. that will see us turning the master bath into a powder room and then building a new master bath inside our bedroom!

Projects, Pins and plans…

The guest bath is ‘almost’ done, there are 3 small details that have to be taken care of.  The closet needs new shelving, the closet doors *may* need a cross brace and one we either need two almond color switches or a white GFI outlet and switch.  I’ve had my first soak in the new tub and it’s wonderful!  Cooper has also had his first bath in the new tub and he found it to be roomy enough to turn around in!
We are currently in a bit of a holding pattern with projects.  Next up, I believe is going to be a platform bed with drawers that Randy is building for our bedroom.  I hate dust ruffles with a passion and I don’t like the metal frame showing (or stubbing my toe on it!) and since he hasn’t had a woodworking project in a while he found a plan and is going to make the bed.  However our hold up has been the weather because each time he’s planned to go and get the wood it has snowed! 
Cooper and I have enjoyed the snow very much and spent a lot of time outside playing in it.  He is so much fun!


When I can’t focus on the outside stuff it makes me focus on the inside stuff. My list of “Want to Do’s” for our home has everything from new floors for kitchen and laundry room to refacing the fireplace!  I just keep pinning all my dreamy ideas on Pinterest and turning this into our dream home, one idea at a time.  Soon though the weather will surely reach tolerable temperatures and I’ll be spending every waking moment outside implementing all my plans and dreams.  I’m committed (or maybe should be) to making this the best gardening year ever!

Little touches

Here are some details while we finish up this weekend. 

The new curtains and curtain rod will delight my mother in law.  While I’ve never understood it, she’s insistent on drawing the blind down and closing the curtain when she’s in the bathroom, so now there is something in there besides a sheer panel.  We will also be installing a film on this window to prevent bird collisions that doesn’t impact you seeing out but makes the window look like a solid white panel.  That means that in addition to birds seeing it, no one can see in.

The new robe hook and a very wrinkled new shower curtain on a curved rod.  I did not want a shower curtain, I don’t like them at all and I really wanted a nice glass door.  I wanted the type of door that doesn’t have a frame across the top but Randy and I couldn’t agree and we ended up with a shower curtain. 

 

The very exciting monster 36” towel bar and a new hand towel ring.  Thrilling I know!

Last but not least the new mirrors and light fixtures. 

This weekend should conclude this bathroom remodel, we have a little bit of tile work to finish.  We are still missing one towel bar for the door but the bathroom is certainly functional without it.  When the tile work is done I will of course share the finished product!

Where we are now..

Let’s see when we last left off the fan was getting the better of Randy.  He still hasn’t wired it but in his defense it has been very, very cold in the attic!  Where are we now with the bathroom. 

We’ve got all the wall panels in and I love them!

We’ve painted the walls and ceiling.

We’ve installed the floor.

As well as the vanity and the new commode.

Scott came over and helped carry the vanity top upstairs and Ally decided to help install the faucets.

There is more to show, but I’m not giving it all away today…

Round hole, square fan…

So this is where it started, there had been a round exhaust fan, but it needed to be replaced as it wasn’t very efficient.

Randy set out to find a replacement that he liked and it turned out he picked a square one.  So the problem was how to install the square into the round space. 

Randy started off off by cutting out the sheetrock and cutting the opening of the wood ceiling to make it square.  I will confess to avoiding taking part in this part of the project, as there was much debating (with himself) about how best to work this through.  He installed the brackets to hold the box, then the box. 

He cut a piece of green board to fill the hole with and now that will need to be taped, spackled and primed!

Here’s a visual of what it will look like when it’s done.  It’s got a night light and humidity auto on switch as well.  I’m glad this part is done, I don’t think Randy enjoyed this part very much.

Primed

So I’m behind on updating but progress is being made!  After many, many hours of spackling and sanding Randy finally got the walls like he wanted (sort of) and put on a couple of coats of primer to cover up that blue!  I think it’s going to need one more coat of primer or at least use a paint with primer in it.

In addition to that the two circles below are the new electrical boxes for the new light fixtures we will be putting up. 

Here’s the tub in place with the walls spackled and primed and ready for the walls to be covered.

Next up the ceiling light and fan!

 

Guest Bath Weekend #2

Well weekend two comes to a close, we have a new tub, we have new plumbing for the tub and shower, we have new green board and we have new luan!

The new tub is really nice and I can hardly wait to fill it up for it’s first test soak!  The space that’s cut out is for the built in shower caddy that is going there.

I just realized that I forgot to take a picture of the new plumbing!  Oh well not taking that greenboard down now!

I know luan isn’t exciting but no more wood splinters from the subfloor is wonderful!!  For me spackling and sanding are on my to do list!

It’s getting there!

An Empty Space…

Well the guest bath is down to the subfloor, though I’ve been assigned the task of pulling nails tomorrow.  The tedious jobs always seem to land in my capable hands, I don’t mind though, what I lack in the ability to heft hundreds of pounds I make up for in my dedication to details.

Future home of vanity & mirrors

Bathtub & shower alcove

Lots of nails to remove from the floor and the site of new commode.

Not much to look at right now, but getting this much taken care of is a good start.  Nothing major happens till the bathtub comes in this week.  So stay tuned…

Supplies and Demolition Day 1

Baby, it is cold outside but things are heating up inside for the guest bathroom renovation!! 

Randy came home with a truck load of supplies yesterday to unload into the garage. 

Saturday morning we started on getting out the stuff that could be salvaged, so the vanity top, the vanities and the toilet were loaded into the back of the truck and Randy hauled them off.

While he was gone I worked on getting the old wallpaper that was hidden behind the vanities off the walls, smoothing out rough spots and taking up the trim.

Randy said he didn’t ever remember that wall paper being in there.  It wasn’t here when we moved in and I don’t remember it from when we were dating but at one time it was up there.

Thankfully it looks like there really is luan under the first layer of vinyl flooring so removal while not simple should be easier.   That will be Sunday’s job, that and getting the rest of the tub out.

Randy said that the bathroom was basically built around the surround that was in there.  He had ‘fun’ using his multi-tool cutting the thing apart.  We are going to have to do a little bit of work to the walls as they aren’t quite up to my engineers standards.

I have to admit I am excited to finally have this project underway, we’ve been talking about bathroom renovations for years!  Those surrounds are small and really not our style at all.

Stay tuned!