Oh dear! This is how our bathroom looks right now. Actually it's looked like this for 7 weeks. We've been working in the basement some, taking out the poop pipe (the old cast iron pipe) that, I can tell you, is not a fun job. We know because we've done it twice. Once in the Cumberland house and now in our Barnesville house. We know how to do it now, but don't ask us to do yours. Hire a plumber or your uncle Bob.
Last week the Washington Post featured a darling young couple from Richmond, Virginia who buy 1970's ranch houses and fix them up. They blog about it and make tons of money. It's called 'Young House Love'. That's so cute. They're cute, their baby is cute and both their houses are cute. I love their blog and am now a follower along with the millions of other DIYers that are fans of there's.
I could call my blog 'Old House Love'. Our Barnesville house is nearly 80 years old and the Cumberland house is 86 years old. I really do love old houses, they're charming and the workmanship is solid. Heaps of character.
But a few things that old houses do NOT have are decent bathrooms, kitchens or closets. All these are afterthoughts. I'm sure that when the builder was nearly finished with these houses, he (I'm sure a woman would not have done this!) realized he had not put in a bathroom or a kitchen. He figured he could just stick a bathroom in this tiny space, a 6' x 6' room would be just fine. And the kitchen could be a tiny bit bigger and let's throw in a counter that's 1' wide!
Above photo is from my archives. This is our bathroom back in the early 80's. When I sat on the toilet, my knees hit the tub. Ouch! And that lovely wall board. Yikes. And, yes, mauve was a popular color then!
We demolished the wall into our bedroom, stealing 5' to make the bathroom big enough that we didn't have to go in sideways. Jenna & Garrett were just 2 then.
I know...this looks totally scary. And what's that roll of toilet paper doing there?! Wishful thinking. But this looks very similar to what our bathroom looks like now. Can't believe we've been in our 'starter home' so long that we're doing this all again.
This is the nearly finished bathroom the first time. Jeesh! How old WERE we?! That wallpaper is so old lady! And the tile...eek! When I told Houston I wanted to re-do the bathroom because I hated the tile, he said, "Well, why didn't you pick out the right tile the first time?" A girl can't change her mind after 25 years, can't she?! And anyway, tell me anything that was good style-wise from the 80's.
One thing we are going to reuse is the medicine cabinet. I got it for $20 at a recycle place back in the day.
It's a nice, solid piece and we can save at least $100.
I've painted it white and it looks so much better.
Now we just have to make the hole in the wall for it and wire for sconces on either side and build the vanity to match it and put the tub in and...........
This is a cute little cubbie in the hallway outside the bathroom, on the way to our bedroom. The phone used to reside here. How old fashioned. Isn't even having a land line old fashioned? Mommie, what's a land line? Anyhootie, I LOVE this cubbie. Houston said we'd have to take it out because it protrudes into the bathroom by 4". He had built a wall to jut out and put the plumbing for the sink in there but we want the wall flush now so the cubbie had to go.
I whined and whined. I told my friend that after 28 years of having my pens, notepad, but most importantly, my vaseline (which I use for my very dry lips) and dip into every time I pass, I would greatly miss that space. She said, "You mean you're designing your bathroom around your lipstick?!!" Yeah, so?
Ha ha. I got my way! Houston, the dear, took it out, cut it down and put it back in its rightful place. Thanks! Both my husband and my house have charm!
No comments:
Post a Comment