Sand and Sisal

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1949 Bathroom Renovation

bead board· Before/After· DIY· remodel

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1949 Bathroom Renovation Before and After

We are currently in the process of redecorating our master bathroom in our new home.
Well, by new, I mean we’ve been here 2 1/2 years.
That’s still new, right?
Anyhoo, that’s a work in progress that hopefully will be completed soon and then I will share it with you all!

The house we moved from 2 yrs. ago was a very small, 1949 Cape Cod.
It had charm and character that goes without saying in those older homes,
but some rooms just… oh, how would you say….
grated on me like nails on a chalk board!

The house had 2 small bathrooms and they were decked out in the glorious colors of their era.
Ours was sea foam green and black, and the other was salmon and brown,
which wasn’t as horrid as some bathrooms in our hood. 
I’m talking about pink tiled walls, floors, sinks, toilets, bathtubs.
Uhg, I think Pepto Bismal was invented during this era.
Ours was grungy, moldy, cracked, leaky, and in need of serious updating.

 
So one day Handsome and I just picked up a sledge hammer and ….
WHACK!
Ummm, they don’t build floors and walls today like they used to.
Oh my, this was going to take A LOT of effort, and make A LOT of plaster dust.
 
What we thought would be a simple job of scraping off the old cracked flooring turned into a nightmare. 
Who knew they used to pour 6 inches of concrete to form bathroom floors back then?
(I hear all you experienced renovator’s evil chuckles!)
Did I mention the dust?
We did so much damage just to remove the tile that we had to completely remove the floor itself!
Of course that revealed extensive termite damage to the floor joists.
No wonder the floor was uneven and sagging. 
My bathroom ended up being completely gutted to the studs, minus the cast iron, trillion ton tub.
The bathroom stayed in disarray for about 9 months, because Handsome…well…
please tell me your husbands start but never complete home projects also.
But enough was enough and I needed a working bathroom now!
So to work we went with a lot of help from a contractor friend (Thanks Jerome!).
We wanted to keep the integrity of the home’s 1940’s character

but not sacrifice quality products, fixtures, and style. 

1949 Bathroom Renovation
 
The mirror is from Pottery Barn, the sconces are the original fixtures, and the vanity is from Target.
The subway tiled walls were replaced with bead board.
We saved some money on the bead board by purchasing an exterior bead board paneling
from a lumber yard, which is quite rough.
Then we sanded it smooth with an electric sander, primed, and painted it with a high gloss white paint.
 
 
Black slate tiles Bathroom makeover
I think the floors were my favorite.
They were special order porcelain “slate” tiles from Home Depot.
We had them placed in a diamond pattern.
This pattern pushes the room outward, visually expanding the space.
That is always a good trick for long, narrow spaces.
It does take a bit more tile, but makes a huge impact.
 
Bead Board Bathroom Makeover
The glass mosaic tile I ordered through an online wholesaler.
Have someone help you figure out how much tile you need because I didn’t.
I should have.
Did I mention I’m terrible at math? 
We were WAY short (insert Handsome’s & contractor’s scowls here).
This delayed the project while we waited for more tile to arrive.
It also was not exactly the same color batch which often happens.
But it wasn’t too noticeable.
Measure! Measure! Measure!
mosaic tile bathroom remodel
 
 
The tub was reglazed (horrible experience, but that’s for another post).
Just please go with the most reputable company in your town!
Get references!
The sink, toilet, and fixture were all from the Kohler Memoirs Suite ordered through Home Depot.
That toilet was the best toilet I’ve ever sat on!
TMI? Anyhoo…Love Kohler!
 
1949 Bathroom Renovation c4a.bc9.myftpupload.com

Renovating takes a lot of time and effort but it was oh so worth it in the end!
Just wait until you see my new master bathroom!
Talk about an upgrade!….coming soon!

Linking up to :
Centsational Girl’s Budget Bathroom Makeover
The Lettered Cottage: Favorite Room Redo’s 2010
CSI’s Favorite Projects of the Year Challenge.
 Savvy Southern Style 2010 show-me-your-best-of-2010

Comments

  1. Angie says

    I remember this bathroom! You did such a great job on it! That whole house was beautiful with all your touches. I also remember tearing our bathroom out and you are so right about the floors and the dust…ugh! We, however, removed that ton, cast iron tub…torture!

  6. Brandi Nell says

    Looks great! I recently did my bathroom in green and white beadboard! Love the look! I like the tile in the shower you chose! Beautiful! Have fun blogging – I am still new to the blogosphere too.

  9. Leen says

    Welcome, welcome, welcome 🙂

    I would have had to stop by based on the name of your blog alone (I’m a sand and sisal kind of girl myself) but since your Beth’s sis I figured I better do it right away 🙂

    Love this bathroom, can’t even get over the paint color, it’s gorgeous! Nice job!

  21. Sue says

    Kim, Welcome to blog land 🙂 Your bathroom is a stunner! Looking forward to following your blog and seeing all the inspiration you will surely have to offer!

  22. Kim says

    Just beautiful! My first home had that same green and black tile! It was built in the early 1940’s. (Lancaster area). My dad changed out the sink, lighting and mirror for me. I wish I had some pictures. Your before pics looked so much like my old bathroom. I do miss that home.

  25. Pink Daisys Blog Spot says

    Looks great.. Congrats Kim and welcome to blog land.. I Love the recipe for the cranberry spread and that is what the teachers will be getting this week.. Thanks for that.. Keep blogging, we are loving your stuff!
    Mechelle

  29. Richella says

    Hi Kim! It’s so nice to meet you!

    I’ve seen photos of all three of the Crabtree girls before. What a beautiful family! I’m one of three girls as well, although we’re a bit older than y’all–my big sister will be 50 next year, which is a little hard to believe! I’m guessing she must be like you, though–artistic, superb in the kitchen, all-around talented. What is it about the eldest of three girls?

    I’ve just read all your posts and I look forward to seeing more. I hope you find the blogging community to be a wonderful place to belong!

  30. My Cottage Charm says

    Your bathroom is lovely…nice blend of modern ammenities with a vintage feel. beautiful!
    Your sister’s been talking you up pretty good…and I see why…you’re both very talented ladies. 🙂
    Hugs!

  31. Kim @ NewlyWoodwards says

    What a beautiful renovation! I just popped over from U Create. We’re working on a house renovation right now, and I’m very inspired by your bathroom and its mix of colors, textures and materials. Love the beadboard and the shower tile.

    Thanks for sharing!

  32. shauna says

    This bathroom is absolutely lovely. I love the colours and how everything stayed true to the style of your house while you modernized. I’m excited to see the other bathroom!

  36. Rene says

    Your bathroom is amazing! We live in a 1930’s Cape Cod/bungalow/cottage with funky old tile and I am always tempted to put an end to it. Especially after seeing yours.

    -Rene

  40. InMyOwnStyle says

    Hi Kim-

    I love your new bathroom – what a major change! I think the color green you chose looks so nice against the white and the darker tile floor. Great photos – did you use a wide angle lens to get the last shot?
    My best- Diane

  46. Carolyn says

    Beautiful bathroom! So crisp and clean, and I love the shower tile! Can’t wait to see the next one. We are in the throws of a master bath remodel, and I love see photos of what other people are doing.

    We are still in the early stages, but I’d love for you to visit my blog 🙂

  50. Gina says

    This bathroom reno was enough to pull me in as a follower! I love it, you did an amazing job! We’re hoping to get ours done this spring. It currently looks like your old bathroom except our tile is lavender & black…ugh!

  51. Attempting Aloha says

    Linking from CG, and I SOOO needed this post today! We have 6 months to renovate our entire house, and I feel like every project we start, we just keep finding more and more problems! Water damage, mold, blah, blah, blah. Termites are a HUGE problem here (Oahu), so I wouldn’t be surprised if we find that next. We have preventative stuff driled all around our house and through the house even, but still… would NOT surprise me at this point.

    AND your bathroom looks almost identical to what I’ve designed for our 1/2 bath! Perfect! Pedestal sink, beadboard and sweet trim, sconces, and we already installed similar tile flooring! Great taste. 😉

    Aloha,
    charlie
    http://attemptingaloha.blogspot.com

  52. Robin @ Blommi says

    The renovation came out fantastic!

    I have a circa 1937 bathroom, and it has that same damn aqua & black wall tile… with original peach colored tub and sink. To top it off someone along the line, decided a godawful pink replacement toilet was a good idea.

    No money to renovate it, and it is actually in surprisingly good condition… so I am doomed to look at it each day.

  54. Jamie @ Sew Rockin' says

    Your new bathroom is gorgeous! I am so jealous…I hate mine and a reno is not in the budget anytime soon. I helped my mom redo her pink tiled 1950’s bathroom and it was sooo much fun knocking out those ugly tiles I had to stare at all those year.

    Enjoy your new bathroom! 🙂

  55. Elise says

    My house is also a cape built in 1949 but it is a Levitt house and has ZERO charm and ZERO character. Sites like yours inspire me very day…much to my husband’s dismay. He just sees $$$$ signs!

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