Let's Talk Remodeling

[BillSears]

I wouldn't tile bathroom walls. I'd tile the shower area and the floor. Painted walls are the accepted norm (at least everywhere I've lived). Tiled walls, to me, are a thing of the past, they look too commercial and too sterile. Again, its only my opinion.

This is my opinion too. The 1950's ranch that I grew up in, had tiled walls. However, I saw them do them not too long ago on HGTV, but again, it was a retro bathroom. The one that I saw, was art deco, and they used plain white subway tiles.

You guys had me totally convinced then I saw these...

Bill, My neighbor redid her bathroom tiled partially up the wall in a really pretty deep blue color & it looks great! Are you making the bathroom HA? Every contractor that came out felt it was standard to put the tiles partially up the walls in an HA remodel. I don't know why.

Our bathroom just got tiled- walls and all. Mostly everyone we know has tiles walls, either halfway or full. I really didn't want to be bothered with having to paint the bathroom every year. We put a decorative border tile half way up too. I'll try to post some pics later.

And I doubted my decision. But I'm going to stick with painted walls. I think it'll look good and it will save me $1200. Of course the contractor is going to get that $1200 and more since I'll take it and do a little more stuff around the house...like maybe a pocket door in the bathrrom and replacing the back sliding glass patio door with a french door.

Bill, it's like I said to you in a post when you first posted about the water intrusion and mold... Remodeling is just like the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Yep. It's terrible! I think I'm not going to be able to stop until I run out of money to do it.

 

[mickeysgal]

Has anyone mixed American Standard fixtures with Kohler fixtures. I want a Kolher sink but an American Standard toilet. One plumbing supply place told me the color equivalents & gave me American Standard samples but didn't have the Kohler samples.. He said that Am. Stand. Bone = Kohler Almond. Anyone know? I'm gonna go beg for someone at home depot to see if I can get the Kohler samples.

Don't one of these manufacturers have a bisque color as well? I think bone is more like bisque than almond. Almond has a darker cast to it.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

In particular he wanted the shower fixtures & set up picked out immediately to get valves etc. in asap. When he checked with his supplier, they told him there are some very long waits on getting things here. 4-6 weeks on some items. So he wants to get that ordered asap too.

But in just looking around at Home Depot earlier freaked me out! Because as you know, some granite as copper flecks, some as white, some beige. So by picking my fixture color now I'm already limiting my granite choices. But I don't know what else to do right now, I'll want my DH's input on that & there is no way he could go to the Stone place before the trip now!

If it makes you feel any better, Uba Tuba has a lot of green, black and gold flecks in it, and I went with brushed steel fixtures. It doesn't look bad at all. And my black vanity in the bathroom has Absolute Black granite, and the manufacturers had antique brass on it. I refinished it, but only because I wanted everything in the house to match.

If it helps narrow the choices down any, I've been reading that oil-rubbed bronze is on its way out. So there you have it - silver or gold.

 

[mickeysgal]

Bill, My neighbor redid her bathroom tiled partially up the wall in a really pretty deep blue color & it looks great! Are you making the bathroom HA? Every contractor that came out felt it was standard to put the tiles partially up the walls in an HA remodel. I don't know why.

Excellent point. Bill will you have a roll-in shower? Perhaps there is more chance of water getting outside the shower area when a shower is HA?

 

[shovan]

Don't one of these manufacturers have a bisque color as well? I think bone is more like bisque than almond. Almond has a darker cast to it.

Am. Standard has bisque, Kohler has biscuit those are a match too. With American Standard bone is one shade darker it's match in Kohler is almond. I think this is the one I want, I think it blends better with the tile.

 

[mickeysgal]

Am. Standard has bisque, Kohler has biscuit those are a match too. With American Standard bone is one shade darker it's match in Kohler is almond. I think this is the one I want, I think it blends better with the tile.

Bisque = Biscuit and Bone=Almond. Got it.

Good thing I have plain old white fixtures. I have a hard enough time picking out tile.

 

[BillSears]

Bill, My neighbor redid her bathroom tiled partially up the wall in a really pretty deep blue color & it looks great! Are you making the bathroom HA? Every contractor that came out felt it was standard to put the tiles partially up the walls in an HA remodel. I don't know why.

Excellent point. Bill will you have a roll-in shower? Perhaps there is more chance of water getting outside the shower area when a shower is HA?

I don't have a roll-in shower instead I use a tub at home. It's odd but I prefer a roll-in shower when traveling but a tub at home. I guess it's because I've got it set up so I can lift myself out of my tub easily with the grab bars I have but in a strange tub it gets much harder. On the other hand a tub allows me to reach my legs and feet easily and sitting on a roll in shower seat means I can't wash the lower parts.

Right now the only HA parts I'm doing on the remodel will be grab bars, making sure the sink faucet is high enough to get my hands under, lowering the mirrors slightly and maybe putting in a pocket door.

 

[SplshMtn99]

My kitchen is painted! (Today was last day of vacation. lol) The blue/green wall that became dry sage needed a coat of kilz & 1 coat of the new BM Aura brand paint. Its a smidge lighter than the paint chip, but at least it came out in the right color, not like the sample patch we did.

The few areas that were blue/green that were being changed back to porcelain color took 2 coats of kilz & 2 coats of paint.

I've got a few areas to touch up where taping wasn't so good, but it will pass for Sundays company.

I like the new color soooooo much better. Everything is starting to seem like the right choices now. The curtains & valances are all up now. Mini-blinds & windows washed. Toaster & toaster oven covers mom made are also on. Pile of junk hanging around is starting to shrink some.

Next project will be tile backsplash. We are also going to visit the Best Tile store before deciding what to buy.

I'll try to get some updated photos for you all.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Photos of where we are today. Excuse the paint colors. The camera refuses to read anything in this room correctly when it comes to color. And the backsplash is a giant mish mash of paint colors currently. lol

Placemats my Mom sewed for us. This was tapestry fabric I had picked out for the new condo we never moved into. So we are using it here instead.

Valances that Mom sewed. And drapes we picked up at Kmart. She shortened the drapes.

Toaster cover & toaster oven cover that Mom made from material leftover when she shortened the drapes. Ignore paint behind toaster.

Today, we painted the accent wall Dry Sage. But of course, it doesn't look it at all in these photos. Still have some touch-ups to do. Notice the border is gone now too. I'll be glad when we pick tile for the backsplash.

Album link if you want before & progress photos. http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l284/SplshMtn99/2007 Kitchen Updates/?start=all

 

[shovan]

I don't have a roll-in shower instead I use a tub at home. It's odd but I prefer a roll-in shower when traveling but a tub at home. I guess it's because I've got it set up so I can lift myself out of my tub easily with the grab bars I have but in a strange tub it gets much harder. On the other hand a tub allows me to reach my legs and feet easily and sitting on a roll in shower seat means I can't wash the lower parts.

Right now the only HA parts I'm doing on the remodel will be grab bars, making sure the sink faucet is high enough to get my hands under, lowering the mirrors slightly and maybe putting in a pocket door.

Bill, I definitely understand that! Even though the bathroom setup we've had has not been very easy, we've adjusted & know exactyl how to make it work. But hotel bathrooms are a whole 'nother thing!!!

I hope the bathroom remodel goes smoothly for you!

Splashmountain, That is looking great! I love the valance & place mats your Mom made for you! It would go perfectly in my house too!!!!

 

[mickeysgal]

WOW...This thread has made 100 pages. We're certainly all busy.

And whats really sad is that I'm still working on the same remodel - the basement. I have a goal - by page 200 I have to be done.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Splash, I have that same little space between the refridge and the oven! It is looking good. We have to get some valances up for the back room to tie the colors in the 2 rooms together and warm things up. The black splash still needs doing too. Other then that we are done with the kicthen/great room remodel. I love it. Love it, love it, LOVE IT! It is so great having a new kicthen that is actually functional, a great dishwasher (that isn't noiesy and really gets the dishes clean). I am just so happy with it.

Now if DH and FIL can just get the hardwood on the stairs to the basement we can really be done.

I got a new laptop and I have some pictures on it, but my Internet connection is up and running on it yet. I will post some pictures of our new bathroom we put in 3 years ago when I can get to it.

 

[mickeysgal]

Hey - how is everyone doing with their projects?

I have a promise from DH that our upstairs powder room will be done before Thanksgiving. We've pulled the old, dated vanity, the new vanity is in our living room. We putting in some custom wall/shadowbox molding in the bathroom. Of course, he now needs a table saw. Any excuse to buy a tool. If anyone saw my basement pictures, its the same kind of molding we used on the basement stairway and the basement bathroom.

I'm ready with the mirror, lighting, pictures and vanity. I just have to pick a color for the room.

 

[shovan]

What an unpleasant shock back to reality coming home from vacation was! I am sooo glad we missed the worst of the demolition. BUT, having to dust & vacuum before unloading the car not fun! There was a fine layer of dust coating the house, even though they had sealed off everything it was still all over.

We did have a great time in WDW for the food & wine fest! We wined & dined enough for 20 people!!!

The contractor had a lot accomplished when we returned. Everything ripped out including the slab demo. The piping is in & the first layer of concrete slab is in. Today the new walls construction is going on.

I held off on picking out the lavatory & the toilet until I can look at granite. The lavatory faucet & shower stuff are in & I really like them. I went with this from Delta in the color shown:



http://www.deltafaucet.com/wps/port....do&PC_7_19_9RP_task=DfcProductPhoto#7_19_9RP

Does anyone have an opinion on how this granite would look with cherry cabinets & the travertine tile?

http://www.granitestock.com/eis-cgi...ana Bordeaux&templ=granite_csearch_color.html

The small tile here is the travertine color we are going with in large 18 inch tiles.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

We just got back from Mexico, so I understand about coming home!

Shovan, are your cabinets going to have a cherry stain too? Or just cherry wood?

I bought new bedding for my master bedroom, and paint today. We still haven't gotten anywhere with the bathroom, but I did have an email from my contractor in my in-box, when I returned from Playa del Carmen, wondering if we'd dropped off the face of the Earth.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

WOW...This thread has made 100 pages. We're certainly all busy.

And whats really sad is that I'm still working on the same remodel - the basement. I have a goal - by page 200 I have to be done.

And maybe I'll have actually started mine.

 

[BillSears]

Shovan, welcome back! I hate the dusty house from demoing. On the other hand I guess it's better then the dusty house I sometimes have from not cleaning.

They started my bathroom remodel today. It's all been demoed and hopefully it'll be done by the end of the week. I'm keeping all of the plumbing locations and not changing any walls. So it's just take everything out to the walls/studs and rebuild.

 

[SplshMtn99]

We haven't done anything since we painted 2 weeks ago. I got that darn cold that went around. DH was in Vegas for another week for work.

He's back. I'm healthy again. I guess its time to get to work.

 

[shovan]

Am I There Yet, Welcome Home! Reality bites doesn't it! The cabinet shop has not called me to pick out the stain yet, so I'm not sure on that. It is cherry wood & it will be stained to match the antique cherry furniture I have which is a pretty dark cherry. What do you think about that granite? I'm also making the decisions on the decorative accents in the tile shower/wet room area. We are going with 18" on the floor & I think 9" & 12" in a running bond pattern on the walls. I want to keep the accents subtle but add a little something. Question??- The dark accent tiles you put in your bathroom, was that special ordered to match your granite?
The contractor suggested just a eye level mosaics in a running bond pattern at about eye level. What do you think of that?

Bill, Hope your bathroom goes as well as the kitchen did! One week would be so great! I think we have at least 3-4 weeks before we'll be even close to getting done!

SplshMtn, Glad you're feeling better!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Am I There Yet, Welcome Home! Reality bites doesn't it!

Boy is that an understatement! If you'll notice, my WDW ticker is gone. We've decided to go back to Playa del Carmen again instead. We had the best vacation ever! This resort was phenomenal!

My poor husband though... I managed to find something in the hotel room that I liked, that I'm having him do in our master bedroom. I've really been wanting blackout drapes in there, and the way they had theirs hung looked great. Of course, it involves carpentry. He's thrilled.

The cabinet shop has not called me to pick out the stain yet, so I'm not sure on that. It is cherry wood & it will be stained to match the antique cherry furniture I have which is a pretty dark cherry. What do you think about that granite?

I think the granite is gorgeous (I've seen it in person many times). I'd have to see it next to the cabinets though. My only concern is that it would be too much red. I'd really have to see it with the cabinets in person though.

I'm also making the decisions on the decorative accents in the tile shower/wet room area. We are going with 18" on the floor & I think 9" & 12" in a running bond pattern on the walls. I want to keep the accents subtle but add a little something. Question??- The dark accent tiles you put in your bathroom, was that special ordered to match your granite?

My vanity came with the granite, so we bought some individual Absolute Granite black tiles at a tile store and the contractor cut them into squares and installed them on the diagonal.

The contractor suggested just a eye level mosaics in a running bond pattern at about eye level. What do you think of that?

I think that sounds great!

Bill, Hope your bathroom goes as well as the kitchen did! One week would be so great! I think we have at least 3-4 weeks before we'll be even close to getting done!

SplshMtn, Glad you're feeling better!

Ditto!