Hello Vanity...and a kids room desk alternative.

Well, progress on the master bathroom continues.  It still feels like there is still a ton to be done, but the rest of it should go by quickly.

The vanity and sink

and floor to ceiling tile backsplash

have been installed...

which means that all that's left is installing the tub, toilet, fixtures and lights.  I am kinda in disbelief that I will have my very own bathroom in a matter of days.  

I will continue to post pictures of the progress, but might hold off on posting any more full room reveals...you know, so that I can build up all sorts of excitement in anticipation of the big daddy reveal.  

In other news, I've been redoing my middle daughter, Avery's, bedroom.  Some of you may recall that she recently moved to the basement.   

After a few months of "isolation" she decided she wanted to move back upstairs.  It's starting to feel like a never ending game of Musical Beds up in here.  Anyway, Studs and I finally layed down the law and told her she is not allowed to change rooms until she's packing up for college.  Technically, we just bought ourselves eight years of time.  Realistically, I give ourselves eight weeks.  Whatevs!

One of the projects I just completed for her bedroom was a "floating desk".  This is a really great option for a room with limited space.  Avery's room is only 10ft x 11ft, so there just simply wasn't room for a bed, a dresser and a desk.

I was inspired by this beautiful floating desk I found online.  I love everything about.  It just looks so...minimal.

{allmodern.com-$659.00}

I started with this prefab wall shelf from Ikea

{Ekby Alex-$46.99}

Here's where the fun part comes in.  

This shelf is just begging for some personalization...so, I decided to utilize some of my left over veneer.

I've mentioned how easy wood veneer is to work with.  It is fast becoming one of my favorite DIY tools.  Everything just looks better with some wood veneer, no?

Before I assembled the shelf {ya know, cause it is from Ikea, which is basically Lego for adults} I found the two drawer fronts and traced around them on the veneer.  Then, I cut the pieces out and glued them onto the drawer fronts using this:

  

I left them to dry while I finished assembling my big lego.  And that was that.  So easy! 

I was ready to mount the shelve/desk to the wall.

I purchased two of these natural wood brackets at $4.00 each at Ikea for attaching the piece to the wall.

Studly made sure that both of the brackets were screwed securely into studs.  This step is critical.  The shelf itself is fairly hefty, then combined with the weight of someone leaning on it to do homework and a few pictures and a lamp, well...

I highy recommend that both brackets be mounted onto studs.  Otherwise your floating shelf may suddenly become a sinking shelf.  

Here's the end result.

It takes up hardly any space and looks flippin' sweet!

Not too shabby for $50.

Master bath is underway...finally!

Last week my house was a rotating door for people coming and going, but I loved it.  It meant that my bathroom was finally underway and I was inching closer to having my own bath space back.

I know it doesn't look like much, but trust me everything you see is a big deal.  We left the space looking like this

but by the end of the day, Friday, we were looking like this.

The shower heads were relocated on either end of the shower for a look similar to this...

{source:  middlechildcomplex.tumblr.com}

Dry wall was hung and mudded and taped so that I no longer have to see into the studs of the house...
AND this tile that is going on the wall behind the vanity and on the three walls of the shower now finally has a place to be put.

{source:  builddirect.com}

The subfloor is finally down so I no longer have to worry about any little people stepping in between studs, through the drywall, and falling into the basement.  Phew!  It also means we are one step closer to this luscious tile

being on the ground, rather than stacked up in my bedroom.

By the end of today, there could possibly be tile on the shower walls.  Holy crap! 
I'm already contemplating what book and beverage I want by my side when I break in the new Euro style bathtub.

 
Oh man, it's getting so close I can almost taste it...no seriously, there's a haze of dust floating around in the air and everytime I open my mouth I feel like I just licked a chalkboard.  But who cares.  I almost have a bathroom.  Yee haw!

The Verdict Is In.

I am disappointed to report that my dream of taking a bubbly bath in a footed tub will have to wait.

Studly is all for a bathroom redo...he doesn't have much choice with death {in the form of black mold} staring him in the face. 

But, after a great deal of research, he and I both realized that purchasing a vintage claw foot tub, though totally rad, was not really that cost effective. 

There are {diy kits} available for refinishing old, crusty bathtubs, but the reviews I read were not that promising.  So, I decided that having the tub professionally refinished was the safer way to go.  I called one bathtub refinishing place and was quoted almost $700.  Adding in $100 for the tub itself, plus another $100-$200 for the hardware I was looking at spending close to one grand{you can buy a brand new claw foot tub for almost that.}

That's when I knew that my dream of soaking in a "clawed basin of utter delight" was just not going to happen...except for in my dreams. 

I was a little depressed at first, but I would much rather salvage the "perfectly fine-but totally clawless" bathtub we already have and spend the money on retiling the shower, buying a new vanity and putting in new floors.  It's not going to be the bathroom of my dreams, but it will look nice...much better the "petrie dish" I have now.

I'll keep you posted on the progress.  Here are few items that are being considered for the renovation.

A modern vanity to satisfy Studly's taste

{source}

Porcelain tile that looks like wood planks {I am totally in love with this.  Almost makes me okay with taking a bath in "regular" tub...almost.}

{source}

A rustic barn door {to separate the bedroom from the bathroom, cause up until now bathing/showering has been an adventure in exhibitionism.} to satisfy my traditional/farmhouse taste. 

{source}

There's one other architectural element I am hoping to add, but I'm gonna wait to tell you about it...just in case Studly shoots it down- just kidding, but kinda not.