A Closer Look at the Bathroom

Let there be light

Papa k had a brilliant idea to replace the solid office door with two half doors with windows. The natural light from the windows in the front can now come into the foyer. Love them!
 

Honey mustard, anyone?

The laundry room is in - and with just a a few bumped heads, crooked necks and stiff knees as casualties. And, in between groans were the paint debates. Is it honey mustard, pea soup or Benjamin Moore's meadow view? The verdict is still out ...  

Our favorites

1. BEST TILE - Dedham, Ma.
We love Anne who owns Best Tile in Dedham. Great customer service and awesome title options. We especially like the smooth pebbles for the shower floor that Anne recommended - very spa like.

2. ANDERSON MCQUAID - Cambridge, Ma.
It was like a kid in a candy store. Papa k drooled over the hard woods and detailed molding options.

3. WHY WASTE WORLD? - Jamaica Plain, Ma.
Paul is great! He hauled away and recycled most of the demo material.

4. LOWE'S - Dedham, Ma.
The cabinet department at Lowe's is awesome. Bring your dimensions and they will help you design your room. And, the KraftMaid cabinets have so many size options, are real wood, have soft close drawers and tight "tongue and groove" corners.

5. RESTORATION HARDWARE - Needham, Ma.
Love their hardware, love their design ideas ... and did you know that if you order in the store you don't have to pay for shipping and it is shipped directly to your house? Very nice.

Feeling Tiled

One hundred and eighty square feet of subway tile. 1,440 individually placed tiles!

Papa k placing the baseboard titles.

Pete stacking the tile up the walls.

The first complete wall. Next, four feet high subway tile around the entire bathroom.

Voila! (minus grout)

Plan Ahead

Planning ahead made the difference with the bathroom floor. The diamonds centered in the entry ways, perfect half tiles run along the full wall and full tiles line up along the shower entry. Not only does it look good, but waste was minimal. A little planning went a long way.

The week began with a linoleum floor with two layers of 3/4" plywood and a layer of 1/2" plywood to patch the holes from replacing the plumbing and floor joists. The plywood was also used to level the floors between the two rooms that are now one. The week ended with a finished bathroom floor; of course, after many layers: radiant electric heat pad, leveling cement, uncoupling membrane (the orange pad), thinset, Carrara tiles and light gray grout.

The original floor with patches.



Papa k putting down the first tiles.

Pete with his mad spacing skills.

Exact half tiles down the full wall - perfection.

Doing the backsplash

For this swimming family, we are usually doing the backstroke, but this week it was the backsplash. And, it came out as perfect as the koshak family's perfect strokes - ha! :)

3x6 Carrara marble tiles, bright white grout - love it!

A beautiful corner and mini bar focal point created by papa k.