I’m finding myself fighting scope creep. The new sconces are here (I ordered the Thurman sconce in unlacquered polished brass with clamshell shades), and I went ahead and bought a new faucet and toilet seat too. The bathroom is cute already, and with just these few changes, it’s going to be that much cuter.
But. Then I went and did this little collection, and thought it wouldn’t be that hard to do in the bathroom. Right?
I mean, it just means pulling out the beadboard (walls only? ceiling too?) and the tile in the shower/tub area, putting up new green board everywhere, maybe putting in a plywood subfloor for tile or repainting the existing floor, the tile itself, grout, and wallpaper. Bathtub too? It’s probably fine with new fixtures, but maybe a new toilet, and oh, perhaps the sink too. Ah, but then I don’t need a centerset faucet — I could get a much better looking widespread set! So then, keep the dresser? It’s not in great shape — maybe rebuilding the drawers would help. Or replace it. The pink towels can stay, but new hardware and new hooks, too. Easy peasy! It’s not like I’ve got a kitchen to plan and save for or anything.
If this were our main bathroom, I’d be all over the extra changes. It isn’t though, and we have other rooms to concentrate on. I’m going to do the faucet, the sconces, and the toilet seat this weekend, and we’ll see where that puts us.
Val
September 10, 2015 at 1:28 pmMaybe you could find a chinoiserie shower curtain, similar to the wallpaper? Even though you just got a new shower curtain…
Christine
September 10, 2015 at 1:32 pmI totally understand the creep! I started off just wanting to repaint all of our kitchen cupboards. I’m getting new knobs and pulls, and now new hinges. I also discovered the original layout of one of the cabinets and tried to convince my husband to just knock out the built-on newer cabinet part and cutting down that door, and then, maybe we could just put in new countertops too while we are refreshing everything, and then a new sink because we already need to fix the faucet and one of the sides of the sink doesn’t drain as quickly…. Pretty soon I’ll just be ripping everything out because it is easier just to start over, right?
yasmara
September 10, 2015 at 1:48 pmWe had a water leak from our teeny tiny master bathroom this week & found out yesterday that instead of it being a pipe to fix (easily accessed from the basement drop-ceiling), it’s actually that our original 1966 tile shower was never properly lined & water is getting through the shower floor & pouring into the basement (wet subfloor, wet floor joists, wet aforementioned drop ceiling). So instead of a homeowner-warranty-covered plumbing fix, we need to rip up the tile shower floor & the concrete to the subfloor, put in new subfloor, properly grade the drain (it’s fine now, but would have to be re-done), re-tile, and while we’re at it, there’s probably nothing but drywall behind the wall tile (instead of greenboard), so basically we have to gut the bathroom. Which on the one hand I’m THRILLED about because I’m not a fan of the brown & cream tile, but on the other hand not even remotely in our budget. So for now, I’m back to sharing a shower with my 2 boys in their windowless bathroom (booooooo) until we can save up to re-do the bathroom. And I immediately started pinning tile schemes yesterday because what else can I do about it but start obsessively planning!
Laura
September 10, 2015 at 1:51 pmI think that will still make a big difference! We planned on re-grouting our shower…then the wall caved in and we ended up with an entire bathroom overhaul down the the studs and floor joists. Not to mention, I was 9 months pregnant and it was our only bathroom.
Oh the joys of home remodeling :)
Can’t wait to see the reveal!
Heaher
September 10, 2015 at 3:18 pmYou’re a mess Nicole! I mean that in the nicest way possible, but focus on something and produce some actual blog content for once.
Me too
September 14, 2015 at 9:26 amI get what you mean about saying that in the nicest way possible and I agree with you. I for one do not think that you were being mean in your comment and I appreciate that you are interested in more content from Making It Lovely.
To everyone jumping all over Heather, maybe she was just put of by the fact that Nicole reused an old photo and took another picture of a faucet sitting in a sink. I, myself, would have much rather seen a post about ideas for her kitchen that she seems to be in the starting phase of planning. This whole mentality of our society today that you can change something this week only to come back to it next week and buy more items to change it again is very disheartening to me, wasteful to the planet, and makes awesome blog fodder for bloggers like Nicole.
Katy
September 10, 2015 at 3:38 pmThank you for writing this! I’m feeling the creep as well and it’s making me feel nuts, especially when I’m not yet ready to give up traveling. For now we’re just going to put things on a slower schedule so we can still have them the way we want and not have to take a mortgage out on our souls!
Katy
http://alittledailyhappiness.com
Andrew
September 10, 2015 at 5:30 pmExcited to see the changes. I’m working on our half bath at the moment and thinking of copying your toilet seat. I have been looking for something with brass hinges in dark wood. Do you like how it looks it in person? The Amazon reviews are mixed. I was debating between “Dark Brown” or “Walnut.” I’m still agonizing over a faucet.
Kat
September 10, 2015 at 6:00 pmThe shiny brass sconces and faucet are all sorts of awful! But I do like the tile choice. I used the same tile as an accent in my hall bath remodel.
judy
September 10, 2015 at 6:35 pmthat was sweet of the “grouchy Grandma to give you that “little bit of daily “happiness” but I don’t get her point. What you describe is the old rule I heard on the this old house show 20 years ago– “beware of Hey while we’re doing this—we might as well–spend ourselves into a money coma”! everybody I know answers the call of ” a mans reach must exceed his grasp or what’s a Heaven for?” Hopefully Sanity ensues and you just stick with the little things and put away the dough needed for at least an up grade in your kitchen stove. That antique stove with 3 little ones just doesn’t seem logical. Love you and your gorgeous family. Are you prepared for a Chicago Winter?
judy
September 10, 2015 at 6:38 pmI directed this at the wrong commenter-sorry-profuse apologies
Samantha
September 10, 2015 at 8:24 pmDid you really just post a picture of a faucet in a sink without even installing it? And write a blog post about it?
Meg
September 11, 2015 at 12:14 amI love how honest and real you are, and I it makes your more relatable to show us this side of things! Ha, I loved it. Isn’t it true how carried away we can get! Keep up the refreshing attitude I say.. Some people take themselves too seriously, ahem.
Andrea
September 11, 2015 at 7:18 amI rarely read comments and never comment myself, but I felt inclined based on some of the commenters being so rude. There seems to be a concerning sense of entitlement from blog readers these days. When I stop enjoying a blog, I stop reading it. I don’t make negative comments demanding that the content be changed based on my whims.
Kirsten
September 11, 2015 at 8:10 amAgreed! Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Rejuvenation
September 12, 2015 at 4:18 pmLove your choices! Can’t wait to see how everything turns out!
designdiana
September 14, 2015 at 12:12 amThis is the sadness associated with a creative mind – so many ideas, so little time, energy, money! Kitchen is the right focus though – cook safely and accurately my dear :)
Ali
September 14, 2015 at 9:16 pmI don’t mean to rain on your parade, but wallpaper in a full bath might not be the best idea, unless you have an amazing exhaust fan. My parents had wallpaper in their bathroom, and the wallpaper peeled up at the corners from the shower steam. The area closest to the tub also started looking a bit worse for wear from the occasional splash of water. They just redid the bathroom and made a specific decision to never use wallpaper in there again. I realize that it’s your house, but it seems like a lot of money for something that might not last.
Voineveir
October 1, 2015 at 5:50 amThe renovating ideas sounds great. Looking forward to hear how you go about the whole thing!!!
Finishing the Third Floor Bathroom – Making it Lovely
June 14, 2016 at 10:53 am[…] I was all set to finish this space up last summer. And then I thought, well, if I just install a new toilet, maybe some tile, a new sink… you know, gut the whole thing… […]