Renovation

We remodeled the main guest bathroom off the family room. By far, the toughest interior space we have tackled. As with many bathroom remodels, this project was plagued by surprises and difficult challenges. Let’s get into it.

Table Of Contents

Background & Before Photos
Subfloor Replacement
Renovation
Vanity
Clawfoot Tub
Summary

Here’s a quick snapshot at the before and progress:

Background & Before Photos

This is one of the two first-floor bathrooms. It’s part of the 1980s addition, which, when the house was a B&B, was used by the inkeeper. Today, the bathroom and connected bedroom are part of our primary family living area, right off the family room we remodeled a few years back. Prior to the remodel, definitely the most used bathroom in the entire house.

Of all the spaces in the house, this was in the worst shape. The floor was spent, the vanity was literally falling apart, the veneer on the lighting was peeling off, and there was a hole in the door for some unknown reason. The condition of the bathroom is consistent with how it was when we bought the house, and as it goes, took a back seat to much larger projects.

I’m sure there’s a story here from the previous owner. In a single photo, the motivation for the bathroom reno.

Subfloor Replacement

A closer look at the flooring revealed nothing was sealed. The baseboards, toilet, and beneath the pipe escutcheons were not caulked, allowing water to reach the subfloor.

So, first surprise, the subfloor needs to be replaced. Down to the floor joists we go!

Working through the layers, not liking what we’re finding

With the subfloor construction behind us, it’s time to rebuild this bathroom. Since this is not a historic space and is part of the 1980s addition, we decided on a design fusion of historic and modern elements. The casing, bullseyes, and plinths are already Victorian-inspired. The clawfoot tub was manufactured somewhere in the 1920s. We chose a new vanity that is a nod to the home.

The twins chose the paint color. They wanted their “Pink Barbie” bathroom, and Alexandria designed around it. The new flooring is porcelain tile in a black and white pattern.

Three very excited little ones to see the paint!

Vanity

We chose a Victorian-inspired vanity. Above is a quick mockup of the vanity and porcelain tile.

From an install standpoint, the vanity was tricky. It has claw feet, which, when placed against the baseboard, would create a 1/2 inch gap. We labored over how to solve this.

We did a lot of research, and everything pointed to removing the baseboard behind the vanity, which we did not want to do for various reasons, including: 1) A continuous look, 2) Sealing. Our argument is that the vanity represents “furniture”; why would you disrupt the baseboard to install furniture?

The final decision was to retrofit the clawfeet to provide enough clearance to allow the baseboard to run continuously around the vanity. We accomplished this by carefully removing a 1/2 inch of the back of the clawfoot.

The result is a flush and seamless install. It helps that we bought a baseboard that fits right under the clawfoot’s curve. Planning for the win! By the way, not that anybody is going to be looking at the backside of the feet, but look at that perfect paint match!

Clawfoot Tub

One of the few items to return to the remodeled bathroom was this gorgeous Victorian clawfoot tub. We have seven clawfoot tubs throughout the house, and it’s our understanding that we have the Birk’s to thank for them.

It’s hard to beat the beauty of an original clawfoot tub. The challenge in this space was the configuration. It was set up as a shower, and the curtain dominated the space (blocked a lovely window, too). We decided to do away with the shower curtain, which opens up the space. We replaced the fixture with a beautiful Victorian telephone faucet.

Alexandria took on the project of restoring the tub. The blue was out! We decided to go back to a classic white. We also cleaned up the clawfeet and copper drain pipe.

Summary

Nearly every facet of this bathroom was touched. It’s easier to list what wasn’t replaced: the casing, Victorian bullseye, and plinths, sheetrock, and tub. Everything else was replaced or refreshed, including the subfloor, new flooring, vanity, lighting, faucets, a TOTO toilet, light switches, outlets, etc. A new bathroom!

A common question we get is how many of these projects we do ourselves versus how many we contract out. There are several areas/domains we feel pretty confident in these days: finish carpentry, painting, restoration, plaster work, and electrical. When it was all said and done, the two areas we hired out were: plumbing and tile installation; we did the rest.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this bathroom remodel for all of the final touches! We also have a number of other projects coming to an end that we’re excited to share.

Until next time, The Morgan Family.

Our largest interior project we have taken on yet. The family room was added in the 1980s and is around 900 square feet. It was used as the reception and breakfast space for the B&B. As a result, it was by far the most in need of a refreshing. Since it’s our primary living room, it also sees the most action. Since this space was an addition, it is the only space we plan on using modern design.

Table Of Contents

Before: Community Room
Casing, Aprons & Sills
Painting
Double Doors
Flooring
Lighting
Before & After
Conclusion

Before: Community Room

When we moved in, this room was still very much a B&B community room. There was a reception desk, three dining tables, and a sitting area. Over our first year, this space naturally turned into our family room–especially an ideal space for a toddler.

The original community room for the bed and breakfast.

Casing, Aprons & Sills

Before embarking on the prep work for painting, we took inventory of the windows. The room has nine windows total and needs updates. The window aprons that were originally chosen were too thick and protruded beyond the casing. The window sills were laminated MDF with a marble pattern.

The window sills were laminated MDF and the window apron protruded beyond the casing.

Needless to say, everything about this configuration needed to change. We fabricated custom window sills that better matched the style of the windows and replaced the window aprons with the proper thickness.

Painting

The room has nine windows, and we quickly learned about a winter tradition previously common, taping up over the windows. We spent more time removing goo from the casing and windows than painting.

A mockup of the paint selection and new window apron, including wet paint.

Double Doors

The main entry doors into the room has seen a lot of action over the years.

Flooring

The biggest part of this project was the floors. When you first entered the room, there was an elevated floor, and the remainder of the room was carpeted. It turns out that the commercial carpet is original to when the room was added. We knew we wanted to do away with the elevated entry, but we wrestled choosing the right flooring. Our goal has been hardwood throughout, but this is the main space for toddlers and a large dog. We ordered countless samples of everything under the sun, from engineered to rigid core. It’s amazing how few passed the “toddler-proof” test.