Our New Bathroom!

As promised, for my last post of the year, I am delighted to reveal the end results of almost 2 years blood, sweat & tears converting the Bathroom-From-Hell into the Bathroom-From-Heaven! While there are a few things not quite complete, (the 2nd shower rose is still sitting on the floor ready to be thrown up, the far side panel of the vanity bar needs to be fixed in & the newly painted door needs to be put on its hinges), it's pretty much done. This room is never going to win any awards for style & design, but I'm so thrilled with the results & that's all that matters. Our main objective was to turn a tiny, dark, grotty, disgusting space of 1.7m. x 3.1m into something functional & light. All on a budget of under $10,000 & doing all of the work except the plumbing & the major electrical ourselves on the weekends.

Here's what we started with. The original 1972 tiled floor, no power points, a shower over the bath, desperately inadequate storage & poor lighting.

We barrowed lots & lots of bricks down the stairs & out via the front door!

The rotting timber window had a bizarre external grid of bricks on the outer wall, MOTH ripped those off early in the piece to try & let some light in.

The space is still the same & we needed to keep all of the major items (loo, basin, shower) in exactly the same spots to save on plumbing relocation costs.

Despite some initial doubts that the configuration would work, I think it all flows really well & just feels so much more spacious.

I knew from the start that I wanted a really, really big mirror to create the illusion of lots more space than we actually have. I had to really fight to convince MOTH & the manufacturers that I needed such a huge mirror. This is what we had before, with the man of the moment starting to rip the tiles off the bath surround on Day 1 of the reno.

And here's what's in the same place now - I really think it works a treat.

The single shower over the bath before image.

And now the double shower recess. We decided against installing a bath here, as I'm planning on putting one in the en-suite when it gets it's much-needed renovation next year. Yes, that thud you heard was the sound of MOTH dropping to the floor in dismay!

As you can see the ceiling height here sloped up & was too high, so MOTH built a frame & dropped it down & we now have 2 varying heights in the room. The yucky window went.........

....to be replaced by a bank of clear glass bricks. I love being able to see all the big trees from our front garden through the glass & all that daylight is scrumptious.

Look away now if you are a fragile flower, as this is not a pretty picture!

A great improvement in the loo department! So here it is, albeit a brief post. I want to do a more thorough post on the project & will do that soon. MOTH has had many structural challenges along the way with this room & he reckons this project has been his renovation nemesis, but I think he's amazing for a 62 year old amateur!!

I go on 3 weeks vacation today & the first of our interstate Christmas guests has just arrived, so I need to say my goodbyes now until next year. I have had another year of blog love, thank you, thank you to everyone who's left comments or lurked, kept our spirits up & had a laugh with us......it's been a pleasure beyond all measure. Merry Christmas from all of us at The Hedge & I'll be back in the New Year. xx

The Finishing Line!

MOTH the Old Rower feels exactly like this today. We both worked day & night over the weekend in a huge last ditch effort finishing the Bathroom-From-Hell. We stopped briefly on Saturday night for a wonderful evening out at my Company's Christmas Party (just the 4 of us & it was brilliant!). The clock is ticking as the first of our cavalcade of Christmas guests arrives on Thursday. If it's the last thing I do this year, I want to post the completed pics before I head off on vacation. MOTH is most insistent that darling Jane get the first look at the entire room, as she's been with us from the start of this project......he reckons it will speed up her recovery no end! But I thought I'd give you a sneak peak of a couple of features, just to build up the momentum for the very last post of the year.

I put up with this for 2 years, grotty basin, no storage, not one power point - disgusting isn't it!!

Ooooooh it's gorgeous, I can't keep my hands from her beautiful curves!

The old shower rose over the bath had a perpetual case of the droops. We had to continually push the thing to an upright position as we were trying to shower. And as for that rotting timber window that let a chink of daylight into the room alternate Friday's at 11.25a.m. - be gone!

Now this beauty is so stable & upright it brings tears to my eyes & she has a gorgeous twin staring at her from the opposite end wall of the shower recess.

And the shower taps were atrocious, constantly falling off the wall whenever we tried to use them.

I'm loving this mixer, all shiny & ready for action. We've got 3 nights to finish things, the room is without a door as MOTH's taken it down & is painting it on trestle's in the garage. The cantilever bench's sides & drawers are still sitting on the floor in the Guest Room, but MOTH reckons that will be the last thing he does on Tuesday night. Wish us luck, as we lurch to the finish line in a totally exhausted state!!

Dial M For Mirror!

I've just walked in the door from work & just had to share the news. The very big mirror in the Bathroom-From-Hell has been installed today in my absence & oh my goodness it looks AMAZING! I wanted a specific look right from the start & a certain Serial Renovator has dissed me for the past 18 months about it. Whinged, whined, witched & complained & said it couldn't be done. Well today Miss Millie's silly crazy idea has been vindicated - YAY! The Installer left a note to say it's the coolest looking installation he's done all year. That little gem will be framed for posterity. As we still need to paint the bathroom ceiling & door, the finished images are still a couple of weeks away, but don't worry dear Hedgies, you'll be given plenty of warning so you can all be at your computers with a glass of champers ready for the big day. What a truly wonderful collective global chinking of glasses that will be!

Image: Savvy Sugar

MOTH's Virtual World

Further to last Thursday's post. This mysteriously appeared yesterday on the plasterboard where the bathroom mirror's supposed to go.

When queried the Rocket Scientist involved informed me that he may have overpromised our soon-to-be-arriving house guests about the completed state of their bathroom - who would have thought!! The above also appeared a little later on the same piece of plasterboard. I was informed that this was the formula he will use to complete the bathroom.

Here's the said Rocket Scientist (complete with his 'bed hair' look at 4p.m.) using his formula to finish off those few last minute things including a large, gaping hole in the wall over the door. No further comment from his Project Manager is needed.

Pants On Fire

'Yep mate, no problems, would love to see you & Janie in a couple of weeks. You're more than welcome to stay. Yep, I've almost finished the guest bathroom, just need to do a few last minute things.'

Overheard at The Hedge last night. Wish I'd had the camera close by to capture the look on MOTH's face as he hung up that phone call!!

Image: Old Picture

Dancing On The Ceiling

Oh joy - the Bathroom-From-Hell has a complete ceiling! MOTH has been struggling with the worst Man Cold & subsequent chest infection for the past 10 days, so reno. work has only been done in very short bursts, but at least the plasterboard is up. This image of an OTT ornate ceiling is for no other reason than to give MOTH some perspective when he next whinges about the work involved on ours.

I know it's rivetting stuff, so breathe deeply now to control your excitement.

I had to stand in the shower alcove to take this. I struggled to contain myself.

At least I don't have to look at this any more. Yep, the dust laden, vermin ridden, breathtakingly flammable straw ceilings that were in every room of our 'lovely' house even extended into the bathrooms. Not sure what the architects were smoking when they made that decision in 1972, but you can bet it didn't come out of a B&H box!

Image 1: Catholic In Japan Images 2 & 3: Millie In Bathroom

Come Closer....

....just a little closer. Arms around each other, it's time for one big, squishy group hug!! The fabulous comments you left yesterday truly gave me the warm & fuzzies - what a great bunch of friends you all are - thank you.

Exciting news from the Bathroom-From-Hell. We now have half a frameless shower screen across the end of the room. After a lot of grunting & puffing from the Installers, lugging these very large pieces from their truck in the yesterday's rain & hail, it's transpired that someone stuffed up & the door measurements pulled up 2mms. too short. So back on the truck it went, with even more grunting & puffing to the factory. However the large piece is in & & oh my goodness, it was something akin to a religious experience. The room is coming together so well & is exactly the image I've been carrying around in my head for the past 2 years. Still lots to do, but for the first time I feel like we're on the home run - YAY!!
Image: San Carlos

Weekend Wonders

Some weekends are more memorable than others & this past one was a beauty! My best friends farewell party late yesterday was fantastic. Wonderful food, copious bubbly, lots of people & much loud noise & laughter. With most of their furniture gone to storage, we had lots of floor space to enjoy ourselves in & around 9p.m. a certain well-known Chairman of the Board treated us all to a rousing performance on his beloved piano accordion. Despite protestations from those of us who have had previous exposure to renditions over the years (generally at the end of a big, big night), he launched into it with gusto. We danced & laughed until we cried, it was a special moment & a very fitting send-off to their beloved old house.

And yes, wonders will never cease - we have grout on the bathroom tiles!! The shower screens are being installed next Monday, so MOTH's under pressure big time to make a last minute dash to the post. Of course, we still don't have a ceiling in there, but hey that's a minor concern apparently. All in good time, all in good time.
Images: Hobgoblin & Bostik

BFH Up-Date

Just a quick up-date on the Bathroom-From-Hell. The drama surrounding the wiring has stalled progress, but now MOTH's back on track & things are coming along well. He wanted to leave installing a new ceiling until the very end, & I found him last night measuring up for the plasterboard he needs to order, which is VERY exciting. Even in it's unfinished, rough state I'm loving it. For a bloke who hates tiling, he's done a mighty job. Slow & steady, exact & precise with his trusty spirit level constantly by his side has been the order of the day.
Image: Gemma Comas

Flush With Excitement!

I'm skipping around with joy this morning, as today's the day in the Bathroom-From-Hell! Yes, thanks to Russell the Plumber, by the time I come home from work tonight we will be a 2 loo family again - HOORAY! As it's a rather delicate subject I won't labour the point, but having spent the past 18 months sharing just the one 'facility' with everyone, I'm so, so ready to unshare. The situation has not been helped by the fact that anyone wanting to use the said busy 'facility', has had to traipse through our bedroom to get to it in the En-Suite. This is a momentous day in the journey of renovations here at The Hedge & appropriate celebrations are in order!

LATE ADDENDUM: Despite promising on scout's honour he wouldn't before I had the chance to see it in all it's pristine white porcelain beauty tonight, MOTH's just rang me at work to gleefully announce he couldn't wait & he's 'christened' the new loo. They just never grow up do they, he really is 61 going on 6.

Image: Great Interior Design

Whistle Blower

MOTH's on notice today that the building site he's currently working on upstairs has failed inspection. I'm so over unnecessary junk everywhere, & if I trip over one more extension cord that's snaking its way up the stairs, then doing a couple of lazy laps along the hallway before making its way into the bathroom I'll SCREAM!!! So I'll be using this Public Holiday Monday not only to celebrate our Gracious Majesty's birthday, but also to enact the big clean-up not only for workplace safety, but my sanity.
Image: Donna Griffith

Weekend Work

A cold, wet, wintry weekend has seen some more progress in the Bathroom-From-Hell. MOTH stripped all the lovely 2-pac panels & drawers from the cantilevered vanity bar & Dyna-bolted the carcass onto the wall. As it weighs a ton complete with its Caesar-stone top, he also built a concealed plasterboard plinth behind the frame from the wall to give it additional support. The wooden frame underneath is just temporary.

Saturday the double shower alcove looked like this.

Sunday it looked like this. Yes, you do see tiles, it's not a figment of your imagination! He started tiling around the little niche but as the tiles are very large at 600mm., after using a truck-load of tile cement, he then used strong masking tape from the window sill during the curing process! Not sure a professional Tiler would approve, but hey, this is MOTH we're talking about!

We had the pleasure of Son #3's presence for a couple of hours yesterday. He flew in & out from Melbourne very quickly for a school friend's wedding. Son #4 kindly acted as his chauffeur. Here he is giving the thumbs up in a sign of thanks & brotherly love!

And finally, thank you for all the fab comments about The Hedge's make-over. As you can see I managed to sneak in an hour reinstalling my Blog Roll, but still haven't finished. I found it to be a happy experience though, typing in your individual addresses made me think of each of you & how much your Blog friendship means to me. However please leave me a reminder in Comments if you can't see yourself there, my mind has turned to mush & I'd love a gentle reminder from you!