The Master Bathroom Project | Recap + Reveal (Part 8)

At last!

It is with great pleasure that I announce that this is the absolute last post on our Master Bathroom Remodel Project! After 3 weeks of experimenting with new products, learning new skills, and having a messy and unusable bathroom, our master bath remodel is finally complete!

Our Master Bathroom is complete!

Here's the journey of our bathroom transformation:

1. We first mocked up our bathroom in Google SketchUp so that we could start toying around with potential designs for our new bathroom.
2. We selected which design we liked the best and the next step was to remove the existing mirror from the wall (without breaking it or creating a massive hole in the wall).
3. Using Rustoleum's Cabinet Refinishing kit, we refinished our cabinets to a color called Kona. It was quite a tedious process, but I imagine that it was easier than sanding, and it was a huge transformation to the room.
4. We decided to do the electrical next, while we gave our cabinets time to cure for a bit. Jason from Oak Electric came in and wired new lighting, new electrical outlets, and a new switch.
5. The second biggest transformation was painting the walls in a black and gray.
6. Once the paint dried, we moved on to creating two framed mirrors. This was, by far, the most tedious and most experimental part of the entire process, but we got through it...eventually.
7. Finally, we finished up with some minor finishing touches.

Here are all the "Before, SketchUp Design, and Afters" so you can see the complete transformation in different angles.

Master Bathroom Bird's Eye View

Master Bathroom Entry (Ground)

Master Bathroom Sink & Vanity

Master Bathroom Tub Area

Master Bathroom Entry (Mid-Level)

Our total cost for the project was around $440. (We probably paid somewhere around $350 since we had many of the painting supplies already).

Overall, it was a good experience and we learned a lot along the way — e.g. never build your own mirror frame :).

We have to figure out what our next home renovation project is going to be. When we do, you'll be the first to see the progress! In the meantime, I am going to enjoy my new clean bathroom.

Cheers,

{Rashida}

The Master Bathroom Project | Finishing Touches (Part 7)

I'm back! I know it's been a while... I had final projects, presentations, and tests for school so I was in focus mode. And now that's over and done with, I can finish up blogging about my Master Bathroom Remodel project!

This is the second-to-last installment in my Master Bathroom Remodel project. To remind you all of what has happened so far, check out my previous posts:

• Part 1 - The Design
• Part 2 - Removing the Mirror
• Part 3 - Refinishing the Cabinets
• Part 4 - Wiring for the New Lights
• Part 5 - Dual-tone Painting
• Part 6 - Adding the Framed Mirrors

This post is just about the finishing touches. We built a small shelf, purchased a wall scone for additional task lighting, and purchased two decorative candle sconces for the back wall. This completes our original design and adds a little bit of interest to the bathroom itself.

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PART 1- Building the Shelf

SUPPLIES:

• One 6" x 4" wood plank
• Paint (same paint/stain from the Cabinet Refinish Project)
• Two L-Brackets (you want to buy one that is as long as your shelf protrudes from the wall for support)
• Wall Screws
• Edgemate White Melamine Roll
• Drill

DIY STEPS

Time frame:3 hours

1. Iron on the Melamine around the edge of the shelf.

This provides a smooth edge and eliminates the need to sand the edges. Simply line the edges and use and iron to adhere it to the surface.

Iron on White Melamine Strip

2. Paint.

Paint all surfaces of the shelf. The paint should adhere fairly well to the Melamine and to the wood itself.

Painted Block of Wood

3. Measure and mark where you want your shelf to sit.

4. Drill holes for the screws.

Based on your measurements, mark where the L-brackets will sit against the wall and on the shelf. Pre-drill the holes into the shelf and the wall for the L-brackets.

Note: If you are screwing into a stud, there is no need to pre-drill. When using a wall anchor in place of a stud, pre-drill.

5. Attach L-bracket to shelf according to measurements in step 3.

Make sure to use short screws (1/2") so your screws do not appear on the top surface

Note: We didn't buy appropriately long brackets. We bought these little guys... which obviously did not support the weight of anything on the shelf, let alone the shelf itself. So we had to build our own "L-bracket" out of left over pieces of wood. Save yourself some time and buy one that actually fits your shelf!

Our makeshift shelf support with the small L braces used to attach it to the wall.

6. Attach the bracket/shelf unit to wall.

For this step, use the longer screws that will actually fully penetrate the drywall.

Drilling in an extra screw for support at the end of the shelf.

PART 2- Attaching the Sconce Light

This was part of the reason for the pre-wiring in Part 4 of this blog series. Again, thank you Oak Electric!

SUPPLIES:

• A wall sconce of your choice
• Drill

DIY STEPS

Time frame: 10 minutes

Follow the instructions in the box. Each lighting assembly will be different. Be sure to purchase the correct bulb before leaving the store!

The sconce is up and running!

PART 3-  Decorative candle sconces

SUPPLIES:

• Decorative candle sconces of your choice
• Drill

DIY STEPS

Time frame: 10 minutes

1. On the wall, mark where you want your sconces to sit.

It may be helpful to have someone hold the sconce to the wall, while you step back to take a look. Mark the spot where the screw would go into the wall.

2. Drill the hole (if necessary) and attach the sconces.

PART 4-  Touch Up
Touch up the paint on any places that seem to need it.

After the sconce light was installed, we realized the mirror frame needed some touch ups.

We never painted our makeshift bracket. So that needed some paint too.

TOTAL COST: $48

• Wood ~$3
• 2-1/2 Wood Screws (Box of 20) ~$2
• 1/2" wood screws ~$2
• Wall Light Sconce ~$20
• Decorative Candle Sconce ~$15
• Edgemate White Melamine Edging ~$6

OVERALL IMPRESSION

Our bathroom looks more complete with those extra touches. New towels and other little trinkets, such as posters/photos, candles, vases, are great ways to jazz up the bathroom. 

We are finally finished!

The official "clean up" photo.

The last post will have before and after shots to see the scope of the full remodel from beginning to end.

Stay tuned!

{Rashida}

The Master Bathroom Project | Two-Tone Painting (Part 5)

And now for the color... well sort of!

Part 5 in my Master Bathroom Project series is all about paint. I would say that this has been the most fun (and easiest) part of the series thus far. (If you haven't read up on our progress thus far, check out: Part 1-The Design, Part 2- Removing the Mirror, Part 3- Refinishing the Cabinets, and Part 4-Wiring for New Lighting.)

Paint is the simplest and most cost-effective transformation of a space. For our master bath, we decided to keep the paint colors neutral and add some dimension by using two paint colors. We used satin or semi-gloss paint because bathrooms have a high moister rate, and the extra protection is needed to prevent peeling.

Finished product: Two-tone paint

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DIY(-ing)? Here's how we made the dramatic change in a few of easy steps!

SUPPLIES:

• 1 Quart Glidden Semi Gloss Onyx Black Paint
• 1 Gallon Glidden Semi Gloss Seal Gray Paint
• Blue Tape
• Drop cloth
• 1 Roller Brush
• 2 Paint Brushes
• 1 Edge Painter
• Paint Pan
• Ruler/Measuring Tape
• (Optional) Laser leveler

DIY STEPS

Time frame: a day (8-12 hours)

FYI: If you have a non-white or non-cream type paint on your walls currently, you may have to use a primer prior to applying your new paint. It really depends on what's already on your wall and what you plan to put on  your wall. If you need a primer, that would happen before step 3.

1. Protect surfaces that shouldn't be painted.

Tape the edges, ceilings, door frames, and other areas where the walls meet surfaces you don't want covered in paint.  This is will help minimize the amount of paint that gets on other surfaces adjacent to the walls being painted. Press down firmly on the tape to minimize the amount of paint that leaks through. We used standard blue painter's tape, but paint still leaked through. (I think Frog Tape may be the best. We will give that a try the next time.)

2. Measure where the dividing line is between the the two paints and write it down.

We wrote down the measurements on the walls themselves where the black paint was intended to go. We also put little tick marks on the walls in pencil for a visual indication of where the gray color stopped and where the black color began. These markers are just a visual indicator of how far you need to paint the first color. They shouldn't be used to create your tape line!

3. Start painting the lighter color.

Pour some paint into the paint pan, coat your roller in the paint, and paint away! For this step, it doesn't really matter if the lighter color gets on the spaces where the darker color goes because the darker color will cover it up. This is why it is important to start with the lighter color first. Do make sure you know where the darker paint is supposed to start (Step 2), and paint well below that line to ensure that there are no gaps.

Applying the gray. Using a lot of force.

4. Apply second coat.

By the time you finish the first coat on every wall, the paint should be dry enough to apply the second coat.

That's a lot of paint!

5. Paint the edges.

Use a brush (if you have a steady enough hand) and/or a edge painter to tackle the corners and edges. We used a Point'N Paint "As Seen on TV" edge painter. I know what you are thinking. "Really? As seen on TV?" Well, we won it at a baby shower and it works relatively well if you don't use the pole tool, don't apply too much paint, or press down too hard. There are plenty of other edge painters out there as well, so feel free to shop around.

Getting the corners with a brush.

6. Mark out dividing line.

After the paint has fully dried, it's time to mark out the dividing line so that you can paint the darker color on a straight line. Use your ruler, measuring tape, and/or laser leveler to begin to apply a straight line of painter's tape to paint the black line. Make sure you are consistent with whether you are using the bottom or top of the tape as your dividing line line. Again, press down firmly on the tape.

Measuring the dividing line between the gray and the black.
There were many horizontal ticks on the wall allowing us to get a straight line with the blue tape.

Measured and taped. Success.

7. Repeat steps 3-5 with your dark paint.

Painting the black. I ended up using the Point N Paint tool (instead of a roller brush) for the entire area.

Touching up the edges with black.

8. Remove tape.

After the dark paint has fully dried, remove the painter's tape. If you see any of your previous wall color showing through or if some of the dark paint bled through the tape, you may have to do some paint touch-ups.

Finally done! Removing the tape.

Tada! Straight line!

TOTAL COST: $84 (or $54 w/o optional supplies)

• 1 quart of Glidden satin paint (black onyx) ~$12
• 1 gallon of Glidden satin paint (seal gray) ~$26
• 1 Painting Kit (includes pan, rollers, brushes, etc) ~$10
• 1 Roll of Blue Tape ~$6
• 1 Paint Edger ~$15 (optional)
• 1 Laser Level ~$15 (optional)

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Well there you have it! We transformed our bathroom and it didn't take a lot of time or money, especially since we already had all of the materials except for the paint itself. This is the great thing about many home projects; you can reuse supplies from previous projects to your hearts delight.  As I mentioned above, I would definitely use Frog Tape instead of blue tape. It should do a much better job at masking the paint.

We are getting closer and closer to the completion of our master bathroom remodel project! The next task is adding the new framed the mirrors. This is going to be a hard one.

Brace yourselves!

{Rashida}

The Master Bathroom Project | The Design (Part 1)

Here is what you have all been waiting for... the Master Bathroom Remodel!

Top-down view of our existing master bathroom rendered in Sketchup

As previously mentioned in my lighting post, the hubby and I have been wanting to design a feasible version of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" on our master bathroom. We wanted to create a spa or high-end hotel feeling in our bathroom without completely ripping out our shower, tub, walls, etc. (maybe we'll get to that point eventually, but we're not quite there yet).

I thought I had a good idea of what I wanted to do. If you recall in my painting techniques post, I said that I wanted to try out the basket-weave painting pattern, so I was thinking browns and earth tones for the color palette. We went to Home Depot, picked out some brown paint color swatches by Glidden, found some cheap brown glass mosaic tiles, bought the Martha Stewart Paint Kit, and were ready to go! When we got home, seeing the samples in the bathroom said otherwise... nothing seemed to fit together correctly. I was kind of bummed.

So now what?

The answer: Google SketchUp! We rendered our entire bathroom (as is) in SketchUp from a set of floor plans that I had to draw for my Principles of Interior Design Class. SketchUp was a bit tedious at first because of the learning curve, but we got the hang of it eventually and were able to get pretty close to the real thing...

Floor plan of our master suite

Detailed measurements of the sink/vanity/cabinet area of our master bathroom

Birds'-eye view of our  master bathroom (actual photo vs. Sketchup rendering)

Ground view from the entry of our master bathroom (actual photo vs. Sketchup rendering)

Mid-level view from the entry of our master bathroom (actual photo vs. Sketchup rendering)

Sink & vanity view of our master bathroom (actual photo vs. Sketchup rendering)

Tub area view of our master bathroom (actual photo vs. Sketchup rendering)

Then we began tweaking different parts of the design based on the materials we bought and other things we liked...

Trial #1: Our original idea with brown walls, tile strip, dark wood & split mirrors
(we liked the ideas individually, just not together)

Trial #2: Gray wall (continued from bedroom), split mirrors & tile filling the entire back wall
(once again things didn't go together)

Trial #3: Blue-ish theme
(completely lost the "spa" feel)

And after a lot of back & forth and many "Save As..." operations later, we finally landed on this design!

We're doing a split paint (top gray, bottom black) & keeping the split mirror idea (now with frames) 

Pendant light hanging from the ceiling plus candle wall scones over the tub

Dark brown (Kona) cabinet refinish with additional silver handles

In sum, we are planning to:

• Paint the walls two colors: Glidden's Seal Gray (from living room) and Onyx Black.
• Refinish the cabinets to a color called Kona from this amazing cabinet painting kit that we found at Home Depot.
• Add hardware to the cabinets.
• Remove the huge mounted mirror and replace it with two smaller framed mirrors.
• Add some additional lighting over the tub and between the mirrors.

This is going to be a pretty big project for us since we've never removed a huge mirror before, never used the Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations Kit before, or never installed completely new lighting that hasn't already been pre-wired.

So where are we at now?

We've bought all the materials, and as the remodel progresses, I will be posting updates. So stay tuned! We'll be sure to highlight all of the materials that are used in the process, their ease of use (or lack thereof), and their cost.

I am super excited that we finally have a design and I hope you all find our remodel process enjoyable and inspiring!

Wish us luck!

{Rashida}

PS: As you're probably well aware by now, I am obsessed with gray. I actually really tried not to incorporate gray into this design, but I couldn't help myself.  It looked so good! It turns out, however, that grays are a trending color in the home industry! Suburban homes are now trying to look more urban! (Many thanks to the designers at Homesite Services in San Ramon for confirming that I wasn't a boring person because I like designing with gray.)

PPS: SketchUp is truly amazing! It is really simple to use once you get the hang of it, and I highly suggest trying it out if you don't want to purchase a similar 3D modeling software (ahem AutoCad). It really is the best way to iterate on your designs without having to implement them. Just watch some of the tutorials and you'll be on your way in no time!

Textured Walls | Stencils

I guess "Textured Walls" is going to be a series... I've already talked about the absence of color and painting techniques in my two previous posts.

So, continuing on the theme of creating dimension and making your rooms more dynamic, you can also add a stencil to your walls. I know, you may be thinking, "like my grandma's kitchen?!?!" 

sorry to whoever owns this home...

But no, I am talking about something a little more fun and funky like... (the following pictures are not my designs)

add some stenciled leaves in 3 different colors to accent the perimeter of your bed

be a minimalist

provide a focal point on the wall

make the wall purposeful by adding some hooks; it looks very city-like and clean

Or how about something a little more soft and elegant, replacing the hassles of wallpapering...?

On the second floor of our home, we wanted to add an accent wall after remodeling our living room and kitchen. But we wanted to add something more than a coat of paint. Instead of making my own wall stencil, I decided to free-hand paint a tree with some birds. Although, we did get a stencil created from FedEx Kinkos to add a bible verse to the wall (see pictures below).

Below are the steps we took to create our DIY stencil family tree accent wall:

     1. Painted the wall with Martha Stewart's Cement Gray

see...I told you I like gray :)

     2. Free-hand sketched the design on paper

     3. Measured the wall into quadrants to make the painting proportional to the drawing. 

     4. Began painting the tree (used Martha Stewart's Magnetite)

See the leftover blue tape for the quadrants

     5. Painted the birds in Glidden's Mustard Seed to provide a splash of color to the wall

     6. Hung family photos

     7. Put up the wall decal.

finished project

What I love about the design is the flexibility to put your pictures wherever you want on the wall. Also, the wall is a neutral color so it will compliment almost any other wall colors in your space. If you want to change your "splash of color", simply repaint the birds to a different color. I might do a turquoise of some sort next.

Happy stenciling!

{Rashida}

PS: If you don't want to create a stencil, you can just order decals...they do the same trick. :)