Bathroom Remodel - 1 Year in the Making

Leon and I are seriously NOT project people.  In fact the thought of remodeling the bathroom literally made Leon sick:

 Not really.  He was just removing the toilet in preparation for the demolition, which began in September 2011.  As with most home improvement projects things started to snowball quickly.  The moisture under the old linoleum was more than we realized. 

 Wanting to get things moving, Leon started busting up the old tile in the shower.  It was gruelling work since back in the 70s they used cement behind the tile and poured a thick cement floor.  We hauled our shower out one bucket at a time - not the easiest of tasks.

Once all the tile was out we had to do a few improvements like new insulation, new drain, and a new shower valve.  If you've got the walls all opened up, you may as well take care of things behind them before buttoning it all up, right?

 The first "new" thing to go in was the flooring.  Not wanting to clean grout I ruled out tile, and not being able to find small pieces of linoleum anymore, that was ruled out, too.  In the end, we chose this other vinyl produt that went in very nicely.

 Up next was paint.  Choosing paint color can be difficult, but we got it right the first time, a miracle.

Before Leon re-installed the toilet, he gave it a thorough cleaning.  He said it was so clean he could lick it, so we dared him to do it.  Hmm.  There's something wrong with licking a toilet, no matter HOW clean you think it is.

 Once the room was painted, well mostly, the new shower got installed.  Being sick of cleaning grout I opted for cultured marble.  Leon was a bit put out that he couldn't do it himself, but I think we are both pleased with the result.

 It sure is pretty.  We also got a great deal on some nice fixtures from an unnamed source (you know who you are).

 Okay, so the vanity just about caused one of us to sleep on the couch some nights.  Leon really wanted to save some money and refinish the old one, but a vanity from the 70s just needs to be retired. We both agree it was the best choice.

 Leon felt like the bathroom needed some pizzaz, so he convinced me to let him do a mosaic backsplash.  I'll have to admit, I was a bit skeptical at first, but I think it looks really nice.

 Here is the finished project - new everything except the mirror.

 The final "after" shot.
It was really amazing how everything just came together. We never really had the big picture all at once. We just chose one thing at a time and hoped it all worked together in the end. I think it did.

Do you need a reminder of what it looked like "before"?

It took 11 months to complete this project 100%, but we think it was worth it.  Now, on to the next bathroom.  Check back in another year.