We have 2 days left to finish up this project! Our photographer, Clettis Wright, comes on Friday morning to shoot the space. We got so much done this week I'm having a hard time remembering it all! I had to go back to my own Week 4 post to see where we last left off. If you've missed anything you can go back to Week 1, 2, 3, & 4. Last weeks to do list was insane but we managed to complete almost all of it.
The first thing we did was add the schluter edge and finish tiling the shower. I made a mistake when I ordered our schluters- I went with brass and hoped for the best because the shipping time corresponded with our timeline. The brass does not match our champagne brass shower trim so I had to do some experimenting with an extra piece. I found that if I lightly sand the schluter with a fine grit sanding pad I can strip away the yellow finish. There are schluters available in just about every finish so make sure when you are planning your tiling projects to order the one that works best with your shower finishes.
Below you can see the difference in the sanded schluter on the left and the original schluter on the right.
I painted the walls and ceiling in a drywall primer and then two coats of Behr's Swiss Coffee in an eggshell finish from their Marquee line.
We installed the pop-out outlets from the adorne Collection by Legrand above the vanity area. They pretty much disappear into the wall when not in use and pop out separately to offer up to 6 plug ins. Each pop out has 3 plug ins. We also have a dimmer switch and tap switch for our light and fan from the same collection that are on the way.
We brought the Carrara Marble top from Signature Hardware up to the bathroom the night before we installed the vanity and followed the included instructions for installing the undermount sinks. Here is what the underside looks like when they are mounted. Then you flip it over and let it rest for 24 hours before you can install it.
The next morning we applied a bead of silicon caulk to the top edges of the vanity before we carefully placed the marble with attached sinks. Then we ran a bead of caulk on the underside and backside of the backsplash before adding it.
Here is the fresh paint, pop out plugs and new vanity! Our exact vanity is currently sold out but you can find the whole collection of unfinished vanities right here.
Then Jake took off for a 3 day fishing trip and it was up to me to grout the shower- luckily I have two little helpers on hand. I kind of loved the grouting process. Filling in the blank spaces and then revealing that beautiful tile with a clean sponge was very fulfilling after my 18 hour tiling stint. (The tile is from Riad Tile, if your've been waiting they just restocked.)
I mixed the Grout in small batches, in a 4 - 1 ratio. I used a 5 gallon bucket and added about 1 cup of water to 4 cups of grout then used our industrial drill to mix it up for about 2 minutes. Let that sit for a minute or two and check the consistency. I added a splash of water and mixed it for another minute. I worked in rows of 3 starting on the long wall from the upper left hand corner across the wall. After about 3 rows it was time to wipe off the excess and clean it up. Then I would move on to the next 3 rows and so on until it was done. I bought a 25lb bag and only used about half of it. I think I mixed up 4 small batches and never felt rushed.
Jake came home on Sunday and installed our 4" pre-primed MDF baseboards and 3" pre-primed MDF door trim using our nail gun while I caulked the shower. I found this photo on the internet and used this caulk (in the same brand and color of our grout) to seal the necessary edges.
I also caulked all of the MDF trim with a paintable caulk and then gave it all two coats of Ultra Pure White in a satin finish by Behr Marquee.
I sealed the raw wood vanity with two coats of Fiddes & Sons Wax Polish. I applied it with a soft cloth going with the grain and buffed it a few minutes after application. Its a wonderful product that did not change the color of the wood at all and left a very slight sheen.
Then came the hardware. We used 5" Freestone Pulls and 1" Cadet Knobs from Emtek. This handy little cabinet hardware template made the process so much easier.
We installed this pre-hung shaker style door. The Round Knob (also from Emtek) in flat black is really the star of the show.
We hung our mirrors from Winnoby and they are perfect! I was worried they would be a tight fit but we absolutely love them. That arched detail inside the rectangular frame is what drew me to them. They soften up all of the hard angles in this room but still fit right into the area between the transom window and the backsplash. They are great quality, heavy duty and come with the hardware for installation.
Our Plumber spent all of yesterday finishing up his work. He installed the shower trim, faucets and toilet.
| Faucet |
The cross handles were a custom addition that you can find through the link above. Below is our new shower trim. I haven't had a chance to clean it up but we are so happy to see it up! It looks beautiful with the tile!
| Toilet |
I never thought we would be so excited about a new toilet but we are! It's a dual flush with a soft close lid and I love that it is skirted to make cleaning easier! We chose a dual flush because after some research I learned that around 30% of an average households water usage comes from flushing the toilet. Dual flush toilets save up to 27,000 gallons of water per year. Some of the water conserving toilets on the market are more expensive than your average toilet but the money you will save on water will far out weigh the cost of a new toilet. We special ordered a black dual flush button that just came in so we will be switching out the chrome for black soon.
I think I covered everything but let me know if I overlooked something! Here is what is on the agenda for Week 5 which is really just today and tomorrow for us.
WEEK 5 TO DO LIST ~
•finish installing hardware- wall hooks, towel bar, TP holder
•touch up paint
•sand brass schluters
•seal niche edges
•install LeGrande Adorne light switches
•clean everything
•final touches- artwork, rug, shower curtain, hamper, accessories
And that is going to be a wrap my friends! The next time you see the bathroom it will be the final reveal!
If you haven't checked out the other designers spaces now is the time to do it! Find them all right here...
Room for Tuesday | SG Style || Veronica Solomon | Media BH&G | TM by ORC
Thanks so much for your excitement and encouragement along the way!
XO, Meg