I love my contractor.
He's handsome, reliable, sexy, talented, accurate, particularly detail oriented, neat, a Jack-of-all-Trades, and just an all-around good guy.
And hot.
I can say that because he's mine.
There is one teensy weensy little problem. My contractor is a terribly busy guy. He has a habit of fleeing the country every now and then which poses a problem when certain projects need to be completed.
He totally gutted and remodeled my kitchen in less than three months. We know the caliber of his talent. But back then he had a bit more time on his hands (read: unemployed). We thought that a bathroom is a fraction of a kitchen. Right? Shouldn't take too, too long.
Wrong. You have to actually be in the same state, city, er, HOUSE in order to work on a project that involves said house.
Little by little we are fixing up the house. We started when we moved in over 9 years ago (but our plan was to only be here five). Being thirty years old, it is showing it's age. Remodeling the master bathroom has been on the "list" for some time, but other things have been ahead of it: install wood floor in the living room (the wood is here - ready and waiting - for a year now!), replace the patio cover that is termite infested and an eye-sore, fix the exterior woodwork that has suffered termite damage and dry rot, replace the well-worn carpet on the stairs along with the out-dated bannister, get a new gate and fence, re-do the garage, replace the curbside mailbox that's dilapidated, update the hearth . . . The List goes on and on.
When we moved in, all the bathrooms were carpeted. That's not something I've understood. My grandma had carpet in her bathrooms and I remember as a child going to her beautiful and immaculate Huntington Beach home to stay for the week; she would remove the carpet in our 'kids' bathroom in case we did something to it, like made the toilet overflow. It's been my experience that toilets have been known to overflow. It's true. It happens. It's also been my experience that a well-cleaned bathroom is one that has been disinfected thoroughly which includes around the base of the toilet. I've cleaned enough bathroom floors in my day to know what builds up on tile or linoleum - and that's in 'clean' houses. So can you imagine what lurks in carpet? Carpet cannot be routinely wiped down with a sponge doused in Lysol or bleach, I don't think.
Anyway, I think my point of view is made. Our downstairs and kids bathroom carpet was removed and tile installed very early on. We've always wanted to tile the master bath, but wanted to remodel it as well, so it was put on the back burner, or further down on The List. Then the toilet overflowed when nobody was there to stop it. And it wasn't just water. You just can't sanitize that properly! That was the straw that broke this camel's back - or got it to the #1 position on The List.
The. carpet. has. GOT. to. go.
Of course one thing leads to another and if you're going to replace the flooring, you might as well replace the tub/shower that you've always wanted to do. And the cabinets need to go and so forth. The faucets leak and the sinks are cracked anyway. The plans are made, the designs set and we decide to start on a major master bathroom remodel right when the kids get out of school so as not to disrupt our schedule too much. That way it will be done before school starts up again.
In order to do the remodel in a most functional way, it is decided that it needs to be completed in phases, since this is going to take some time.
Phase 1: Remove the small closet and remodel the vanity/sink portion of the bathroom.
Phase 2: Remodel the bath/shower area. This will entail custom building a Japanese-inspired soaker tub and making a walk-in spacious shower. Good thing I have an excellent contractor!
Another element that goes along with this is replacing the carpet in our bedroom. It needs it and it is essentially a part of the bathroom. Also the linen cupboards just outside our bedroom door, at the top of the stairs need attention. So in order to replace the carpet, the hallway and stairs need to be replaced, too. Then that means the bannister needs to be replaced and the bottom landing built out, which ends up in the entry way and living room, where the wood floor needs to be installed anyway, but not before the hearth and fireplace are redone.
Pretty soon a toilet overflowing upstairs has reached all the way down to the front door - and it makes my head spin. No wonder it has been delayed so long.
So here we go, ready to start!!
The night before school got out, June 11, 2009, John and the kids ripped out the closet. They had fun doing it and now there is a big hole, with electrical hanging from the ceiling. Also removed is the lovely rough-hewn dark wood box around the oh-so flattering fluorescent light.
Everything that was in the medicine cabinet is now on the counter since it got demolished along with the wall.
We tested many paint colors.
Scraped the ceiling in the bathroom and the walk-in closet.
This is looking into the "phase 2" portion of the bathroom: the shower/toilet room.
The lovely, lovely carpeted room.
Here is where I plugged in my blow dryer for several weeks.
June 27, 2009
The recessed lighting is installed.
The sinks arrive! We love the shape and form of them.
September 28, 2009
The wall gets repaired You'd never know it had a gaping hole.
John was so sweet to put the mirror back up and make it somewhat functional. We did however use the Shop-Vac as a table for quite some time. The counter also got chopped in half to make room to access the plumbing. We used a half of counter and a sink for a while.
November 4, 2009
The old cabinets are officially gone and John is redoing the second plumbing - it needs to be moved a bit in order to line up with the new cupboard and sink.
November 12, 2009
The new cabinets are in!!!!!!!!!
Before one of his long trips, John temporarily put in the new sink and faucet just so I can have running water.
December 30, 2009
After over six months, and news that John will be out of the state and country from January 4 through practically the middle of February, we finally decide to let someone come in and finish this up. That's the best Christmas present I could have asked for. Especially since this was supposed to be done before the kids started school again. The carpet is removed, walls are painted and progress is being made.
Good bye forever carpet. We will not miss you.
I think a Hazmat suit should be worn when handling this.
Here are the linen cupboards at the top of the stairs -directly outside my bedroom door - that are also getting a new top - the same travertine that is being used for the bathroom counter. These cupboards will have new doors, be sanded down and stained dark.
January 4, 2010
Happy New Year! Rick Gillard is here making many, many trips up and down the stairs completing the bathroom - all while John is relaxing in Palm Beach. haha.
The best part about this is that John was able to spend time with his family (us!) over Christmas whereas we wouldn't have seen him outside this bathroom the entire time.
Rick is not only good at tile, he even kills giant spiders for me, which comes in handy when John's not here.
Coming Soon: AFTER pictures! I can't wait!
Hopefully coming really soon!!
Now I need a designer to come over and help me pick out carpet. I have a dozen different colors and textures spread down the hallway. It's so hard to choose!! Anyone want to help???
