Wednesday, August 7, 2013

49 Bathroom Makeover Week! Day Two!

Welcome back to "As the Bathroom Turns".  Yesterday I shared that I am spending this next week getting back to blogging basics and posting about our real life timeline of a guest bathroom makeover we are taking on before we have company next week.  It sure is scary putting yourself out there for everyone to watch along... having to share every single detail that goes wrong and every mistake we make.  Will we be able to get it done in time?  Will the paint colors all work with the shower curtain?  Will the floors go in nicely or will we have a fight on our hands?  Only time will tell....

Day two had a little added drama.  Nothing as awesome as the daily soaps you may indulge in.  No one mysteriously went missing and came back from the dead and no saucy affairs took place {that I know of}.

But let's start from the beginning shall we?

As soon as I published yesterday's post, I literally ran to dig out my primer.  The kids were playing at the neighbor's home and priming is something I can do while my Mr. was at work.


I started by priming the base of the vanity cabinet.  It was installed white, and had a nice glossy finish to keep it easy to clean in the bathroom.  I didn't snap a photo of the primer on the cabinet itself, since you really couldn't even see it.  But it basically went on in a single, nice thin coat.

Then, I put out a drop cloth on the patio table, and brought the vanity doors out there to work on those.


My primer of choice for this project was Kilz Odorless because it is what I had on hand, and I have been very happy with it in the past.  It is an oil-based primer, and I again, did a single nice thin coat.

The back of the can said, "Jen, you only have to wait an hour for the primer to dry and cure before painting."  That made this super excited girl even more excited!  Who's with me?  Waiting is the pits.

So after I waited my hour, yet before I dove in with my paint, I did take a minute to sand down the cabinets with a fine sanding block.


This ensures that any brush strokes are minimized and helps achieve that super smooth finish in the end.


Next came the oh-so-beautiful deep navy blue.  I went with Martha Stewart's Wrought Iron, and had it color matched to Behr's Marquee paint.


I used this paint when working on our patio, and it went on so wonderfully, that I fell for it fast and hard.  I guess that is where the romance in this bathroom drama comes in.  The paint and I needed to be censored for television.

Although it is intended for exteriors, I thought that using it in the bathroom would mean that it could withstand our wild and crazy boys and guests, moisture and water, and hopefully look lovely for a nice long time.  The semi-gloss sheen would also mean that I would be able to easily clean it as well.  Did I mention how nicely it went on? 

Here are the cabinets after my first thin coat.


Ready to set the timer for another hour and finish these puppies up within the same day, this can wasn't as nice.  12-16 hours before re-coating?  I broke it off then and there. 

By now, my hubby was home, and so were the kids.  So he went to work in the bathroom to do what he could.  We had two tasks on the agenda.  Getting the light installed and removing the trim.  First, the light.

I guess when the original medicine cabinet was installed, since the lights were built into the cabinet itself, the wiring went right from the wall to the cabinet.  When we went to install our sconce, the first thing the hubby questioned was how we were going to hold that sconce up on the wall?  What would support it so it doesn't just fall out?


We would need a junction box installed before we could move forward.  Sigh.

So, onto the trim.

Typically you would remove the trim and then paint.  However, My Mr. didn't have the time to remove the trim on Monday night, but I had the time to paint.  I had to take it while I had it.  I knew that once the trim was removed, we would be laying down floors that were taller and installing new trim, so ultimately the new trim would still go above where the old trim and paint met.  I also knew I could easily touch up any spots on the wall where the trim was removed, if necessary.

To get started, the hubby used a painter's multi-tool {basically a fancy spackle tool that can take on a few extra jobs} and slid it carefully behind the trim.


Then, he nicely tapped it with his hammer to get it down behind the trim, and began angling it a bit to pull the trim from the wall.


Once it was removed enough, he used the back of his hammer to finish prying the trim away.


And repeated those steps around the entire perimeter of the bathroom.


Here you can see our trim-less bathroom, and the first coat of navy on the vanity.  You can also see how we organize while we project. HA!


So fail number one was not being able to install the light {and living in a town where you can't quickly run to the hardware store at 6:30 at night because it is already closed}.  Fail number two was one that broke my little heart and almost caused me to flee the scene, only to return in some overly dramatic way ten years from now.

The mirror.

I have been holding onto this white mirror for years.  It came as a hand-me-down from a family member and it is a very simple mirror with a very simple white frame.  I always knew that someday, it would be perfect above this vanity.  We never used the medicine cabinet that was initially in the bathroom since this bathroom had so much storage already.   I was just waiting for the day the medicine cabinet would be gone so I could swap out the mirror.  And it was finally here. 

And apparently, in this soap opera, size matters.  Because my oh-so-perfect mirror was two inches too big.


Guys, I had all sorts of ideas for this mirror.  I was going to do a fun little paint treatment to it, and had been falling asleep each night thinking about how much I was going to love it.

Drama.

And that is what we got done on day two.  Trim removed, vanity primed and first coated.  Renovation Raiders may laugh at the slow progress, but we were excited to have gotten that far.

So today we are off to get the rest of the supplies we need to make another attempt at installing the light fixture, and it is my goal to find a new mirror.  HomeGoods better come through for me, or our guests will be gazing at a blank wall.  I should also get the vanity completely finished up, you know, as long as no illegitimate child shows up at my door to slow me down.

Until tomorrow...

49 comments:

  1. Love the copy for this post :)

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  2. Hi
    Love the progress so far. Just wondering if you have any tricks for painting. I HATE to paint because I am so messy with everything and it seems like it takes me forever . It seems like no matter how careful I am-paint seems to go everywhere. Would you normally have taped the trim if you weren't going to remove it or are you able to paint right up to the trim without touching the trim? Where is your closest Home Goods store? I live in WI also-north of Marshfield. Keep up the great work. I got my sister hooked on your blog too.

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    1. I love love love my Wooster brush: http://amzn.to/16vevNU

      I never tape anymore unless I am working in hard to reach areas or being careful with furniture. The Wooster really makes it nice and easy to cut in around trim and doors.

      Our closest HomeGoods is in the twin cities. It's about 35 minute for me to get to any "good" home stores.

      xo!
      Jen

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  3. Looking good. Hate those unexpected surprises that come up only after you are knee deep in a project that has a deadline!!! That is usually when I say, "a man must have designed this house!"

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  4. I love that you're doing this in real time!! Makes me feel like I can tackle an entire room at once.. that thought always scared me to death!

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  5. I think you might be able to have a hardware store, or Home Depot, or someone trim a couple inches off the mirror and modify the frame? If they can cut glass, why couldn't they trim a mirror?

    Hmm... Looks like you might be also able to DYI... http://www.wikihow.com/Cut-Mirror

    Good luck!

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  6. Thank you. Thank you. I love the fact that you are doing this in real life. You know, life is what happens when you made other plans. Lol. We will be right herewith you to cheer, say oh oh and watch your progress. I think there will be more cheers than ohohs. I am excited to follow you and hubby as you do this. Teri

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  7. Hi! I am really liking The Bathroom Chronicles so far! I just wanted to say that I really like how you keep your blog all about the organizing/updating/DIY-ing but you mix it up by doing different types of themes. One month it's kitchen month, the next month we're rockin' the whole house, then it's little office updates, etc. It keeps the blog fresh and interesting while staying on topic. Some blogs can get monotonous and boring after a while but you've kept me here, so thanks and congrats!

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    1. Thank you SO much Meagan! That is so kind of you. I need variety in my own life, so I am glad that translates to the blog well. :)

      xo,
      Jen

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  8. I've been waiting for this post all day! It's so fun to read about it as you're working on it!

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  9. I love that you're posting real time on this project! Keep up the awesome work!!

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  10. I am loving the way that first coat of navy is looking on the vanity. It's going to look sooo spiffy! I hope HomeGoods pulls through with the mirror. They usually don't let me know. ;)

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  11. Sorry to hear about the drama, if home goods doesn't come through I saw some nice mirrors at Hobby Lobby today and they're 50% off and you can get a 40% off coupon online :)
    Good luck

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    1. Awww! That would be amazing! No Hobby Lobby's near me that I know of though. Which is always such a bummer, I love that store!

      xo,
      Jen

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  12. I've never commented before, but have been following your blog for nearly a year now.. I'm loving this real time bathroom soap opera.. Question though, how do you manage to do this whilst your boys are on vacation, or in fact with small children around at all? I have 2 small children (a boy of 5 and a girl of 2) and work part time and my husband and I never, ever seem to manage to do any DIY - the only way we've found is for me to take the kids to my Mum's for a long weekend, which is only possible when school is out as it's 4 hours away, and for hubby to do the DIY (according to the list I give him) then. Help...

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    1. It is totally a balancing act {which is why I paint at 11:00 at night}. And the summer is worse, some weeks I feel like I get nothing done.

      We do a lot of our work at night once the kids are in bed, it is our "together" time. If the kids are playing at a friend's home, I take advantage of those moments as well {and we are lucky that the kids seem to rotate around the neighborhood throughout the week, which is great for all of us mommies}. Our kids are also older, so sometimes they even help with small tasks and projects we are working on. And last but not least, when we have deadlines we are trying to hit, like with this project, we will tag-team it. I spend time with the kids while the hubby works his magic and then we switch.

      xo!
      Jen

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  13. I really am enjoying your real-life blogging event. I can't wait to see how it all turns out!

    ANd having guests right before school starts? Brave!

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  14. Love this! thanks for sharing!!! Can't wait to see more!!!

    xoxo, Tayrina
    blessingscraftstudio.blogspot.com

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  15. It feels like every project takes 10 times longer than you expect it to (at least in my experience)! It looks great so far! Love the navy on the vanity. Great idea!

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  16. I am wondering why the 2 inches is a problem. Does it mean that it sticks out too far to the right of the vanity? Is that really a big deal? Is there an angle that would make it work? Just curious as I didn't understand what the problem was.

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    1. If I were to put it all the way up against the wall on the left, it would still stick at least two inches out past the counter on the right, which is already an inch past the vanity cabinet. Nothing would have made it look right, so to me it was a big deal. And it is too tall to go the opposite way. But it's OK, it was a hiccup and I am moving on to other options and smiling through it because I know these things happen. :)

      xo,
      Jen

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  17. Can't wait for another episode of 'As the Bathroom Turns!' I am lovin your real-life blogging event. Everything is looking great and it makes me want to start on my master bathroom. But first I have to fix my darn water heater...

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  18. You are cracking me up, though I am sure you are not laughing at all this drama yet. It does make for a very entertaining series and I must say i will make sure I tune in tomorrow! You got this girl!!

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  19. I laughed when you said you fell asleep thinking about the mirror. I've been doing all sorts of dreaming about home stuff like that lately. It's sort of a sickness!

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    1. Totally a sickness! If it's not the mirror, it is something else. :)

      xo,
      Jen

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  20. I'm so glad I'm not (even close to) the only one who has dreams about amaze-balls bathroom renovations. I am glad, however, that the mirror thing didn't happen to me. I would have cried Susan Lucci style. Your strength should be commended.

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    1. Ha! I wanted to cry. SO wanted to cry. OK, so maybe a tear or two were shed, but that is all. This isn't our first DIY hiccup, and it certainly won't be the last.

      It is all good though. We are having a great time with this little project and we problem solved the mirror thing tonight and I think I love our new solution even more than the first.

      xo!
      Jen

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    2. Yea I just learned from your most recent post that you can negotiate damaged items at Home Goods?

      Mind. Blown.

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  21. I got so stressed reading about your mirror issue! That's horrible! Can you use it somewhere else? What will go above the vanity?? I'm hooked on this mirror drama!!

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    1. Oh yes! I will make sure to find a home for the mirror. We still have another bathroom to do, so maybe I can make it work in there. I am already getting excited for the back-up mirror we found tonight, so no stress!

      xo!
      Jen

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  22. Ohhh, drama! ;) Love the paint color you chose. It will look great with that fabulous shower curtain.

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  23. JEN!!!! I just got the Better Homes and Gardens Electronic Newsletter and I recognized your gorgeous home immediately. I read your post a million years back about the photo shoot, but this still came as a surprise when I pulled it up on my iPhone email. Congratulations!!!

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  24. When you start a project like this, do you do a layout of what your goals are or just to keep you on task and within budget? Instead of a organizing plan on paper, a remodel plan on paper?

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    1. Oh absolutely! I was just thinking about what an important part of the process that has been, and that I should share that on the blog. It is similar style to our gift giving printable, but for projects.

      xo!
      Jen

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    2. A share would be FANTASTIC!!!! We are always under a remodel and a new method might actually help keep me on task and budget. Thanks!!! Also, awesome job. You are a very inspirational guide for the rest of us.

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  25. Bummer about the mirror! I hate it when I spend so much time dreaming of the perfect look, only to find later that it won't work.

    I'm a big fan of discount finds--as are you. Have you thought about checking thrift stores, craigslist, or the Restore (Habitat for Humanity or similar place)? I love Home Goods, but I find that sometimes they are still expensive for my tiny bank account.

    By the way, I love that you are doing this in real time--I think I said that yesterday. Makes me feel like we can totally get our bathrooms and kitchen done inspite of any hiccups!

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  26. I love your drama haha! I'm also impressed with your DIY paint job on the bathroom vanity... I tried to paint our kitchen cupboards a couple years ago and it didn't go well and I'm living with the sad aftermath now lol... Gorgeous color on the vanity - so SAD about the mirror! Keep up the good work and hang in there... looking forward to pictures of the finished product! xo

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  27. As a new blogger and avid DIY-er, I can appreciate real-time blog projects like this one. It creates anticipation with your regular readers who can't wait to see what will happen next! Thanks for sharing this remodel roller coaster and for being so candid, honest, and fun. Looking forward to the next post and the finished product, which I'm sure will be amazing!

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  28. I love the idea of a navy blue vanity... haven't seen that yet! Can't wait to see the finished outcome.

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  29. bummer on the light and mirror...hate when good momentum is ruined!! wilson did a great job removing that trim! ;)

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  30. I know you haven't gotten as far as you'd have liked but I love the way it's looking so far!! I'm so excited to see how it all turns out :) I wish I could re-do my bathroom! But, I'm currently in a rental apartment which means I am very limited in what I am allowed to do :/ Instead I shall live vicariously through your bathroom! Haha

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  31. This is hilarious, the way you've been writing it out anyway. It looks great! I'm crushing on the blue color.

    I'm sorry the mirror didn't work out. I've been in a huge purge/organize/redo phase; even though I know we are moving next summer and we've only been in this house a year. I keep telling my husband I'm working on my 'house hunters staging skills'.

    I really would love to replace the pedestal sink in the powder room with a vanity. It would look so much nicer, not to mention storage! hello! My husband is not so keen on the idea since our house is only a year old, and we will only have to live with no storage for another year.

    He's just no fun!

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  32. Where did you find the shelf liner paper???? I LOVE it

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  33. I LOVE your blog! I've also been needing to do a few bathroom remodels. Painting cabinets has been pretty intimidating for me. I've painted a few pieces of furniture with a foam roller and foam brushes (as was recommended by home depot workers), but I didn't love how they turned out. What do you think is the best products to use when painting cabinets. Any tips for a smooth finish?

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    1. I think it has to do with a few things:

      1. Quality of paint - the better quality the paint, the nicer it levels once painted

      2. Quality of roller/brush - I like soft bristled brushes, it really is worth it to invest in a nicer brush, they last a long time and really help eliminate streaks within the paint finish. I also like the mini-rollers, however, the ones with more of a microfiber finish instead of foam seem to work better.

      3. Sanding in-between coats - Very lightly sanding in-between your coats really helps to smooth things out even more. And coats should be nice and thin. :)

      You can also add Floetrol to your paint, which is intended to give a smooth finish.

      Hope that helps a bit! Happy painting!

      xo,
      Jen

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  34. Jen,
    I follow your blog faithfully and love everything you do. I would love to know if you can tell me where is a good place or online store to purchase decorative contact paper. You always use the coolest paper. I am in the process of redoing our Master Bath and would love to do the inside of my vanity with paper like you used. I cannot find any that is updated at any of my local shops. HELP.....PLEASE!!!!!

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    1. I love purchasing it on Amazon from the Macbeth Collection (http://amzn.to/14qIqYW). I also find it frequently at TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls. But you have to be ready to search and dig at those places, most often times in the kitchen dept but also in stationary from time to time.

      xo!
      Jen

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  35. can't wait for the reveal. looove me some kilz!

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