The Big Reveal

Okay, here it is...the moment you've all been waiting for.... (or, at least, the moment I've been waiting for):

The new second floor bathroom! Tadaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

(That fuzzy pink thing at the bottom of pic no. 4 is my knee - I'm wearing my bathrobe. Sexy, I know.)

I had a feeling that I wasn't gonna have enough time to get some pics this morning and I ended up taking them last night. So, I apologize for the glare and the color being off and the general crappiness of quality.

This remodel was 99% DIY. Mike did everything from gutting the room himself to building the beautiful mahogany decking around the air tub. This room in particular was a compromise for us, and I am really happy with the results. We wanted a spa-like feel, but had to keep it kid-friendly. And, for Mike's sake, I didn't want anything too feminine. I have to say, I think we did okay. I think we spent just over $6,000, all in all. Not too bad for a complete gut job. The room had been the smallest of four bedrooms on the second floor and while some would disagree with swapping out a bedroom for a bathroom, we ultimately decided it was the right thing to do for us. I'm working on a before and after post, to better illustrate the transformation. I'll also be including details for all of the products we used in the remodel.

There are many, many little things that still need to be dealt with* but for the most part, we're callin' it d-o-n-e!

*I suppose one of those things would be window treatments. I should probably try to get those up before Mike gives the old lady who works at the church next door a heart attack.

Sneak Preview Time

Well, I may have stopped posting for a while, but we have NOT stopped working! There is much to be blogged!

So, I'll start with a little sneak preview of the finally-almost-done second floor bath. When we bought the house, we decided right away to turn the smallest second floor bedroom into a bathroom. I know, I know, probably not the smartest move resale-wise, but as of now we have no intention of moving and the existing second floor bathroom just wasn't cutting it (i.e., is that a hole in the floor?).

Mike has been hard at work on this project, as we have an appraisal coming up and apparently you really NEED a bathroom for a house to have maximum value. Again, this is only a sneak peek, but I should have the final, finished bathroom ready to post by next week. Here is our lovely new shower stall, sans glass door and shower heads:

Okay, the color is a little "off" due to the early morning light, but you get the picture. I swear this stall is bigger than the entire downstairs bathroom. I should have thrown the kids in there for a nice size comparison. Here, I'll do a mock-up instead:

See, I told you it was big. Finn's on the left and Cullen's the one with the big head.

And, a close-up of the tile and border:

I cannot WAIT for this room to be done. I expect it will be life-changing.

Mike and I are already fighting over who gets the first shower. I suppose he did do all of the grunt work. But, I suspect if I snuck in he wouldn't kick me out. Or, maybe he would - it's just that awesome.