Well, folks, it’s week 8 of the One Room Challenge and we’re ALMOST done with our bathroom! Today on the blog I’m sharing what held us up in the end and what I’ve learned for next time.
Missed a post from the prior week? Click on the links below to catch up on all the fun!
WE’RE FINALLY DOING IT | SPRING ONE ROOM CHALLENGE
WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 | WEEK 5 | WEEK 6 | WEEK 7
One Room Challenge – week 8
We’re Almost done with the bathroom
Our One Room Challenge bathroom renovation has come to an end and it’s been a crazy ride! I’ve been wanting to participate in this event for the last few years and I’m so glad I finally did.
While we didn’t finish our half bathroom in 8 weeks, I’m so proud of what we were able to get done.
Here’s what held us up
Up until this last week, Mike and I really thought we could power through and finish our bathroom renovation on time. But, a few things threw us completely off schedule preventing us from crossing the finish line on time.
The plumbing
One of the big things that held up our project was the plumbing. When working with the plumbers to schedule everything, we were told that when it was time to install, we just needed to give them a day or two notice.
Well, that turned out not to be true.
Mike took a couple of days off last week hoping we could knock out the remaining items we needed to complete before they came to install. But, when he called the plumbers to schedule, we were told they couldn’t come out right away.
This was the big turning point for us. Without the fixtures installed, the bathroom wouldn’t be complete. At this point, we decided not to push ourselves. Mike hasn’t been feeling well and we’d already pushed through a few late nights. Trying to get moulding up, caulked, wood filled, and painted all in time for them to come.
Knowing they wouldn’t make it before the 8 week deadline, we decided to pump the breaks and give ourselves a break.
A New Adventure
Another big change that prevented us from completing our bathroom for the One Room Challenge was, I got a new job. I’ve been looking for a bit and hoping I would land something before the end of the summer.
Well, as it worked out, I ended up starting my new job this week! I quickly became busy trying to get up to speed on my new role, company, and responsibilities.
So, when we found out the plumbers wouldn’t make it, and I wouldn’t be home to work on it during the day, it was an easy decision to slow down and take our time.
Backordered light fixture
The final hiccup we ran into that prevented us from finishing on time was our vanity light. I originally placed the order for my dream light fixture back at the beginning of May.
As the shipping date grew closer, I learned that it was back-ordered until mid-June. It was still due to arrive in time so I crossed my fingers and said a little prayer.
Luck was not on my side though and the light has been delayed until mid-August now. Without the vanity light we can’t finishing the final vertical and horizontal pieces of box moulding by the sink.
I’m hoping this is the final backorder and the light will arrive by the end of August. I’m in love with this light and had a hard time finding what I wanted within my price range. This one has a beautiful brass finish and I love that it has clear ribbed glass. The perfect modern touch for our traditional bathroom!
Things I learned for next time
Even though we didn’t finish within the 8 week timeframe, it doesn’t mean I don’t want to participate again. I would LOVE to do another One Room Challenge. I had so much fun following along, discovering new accounts, and having a community to cheer each other on and share frustrations.
Having finally gone through the process, there are a few things that I learned along the way that I think would make it easier going into the next challenge.
Go into the challenge with a pretty solid plan
It’s a good idea to go in with a well-defined plan so you have a direction and don’t have to spend time designing or spiraling on ideas. I had a pretty solid plan for our bathroom going into the Spring One Room Challenge and I’m so glad I did.
There were hiccups and changes along the way and that was bound to happen. Having a solid plan from the beginning made navigating those changes and pivoting, if necessary, much easier.
Source and purchase as much as you can ahead of time
If you’ve got a solid plan going into the One Room Challenge, I recommend ordering what you can as soon as possible. This way you’ll have the items on hand and ready to go when you are.
There were long lead times and lots of shipping delays on products due to Covid. We ran into issues a few times with products we’d picked for the space that were now either out of stock or had a long lead time.
Plumbing hardware we’d selected for the sink ran out of stock and we had to pivot and go with another option our plumber suggested that wasn’t ideal. This really compromised the look of the final design aesthetic.
As mentioned above, my dream light fixture for above the sink continues to be on backorder with no firm ship date in sight. Thankfully, this it’s critical to us using the space. The room also has an overhead light on the ceiling and we’ll use that while we wait.
Allow for extra time where needed
This may be obvious but it always surprises me how long things take sometimes. Tasks you think that should be quick always ended up taking longer than expected.
We ended up having to redo a few of the big projects in the space a couple of times because we just couldn’t get it right. The drywall is a perfect example of this. Also, we tried a few new things like installing a new window and laying the tile floor that we’ve never done before and this took extra time to learn and execute.
Make a plan for scope creep
What do I mean by scope creep? The scope is basically the planned project and everything that you need to do to complete the project. Scope creep is when you start adding on additional items to the original project that were not planned or budgeted for.
Sometimes you might start a project and realize that it’s necessary or makes sense to add on to your project. A good example of this is the window installation we did during our One Room Challenge bathroom renovation.
In our original plan, we were going to keep the existing window in our bathroom. All of our windows on the main floor need to be replaced. This window would be part of that project when we come to it. As we started demoing the space, we decided it made sense to try and replace this window now, as well.
We had the room in our budget and the walls opened down to the studs. It seemed to make sense to replace the window at the same time. What we didn’t take into account or plan for though were the changes to the exterior. The style of the new window we selected didn’t work with the way our exterior siding laid.
My advice when you start to think about adding on to your project is to stop, take a beat, and make a plan. The questions listed below might help you determine if it’s a good idea or not to move forward:
- Is the completion of the new project critical to completing your original planned project?
- How does this impact your existing budget and do you have the funds to add it?
- What are all the additional tasks you will need to add to your list to complete this new project?
- How does this new project impact the overall design of your existing project?
- What new materials will you need to complete the additional project?
- Are there any extended lead times on the additional materials needed that would prevent moving forward with the project overall?
Just have fun
My last and biggest take away from participating in the One Room Challenge to complete our bathroom is to JUST HAVE FUN!
Going in as a newbie to this event, I was nervous about the timeline. I worried about staying on track so we could finish this project in 8 weeks. But the One Room Challenge isn’t about competition or designed to make you feel overwhelmed.
It’s really all about finding community and support with others who are also in the same boat as you. They make it easy to find and connect with other accounts. I found this to be one of my favorite things about the experience. Making friends and cheering each other on as we share our progress as well as our frustrations together.
The One Room Challenge also provides a goal for those that want/need an end date to keep them accountable and continue making progress. The 8 week deadline may seem a little daunting but there is absolutely no pressure to finish in that time. You set your pace and determine how big of a project you want to tackle. It’s up to you how much you want to get done in that time.
I would absolutely participate again and I know they have another event coming up in the fall. I won’t be quite ready to jump back in with all of our recent life changes but don’t count me out for future ones!
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