In this week’s blog post I’m sharing the progress we’ve made on our half bath reno and the prep we’re doing before the plumber comes.
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
HALF BATH RENO: THE BEFORE | ONE ROOM CHALLENGE WEEK 1
HALF BATH RENO: DEMO | ONE ROOM CHALLENGE WEEK 2
HALF BATH RENO: MOOD BOARD | ONE ROOM CHALLENGE WEEK 3
Week 4: Half Bath Reno
We’re at the halfway point of the Spring One Room Challenge and I feel like things are about to start moving VERY quickly.
When I think of the big things that need to happen in this space it doesn’t seem that bad. But when I start to think of all the little details that go into completing this space, I’m getting a little nervous. This week, our main goal is to get as much done as we can before the plumber comes early next week.
Things we can do before the plumber comes include:
- Adding drywall to most of the walls, excluding the portion of the wall where the plumbing for the wall-mounted sink is.
- Paint and install the pocket door.
- Work on the medicine cabinet.
- Determine the height for the wall-mounted sink, medicine cabinet and mirror, and the vanity light.
- I also need to decide on and order a faucet.
- Installing a new window. This is a long shot and will depend on the weather and if we can check everything else off our list first.
We weren’t able to get a ton accomplished at the beginning of this week. Our schedules were a little crazy. By Wednesday though, our schedules opened up a bit and we should be able to finish everything on our to-do list before the plumber arrives on Tuesday.
Progress + Prepping for the plumber
Early last week we added new drywall to the ceiling and pulled up most of the subfloor. We left ourselves a strip measuring about 14 inches though so we can still work.
The plumbers should have enough room to access everything they need to get done:
- Turning the plumbing for the toilet.
- Replacing all the pipes.
- Adjusting the height of the pipe for our bathroom faucet.
- Installing new shut-off valves.
Pocket Door
The wall with the pocket door is one of the walls we can tackle before the plumbers come. We already have the door and the hardware. All we have to do is remove the old and work on installing the new.
We purchased a 6-panel solid wood door to replace our existing pocket door. The one we have is hollow core with a flush surface. We wanted something a little more substantial in feel with a traditional look to it.
Paint Color
Since the bathroom is so small, I want to paint the inside of the door to match the color of the walls. This should help the door to “disappear” in the space. Helping it to blend in and not become a visual distraction.
I wish I had a little more time and the room was a little more complete before finalizing a paint color. But, in order to easily paint the door, I need to paint it BEFORE we install it.
I pulled a bunch of green paint swatches a couple of months ago and have been staring at them ever since. Immediately, I was drawn to Kennebunkport and Mistletoe by Benjamin Moore. I also really liked Artichoke by Sherwin Williams, which I used on my Mood Board. I also pulled a couple of colors by Magnolia since my local Ace Hardware store carried the line.
When I held my Artichoke sample up in the bathroom, it seemed way too dark for what I was wanting in the space. I then looked at my two Benjamin Moore samples in the room and decided to grab a sample of each to test them out.
My gut was pulling me towards Kennebunkport green but after putting them on the wall, Mistletoe was the clear winner. Kennebunkport had a bit of a blue undertone to it that I didn’t love. Mistletoe is a beautiful and classic feeling mid-tone green and is exactly what I was looking for. I can’t wait to see it on all the walls!
For the outside of the door, I’m planning on painting it a creamy white color. The door faces into the family room, aka Mikes’ man cave room. This room is undergoing a bit of a remodel itself and will eventually get repainted. I’ll pick one of the whites we’ve used in our home for now and call it a day.
INstallation
My plan was to get the door painted early in the week so we could install it by the end of the week. Meetings and the weather got in the way though.
We are supposed to have gorgeous weather Thursday so hopefully as your reading this, I’m painting our door. Send good vibes my way!
Once the door is painted, we’ll install the new pocket door hardware. After, I’ll touch up any paint that gets knicked in the process, and then we should be able to install the door.
My goal is to hopefully install the door Saturday. Right now, I have a ladder blocking the entrance so our dog doesn’t go in. We try to clean up each night but I don’t want him to get too curious and accidentally step on a nail we’ve missed and get hurt. I’ll be happy when we have a functioning door again!
Adding the walls
Drywall Installation
Last Sunday we were able to get the drywall up on the back wall where the toilet will be placed. Mike had to split this piece into two in order to fit it in through the doorway.
On Tuesday, I had a few minutes and was able to replace a piece of insulation that got a little beat up when he installed the drywall. I also cut the remaining pieces of insulation we would need for the wall before switching gears to figure out the paint.
On Wednesday, we were able to make pretty good headway on our list. This was the day Mike removed the pocket door. We then installed most of the drywall on this wall, leaving a small portion above the door still to do. Again, because the space is so tight, we had to split this piece into two pieces to get them through the door.
We then turned our attention to the longwall where the wall-mounted sink will be. Mike replaced the beige receptacle with a matte black one. We also removed the old vanity light fixture hardware and added a new one.
Next, we installed the remaining pieces of insulation so we could then move on to the drywall. This is when we hit our wall for the day.
We were hoping that we could divide the drywall into two pieces for this wall. One for the top and another for the bottom as we had done for the other walls. But, yet again, the space wasn’t big enough for us to maneuver one long piece for the top so we had to break it into two.
Mike had also measured and cut out a circle for the vanity light fixture, but instead of cutting the circle at 17 and a half inches, he accidentally cut it at 7 and a half inches.
When we went to install the piece of drywall, we quickly realized our error. We decided to hang the piece we had cut for the top left and call it a night. Saving the top right and bottom left pieces for this weekend.
Updating the Window
We left the window wall for now. We decided last minute to add “replacing the window” to our half bath reno to-do list. Since we will be replacing the window in this room it doesn’t make sense to add new drywall until we do.
Installing the window was something Mike was hoping to do before the plumbers come. But, with our busy schedules this week and with this cough he’s been fighting, he hasn’t had a ton of energy.
Thankfully, this isn’t something that needs to be done before the plumbers come. If the weather holds, there’s a small chance we might be able to get to it this weekend. If not, hopefully, as Mike starts to feel better, we can tackle this in early June after they’ve come.
Considering the layout
The last thing we’ve been working on is the portion of the wall where the sink, medicine cabinet, and vanity light will go.
This portion of the wall has a lot going on and a lot of factors that need to be considered when it comes to the layout of all the components
I need to consider the placement of the sink, mirror and medicine cabinet, along with the vanity light and the layout of the moulding and trim on the walls.
Determining the height of the sink
When we remodeled our bathroom upstairs and added a new vanity, we raised the height quite a bit. Our old vanity was super low. We raised it up to a height of 36 inches, making it more functional and comfortable to stand at.
I want to raise the sink in our half bathroom up to 36 inches above the finished floor as well. This is a good 6” higher than what it was.
Where to place the vanity light and mirror
After we figured out and marked the height of the sink, we next moved on to the vanity light, mirror, and medicine cabinet.
In order to finish placing the drywall on this wall, we needed to determine the height of the vanity light. To do this, we also needed to figure out where the mirror and medicine cabinet will go.
Mike and I spent a few minutes talking it all through and finally decided on placing the vanity light 17 and a half inches down from the ceiling. It’s around the height of where the vanity light was before which worked really well in the space.
This also gives us options when it comes to picking out a mirror. We can select something a bit longer and fill the space or choose a shorter option and maybe add a small shelf below.
Medicine cabinet
We also started work on our new medicine cabinet for the room. It will fit the width of the studs which is about 14 and a quarter inches wide. The box will be 20 inches long, which when measured out, felt like a good size for the space.
We got almost all of the pieces cut and need to work on assembling them this weekend. I’ll share more about this though, next week.
We’ll be able to determine the exact install height once I’ve picked out the perfect mirror. Since we’re DIYing the medicine cabinet, I need to find a mirror that I can install hinges to and will function with the cabinet we are building.
Wall Moulding Treatment
When considering the install of each item above, I also wanted to take into account the layout of the wall moulding. I want to make sure wherever we place the sink, vanity light, and mirror, it works well with the layout of the moulding design I have planned.
Taking this all into consideration now, and mapping it all out, will hopefully allow us to create a layout that all works well together and looks intentional in design. Fingers crossed we got it right!
Half bath renovation
If you made it this far, you probably need some bubbly and a brownie or two. I know I do just thinking about all the progress we’ve made, but still have left to go. Can we do a virtual cheers?
Next week, I’m hoping to share our DIY medicine cabinet. Also, the tile for our floor is in and I can’t wait to see it! I’ll share some sneak peek pics of it in my Instagram stories so be on the lookout this weekend!
Don’t forget to check out what the other designers are doing! For more inspiration and to cheer the featured and guest designers on, head to the One Room Challenge blog to follow along!
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