Once upon a time, there was a bathroom built in the '90's. It was covered in damask fabrics, heavily patterned wallpaper with naked Greek figures, dark cherry woodwork, and dark gray granite. We desperately disliked this bat…
Once upon a time, there was a bathroom built in the '90's. It was covered in damask fabrics, heavily patterned wallpaper with naked Greek figures, dark cherry woodwork, and dark gray granite. We desperately disliked this bathroom, but it served a function and that was what it was... functional.
I dreamed of the day I could remodel this bathroom. What would I change? What would I keep? Let's start with the vanity...
Definitely keeping the vintage sinks. I love the little floral pattern around the edge. They are timeless. I love the shape of the faucet, but the hard water has really done a number on them, so they are going.
The vanity is really great but it's worn out. I like having drawers but don't really use all the space. It's a clutter keeper and I don't need any more clutter.
Now, let's focus our attention on the bathtub. I like the jets. I finally figured out how to properly clean them so there isn't black gunk in the tub every time I run the jets.
Now you are focused on how I cleaned the jets, right?
Okay, I will digress. Just this once.
Fill tub with very HOT water
(completely up with water over the jets)
add THIS to the tub
Turn on the jets and let run for 15 minutes
Drain water and rinse tub well
Repeat if black crud is still coming out of the jets
Fill tub with hot water and one cup white vinegar
Run jets for 5-10 minutes
Drain and rinse tub
***After every tub use, drain the tub completely then turn on the jets for 3-5 seconds to blow out the remaining water.***
This is how I kept my jets perfectly clean!
Okay, back to the bathtub...
See those curtains and that window? That overlooks the neighborhood pond, which means zero privacy. I had shrubs in front of the window, but that just blocked my beautiful view. The curtains were not easy to open and close. I had to physically get in the tub to reach the curtains. This is the main reason we decided to ditch the tub and surround.
Okay, here comes the grossest part.
The shower.
This enormous, ugly shower tower hasn't worked since we purchased the house. That is 13 years. We recently installed a new handheld shower so we could still use the shower. The grout was starting to pop out so we knew we had to address that asap. Ugh. I don't know what else to say about this shower except that it is screaming for an update.
There is another issue with the shower. We freeze in here. The hip wall with no door is NOT working for us. It's also a very dark space:
I don't like junk collectors and there are a few in here.
I finally got the go-ahead to remodel the bathroom, so I headed to a local, Oklahoma family owned tile store, MillCreek. They have a store in Edmond, Oklahoma not too far from my home. They had previously reached out to me about providing materials for a remodel, so this was a great opportunity to get this bathroom started! I met with their in-store designer and began selecting tile for the bathroom. Below is the first selection I brought home:
After living with the samples in my space for a week, I decided there just wasn't enough movement in the tile for me. So I headed back to MillCreek and the designer showed me this gorgeous Daltile called Marble Attaché. I did a little survey on my Instastory and the "Movement" won out, in a landslide.
I have had this next photo saved on my phone since 2014.
Things I loved:
marble walls, ceilings, floors
niche
bench
glass door
The next photo always stopped me in my scroll.
The large marble tile up the wall and on the floor is a statement!
The brass hardware is timeless!
That gorgeous chair and the depth and richness it added to the room!
The chandelier... totally fab!
The glass walls of the shower!!
I began looking for something rich and dark for a vanity, much like Amy Studebaker Designs did here.
I spent days scouring antique stores, craigslist, and facebook marketplace. I actually found the perfect buffet but didn't grab it fast enough. After another two months of searching, I located another one in Kansas City. My son and I hopped in the car (after carefully measuring it twice- 98" long) and drove six hours each way to pick it up.
Here it is in the back of my vehicle. It was tight and the seller was worried, but I knew it would work!!
Here it is in my entryway. I traced my sink to make sure it would really work, otherwise I was going to have to keep looking.
Yay! It's perfect!
Next, on my list to do would be finding the perfect slab of marble. I started visiting every single slab yard in OKC. I really wanted a pink slab of marble. I love how antique pieces sometimes have some sort of pink/coral/red marble top. I thought a pink color would make this piece look even more stunning, would tie in with the pink on my sinks, and would be a fabulous contrast to the white marble flooring.
This is how I came across Young Brothers, the oldest family run fabricator and showroom of natural stone, granite, and tile in OKC. Their showroom downtown is STUNNING, y'all. I had NO IDEA they even existed. If you are in the market for gorgeous slabs of non-edible yumminess, you MUST make a stop at Young Brothers. Please tell them I sent you.
...oh, and guess what? They have PINK marble.
They gave me a little piece to bring home.
Here is the sink:
Here is the marble next to the sink:
Checking marble off the list!! YAY!
The next item on my list was a fabulous bathtub. I really wanted to support a local company, but didn't realize how local Jetta was. They are actually made and distributed right here in Edmond, Oklahoma! They welcomed me into their beautiful showroom full of every bathtub my heart could desire!!
And what better way to find a bath than to GET IN!!
I got in almost every single one! This was a hard decision!
The wonderful staff at Jetta was so helpful in helping me choose the perfect tub for my space. There are different options for every single want or whim.
I considered just replacing my jetted tub with this one. It is sleek, streamlined, and would fit perfectly in my space, but those pesky curtains keep entering my mind.
Then, this happened. My husband got in this newest quartz tub that Jetta carries.
DEMO DAY!
Out goes the tub!
I actually listed the tub on facebook marketplace and a man drove 100 miles to come pick it up!
The bathroom already seems so much bigger!
Next, is the shower and that wall.
Layers and layers of tile and cement
Do you see the wall is gone?
and the vanity?
The boys and I loaded all of the demo onto the trailer and headed to the city construction dump. That was an interesting family memory and definitely the highlight of Spring Break!
The tile has arrived from MillCreek. Huge, heavy boxes.
It helps to lay out the pattern before installing just in case you have repeat tiles. Listen to me now and believe me later.
Squealing... it is looking so good!
The water heater and HVAC is in a room causing that little jut out into the shower. We considered moving it, but that would just drive the cost up, so we left it.
My original plan was to install the pink marble on the bench, but as you can see, that would have not flowed well with the overall design. I did not want any more distractions to the eye and just wanted a clean feel to the bathroom, so we completed the tile on the bench.
This was a fun day... we moved the bathtub and the vanity into their respective spots.
Drew Carter, co-owner & Vice President of Young Brothers, and 4th generation in the Young family, came and measured the antique vanity for the new marble. He is a pro at what he does.
Later that week, Drew sent me this rendering of the vanity top.
A few weeks later, this arrived:
His crew went above and beyond: protecting all surfaces, leveling, building support...
The new vanity marble fit like a glove.
And now I give you the full reveal:
Original double doors, now freshly painted white, welcome you into the master bathroom.
A darling chair, formerly owned by Charles Faudree, graces the tub and provides a place to set your towel while bathing.
The new shower is beyond amazing.
A glass wall and door retain plenty of heat but open the once very dark shower to light. The porcelain Daltile in Marble Attache, Calacatta from MillCreek looks like real marble, but is durable and stands up to hard well water.
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| CCK6172 |
This polished brass shower system by Kingston Brass is as gorgeous and luxurious as it looks.
This is a brass towel ladder that I built. We already love it.
I don't have a DIY for it. You know me. I just make stuff without doing a DIY, but I took some pictures as I made this, so maybe I'll get around to posting it if you are interested. ;)
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| vintage mirror |
The vanity turned out exactly as I had pictured. Leaving it unpainted, in it's original condition, gives warmth to the otherwise very white bathroom. The sconces are original to the house and the pair of mirrors were found separately; one at a local consignment store and the other one on eBay. I found one more and linked it above.
Don't you love the way the pink marble picks up the pink floral swag in the vintage sinks? Wall mounted faucets and a push pop-up drain from Kingston Brass offer a traditional touch in a modern mounted way.
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| KS1222AX |
The freestanding quartz bathtub from Jetta Corp. is beyond amazing. 100% natural, extremely durable, excellent heat retention, and easy to clean (hello four boys). It is a gorgeous statement piece in the bathroom.
I can finally reach the curtains. My neighbors will thank me. :)
That chandelier has moved with us since we were married and has been moved three times in this home. The curtain rod and curtains are custom.
That chandelier has moved with us since we were married and has been moved three times in this home. The curtain rod and curtains are custom.
Another gorgeous brass fixture from Kingston Brass sets the bathtub apart. This tub filler is everything.
I am beyond grateful for my sponsors:
Jetta
(bathtub and drain)
Kingston Brass
(bathroom faucets, tub filler, and discounts on the shower system and drains)
Young Brothers
(marble slab)
MillCreek
(tile, setting/prep, and finish material)
Without them and my wonderful subcontractors, this project could not have happened.
You, dear readers, have been my constant cheerleading squad. I appreciate all of your words of encouragement during this remodel. It's a little like birthing a baby. You forget all of the hard days of demo and construction when you walk into a completed beautiful bathroom.
To see other Before and Afters in my home:
Kitchen
Porch
Powder Bath
Entire House
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