We’ve hit the half way point on our one room challenge master bathroom renovation! It’s hard to believe. If you’re just joining us for the fist time make sure to check out all of our progress.
Since Michael and I both work full time, this one room challenge happens for us on the weekends and a few days during the week. And, we happen to travel often…so we may lose a weekend here and there, too. It’s kind of crazy to think you can actually gut an entire bathroom and make it brand new in less than 6 weeks. But we did the same thing last year in our master bedroom – but instead of taking the room down to studs we spent that extra time adding new hardwood floors, trim and doors throughout our entire 2nd floor. You can check out the reveal here!
This week we are going to chat about all of our progress from drywall, mud and tape to cement boards, electrical, paint and tile decisions. We even got a chance to swing by Rob’s workshop to check-in on our custom vanity build! The boys sure thought that was rad!
M: Hey guys! I will be the first to admit that mudding and taping can seem like a daunting task. In the 15+ years that I’ve been doing this (whether full-time or as a hobby), mudding and taping was a step I avoided like the plague. But in time I’ve gotten fond of the task…there’s just something rewarding in it. I won’t give you a step-by-step here (if you really want one just let us know and we can create it) but will tell you how I do it and a way to make it easy on yourself. First, make sure you have 3 different sized knives – 6in, 8in and 12in. Starting with the smallest blade apply a generous coat of mud to your seams and screws. By generous I do not mean globs, I mean enough to where you will need to sand it to blend in…but go over it to make smooth. One you hit a seam, add tape and go over with another coat of mud. For me that is my first coat. Let dry and apply your next layer with the 8in blade. Then finally a final layer with you 12in blade. When it comes time to sand the thickness in size will ensure you get a much smoother blend.
Tips on how to pick the right paint for your space
Paint can be the one element that quickly and simply transforms your space. So when it comes to picking the right color/shade you want to make sure you’ve got it right. Here are some easy tips and tricks to picking out that perfect paint for your space.
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Decide on a color you want to work with
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Pick out different shades of the color you like
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Bring the paint samples (strips) home
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Put the paint in the room you are going to use it
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Make sure to view the paint facing the way you will actually see it. For example, if it’s going on the wall you want the paint to be viewed on the wall, that way the light hits it the same way you are going to see it.
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Once you’ve narrowed down your choices to a few options (3-4) go buy the samples and paint some on you wall space
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Make sure to do the samples all over to see the different lighting the space gets.
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Look at the paint early morning, mid day and at night, that way you can see how the paint reads in all the different natural light.
M: Prior to drywall, mud and tape, and of course paint, we needed to do some additional electrical work. Since we are going from a single sink to dual, we needed to remove a window and add 2 more boxes to give us 3 sconces versus 1. All of this customization commotion creates curiosity amongst our two helpers in training. The boys just love watching and hearing all about how things are done. As parents who are passionate about our work these moments make our hearts melt. So our advise is to always take a moment, even when on an insane deadline, and teach. It’s those moments that will make any reveal that much more special.
This space has been all about the tile. Although it’s a small space there is a whole lot of tiling going on. I decided I wanted to go big and bold with our flooring, so we went with a black and white pattern to draw attention to the space and help give the room a little more depth. Inside the shower we went with a marble look to provide a luxurious feel with the black French Shower Doors. On the floor inside the shower we are going with a hexagonal mosaic tile to give another layer to the shower space and help with the slipping aspect too! I know I know…I’d dying to show you the tile too but we didn’t get it in yet. So I’ll leave you with these rad boxes on our stairs making their way into the bathroom.
I am loving how the space is coming together and I cannot wait to show you even more next week. A few more design aspects we’ve got going on are the sconces on the wall and oval natural wood mirrors we will be adding next week!
Thanks for checking in with us! More to come next week.
Much love –
Danielle and Michael
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