Upstairs Bath: Circa 1950's meets 21st century

This is the main floor bathroom, and although it is quite small it is still very functional. Every inch needed to be accounted for to keep it a full bath, as even though I don’t use the tub for a bath, I like the option of having one and it keeps a good resell value.

I kept my budget low by buying the same tile I used for the basement bath renovation and added a strip of accent tile made from natural stone and fossils to create a more unique and elegant design. The pieces for the accent tile are leftover rock tile from the basement bath and the black 1” marble mosaic were purchased from a local tile shop by the square foot. I found some ammonite fossils and had to cut the 1”x4” pieces of granite myself but this was easy with a decent wet saw. The pattern repeats itself along the wall and since I was using leftover stone pieces each large ammonite tile is a bit unique, giving a more interesting look.

I wanted to keep the bathroom simple and elegant, as I did not want to do this again, so the design had to be classic and timeless. The neutral color tile also needed to be easy to maintain, meaning no major scrubbing or polishing. The natural stone, rustic texture of this porcelain tile allows it to look good and hide water spots and also has enough texture for a non-skid surface.

It took me several years to accumulate the right parts and figure out the design, but it all fell together nicely. I tiled every night after coming home from work and fixing dinner from 9PM – Midnight. I would cut my pieces earlier during daylight hours so not to disturb the neighbors or my husband. He’d usually be snoring on the other side of the wall while I tiled.

The original shower plumbing was removed and I put in a single shower/tub fixture for a sleek and multifunctional look. The spray hose is much more efficient and can be lowered or raised for short or tall people or held to clean the sides easily.

The cabinetry were made by my husband from solid Black Walnut and Leopard wood. The sink, faucets and light were online purchases. The granite countertop was a remnant piece from a local shop, so it was a fraction of the “discount granite” shop one block away.

My original 2 week work schedule is quite laughable now, as the 6 week reality was still not that bad for a DIYer.

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe