Kids’ Bathroom

KidsBathroomBefore

This is what the kids’ bathroom looked like before we started our remodel.  The linoleum on the floor wasn’t horrible looking, but the vinyl-type wall stuff was pretty bad.  The bathroom was TINY – like room for one person tiny.  This was the only bathroom in the house when we started the remodel, and we knew that with three teenagers and two adults, it would definitely not work for our family.

The end result of the remodel is beautiful, much roomier, and will work really well for the kids and as our guest bathroom.

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The width of the shelving at the end of the tub/shower is the amount of space we added  to the bathroom.  Those shelves will eventually be enclosed with a door, but for now this is what we have.  There is room for each of the kids to have their own shelf, and there is a plug-in above one of the shelves for them to charge their toothbrushes or plug other things in if they need to.

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The demo process involved ripping everything out of the bathroom, down to the sub-floor and studs, extending the wall into the kitchen about 2-1/2 feet, moving some plumbing, and then putting it all back together.  We did it in stages so that we could keep the toilet functioning as much as possible since it was the only toilet in the house, but there were several weeks off and on where we had to go without. 🙁

Those nasty looking brown squiggles on the wall?  That is the glue that was under the vinyl wall paneling, and it was a mess.  We ended up tearing down all the sheetrock and replacing it with greenboard for moisture protection.

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Pip decided she need to help me install sheetrock screws – by sitting in my lap and making it difficult for me to work.  It didn’t matter how many times I moved her, she came right back.

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Todd’s mom, Anita, did the mudding, taping, and texturing in the bathroom, and she did a great job!  The strip on the ceiling in the lower picture is where the old wall was, and Anita did such a good job that it is not even visible now.

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My dad and I laid and grouted the tile.  We started off with both of us working, but after he made the cuts around the toilet drain, we came up with a new system.  Since he was still on weight restrictions after having his ankle replaced, he sat in a chair in the hallway, cut the tile with the scorer, buttered it with the tileset, and then I laid the tile.  It ended up being a great system that we continued to use throughout the house.

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I had laid tile before, but I hadn’t ever grouted, so he helped me grout the bathroom.  It was easier than I was expecting, but I had really sore muscles for several days.  We used painter’s tape to block the doorway from our little four-legged family members so they wouldn’t walk on the fresh grout. 😉

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Once the tile was grouted and sealed, our friend, Justin, came over and helped Todd with the final plumbing and tub surround.

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Harley has started expanding her artwork, and made a painting that is abstract, but is similar to a Rothko painting.  It is reminiscent of the beach, and it fits perfectly in the bathroom.  The kids plan on hanging it right above the toilet.

I absolutely love the way this bathroom turned out.  It is relaxing and serene, but still has a great amount of functionality, which is important to both Todd and me.  It is most definitely a successfully completed part of the remodel!

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