Creative Differences

We have not even bought this house, this major fixer-upper. And some days, I think it probably should not happen.

Sometimes, I r-e-a-l-l-y feel ready to tackle this project, with its major roof and gutter repair, with all the interior restoration that needs to be done. It will cost big bucks, but wow, we would be restoring this magnificent old house to its former glory.

And then other times, I think who are we kidding - take the easy road! Buy the lovely older home than only needs minor updating, kick back, and enjoy life.

But I suppose it all depends on how one enjoys life.

We have not even purchased - not even made an offer - on this place, and already, we are in dispute over how to handle remodeling the bathroom. We haven't had any other differences of opinion because we haven't talked about other projects - only the bathroom. But it's clear that we are not in accord at this point.

In order to have a master bathroom, we are going to have to sacrifice a second-floor bedroom. Which is OK - that still leaves three bedrooms on that floor, another bathroom, and a sunroomm, along with two bedrooms, bath, and gameroom on the third floor. The issue is which bedroom becomes the bathroom. I want the front bedroom; Gary wants the back one. I want the front one because it is next to the prospective master bedroom and it is the smaller of the two rooms. Gary wants the back one only because the front room has a fireplace, and he thinks it would make a better bedroom.

I have pointed out to him that using the back room would make a GIANT bathroom. It would make the master bath across the hall. And it would put two bathrooms right next to each other, and the front two bedrooms would have to walk past the master bath to get to their bath.

Plus, I think this house needs for the master bath to be en suite. At the price this house will end up, a master suite is a must. Plus, we've had one now for more than 10 years, and I don't care to return to a house without one.

His objection? He doesn't want a fireplace in the bathroom.

Furthermore, Gary does not really remember the layout of the upstairs. We were throwing out ideas last night, and he had some suggestions for configuring the rooms that will not work - he has the doors, windows, and fireplaces in all the wrong places. I showed him photographic evidence of his faulty memory, and he is still not convinced. He's really not one to concede when he is wrong - he is more likely to offer alternative theories as to why he could be correct. Perhaps this sort of thinking is advantageous in the cut-throat world of corporate management and explains why he is so successful. But here at home, it is not helping.

So, last night we pulled out our copy of This Old House Bathrooms - an old version with Steve Thomas that we bought when we remodeled our bathroom in 1993. We always found him entertaining. When This Old House Started, it was Norm and Bob doing virtually all the work, with the help of the homeowner. When Steve came on, he was clearly just a host. He would stroll in, in the middle of laying tile, and he would lay exactly one tile. We were pretty sure the crew re-did it as soon as he left.

But the book has great ideas and photos. I was surprised at how current the photos look - the retro bathrooms look great, of course, but even the very contemporary ones still look very modern, perhaps because they were very high-end and edgy at the time.

So I'm reading the section on how to incorporate the master suite into the old house. When I run across this:

"Especially in an old house, bathroom renovation can be an all-or-nothing proposition. My wife and I once owned a lovely Greek Revival house built in 1846 and last plumbed probably in the 1940s ... The master bathroom had been installed in a sizable bedroom, the most dramatic feature of which was the large fireplace."

I rest my case. Gary is not convinced.

We are only the master bath. What happens when we have to choose tile? Carpet? Paint colors? Kitchen cabinets? Countertops? Appliances? You get the idea.

This potential restoration could be the end of us. Maybe we should start looking elsewhere.