One project completed

Old House Journal is very specific when one talks of fixing up an old house. The words remodeling, renovating, and restoring are not interchangeable. Though that is true in any sense - there are no true synonyms, as all words have specific definitions and cannot be used in place of one another without sacrificing some context.

(Sorry - the English major in me has to pop out from time to time.)

I would like to think we are "restoring" our old house, not "renovating" nor "remodeling." Ideally, we are making this house what it used to be, restoring it to its original splendor. But we are also making it better - people in 1880 did not have bathrooms at all, nor did they have lovely kitchen with updated appliances.

OK - any appliances.

When we moved in, we added a third bathroom. It suits our lifestyle - we have been a three-bathroom family for the past nine years, and it's hard to go back. So that was our first order of business.

To do so, we had to evict Maddie from her bedroom. Selfish of us, I know; we sacrificed a bedroom for our daughter so we could have our own bathroom. She is getting her room back (we'll be painting next weekend - !) And ideally, she would have had her room first. But it had to do with our contractor and how he could work this all in. Maddie paid the price ... but we now have our bathroom, so I'm sure she is happy for us.

Three bathrooms. And half-bath downstairs.

I grew up in houses with two bathrooms. For six people. It never seemed strange, nor did it seem crowded. But I am one generation removed from people who barely had bathrooms - my grandparents both lived in houses that clearly added their bathrooms on years after they were built. One of those houses had an additional toilet and shower in the basement, which was not an uncommon practice in those days - it was considered unsanitary to have a toilet up where you lived.

Several of my friends had one bathroom - some didn't even have a shower. One toilet for the whole family. This was not the era of the ensuite master bath, of double vanities, of the separate tub and shower. Life was much simpler.

And you know what? We all survived. My family of six shared one shower, and it never felt like a hardship. Though having a second toilet was handy at times. Especially when someone was in the shower.

The bathroom with the shower was in the basement, nowhere near my bedroom. And once again, it just didn't seem like that big a deal.

What can I say - life has changed. And what I put up with then, I won't now. And I have to say, my life is much easier.

So here goes: Shots of our brand-new bathroom. I won't tell you how much it cost, but I will tell you that it cost nearly as much as our first house cost 18 years ago - wow. And it is totally worth it.


The double vanity. Gary is on the left, I am on the right. Cabinets are cherry with an espresso finish.


My side of the vanity, with the linen closet on the right.


Close up of my sink. Fixtures are in brushed nickel - excellent for hiding water spots. Counter/sinks are cultured marble - again, they camouflage water spots and dirt exceptionally well.


Accent tile detail inside the shower. We used white subway tiles to capture that old-house look.


Accent tile in the bathtub. Note how well it coordinates with the wall color and the countertops - credit goes to my husband for making this recommendation.


The make-up table across from the shower - perfect use of this odd cubbyhole space next to the chimney from downstairs.


The shower. Must have separate tub and shower - ignore my comments from earlier about how we all used to get along with so much less - there is no way I'm hiking my leg over the side of the tub to get in the shower. How much should one put up with every day of one's life? Except for the days I take a bath?


The toilet. Located on its own, behind a pocket door - a necessity if one shares a bathroom. Especially when one shares with one's husband.


Reuse of existing closet shelves - they hold the towels, which now serve dual purpose as beautifully coordinated accent pieces. (Unless they're in the wash - which is often.)

Many thanks to my contractor, who executed our plan, and to our designer, who helped us maximize the space by cramming in every fixture I wanted: two sinks, separate tub and shower, make-up area, and private toilet - we got it all! Gary and I will take credit for choosing colors, tile, fixtures, and the overall coordination. It turned out great - modern enough, yet, ideally, still in the style of our century-old home.

Many more updates in the days ahead!