Weekend bathroom update...how to frame a bathroom mirror

 I have been slowly but surely moving along with the bathroom updates in my youngest daughters bathroom...this week I built a frame for the mirror...it just finishes the mirror off.

 Here it is in my shop all ready for painting

 I used my kregjig to make a simple frame with pocket hole construction...a little bit of detail moulding and I had myself a simple frame.

 A lot of people were asking how to attach a frame to an existing mirror.It's easy I just cut up some strips of thin plywood, it is just slightly deeper than the frame and clips. Attach the strips to studs in the wall with a couple of screws.

 Then paint the frame and make sure to paint at least an inch of the back of the frame so that the reflection is the same color as the front of the frame.

 I just used my nail gun to attach the frame to the strips of plywood, filled the holes and touched up the paint....really, it is that easy. Waiting for the paint to dry was the longest process in this project.

 I also finally took out my sewing machine and hemmed these drapery panels I bought months ago for this bathroom...what a huge difference full length double panels make to this area. I find shower curtains so....wimpy, they are too short and not nearly as full as they should be...so I chose these seersucker white drapes. I had to buy two shower curtain rods one I installed as high as I could for the drapes and one just slightly lower for the liner, I had to also find a longer than average liner...I got it from Bed bath and beyond...it was actually so long I had to trim it a little bit but that was easy enough. The drapes I found at Homesense.

 Seersucker and subway tile...love

 I also got to the job of building the face frame for the vanity yesterday...next I will cut out and install a foot detail, if all goes well...then I will be adding drawers slides and building basic drawers. I still have to decide if I want to build the drawer fronts and doors or if I will just have them built by a local cabinet door company....I'm just not sure what the best decision is on that.
 Don't even get me started on what color to paint this vanity cabinet...Sophie said maybe white would be too much white, but is that even really a thing? Maybe light grey to go with the faux marble tile floor and real marble accents on the wall....actually the accent tile comes off a little grey especially in photos but it is white it's just not as white a white as the subway tile is...I kind of like that.

Now you are up to date if you are following along...thank you so much for stopping by.

Bathroom week 3.5 update

 I sold Sophie's cabinet doors then yesterday I sold her sink and faucet...it was just the push I needed to get it removed and to install the pretty rectangular sink and the new faucet...
I knew the sink was pretty but wow what a huge difference the clean lines make....I am glad I decided to keep the counter because I don't think I would have it in me to make a counter right about now...this reno is kicking my butt a little bit...I typically work 6-7 hrs at a time on any given day in there...

 I had to grout just to be able to install the new strip Hollywood style light...it looks so glamorous...if you had told me I would be putting in this kind of lighting I would have told you NO...never...but sometimes its just right and here it is perfect...it makes for beautiful make-up lighting and it just sparkles, I used 25 watt clear bulbs. With the reflection of all the tile it just sparkles now.

 A little upgrade was over due with the toilet...I picked up a $15 chrome handle to replace the cheap plastic white handle...what a difference.

 This stage was admittedly a little scary, I haven't replaced many sinks...replacing faucets is really a simple job really anyone can do.

Next steps...I will build a chunky frame for around the mirror, then onto making a face frame for the cabinet with decorative feet..then doors and drawers, tiling down to the floor and crown moulding still needs to go up and the white drapes I have for the tub need to be hemmed...there's at least 2 more weeks of work to do.

Bathroom update week 3

I finally decided to start the tiling portion of Sophie's bathroom...I was kind of dreading it...not that tiling is hard but that it is very fussy and messy. 

Let's just say it is SO WORTH IT!!!! I am in love with this, and one thing I over looked was that you get double the impact with the reflection in the mirror...what a pleasant surprise.

When Sophie saw this tile installed she said it was amazing....that was so nice to hear, I am so glad she likes it. 

I just need to take down the light and tile that wall above the mirror but I am thinking I need a break today...

I used two sheets on either side, plus the extras tiles I needed to cut in half, so maybe 5.5 sheets total.

 I thought I would need my wet saw but this very thin and fragile tile that I bought years ago on Overstock needed a light touch so the only way to slice them in half was to use this old basic tile cutter, just score and snap... if you use these tiles do yourself a favor and pre cut your tiles in half...its not hard I swear.

Nothing more helpful than a premixed batch of tile adhesive, this is great for wall tiles...I back buttered all the subway tile and the marble detail.

I didn't want to start the detail lower than the outlet which meant I needed to create a little frame for the outlet to sit on so that it would sit flush as my tiles are different thicknesses...I think it worked out to be a nice detail for a problem solution. These things come up, you just have to deal with them. 

There is no going back now...because I sold all these doors this morning...its time to re-face and build a beautiful vanity front, add drawers and build all new fronts and doors...The sink is being sold tomorrow....

Sometimes I think I am overly ambitious but its always worth it in the end.... do you ever bite off more than you can chew?...I know a lot of people will run out of steam and projects will remain at a stand still sometimes for years...I am not really that type....I NEED these things completed. I thought maybe I could tackle two projects at one time but I realized I need to keep my focus on one project at a time to get things accomplished.

bathroom progress

I finished a lot of the painting in Sophie's bathroom yesterday...I painted the trim Birch white by General Paints and the blue wall is Pensive sky by Behr, I used this color in my master bathroom it's a nice soft greyish blue it goes perfectly with the marble look ceramic tiles.

 I installed a hook right outside of the shower for a towel.

What a big difference a few strips of MDF and a little bit of cove moulding can make. 

           

 I had this towel hook but it never fit properly so I made a custom plaque so I could mount it securly to the door and painted it with a fresh coat of Birch white.

Here's a reminder of how it looked before. 

Next I will be tiling the walls around the vanity, creating a frame for the mirror, installing a new light and replacing the sink with a new rectangular one from Home Hardware and a new faucet. 

 I found this brand new faucet on Kijiji for $20 unreal right?

I will just have to wait for some drier calm days to tackle that tile job...one day at a time.

bathroom update

 The weather let up a little last week and I was able to tackle some of the trim for Sophie's bathroom. There is no better way to see how off square your walls are than to just add mouldings.
 Don't worry because I removed that piece of wood from the post detail...it bugged me all night...as mistakes will do...that's how you know they are mistakes.
 I thought about taking out the laminate counter but I think it is OK to keep it... I can't justify a stone top so I would have to make a custom wood counter and I'm just not sure how that would stand up in here. I think a wood top with an under mount sink would look beautiful but it's an expense I didn't really consider so I am not sure it is needed.
But if it is to be done it will have to be done before the tile is started...

 I headed off to the lumber yard and picked up 100 ft of cove moulding and spent a few hrs one day last week adding that simple finishing touch. It is all waiting to be sanded then primed....
I spent about 1 hour quietly and alone, I love some alone time....wandering Lowes picking out touches and considering my options. I'm thinking of this pretty Delta faucet...I am not a fan of the builder basic ones although they are good quality they need a little more style for me.

 I picked up the strip make-up lighting, 2 big boxes of subway tile 200-3x6" traditional of course a new bronze knob to replace one of a handful of brass knobs that's still left, so I am ready to go. As I figured once Mason saw that light fixture she would want one too...I guess I will be selling two vanity light fixtures then.

 Here is a little visit down memory lane to my girls old shared bathroom where I painted the vanity white, built a mirror frame inset a cubby in a void of the wall and tiled some walls with my favorite subway tile and blue glass. I loved the wood toilet seats we had in this house I really need to spring for some of those for this house.

 Here is my old master bath with all the pretty bead board I installed. I loved the window casings I built and the antique legs on the vanity area, not to mention the bead board apron front for the tub...

One more little bathroom with the board and batten and all the crisp trim around the mirror I added...a little bit of trim and white paint go a long long way...the sink and faucet were also newly added during the update.

That's it for my little update...it's not a big change but it is a step in the right direction.