Bathroom Remodel; Details, Details, Details

     I am a big-picture person. I get really excited about big ideas. Minutiae drives me crazy. Lock me up in a room with a micro-manager and somebody's liable to get hurt. Sooo, this bathroom remodel has been a bit of a challenge for me. I knew I wanted it to be a relaxing, spa-like, sort of modern-ish space; and I think we've pretty much achieved that look; in spite of a few details that nearly put me over the edge.

     So, for those of you who like me just want to 'getter done', here's  a bit of advice...

*If you are using more than one type of tile as I did; pick your grout color when you pick the tile. I did not. It turns out that the tile on my floor and bathtub surround has subtle shades of greenish gray to it. I knew that. I love green-that's why I picked it. BUT my glass tile, though it has some greenish gray in it, has a lot more slatey gray with blue in it. So-when I looked at the 50 or so possible colors of grout, I soon realized that there was really only 1 color, and I mean ONE color that would contrast nicely with both of my tiles--pewter. I had to go back to the tile store and get a designer to help me with this decision. Which leads me to the next piece of advice...

*When you buy your tile, consult the designer first. Walk right past the salesman and ask to see the designer. Because the salesman is good at sales. He loves sales. He doesn't care what you buy as long as he makes a sale. But the designer loves design. She doesn't care what you buy, so long as it looks great.

*Measure, measure, measure. Now I do know enough to measure stuff, really I do! I even memorized the measurements of my new vanity. What I did not think about, was the fact that my new Quiozel lights hang much lower than my old dressing room style lights. (That ugly chrome strip with four big bulbs sticking out from it.) So the mirror I bought for my vanity was too big for the space. We are probably going to have to have one custom made. No big deal, I just wish I'd have thought about that first.

     That said, I LOVE MY NEW BATHROOM! Here are some of the details I did good on:

That deep tub. It's from Kohler's Sterling series. It's about 18 inches deep with a nice sloping back. When we shopped for tubs I swallowed my pride and crawled into them to try them out for size. We bought this one at Lowes, and it was up on the second shelf. So I climbed up on the boxes below to get into it. I'm sure I looked silly. It was worth it.

The accent glass tile. It was expensive, but it's one of my favorite features. It makes me feel like I am sitting on the beach at Semiahmoo or Chuckanut Bay. That's because the colors are all the colors you find on our local rocky, driftwood strewn beaches. Very Northwestern. It's called Cascade and is by Crystal Glass. The floor tile is by Florida Tiles and is in the Tuscana collection. The color is Verde.

My granite vanity top. I decided not to cut corners on the vanity top. I took my tiles and wood color with me when I picked it out. It has every color of both of my tiles in it--and again, it is feels very Northwestern. We ordered it from Lowes. I can't remember the brand, but it's called Canyon.

Those beautiful light fixtures are by Quoizel. My camera doesn't do justice to them. They cast the softest white light I have ever seen. I found them at Village Lighting, a local lighting store.

The brushed nickel faucets are Windermere by Delta. I think they are a discontinued line. I love the simple lines.

The toilet is by Kohler, called Bold Power. It flushes quietly and it sits higher than some. This is important as you get older. If a toilet is too short, it's harder to get up and down on them. We're not that old yet, but we do intend to be here for awhile. (But I do now qualify for senior discounts at restaurants!)

My shower curtain is a swanky waffle weave and does not require curtain rings. The top half of it is a sheer white fabric which allows light in. The bottom half (inside) has a detachable fabric shower curtain liner (which attaches with buttons) and the outside is the waffle weave fabric. I absolutely require fabric curtain liners. Don't want to breath in all of those plastic resin fumes every morning.

Our contractor, Dean Harvey is a genius. Probably the most important choice of all. Dean removed walls, re-did plumbing, redirected heat ducting, does extradordinary tile work, and did a meticulous job. AND he didn't even mind being accosted every morning by Koda, our yellow lab; who was so happy to see him that she jumped all over him and demanded belly rubs! (I did take Koda to doggy day-care every day when I left for work-just to preserve Dean's sanity.)

Whats left?  I still need mirrors over the pedestal sink and vanity, some over-the-door brushed nickel hooks for towels (I don't have space for towel bars), some kind of window treatment, and a small stand that will house a few folded towels topped by a fern for that outdoorsy feeling I love. I'm also searching for just the right piece of artwork to go over the toilet. Something with those rugged, green elements we love so much here in Washington. Maybe a forest scene; or a rocky beach...we'll see.

When I get those final pieces added, I'll post some pictures that show the finished product-and the 'before pics'. But right now, I think it's time for a soak in that tub with some bubblebath and chamomile tea!

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