Hi friends! If you came to my blog today hoping to see a finished DIY project with pretty photos, this is not the post for you. Nope. Today I am sharing some details and photos that may want you to avert your eyes. That's right, we are going behind the scenes of our so-called glamorous life.
Y'all, just because my house looks totally clean and tidy in the photos you see on my blog DOESN'T MEAN MY HOUSE LOOKS LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME. I promise. Now, it isn't messy all the time either. We are probably an unusually tidy and clean family. But the truth is that the time between starting a renovation and finishing it is well…a HOT MESS. And when we are in the middle of a renovation, the rest of our house suffers. Want proof? Just keep reading.
We are in the midst of a complete bathroom gut job, and it's the first of its kind. We gutted and renovated the kitchen in our last house (pre-blog), but we didn't change the layout of it at all, so it was a pretty easy project. This bathroom, my friends, is a whole ‘nother ball game. And it's kicking our butts.
First, let's take a look at the GORGEOUS (insert sarcasm) bathroom we started with. This bathroom is shared by our twin girls. Take a look.
YES, that is carpet you see. Try not to be jealous.
And it's not just carpet. It's DIRTY carpet (it's looked that way since we moved it–it makes me gag a little bit whenever the girls' bare skin comes into contact with it).
The plans for our bathroom renovation are extensive and involve removing the door separating the toilet and shower area, moving pluming and electrical, adding a window to the shower (so that this cave of a bathroom can get some NATURAL light), brand new tile, cabinets, sinks, tub and fixtures. Phew. Yep, it's a total overhaul. Here's a rendering of what the finished space should look like. You can read more about our plans for the bathroom here.
Well, we are officially making progress toward that goal, friends! Last week, the carpet, and everything else in the bathroom, was completely ripped out. Here are some photos of the demo in progress. Note that those paint samples were behind the old mirror when we removed it. We are NOT planning to use any of those colors, no matter how delighted our twins were when they saw the “pretty paint.”
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So yeah, the photo on the bottom right is the current state of our bathroom. It's a mess, but on the bright side, the carpet and wall are gone. YAY! I have to look on the bright side because otherwise it gets a tad overwhelming to think about.
I also have to look on the bright side because I do not enjoy messy spaces, and THIS is the current state of my formerly lovely dining room. It's the staging area for our bathroom renovation, so it's full of our amazing tile from Floor & Decor (I can't wait to show it to you!), plumbing and electrical supplies…and oh yes, the new bathtub. #LordHelpMe
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So, just in case you thought I was leading a super glamorous life, I wanted to assure you that you are wrong. It's not always pretty, finished photos around here. More often than not, we are knee deep in some project and I spend most of my days looking sweaty and covered in DIY grit in my favorite pair of work overalls.
This, my friends, is the look of DIY happiness on my face. Because at the end of the day, despite the mess and feeling like we will never finish, I LIVE FOR THIS STUFF. And I'm so glad you like it to, because you are the whole reason I have this blog I love so much. So thanks for listening to me babble today.
I will leave you with something pretty :) Here's the mood board for the bathroom renovation. Almost everything you see in is our dining room, though the lights should be here later this week and I can't wait to see them in person!
SOURCE LIST:
- White subway tile: Floor & Decor
- Gray wood plank porcelain tile: Floor & Decor
- Sink cabinet, sink and faucet
- Aqua and Coral towels
- Metal mirror with shelf
- Flower bath mat
- Vanity Light
- Wooden Numbered Wall Shelf
- Faucet wall hooks
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Cant wait to see the finished product! Its going to be so great! I love seeing progress posts! The behind the scenes its what makes the projects so great!
I have lived through a bathroom reno so know how you feel about the overwhelmed part.
Also – I have the bathroom floor in the grey wood tile – everyone who sees it loves it so you made a good choice!
Keep showing us the non glamorous side of your projects – it keeps it real.
Thank you Rebecca! It was a fun post to write, so I do think I’ll share more behind the scenes in the future!
It’s going to be gorgeous, Tasha! I can’t wait to see it all finished! My girls’ bathroom looks eerily similar to your before shot, so I’m living vicariously through you. And maybe someday I’ll get the courage to gut mine, too! :)
Thanks so much Laura! I’ve never, ever, ever been so excited to rip out carpet. And you should totally go for it. Demo was exhausting, but oddly exhilarating!
Oh wow, that’s great. It looks like it will be a really nice bathroom once it’s finish. =D
Thanks so much, Marie! We definitely think it will be worth it in the end and we are saving soooooo much money by DIYing it!