This week we got the shower waterproofed and ready for tile. I used the Schluter Kerdi-Board Kit specifically for tub and shower walls. It comes with everything you need to waterproof the shower except the mortar. It is pricey but I feel like it’s worth it because it is really easy to install and fairly foolproof. We used it in our upstairs bathroom renovation last year and it worked great!
First you put up all the boards and screw them into the studs 12” apart. The boards are very light foam and really easy to cut with a utility knife.
After all the boards are screwed in, you use the provided Kerdi band to waterproof the seams and the screw holes. This is kind of like drywall taping. You mix up some mortar and spread it on with a notched trowel and stick the Kerdi bands into the mud and smooth it out with a taping knife.
I also did some fun projects this week. I decided I needed to tackle the vanity. I couldn’t leave it as is with everything else in the bathroom having been redone. It just didn’t go with anything anymore. So, I committed to painting it!
Deciding on the color was the most difficult decision. In my original design, I was going to paint it grey, the same color as the door and do a faux white marble finish on the countertop. But then I started thinking about color and decided that the bathroom needed some! Everything was going to be black, white and grey with some gold hardware. I was planning on bringing in color with the decor and some greenery but figured this was the perfect opportunity. After all, it’s only paint! That’s the beauty of paint. It can be changed easily and cheaply so there is really very little risk. So, I got out of my comfort zone and brought in some color. I narrowed it down to a dark blue or olive green. I went with the green after some very persuasive friends insisted it would look good and finding some inspo pics on other IG accounts that I really liked. The color I chose is called “Woodland Moss” by Behr and I got a cabinet and trim specific paint in a satin finish.
I got a couple samples first and tried them out on a scrap piece of primed plywood. Then I got inspired to paint an arch behind the shelves with the same green as the cabinet and I absolutely love how it turned out. This wall needed a little pop to highlight the shelves.
It was really easy to do. I took a piece of string, held it in the center of the top shelf and held the other end of the string on the pencil and traced the radius. I used a level to draw the lines on the side, taped it off and painted it. I used a little trick to get crisp tape lines by adding a little bead of caulk to the tape seam, smoothing it out with baby wipes, let it dry for 20 minutes and then painted. This seals the tape and gives you a perfectly clean line with no bleed through.
Painting the cabinet was a process. First, I removed the doors and hardware and sanded everything down just a little to take the gloss off the finish. Then I primed everything and sanded it again with 220 grit. I also decided to add some interest to the doors and bought some tiny wood dowels and cut them down to fit inside the door frames to add some fluting detail. I just wood glued them on and primed them as well.
I painted two coats on the doors and cabinets and sanded with 220 grit between the two coats. I let them dry before putting the hardware back on and reattaching the doors.
I also added the little shelves to the old medicine cabinet and put a little piece of wallpaper behind them. I’m planning on tiling the edges next week when I start tiling the shower.
The last project I completed was the epoxy countertop with a faux white marble finish. I’ve been wanting to try this for years and this was the perfect opportunity! I bought a countertop epoxy kit from Giani Marble Countertop Epoxy Kit (linked) from Amazon. The kit comes with everything you need and detailed instructions. There’s also great videos on their website. The whole process was fairly easy and I would definitely recommend this as a great beginner DIY project. You can do this!
First, you start by cleaning the countertop with a brillo pad and rinsing with water. Then you prime it with the provided white primer paint. Let that dry, then paint the marble veining with the grey mineral paint and spritz it with water and dab it with the dry 2″ brush to get the desired effect. I let it dry overnight and did the epoxy the next day.
For the epoxy, you mix the activator into the resin, stir for 3 minutes and 30 seconds then pour it on the counter and spread it around with the foam roller getting the edges and the backsplash with the paintbrush. It’s relatively dry within 24 hours but isn’t completely cured for 7-14 days. It does drip for quite a while and they recommend leaving the plastic protective sheeting up for 6-8 hours.
Next week is the final reveal and the last big project to complete is the shower tile. Devin and I are both home this weekend which is amazing so we’re going to knock out as much as possible. I think we can do it! I’m excited for the big reveal and to have this major project completed. It’s been fun watching everyone crush their projects over the last 7 weeks. Be sure to check out the other awesome rooms on the One Room Challenge blog.
For a full tutorial on the epoxy countertop, check out my YouTube video and subscribe to the channel here: https://youtu.be/mRbjQhMWk1E
Thanks again for following along. And don’t worry, there’s much more to come! I’m just getting started!
