We are in the home stretch of our fixer upper renovation and we may just have saved the best for last! The master bathroom was the last room for us to tackle since the guest bathroom took priority. But now it’s time! This is where we started…
Before we closed on the house, this bathroom was in pretty bad shape. There was drywall missing, there was no toilet seat, and the shower was leaking. We actually had to repair the drywall first just so we could get through closing even though we knew we were just going to rip it all out again. The plan was to expand the shower as much as possible, using that dead space behind the fixtures. We were going to have to move the plumbing anyway because the shower head was not centered for some unknown reason. Even the plumber couldn’t figure out why it was like that.
So, that is what we did! We ripped out the shower stall and the wall and put in some new framing. We maximized the shower space, re-centered the shower head fixture and moved it up so a tall human (my brother) could shower comfortably.
We used the same Schluter Kerdi-board shower kit to waterproof everything to get ready for tile. The shower floor was also very un-level so we had do some work to get it to slope towards the drain.
To complete the waterproofing, all of the seams and screws need to be covered with waterproof banding and thinset as you can see below.
We chose this black and white marble looking ceramic tile for the floor that we got from Wayfair. I was pretty proud of these cuts around the drain but after I put it in, I regretted not orienting the drain to match the black diamond pattern. But it still looks really good!
Once the floor tile was installed, we covered it up to protect it before starting on the wall tile. We chose this beautiful green Zellige style tile that I am really excited about from Bedrosian’s that we also purchased from Wayfair. It’s going to look amazing!
I spent all day tiling and got a good amount done, but the niche was going to take some work! Lots of cuts to get a seamless look.
It was sooooo cold cutting tile outside. Every morning I had to remove ice from the tray and add hot water to thaw out the lines on the tile saw. I was cutting tiles well past dark and it was getting colder and colder. I had tiny little icicles forming on my fingers it was so cold! Luckily I had brought these little hand warmers that I used to warm up my hands each time I went inside. They were an absolute life saver during this part of the project!
It took me an entire day just to tile the niche, but it came out really great!
Tiling is done, now it’s time for grout!
We got this beautiful new Allen + Roth vanity from Lowe’s and it is a stunner! A new toilet, light fixture and accessories and this bathroom was done!
Another look of the before…
And after!
We also added a light above the shower which made a huge difference! And installed a sliding shower door.
It came out so great and Damien says it is his favorite room in the house. Which is a good thing, because it’s his primary bathroom!
We did it fam! This house was definitely a team effort. My husband, Devin, came to help us finish this project and many of my brother’s friends chipped in for different things to make this happen. We’re so proud of what we accomplished over the last couple of months!
We have reached the end of the renovation! I’ll share all the before and after photos next week, including a special gift that I had made for my brother as a little housewarming present.
Until next time, happy DIY-ing!
xo,
Selene Builds Things
