#AJoyfulReno: Our Bathroom Renovation Pt. 1

Demo has begun on our tiny little bathroom! Everything has been torn out and it’s been stripped down to the studs. As I mentioned in my first home renovation post, there are two skylights which bring in a ton of natural light. But when we removed the shower we got yet another window! Whoever updated the bathroom before us literally just boarded up the window and installed the shower overtop. So from the outside of the house you could see a random window with planks of wood covering it. It looked janky to say the least!

Here are a few shots of the bathroom before we started the demo. It wasn’t in bad shape compared to the rest of the house but was very small and the plumbing needed to be completely redone. We visited this website and many more websites to find the right plumber for the job. And since we wanted to make it bigger and change the layout we are saying goodbye to the old and hello to the new! If not for Leading Edge Plumbers in Encino we would have found it so draining to purchase every product and install them. We actually just ordered a new tub, toilet and sink after consulting them – so exciting! We still haven’t decided on the floor and shower tile but I’m sure after a few more trips to Pratt & Larson we will make the final call, after which Leading Edge is going to make its mark with splendid finishes to the room.

And here is what our bathroom looks like now. Bare bones people! It’s hard to show the space when there are no walls, but this gives you an idea. We extended the bathroom two feet into the spare room to accommodate the new layout.

It’s so hard to imagine how it will all come together right now, but it’s going to be so cool to see the process. I’m looking forward to getting the new window installed because as you can see it’s still boarded up at the moment. The square in photo below is the old boarded-up window that was behind the shower!

We plan to keep the vanity where it was (to the left of the door) but move the toilet under the window and have the tub to the right of the door. I think that layout makes more sense and allows for more room to walk around. In the original bathroom there was no way James and I could both be in there at the same time. Of course since we extended the bathroom into the spare room that will automatically make it feel a bit bigger. Two feet might not seem like much, but it really does make a huge difference. Especially since the original space was so small!

We decided on a pocket door to save space since there was no good way for a traditional door to open. If it opened into the bathroom it would be blocking the tub, but if it opened into the hallway it would block the landing if someone was coming up the stairs. Neither James and I are huge fans of pocket doors but it was a good solution for this particular space. Compromise is the key to surviving a renovation!

I’ll post another update once the tub, toilet and vanity are installed. We really need to decide on the tile but there are just so many options. We definitely like neutral tones, but maybe we will go with white for the shower tile and add a bit of colour on the floors. I can’t decide! Honestly it changes every day. One moment I like white subway tile, the next day I fall in love with grey hex tile! It’s a big decision but we need to make it soon.

Stay tuned!

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