In the Zillow listing and on a first inspection, the guest bathroom didn’t look too bad. The style wasn’t quite to our taste, and as we considered making an offer we said to ourselves, “We’ll probably want to redo that bathroom, but it will be fine to start with.” Then came the home inspection. The faucet was inoperable and the shower head leaked — both of these could be repaired. More worrying was the cracked tile around the shower/tub and deteriorating sealant. But the next finding truly gave us pause:
JETTED TUB - POSSIBLE MICROBIAL GROWTH: There was evidence of possible microbial growth on the jetted tub. Recommend air quality/mold inspection.
Anyone who has ever bought a house knows it looks completely different when empty. So it was no surprise that as we unpacked and settled in, some redecorating was in order. Bathroom renovation vaulted to the top of the list.
But that didn’t mean it was our first project. We are all for a bit of DIY but we do know our limits, and plumbing is one of them. Not to mention a variety of other skilled trades required for a complete bathroom makeover. So our first challenge was finding a contractor. A full-service design firm claimed their team would have it done in a matter of weeks, but their estimate was nearly double what we hoped to spend. Most companies didn’t even bother to return our calls. As time marched on Chris would occasionally proclaim, “maybe I’ll just start demolition myself,” and have to be restrained.
On the plus side, the time it took to find a contractor was time spent poring over house and garden magazines and iterating through design decisions, finally landing on what we wanted for the space. The floor plan was a little odd, with the vanity located in a hall outside the bathroom. The dimensions didn’t offer much flexibility, and we’d have to work around an original chimney protruding from one wall. Nevertheless, we wanted to create a single room for both bathroom and vanity. We also were firmly committed to a classic look befitting an old house, with appropriate fixtures, tile, and wainscoting.
Eventually we met with a general contractor who had a very full project load, but “got it” in terms of style and scope. Their estimate was in the right range. They could fit us into their schedule a few days here, a few days there. Could we be flexible? Why yes we could. A deal was struck, and 3 days later … this happened:
It took just two days’ labor for the old bathroom to become a distant memory. We busied ourselves with choosing ceramic floor tile as well as the fixtures (sink, faucet, freestanding claw-foot tub, tub filler, door). Product availability turned out to be a significant factor; the perfect tile became something less than perfect when it wouldn’t arrive on our doorstep for 12 weeks. But soon everything was on site and stacked in the guest room staging area.
In just over a month the crew had finished the framing, drywall, electrical, and roughed-in plumbing. Meanwhile, we were in discussions with the foreman about wainscoting and some built-in shelves. For reasons unknown there was a considerable delay from initial conversation to final selection of wood trim, during which we created the illusion of progress by choosing our lighting. A couple more weeks passed before the carpenter had availability (this is where we kept reminding ourselves we’d agreed to be flexible …) And, as we know from experience, wainscoting is meticulous work. We took deep breaths and afforded the craftsman the time required.
Three and a half months after signing the contract, we were in the home stretch. There was just one problem: we were about to leave on two weeks’ vacation. The final plumbing and electrical would have to wait for our return.
Was it worth it? Totally.
I don't know whether it was luck or good management, but you sure ended up with a skilled team who really understood your old house, and gave it its deserved respect. What a beautiful room you've ended up with, one your guests should be delighted to use. The wainscoting is beautiful!