Recently I saw an avocado bathtub in a skip outside a house that was being renovated, and this sight brought on a twinge of nostalgia for my "old" bathroom, which dated back to the time the house was made into flats, in the 1970s. (Those were the days!) On moving in, in the 90s, I disguised - or would the right word be overwhelmed? - the avocado suite with red and gold and a bit of purple ... lots of mirrors ... we called it the Turkish Bordello look.
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| January 2012 - new year, old bathroom |
Squirrels got into the ceiling space round about 2005 and until evicted could be heard gnawing the electrical wires when you were lying in the bath. And those floral tiles, oh dear... I'd intended to paint them gold but perhaps it's just as well that they escaped. Making the pale pink, heavily textured walls that deeply satisfying red was enough.
The photo was taken just before everything was ripped out, including the ceiling (gaining a good two feet, so that tall people can use the shower), and all was replaced by gleaming whiteness and chrome and a few tasteful accents of soft grey, pale turquoise, deep yellow. The job took twice as long as expected (of course) and even with careful shopping it cost a bomb - but worth it; four years on, the room is still a delight. We kept the idea of mirror above the bath and on the opposite wall - the infinite reflections make a small room look very spacious.
The renovation fulfilled another small desire - I'd always hankered after underfloor heating, and the bathroom has it. But it's expensive to run, so we indulge in this luxury only when the temperature really, really drops.
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| Mid-February 2012 - all new |
Two "life lessons" arise from this musing on that bathroom. First, if you have to make the best of it (what to do with pale pink textured walls?), do something extraordinary, something enjoyable, something unexpected. Second, don't put off doing big things, even if they seem to be out of reach when you get the big idea.
I feel the pain you had! Your new bathroom is beautiful!! I bought a house and both bathrooms needed remodeled. Both showers were unusable to I had a temporary one installed in the laundry/utility room. I was able to save money by doing almost all the demo myself. My brother came and helped me move the old pink bathtub out and pull up an inch and one half of flooring that was layers and layers of different floor types. I also saved a lot of money buy buying two sinks, the tub, faucets, and wall tile off of ebay. Yes, I bought a 5 1/2 foot cast iron bathtub from ebay! I got it for half of what it would have cost at the home improvement store. I also did the finishing - painting, floor and wall tile, skirting, and trim. My brother helped me with installing the sink cabinets and hooking up the sinks and toilets. I still need to finish a few things - caulking, touch up paint, hanging towel racks, hooks, and toilet paper holders - but both bathroom function and I don't have the bugs like I use to because of all the water damage and dampness.
ReplyDeleteBlimey Patty - you're one hell of a gal! I take my hat off to you.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the delights of the coloured bathroom suite, Marion red bath and loo anyone? Same vintage as the avocado ( which IMHO was almost tasteful) and the other day I saw mushroom brown! That, let me tell you, was a real delight!
What were we all thinking back then?
Yes, we had a royal blue bath and toilet in the a house we bought in the early 1980s, which went really well with London hard water and subsequent encrusted scale!
ReplyDeleteI'mm trying to persuade my husband to go with drama to disguise the horrible bathroom we have in our new home as major renovations will need to wait. Wish me luck.