I’m slllllooooowwwwwllllly working on Mother to update her house (vintage 1970s) and she expressed interest in doing something (now that the garage door has been replaced). I suggested starting a project that is contained & small. The downstairs bathroom. She thought that was a good idea but isn’t certain how to proceed. Mother is a very visual person. You can explain something & she’ll say, “I wouldn’t do that”. You go ahead & do it, she sees it & then says, “I like it.” (shrug) Like I said, very visual.
Downstairs bathroom is an interior & the ONLY downstairs bathroom. Maybe 4×4 ft? Because of that it isn’t JUST a guest bathroom. It must be pretty or striking AND practical. Currently, it has dark 2 or 3 inch tiles on the floor that resemble an oil slick. The walls have wallpaper w/metallic touches. Birch trees, I believe. The toilet is white, toilet paper holder is IN the wall. Vanity & sink are….hmmm UGLY. Square, formica, fake dark brown wood w/a large mirror that almost seems attached to the vanity. No pictures just yet but BELIEVE me, this will require before & after pix.
So what Mother needs is ideas. Anyone have any small bathroom books, magazines or stores w/displays to recommend? I’m going to try & take her to some kitchen/bath places that have vignettes. We already purchased new toilets, faucets & towel bar/robe hooks (last fling before I left the plumbing company). They are chrome w/brass accents, a HUGE step up from her previous stuff (original to the house).
I think my brother & I (or just Mother & I) will end up doing this. I know which end of a hammer is up & I can prep & paint but am not certain if I would be comfortable tiling or replacing a toilet. If we have a plan & know what she wants it will be easier to decide if “we” can execute the plan or leave it in the hands of professionals.
Revenge is sweet. Cold passed along to whole other family. BwahAHAHAHAHAH<!—-><!—->
Replies
Everybody knows what they like when they see it. Envisioning things they like, relative to the space they have, is another difficult area. My wife seems to think there are vast areas of useable space if I'd just cut through that sheetrock! With my wife and customers, I try to get a sense of the style , if there is one. The next step is pictures. Often a customer will have seen something in a magazine. There are all kinds of kitchen and bath magazines out there. Many manufacturers have galleries on their websites.
Small baths are difficult to photograph without a special camera lens. The magazines do a good job of photographing interiors. I only have a couple of pictures from out in the hall that don't show much. The green one is right out of the Pottery Barn catalog. The red one has grass wallpaper on one wall, a bamboo shade, the opposite wall is bright red with some oriental art work. Sometimes bold works well in a small area. It's often the accessories, lights, curtains, etc. that make it personal.
Painting and papering is a fair amount of work. Preparation is the key to a good job. This is often where homeowners invest their sweat equity. It would be up to you as to how much work you want to get involved with. It will also depend on your skills. Toilets aren't particularly complicated but a new one could need a new supply line. The flange will likely be rusted out. Sinks could also need new supply lines and a change to the waste. You don't know what kind of shape the floor will be in under the tile. You may have to do some repairs and/or lay down an underlayment, depending on the type of floor material you choose. Often, the plumbing and flooring are left for the pros.
Might be some good ideas you could use in back issues of FHB's "Kitchen and Baths".
I'll be like the guy at the university who lost his job when he said that women think differently than men. I think women, in general, are hard wired to need to see the physical thing--not even a drawing will do it. My wife is that way. On the other hand, my brother, who has a PhD in science, also cannot visualize how something will turn out by looking at a drawing. Maybe I'm just blessed that I can. Makes it hard for me when I see clear as day what I want to do and how it will look when I'm finished, but my wife cannot. Even models are only a little help to her.
I always like pedestal sinks in small bathrooms.
Y'know, I'm never sure about how men and women compare in terms of visualization. Reason being, a lot of men can't visualize very well, and men are more likely to cultivate the skill of visualizing from plans. Same with reading a map.
I'm working with some female architects who are very good at it. The 4 other carpenters I'm working with (half men, half women) aren't very good at it. They get it, but it's slow.
I remember working on my own house, I would always be wanting to show off my projects to friends. Then my wife would remind me that they were all only half done, and didn't look like much yet. I was visualizing the finished product to the exclusion of the reality.
zak- wearing rose colored glasseszak
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin
"so it goes"
A pedestal sink does a lot to open up a small bathroom. And a hanging framed mirror that is not too large.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
plantlust,
My bathroom is very much like that size.. if you look on my pictures of my home you'll find it..go back a couple of weeks. Part of the real key isn't the old fashioned pull chain toilet, but rather that cistern sink.. a large sink in a small bathroom makes everything seem tiny.. Since you aren't going to be taking baths in there or washing dishes find the smallest sink you can find. That will free up space.. Do not put a cabinet under the sink.. Hang the sink from the wall and put a corner cabinet in for the stuff you'll need.
I can't tell you why but that combination seems to make the space seem twice as large.
I've used these a couple of times in small baths in rental property. This one's from Lowe's.
View Image
Pedestal sinks are great, but sometimes the original plumbing stubs and drains aren't configured right. These deals have a shallow vanity and a generous sink top that overhangs. More foot room, but still a good sized sink.
Greg
4x4 is pretty tiny for a main bathroom. I'm assuming this is just a powder room, no shower? I would be looking for opportunities to knock down some walls and expand the thing a bit.
White tiles can definitely open a bathroom up. Not all agree, but I think small floor tiles make a space look bigger.
zak
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin
"so it goes"
No holds barred guest bathrooms are all the rage with many McMansions around here. The small size makes high cost surfaces not only practical, but almost economical.
You'll be able to find high $ tile in small left over amounts for the cost of cheaper stuff.
The nicest, classiest small bath I've ever come across had the best venitian (sp?) plaster walls in town. It was very classy for the small space.
Definitely install a super quite fart fan. We use small 100 cfm remote fantec fans and love 'em since they are essentially noiseless and reasonably priced.
The pedistal sink is common, but don't overlook a wall mount sink. A hand hammered copper sink was one of the best looking fixtures i've ever helped install. It took up little space and was simply classy by anyone's definition. A definite attention grabber. That sink was high $, but similar units can be found from importers that are very reasonable.
We designed the plumbing to exit the wall so it matched the lines of the sink and it was well worth it. Copper supply lines bent with an extra 360 turn blended well with the support frame and made the connection actually easier. The plumber wasn't the artistic type so we installed it all and had him come give a blessing on the work prior to final.
A guest bath is also a good place for a solid door and full wall insulation so they can do their deed without worry. Unfaced fiberglass bats for this purpose are cheap cheap cheap.
Don't overlook a toilet with hidden wall tank to provide a couple extra square feet of room. $$$, but a good place for it.
Small spaces also benefit from coves let into the space between studs to provide a place to set a decorative figure or to frame a small picture. Definitely a custom touch.
If there's no window, an antique stained glass window built into a new window frame can be installed where a window would be with a light in the cavity behind to give the feel of a real window. Very effective way to add a little novelty to the space.
Another neato item can be a small towel warmer for the hand towel. Small and less expensive than the big ones, it adds to yet another of the senses.
This is also one of the rare places I would suggest electric radiant heat. Small spaces are pretty inexpensive.
If there is an attic above, a skylight shaft can not only bring in daylight, but make the room feel much, much larger. Or, maybe a barrel vault is more appealing.
Small spaces are great fun. Best of luck on the project.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
Lots of good ideas here. I am working on my own small bathroom, and found that large (12x12) dark (fake slate) floor tiles give an illusion of receding, making the room feel bigger.
Horizontal lines, like chair rails or wainscoting, or continuing head casings around the room, expand a small space the way a horizontally striped shirt makes a person look fat.
Keep the corners empty if you can. Corners define the perimeter of the room.
Diagonal floor tiles expand a space visually. Your eye kind of follows the grout lines from corner to corner instead of across the room.
Small toilets aren't as practical but do save space.
Like the others have said, lose the vanity. If there's room for it, a small piece of freestanding furniture for storage takes up less visual space, especially if it has legs you can see under or you can hang it on a wall.
I have and love the in-the-wall toilet paper holder. I know it's not trendy but I think it's practical.
Nice wall sconces at eye level on either side of the mirror or medicine cabinet really dress up a powder room. When light comes from above it highlights wrinkles. Light at eve level hides wrinkles. It won't make the bathroom feel any bigger, but it will make people feel better about how they look.
Light colors on the walls. Dark is dramatic but absorbs light. Paint the ceiling the same color as the walls, in a flat finish, to get away from the 4'x4' square of bright white you would otherwise see on the ceiling.
Fantechs really are great. Make sure you get the one with the built-in light. With wall sconces at the sink you'll have plenty of light.
(huge grin) Well, we kindof have a budget.Me - Do you want to spend a hundred thousand dollars on the bathroom?
Mother - GOOD GOD NO!Me - So you only want to spend a hundred dollars?
Mother - Noooo, then I might as well keep it the way it is.Revenge is sweet. Cold passed along to whole other family. BwaHAHAhaHaHAHA<!----><!---->
When she said no to $100k, you should have just marked down $99,500. That's the going rate for these things, you know ; ).zak
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin
"so it goes"
I had a date with Mother today. From 1300C until about 1800C we trudged thru Ferguson, HD Expo Center, The Great Indoors (SEARS) & a warehousy kindof place closer to my house. Then we had Thai where she practically liked the bowl of peanut sauce<g>.She has decided on another vanity BUT it looks more like a piece of furniture. The wood is cherry w/a medium finish & dark glaze. Considering everything we saw, it's a HUGE step up from her 1970s vintage . Not too modern looking & not too baroque either. It's got 2 of those Victorian block things in the upper corner (square block w/a bulls eye in the middle). I don't remember who makes it but the model is called "Estate". The nice thing is that it has a toe kick, so it doesn't look too bulky. Over brunch/dinner, I pulled out the books, internet printouts & the Word doc I jotted ideas on. It had your basic line drawing of the room. I told her we needed ALL measurements of the actual room. Forget measuring the old vanity, only room dimensions. Then I carefully brought up the thought of losing the semi-metallic wallpaper with the birch trees. She agreed!!!! Holy moly, I was shocked. She liked my diagonal design idea. Ceiling and any parts of all walls that won't have tile will be painted. The tile (whatever it ends up being) will be on the floor and diagonally up 2 walls. 3rd wall will be tiled up to the ceiling & the 4th wall will be painted. Hard to explain but I will try to draw it later.If you picture N, S, E & W. The South has sink/vanity (left) & to the right is the toilet. This is the wall that will have tile to the ceiling. The W wall is next to the toilet(right) & will have tile from low to high (ending high against S wall). Mother says men aim badly<g>. The E wall (to the left of the sink) will only be paint, same colour as ceiling and any wall bits that don't have tile. The N wall (which has the door in it) will have tile from low to high ending high towards the door. This will include the lightswitch, so you can just wipe off the tile. Keep in mind this is the only downstairs bathroom as well as being a powderroom so if you come in grubby from outside, this is the bathroom you use to clean up.I want the diagonal line of tile to be a bit ragged (epoxy grout OF COURSE) but it depends on the tile. We will be checking out 1 or 2 more design places & Century Tile next weekend. Now another questions have come up. The vanity/furniture price doesn't include the sink or the "top". Is undermount better than top mount? Can a one piece sink/top be made of granite? We looked at Corian-type, cultured marble & granite tops. Quite frankly the Corian, while VERY smooth (loved the all one piece thing) looked plasticky. The cultured marble also didn't look quite, real. The granite looked very elegant & upscale. Ferguson also had a one piece glass top from Kohler that looked great. Do one piece tops come in any other materials?Mother's head & feet hurt by the time we were done. She had no idea that so many choices exist now<g>. I will take lots of before pictures next weekend because the other studios are near her house.Oh before I forget. Someone mentioned Fantech? Is that available thru the internet or should I get it thru a decent kitchen/bath place locally?Up, up, UP!! The temperature is supposed to be RISING! Where is global warming when I need it?
If you want to consider something quick and easy besides the FanTech, HD carries a NuTone fan-only I always use for a single bath (American Aldes, otherwise), 110 cfm but only like 1.5 sommes - it's really hard to even hear. About $110, with a 4" diameter exit.
In stock.
Forrest
Thanks for the NuTone tip, Forrest.We have a room measurement. Below is not to scale (of course).
Because Mother has more room than she thought, she may end up with another vanity. Next weekend will be another "gathering idea" trip. ________60___________
| Vanity Toilet |
| |
50 | |
| |
| Door___________H___| Edited to add: What the heck happened with my careful "drawing"? All the Vertical lines are squished & there's no distance between Vanity & Toilet. sigh
Edited 3/17/2007 9:55 pm by plantlust
Another question:
Does the tiling get done FIRST & then you put in the toilet & vanity or do the toilet & vanity sit on the subfloor & then you tile AROUND them?
Which is the best way? My downstairs bathroom (original)has the toilet on the oak floor & the toilet in the upstairs bathroom (newer bathroom) is sitting ON tile. Since my house is 1926 vintage, I really don't know what is the correct way of doing things.Up, up, UP!! The temperature is supposed to be RISING! Where is global warming when I need it?
check out home depot for a vanity like what was pic above. i have one in a small bath and it looks great. the cabinet is only about 10" deep and the sink overhangs about 6.so it gives a place to stuff towels and some teepee. larryhand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.
Greg & Always/LarryWe spotted some of those at the Home Depot EXPO center & actually checked them out (stood in front of them pretending to wash hands & opened up the doors to check out the amount of storage space).Mother & I both agreed that they were "cute" but it would look better in a smaller room. Mother's got a little more space than we thought & she doesn't want to waste ANY of it.I was checking out the Kohler website & spotted a very interesting mirror/cabinet. It's K-CB-CLR2031OW. Oval mirrored door but the neat thing is the storage room inside. It's been designed to hold 2 rolls of toilet paper plus a couple of other things (20x31 - rough opening 14x18) but the only potential problem in my/Mother's application is that you have to sink it in the wall. I don't think she's got enough space between the studs to do that. It would be GREAT if she did! I may have to do a very in depth check in the bathroom next weekend.Up, up, UP!! The temperature is supposed to be RISING! Where is global warming when I need it?
SMALLER ROOM ? SMALLER ROOM ?
Dude, there ain't no smaller room !
; > ) Greg
Check out home decorators collection. We used their stuff in our master bath redo and its at least as good as what you will find in stock at the big home stores. All the bath vanities come with tops and integral sinks too. Actually I woudl say they are a bit cheaper and their quality is a bit better than what you will find at home despot.
http://www.homedecorators.com/Bath/Bathroom_Vanities/
Daniel Neuman
Oakland CA
Crazy Home Owner
If you weren't so far away, I'd give you a big huge smoochy kiss!! That website is EXACTLY what she's looking for. "Just like your bathrooms", she said. Except that my bathroom vanities were done the old fashioned way about 10 yrs ago. Go to the local antique shows/flea markets & pick up a cheap buffet that fits the space. Cut holes for the sink & faucets, varathane the HECK out of them, position them in place & have the plumber hook things up. They look great but the downstairs piece was a hundred dollars & the upstairs one was free (oak & walnut, respectively).Mother will also be whisked away to the Kohler design center (for wall & colour ideas). If I time things right, er & don't get caught, I should be able to drive there in 2 1/2 hrs (one way). Won't be happening this weekend tho.I LOVE the smell of primer in the evening.
If you weren't so far away, I'd give you a big huge smoochy kiss!! That website is EXACTLY what she's looking for. "Just like your bathrooms", she said. Except that my bathroom vanities were done the old fashioned way about 10 yrs ago.
Wow thats the first time anyone on breatime has offered me a 'smoochy kiss'.....Daniel Neuman
Oakland CA
Crazy Home Owner
"If you weren't so far away, I'd give you a big huge smoochy kiss!!"
Dang!
With an offer like that, you're likely to get all KINDS of guys here on BT wanting to help ya out.
(-:
We Used to Kiss on the Lips, But It's All Over Now
(back of hand dramatically on forehead) Oh woe, wOE, WOE is me.
I spoke to Mother last night to tell her about the website. She stopped into a local paint/wallpaper store (Licht's) yesterday. And I quote:
"I really like some of the METALLIC WALLPAPER (emphasis mine) that I saw there".
GAKKKKKKK. Somebody help me.
FrenchyI found the guest bath photo. The one with the wall mounted sink. I really like it but I think Mother's reaction will be, "It's too grand for this house." (still think it's cool tho).I LOVE the smell of primer in the evening.
Well I took some before photos. I was wrong, the metallic wall paper isn't of birch trees. It's got some sortof madeup, fake trees on it. Bark pictured is too rough to be birch & if I remember correctly, aspens don't have rough bark either. Beware, these photos may be too traumatic for viewers who are younger or have more sensitive palettes. Ignore the wallpaper in the mirror. That's a continuation of the kitchen wallpaper. The kitchen will be a WHOLE other story. Oh & the doors are all hollow. Luan or something, I think?I LOVE the smell of paint in the evening even MORE!
Ok, things are slowly being torn out (this helps because the parental units are out of the country for awhile<G>). Currently the wallpaper is off & the toilet is out. Someone tiled the floor around the cabinet & toilet. I'm using my trusty Thor's Hammer to breakout the tile.
Buck is popping over to Home Despot & is picking up new shutoff valves because the one on the toilet is leaking & won't stop. sigh It's never easy.
Mother picked up a very nice pecan coloured roundish vanity from HOBO. I checked it out & it's very nicely made & we got it for a decent price.
Next I get to clean the wallpaper sizing stuff off the walls (hot water & vinegar should work) & then prime everything, so that Mother will be staring at a clean slate when she gets home. I believe I will have to catch her after she has a heart attack...well if we did what I REALLY wanted to do, she would have a heart attack (I wanted to demo both the guest powder room downstairs AND the master bathroom upstairs). We decided against that to spare her<G>. I forgot the camera today, so the during photos have to wait.Once Mother comes home she will HAVE to choose paint & tiles. The hideous shiny silver wallpaper has been removed!
Another question. I'm taking out the oilslick tiles, which are coming out wayyy too easy by-the-way, and I've found that the tiles were just put on top of the plywood, then grout was put in (regular grout not the epoxy stuff).
Should tile be done differently? Isn't there supposed to be somekind of membrane (like Ice/Water Shield) or roofing paper underneath? There seems to have been some kind of water leakage immediately around the toilet but the plywood is pretty solid elsewhere. I'm assuming we can just replace the piece that needs replacing. Don't want the toilet dropping into the basement<G>. I also don't want to put another layer on top of everything because that will just make the threshold much higher than it should be.Once Mother comes home she will HAVE to choose paint & tiles. The hideous shiny silver wallpaper has been removed!
Hammer1's pics are very good illustrations of what it takes for a small bath. Here are some other ideas I've developed over the years.
Don't get kitchsy...if you have a theme in mind, say Asian design, use one or 2 striking elements to illustrate that (instead of lots of "tchockes") that can be easily changed and leave it alone. In fact, having a "theme" can actually help a very small room have character and feel larger because it brings consistency.
Keep your finishes consistent. Every time you introduce a new element to a room, the eye has to stop and look and process, so a room can look crowded. Keep your plumbing fixtures white/ivory, all of your rods, faucets, accessories in the same finish. Pick a floor that isn't too light or too dark in comparison to what else will be in the room, and nothing with lots of pattern unless that's a focal point for the design and the room. Think monochromatic for colors.
Make sure every light fixture in there is a beauty and gives good light.
If contemporary design is an option, nothing makes a small space look more open than a wall-mounted sink cabinet.
I recommend FH or BHG's Kitchen & Bath Design magazine to customers. They almost always show the best work. You won't find good ideas in showrooms or model homes.
Finally, don't do anything those dingbats on HGTV do!
Errr, no worries about HGTV, the TV I currently have (none since 1993) has been hooked up (2 days ago!!) to play DVDs. Regular channels are all fuzz.Fixtures are chrome w/brass accents (single handle DANZE faucets), not really contemporary but definitely NOT Victorian. Kindof a transition. Mother got towel bars & robe hooks to match. Asian & contemporary are out (I already showed Mother that stuff & she nixed it), she seems to be leaning more towards very rich elegant looking vignettes. We just have to tweak the look to be practical as well as wowing the guests<G>.I'm going to see if I can make up some colour samples of the cocoa & cream and then run to a tile store to see if I can find a tile that will work. Hmmmm, otherwise maybe I can go for a faux wood lineoleum.The room is 60x50 & it aleady looks bigger without the shiny silver wallpaper!Once Mother comes home she will HAVE to choose paint & tiles. The hideous shiny silver wallpaper has been removed!
I agree about the wallpaper. Even chewed up sheetrock with bits of backer paper hanging on it looks better than that foil stuff!
BTW, I have also been looking at hardwood-patterned sheet vinyl and vinyl strip flooring for a bath,too. So far I like Mannington best; think they have a good range of colors and opt ions. However, the best looking sure ain't cheap!
Good luck on the bath...please post pics!
I think I found the perfect floor tiles! They are a wavy basketweave tile, also known as dogbone by Ann Sacks (white w/tiny black squares). Mother likes the look of my bathrooms but I didn't feel that the octagon pattern would work in her bathroom.Anyway I'm going to see if I can find it at the local tile place & will buy a square foot sample. I think a plainer Oriental carpet effect is perfect for this small space. Dunno if the cocoa & cream stripes will work but if I can work a gold swizzle stick into the border, I may just be able to pull the look off.Fingers & toes crossed that Mother will like this upon her return. Wed is D-day<G>.Clove currant in full gloriously scented bloom & I do believe we are finally done w/frost/frozen/snow type weather! WooHoo!!
Mother didn't kill me (tho she did figure it might be finished?!?!) & she likes the idea. Below is the tile. MWE#1 (the architect) said that I should rip out the subfloor that is currently down, put in water resistant plywood followed by a layer of roofing paper. Then the tile & epoxy grout. Does this sound right? Is there anything I am missing? I did find some soft, funky plywood around the toilet stack. Tile decision is below.
View Image
Kitsune has killed (and almost eaten) her first mousie! 'Course it was in Mother's garden at 1am but one has hope that this means I have a mousing dog for the rodents that insist on coming into my house for winter protection.
For all your tile questions, here is where the tile folks hang out.
http://johnbridge.com/vbulletin/index.php
They are very helpful and there are a bunch of pros and talented amateurs.
Thanks for the headsup on this website. I may even have found a tile setter. My old one (who would have been perfect) seems to have disappeared off the planet. It has been awhile since he did my tiling tho.
Disturbing is realizing that the thread hanging out of your adorable foxy-faced adopted ex-deathrow doggie's lips is ACTUALLY a tail. A tail belonging to a saliva covered mouzie corpse. A mouzie corpse that is being held between clenched teeth because she doesn't want to share with you. Mouzie corpse #2. (shudder)
Continuing work in progress photos.Disturbing is realizing that the thread hanging out of your adorable foxy-faced adopted ex-deathrow doggie's lips is ACTUALLY a tail. A tail belonging to a saliva covered mouzie corpse. A mouzie corpse held tightly between clenched teeth because she doesn't want to share with you. Mouzie corpse #2. (shudder)
Continuing demolition photos. All tile has been removed & the new vanity has been (temporarily) moved in to provide Mother w/a visual reference.Disturbing is realizing that the thread hanging out of your adorable foxy-faced adopted ex-deathrow doggie's lips is ACTUALLY a tail. A tail belonging to a saliva covered mousie corpse. A mousie corpse firmly held between clenched doggie teeth 'cause she doesn't want to share with you. Mousie corpse #2. (shudder)
ARRRGGGGGHHHHH!!! Why o why do simple, small, self-contained projects have glitches?! I can't add anymore to the Photo Gallery thread of this project because I've run into a problem. Well really 2 problems but I think I sortof fixed the one problem.1 - This one's a biggy. The vanity was moved into the bathroom now that the painting is finished. A plumber came out to give an estimate when Mother noticed that the vanity doesn't sit flat against the wall. Odd, it did before. Research found that the decorative trim on the bottom of the vanity (above the feet) is hitting the marble base/skirt, so the vanity is approx 1 inch away from the wall.2 - The ceiling fixture (found one at MENARDS of all places) was attached to the ceiling, actually turned on & had light out of 2 out of 4 bulbs! Start to put in bulb & shade#3 when the plastic insulator/thread thingy that holds the light bulb starts crumbling at my touch. Return it to the store & apparently there has been a running change in the model, which FIXES the crumbling problem but changes the "brushed steel" finish from actually LOOKING like stainless steel to dark grey paint. sighNew ceiling fixture has been installed but I don't get light when I hit the switch. I'll have to look at it again when my eyes can see & my head's clear.The only thing I was able to figure out for the vanity (besides the plumber's suggestion of ripping out the marble base/skirt behind the vanity!!!) is to add another decorative foot (about 2 inches worth) to the feet that are already on the vanity. That will clear the vanity past the skirting so it can be put up against the wall & because of the marble "framing" it will still look good. Found potential feet at Rockler's in Schaumburg. Somehow cutting, painting, glueing & screwing is involved but I've got no idea how to proceed.Remodeling/renovating isn't for sissies...A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...
Apparently, I tripped the GFI in the bathroom when I was installing the light. Didn't even THINK of checking the GFI because I thought (silly me) that it only applies to that outlet and I wasn't anywhere NEAR that outlet.I also borrowed a neighbor's router & was able to carve abit out of the bottom of the vanity (1/4 inch deep by 1/2 inch high) so it sits flush against the wall (yippee!!) and the slip & glide bits are on the feet. Mother is not happy about the sawdust in the livingroom.The only thing that I need to do is cut out a piece in the back of the vanity to accomodate the hot/cold pipes. The plumber is coming today (he's happy for the work) so he should be able to give me some direction on that. Cutting for that (Dremel should work) will be done on the deck.Hopefully, I will be able to take almost finally done photos to add to the thread in the gallery.A gallon of gasoline is more expensive than a pack of cigarettes. Hmmm, I wonder if I can convert my Volksy to run on coffin nails...