Tiles, tubs, and planning at MaddyBeagle's bungalow
Dear Forumites,
I've been caught up in a month of craziness at work, but I took the afternoon off today to go tub-and-tile shopping again. I wanted to update you on the state of my thinking about my bathroom remodel and, for my own reference, draw together several dispersed threads where you and the kitchen forum folks have been a huge help.
TILE: After my disappointing conversation with one tile showroom guy and subsequent discussion over in the kitchen forum, I found two sympatico tile places here in the DC area: Architectural Ceramics (great selection; slightly annoying saleswoman I got stuck with) and Country Floors (with a tile saleswoman who GETS me and whom I am in love with, tile-selection-wise). I've ordered some samples from both and many have come in, along with samples direct from Fireclay.
Here are some of the samples I have in hand that I've been carrying around and looking at in various lights, after winnowing out some options that appeal to me less. The square ones are Pratt & Larson and the rectangular ones are Fireclay. I'm really becoming attached to that darker blue, Fireclay's Slate Blue, and I even like it with the two very similar periwinkles. The pistachio green is too....pistachio for me, or something, and the other green looked to die for in the showroom but sort of washes out at home. I think there must exist a green out there that's closer to the pistachio sample in value (lightness) but like the darker sample in hue, i.e. with just a smidge more yellow in it than the pistachio has, without being at all chartreusey.
At Country Floors, I encountered a line by Ken Mason Tile, which I had not previously known about, and was extremely taken with a cornsilk-ish, buttery yellow:
I have been looking at images of '20s-'30s bathrooms and am feeling inspired by ones where a deep color tile is used as the baseboard and that continues as a band around the outside edge of the floor, like the way the green is used in this bath:
I'm thinking that might be a nice way to use the glossy slate blue color, which might not be suitable for a whole floor because of gloss and durability issues. I'm also thinking about some combination of slate blue, periwinkle blue, and the right green if I can find it, as decorative accents to mainly yellow-tiled walls.
TUBS: I found an Americh Bow on display! It's even more gorgeous in person than in the pics I'd seen. Thanks to House Vixen and others who recommended that tub. It's really, really comfortable. I sat in the 66" model and I could certainly stretch out and relax in it.
I just need to continue to think about whether the two-sided/apron-ended tub with associated curtain rod issues is the best use of the space. (Previous discussions of the layout of my bathroom are here and here.)
Meanwhile, right next to it on display was the Kohler Devonshire.
How do we feel about the Devonshire? I can't remember why I wasn't considering it before, but it, too, is very comfortable. Even at 60" long, it felt like I was comfortably deep within it and would get a good soak. I actually really liked what felt like a wider, flatter floor for standing on while showering, since this will be a tub-shower combo. I liked the flat edge with inset areas for soap or whatever to drain down into the tub. And I am seriously considering the merits of using a drop-in tub with tiled deck extending beyond the tub to make it easier to sit on the edge of the tub for getting in and out, soaking feet, etc. Anyway, the Bow and the Devonshire would both be great options and I'm so happy to have found them both displayed side by side. (At ABKA Showroom in Rockville, for those in the DC area.)
SINK: I think I messaged House Vixen about this but never posted about it. I found the perfect sink. It costs way more than a sink should (it's Italian) but if I'm going with a fairly inexpensive tub...well....here it is:
PLANNING/SEQUENCING: I am rigorously putting aside thoughts of the much more extensive kitchen remodel for the moment, because when the plumbing goes behind the shower wall in my main bathroom, it's going to go catastrophically – so I need to be ready to act with some decisions made on bathroom choices. However, I plan to have an architect friend help me plan for some things that will help and not impede the future kitchen remodel in the course of the bathroom remodel, such as running new plumbing to where the kitchen will need it as long as we have walls and basement ceilings open for the bath plumbing.
That's it for the moment! Will update when that yellow tile sample comes in.
Comments (8)
sloyder
6 years agomaddybeagle
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Bungalow Bath Finished! X-Post
Comments (10)Thanks so much Archie. The finished interior is 10'4" wide by 12'6" long. The ceiling is only seven feet high because the whole upstairs is that way and the new gable had to tie in at the original ridge line. I don't necessarily recommend those dimensions, as it made layout difficult. The gable was actually suppose to be longer and narrower, but as the framers were cutting the rafters out, the back porch started to pull away because it wasn't attached like it should be. So the gable got about one foot shorter and one foot wider! It was built over existing load bearing walls downstairs (we happened to have three right below it), so we worked with what we had to keep the budget in check. Thanks Motherof3. The vanities are 36" each (37" if you count the tops). I found a good deal and it was cheaper to use two than buy one big one. Also, I like that we can hang a hand towel in between at a convenient height and it not drag the countertops, and we'll also hide a trashcan in the middle. If money were no object, one double vanity with a furniture look would have given us more uninterrupted counterspace, but I didn't want to do a 60" and couldn't afford a 72"....See MoreFreestanding Tubs, Clawfoot Tubs
Comments (5)I have a cast iron clawfoot (I know you said you weren't interested in those specifically) which we love. My husband is 6'5" and has trouble fitting into regular sized tubs; the clawfoot is deep and he can get a good soak. We looked at the Victoria and Albert tubs, but decided on the clawfoot because we found a great deal on a used one on craigslist and it matched the period of our house (1910 bungalow). Neither of us miss having the deck. We are struggling with finding storage, but that is a general issue we are having with the overall bathroom, not specific to the tub. When reading I'll just put my magazine, book or paper on the floor next to the tub. It's not that inconvenient to lean over and pick it up again over the edge of the tub. I don't have any problems getting in and out of the tub, and I've had foot surgery like you would not believe. I've had my ankle, leg, and foot surgically reconstructed 9 times in the past 6 years. While I'm no longer on crutches, I am significantly disabled (makes many DIY projects very difficult for me). I also have very poor balance and suffered nerve damage during one my surgeries so have no sensation on the bottom of my foot. I was warned that all of these issues would make it difficult for me to get in and out of a clawfoot tub, but I just hold onto the opposite side for balance and have no trouble. I have good days and bad days, and on bad days I sit on the edge of the tub and just swing my legs over. I don't think using the clawfoot tub is any more difficult than a regular shallower tub. This was my foot last year, you can see that it was pretty messed up. Even though I had a regular tub during this procedure and only recently got the clawfoot, I'm still recovering from the surgery....See MoreCraftsman bungalow - are these renovations possible?
Comments (36)I love questions with easy answers.... 1. If you have an opportunity to buy an Arts & Crafts house, do it. You are buying a uniquely American gem. For more information about these houses see Arts and Crafts Styles: Craftsman, Prairie and Four-Square Houses. 2. Keep your existing windows if at all possible. There are many good references on the web and in books detailing how to rehabilitate old windows. If you are deterred by the old sash weight balance system, there are a lot of replacement balances, including those that permit the window to tip in for easy cleaning. Blain Window Hardware is your source for all things window. 3. Recent DOE-funded studies show that a properly rehabilitated single glazed window with a storm window is just as energy efficient as a new double-glazed window. For historically correct wood custom made storm windows with sliding screens, check out Spencer Works. 4. Steam or (more likely) hot water radiator heat is the very best kind of heat. There are no drafts such as are created by forced air systems. You be amazed at how little dust you will have in your new house. To add cooling, I suggest a split sytem with one unit for the top floor run through the attic, and one for the bottom floor run through the basement. You can now get condensers (the outside part) that hang on the outside wall. Not the prettiest things, but they work. This dual zoning allows you to separately control cooling on each floor, so you can turn up the cool at night in the bedroom area, and dial it down in the day time. Vice-versa for the living areas on the first floor. This should be in the range of $8,000 or so for a 13 SEER high efficiency system. It's the duct work that adds cost. By splitting the system you keep ducting to a minimum. If space is very right, try a high velocity system with 4" ducts. These can be located nearly anywhere a water pipe can go. 5. To locate cat urine, use a black light. To eliminate cat urine stains and smells, call a cleaning service such as Service Master. These guys have the heavy duty equipment to make sure the job is done right. Good luck. A house this old is a continuing adventure....See MoreBungalow kitchen reveal - lots of pictures
Comments (80)I'm very pleased with the faucet. The spout is easy to rotate out of the way but stays in place when needed. The controls feel great in my hands. You can easily bump them on if yo have dirty hands and the operate very smoothly. It hides water spots relatively well (it just loses some of its luster until you wipe it down) and is easy to clean. The only thing to be aware of is that the sprayer is not solid metal but that's pretty common from what I understand. We also have one of their faucets in our bathroom and have been pleased with it as well....See Morehcbm
6 years agoplan2remodel
6 years agoNice choices. I chose Pratt & Larson ceramic tile for my kitchen backsplash and love it. I like that the edges are slightly irregular. I have crackled tile, which gives it a glossy look. I think I spent 4 months ordering sample colors.
I had planned to choose P&L tile for my guest bathroom shower walls, but their customer service rep didn't recommend it for wet areas. They recommended rectified porcelain tile instead because porcelain is less porous than ceramic and rectified allows for thinner grout lines than irregular ceramic.
maddybeagle thanked plan2remodelmaddybeagle
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agocpartist and kats737, I had bookmarked Heritage but hadn't ordered samples yet. I will definitely do so, now that I have a better idea of what I'm looking for. plan2remodel, I'm keeping an eye on which ones are suitable for wet areas and definitely need to think about that. The tile person at the P&L dealer here said her experience was that their gloss/non-crackle finishes worked fine in showers, but I know the virtues of rectified tile, esp. porcelain, and will get multiple opinions before committing. I did use ceramic tile with a fairly wide grout line in my old shower (previous house) and it held up brilliantly, but I definitely don't want to make a bad decision for this large expanse and large expense.
kats737, on the layout, I have an 8-foot-long wall that currently holds a 5' tub and 30"-sq (much too small) separate shower. I'm thinking about how best to use that run of wall with a new tub and no separate shower stall, leaving room for towel-hanging and hopefully a heated towel rack or new radiator at the opposite end of the run from the showerhead. A slightly longer tub would be great; an alcove tub would require building a little half-wall for its other end; and both the alcove option and the Bow option would present different possibilities about how to use the space left over at the end of the run. If I did an alcove tub, it would need an arrangement something like this:
maddybeagle
6 years ago
cpartist