1960s stone wall. Sigh. What to do?
S Anders
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
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Beginner upgrading 1960's bathroom, Help!
Comments (14)I agree with others who pointed out your bath pictures show clean, neutral, and functional already. And that it's a great idea to live in the space a little while before investing in any changes. A coat of paint, a new faucet, and a new light will - seriously - work wonders. But you also asked some specific questions, so here goes. :-) 1. For software, personally I liked Homestyler for a while, but then they rebranded it as Planner 5D and started upcharging for just about everything. Then later, a different company started hosting a different Homestyler that I like a lot. But keep in mind, these are free (unless you opt to shell out for the upgraded tools), so be careful how much info you share. If you want to go high tech, Sketchup is a fantastic 3D drawing tool, with lots of plugins for furniture and fixtures... but the learning curve is STEEP. You're smart to invest in tools carefully... but you may not need anything carpentry-related for your baths just yet. Miter saws are great if you have a ton of crown to install, but I don't expect you'll be building your own cabs or doors, right? DH and I bought a hand-held circular saw 20 years ago, and it's still our main saw. There are ways to set up portable workspaces on sawhorses, and use a straightedge with clamps to get clean, straight cuts. But if you have real cutting to do and space for storage, a table saw is great. Don't overlook the value of a great cordless drill, high quality bits, good wrenches, and 2 measuring tapes in good condition. Hardware and lights... the internet is flooded. But there's a fun way to find new sources. Find something you like on Amazon or Lowes, then google that item and see what other stores pop up. They may be design centers, hardware stores, specialty shops, or other major retailers you just never knew of. Bathroom fans are frustrating to buy. The ones that work best look the worst. Go for specs, not looks, and make sure there are nicer things in your bathrooms to look at. 5a. I would not paint or resurface a bathroom counter. But if they're really that bad, you can buy inexpensive pre-formed counters at HD/Lowes for very cheap. You should look at Ikea too, but their sizes often don't work with preexisting cabinets. Another option (but probably isn't worth it) - small counters are easy to replace with a stone remnant from a stone yard. It will still cost something - more than HD/Lowes. But if the full bath redo is years away, this is a nice upgrade. 5b. From your pics, your floors look like they're in good shape and clean, but I couldn't see much of the floor... I will say - if the tile is original, removing it will be a nightmare. You will need a hammer drill, heavy wire cutters, strong backs, and a chiropractor. Tile setters in the 60s took their work very seriously - there is probably 2" of mortar under that tile, with some crazy chicken wire type stuff embedded in it. A hammer and chisel is not going to cut it. We pulled the tile out of our powder room a couple years ago - our house was built in 1989 and clearly, the tile setter was old-school. They didn't mess around. We put down 1000 feet of peel & stick wood look plank in our basement 5 years ago. I actually love it. It was cheap stuff from Lowes, and it looks like we paid much more. BUT. The concrete floor was very flat and smooth, and already sealed. We applied a primer, and that makes all the difference with adhesive floors. We do have a couple areas that have been exposed to water (washer leak and a Bilco door leak), but those were isolated events... I'm not sure P&S is a great idea in a bathroom. But it could be a reasonable solution for a short term replacement of the tile. Note - if you pull up the tile, and put down a skinny layer of P&S - you may have work to do to replace the toilet. The bolts may not fit properly, the wax seal may not seat the same. Questions you didn't ask, but I'll offer some thoughts anyway :-) If you're thinking to replace doors with Shaker style, there are some great companies who sell custom doors for reasonable prices. The kitchen forum is the place to look for the current favorites. And I know the beige fixtures are not so popular, but don't try painting them. The yellow I see in your pics will not work well with that dingy beige I'm imagining. But there are other nice colors that will complement the beige and make it tolerable - Maria Killam is a good source to explore colors and see if you can make that beige work in the short term. Congratulations on your first home! Have fun decorating!...See MoreSiding vs painted brick on a 1960s bungalow
Comments (14)Thank you all for your advice so far! Certainly a lot to think about. I’m finding it interesting how many have suggested keeping the stone. It is something that we considered, but again, the roof creates the colour scheme problem. The porch overhang will be widened to centre it to the house (its currently off centre and is quite noticeable when you look at the house when directly in front of it) and pillars squared off. All of this is making me consider perhaps changing the roof shingles! I am interested in the possibilities of painting the brick but worry about the maintenance in my northern climate. For those who are saying no to black accents, is there any particular reason why? Our tastes veer modern and we really don’t like the white. Maybe gray would be a better choice?...See MoreSuggestions for paint colors on 1960s ranch with stone chimney
Comments (42)You have a nice house! I wouldn't touch the stone, perhaps it only needs some cleaning. On my 1st sketch, I show a green that a bit darker than the one you were thinking about, it would be a better choice with your stone. I went with white trim at the roof line, black windows and doors, a more modern trellis, large new black sconces, and improved landscaping with simple perenials or small shrubs. On the 2nd sketch, I went bolder with SW Urbane Bronze which I think really complements your stone well. Black trim at the roof line, black windows and doors, etc......See More1960’s Mid Century Ranch Update Help
Comments (7)On the exterior, I find the dark outlines around the windows distracting. Anytime you have stone on the facade the answer for a paint color is to choose one from the stone. That should give you many choices as natural materials have a variety of colors in them. If you want more specific suggestions you need to post a picture of the stone from a distance of 6-10 feet in good light. But I don't think you need to have multiple colors on the exterior. One color with the stone will be perfect. You can have the front door pop if you want. There are many interesting period appropriate colors you could use. On the interior, I think the ceiling will be more appealing once the walls are painted. They are a nice original feature. The wood walls on top of it were too much, so good call on removing them. The kitchen looks original (I lived in a house built in the '60's as a child and the cabinets were just like this), so leave it alone for now. If you need to replace appliances along the way I would buy SS to gradually replace the white ones....See MoreS Anders
5 years agomelle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/
5 years agoS Anders thanked melle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/S Anders
5 years agoS Anders
5 years agoS Anders
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoS Anders
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