the renovation : the master bath begins! ('before' photos + inspirations)

The time has finally come.  We have lived in 'the dream home' (a Victorian fixer-upper built in the 1850's) for over three years, and it has always been in our minds to transform the bedroom adjacent to our master bedroom into a big, beautiful bathroom.

When we bought the place the room looked like this:

Both the master and this adjoining bedroom were blue.  The blue was a little depressing for us...so we painted them gray immediately.  Because gray is not depressing.  Obviously.

When we eventually moved in, after selling our previous home, the room became the Cormac's nursery. Well, baby boy is now four, and the room has transformed into a giant toy wonderland!  

this room has had lots of playtime in it!  

We have done nothing but paint the walls in this space - there is a lot that needs to happen cosmetically and structurally to transform it.  It is so dingy and dark!

that is a LOT of toys under that IKEA bed...and do you spy a blondie or two?

I never even put anything on his walls, because I have always had in my mind this was a temporary "boy room."  Three years later...

Now that we have two babes (and they are actually no longer babes but rambunctious kiddos) we are finally mentally ready for him to move to what has been referred to for years as "Cormac's future room" -- currently a guest bedroom.  

It is time!  Time for the master bath reno to start! Ah!  Pretty darn excited. 

We had been struggling with the layout for many months, and finally we brought in professional help.  Thankfully, our designer came up with a layout that made much more sense than any of our ideas, so we are gonna go with that.

In the end, hopefully, we will have a space that is light, bright, functional + stylish.  

Here are a few inspirations that best represent the vibe I am hoping for in the space...

//housebeautiful//

I am clearly a sucker for black and white - and yet I want to keep the historic charm in certain elements. Ceiling medallion, chandelier, ornate clawfoot, original hardwoods are some of the ways I hope to achieve that.  I'm sure we will end up with some sort of subway tile in there.  I am sort of a freak for the subway tile. 

//thedesignfiles//

I really love the eclectic vibe of the bathroom below, with the tile,  mismatched wood, mixed metals, and of course the subway tile shower!

//mydomaine//

Our wishlist:

• clawfoot soaking tub
• spacious shower
• separate toilet room (!!!!)
• walk-in closet 
• double vanity

Seems reasonable for the space.

Now the budget is another story.  To have it fully contracted out we were quoted a whopping 50K. OMG.  Now, that may be on the high end for an estimate, but still.  We will not be spending 50K.  

Hubby is going to have to work some serious magic on this one.  (aka do the electric and plumbing and tile work himself. Or everything.)

We'll see what happens.  If there is one thing I have learned throughout this renovation journey is that while everything takes at least three times as long as you expected, patience truly pays off.  You end up with something that you love, that fits your style, and hopefully didn't make you go broke.

I'll keep you updated on the progress of this space as we go along!

What projects are you working on in your home? 

 Anyone who has survived a major bathroom reno, I am open to advice and encouragement! :)