Mudroom Completed - Part 8

If you've been following along over the past three weeks, you know the previously ugly mud room was getting a much needed face lift. The before and after photos are dramatic and show the value of updating a high traffic mud room into a much happier space. Previously drab, with curling white vinyl wallpaper on the walls, and brown commercial tiles on the floor, the mud room was functional but dismal. The old work sink was replaced with a new one built into a cabinet. The shelf above the washer and dryer has a new matching curtain to hide all the paraphernalia or to allow a puppet show, which ever happens first. Adding a few pictures helped update the space as well. The bright green walls create a happier area that lifts one's spirits and allows the door to the mud room to remain open.

Anytime redecorating occurs the domino effect kicks in and several new accessories are added. The wood bench from Pier One Imports adds character and interest to the mud room, and allows one to sit while putting on shoes or boots. A few photos above the bench add interest and the mirror pulls one into the space, also allowing one last glimpse before leaving home. While I love the new mud room, what really matters is how you feel about it. Visitors to the home have delighted in the flow from the kitchen into the space and remodeled bathroom, discussed here. The real question now is how to keep mud out of the mud room.

Photo attribution: somewhatfortyplus

Bathroom Remodel -- Part 7: Done!

After several weeks of stripping wall paper, priming and painting walls, installing Travertine tile, and searching for the right accessories, the bathroom and mud room remodeling project is complete and we couldn't be happier with the results.

The bathroom is small -- 4 feet by 4 feet -- and one recalls an airplane restroom when first opening the door to this somewhat intimate space, but the end result is dramatic. Benjamin Moore's Crushed Velvet Aura paint covers the walls and creates the "wow" factor. A tall etagere stands in the corner, displaying interesting trinkets and usable items. The 20" by 40" Pottery Barn mirror has a brushed nickel finish, as do other accessories in the room. Pulling it all together is the large picture over the toilet, taken from another room in the house. The picture, though hard to see in the photo, is the standard vase of drooping tulips in all the right colors of pink, cranberry, blue and green.

Recent visitors have loved the completed bathroom and this somewhat forty plus homeowner couldn't be happier. Tomorrow the mud room will be unveiled. Stay tuned.

Bathroom Remodel -- Part 6: Almost Done!

After two weeks of ripping, roaring, stripping, filling, sanding and painting, the remodeled mud room and bath room are almost finished. There are travertine tile floors, apple green walls, freshly painted woodwork, and a new bench in the mud room. A mirror and a few pictures are needed to make it look complete. Even at this stage, it certainly looks better now, don't you agree?

The small bathroom has been a challenge: it is only 48" long and 41" wide, with 10 foot ceilings and a large window. Some idiot built a cabinet off center behind the toilet, so it was painted to match the walls but the cabinet still shows. After hemming and hawing about why the shelf unit behind the toilet was off center, and how it would bother this symmetrical person every time I entered the small space, it was removed yesterday, meaning drywalling and taping took place. Meaning it isn't done yet. Meaning it will need a few more days. The bathroom mirror was unwrapped and a dent in the frame was found so it will need to be returned. Soon you will be able to view the completed bathroom, but not today. Here's just a small peek to keep you interested. Love the color ..... it is deep and dramatic.

Bathroom/Mudroom Redo - Part 5: Grout Added

The remodeling of the mudroom and adjacent bath started on Thursday, and has progressed quite rapidly with tile installation completed late Friday night. Once tiles were laid and allowed to set for 24 hours, grout was added. Since the installation was in a mud room, the grout color selected was a medium grey instead of a lighter tone which would have gone well with the various colors in the travertine tile.

New baseboards will be installed, and all old tired woodwork will be primed with an oil based primer. Previous owners of the home covered all the woodwork with an oil based paint, which could be covered with latex now, except they did one more thing no one should ever do. The previous owners sealed all of the painted woodwork with a shellac or varnish of some type to keep paint from chipping. What other reason would have driven them to add varnish as a finishing coat on top of the paint?

As a result, before painting any woodwork in the house it is first lightly sanded then primed with an oil based primer, allowed to dry, and then painted with a Benjamin Moore semi-gloss latex paint. Though I thought all of the priming had been done, alas I was wrong, so today is oil based primer day. Doors and windows will be opened to allow the fabulous fumes to escape. We are one day closer to an updated mud room and bath completion. I can't wait to show it to you or see it myself, for that matter.
Photo attribution: somewhatfortyplus

Bathroom Remodel -- Part 4: Tile Installation

Mud rooms get their name from being the room adjacent to the outdoors, separating the public spaces, which one hopes to keep clean, from the work spaces, which often sport sand, grass remnants, mud and dirt. Mud rooms allow one to enter the home, remove one's muddy shoes and then continue into the clean space, leaving the mud behind. The name mud room is more appropriate on some days then others.

Flooring in a mud room needs to be strong and durable and ranges from sheet goods, like linoleum, to ceramic, porcelain, or natural stone finishes. Travertine tiles were selected for this mud room make-over because they are strong and durable and look great against the wood floor in the adjacent kitchen and family room. Travertine is a crystallized, partially metamorphosed limestone of Calcium deposits with hot springs, which, because of its structure, can be filled and honed and is dense enough to be a type of marble. Each Travertine floor will exhibit its own unique coloring, veining and natural characteristics such as hardness and porosity. This non-uniform variety of color enhances the overall intrinsic beauty of the floor. Fading, stains, odors, and dirt and can be cleaned up with a damp mop or sponge or common household cleaners. The grout between the tiles will be a darker gray/brown color, which will be easy to keep clean since the installation is a mud room area. Several online sites offer great buys on Travertine tiles, but in Chicagoland, Century Tile is the place to go for tiles of every type, style and price.

Once the old vinyl flooring was removed from this remodel, previously discussed here, here and even here, the surface was washed. The old particle board was also removed and replaced with cement board. New tiles were glued onto the cement board today and will be allowed to dry at least 24 hours before grout is added. Excellent progress is being made on this mudroom/bathroom remodel and soon all will be completed.
Photo attribution: somewhatfortyplus

Bathroom Remodel -- Part 3: Painting the Walls

This is the third part of the Bathroom/Mudroom remodeling project, previously discussed here and here. Once the wallpaper was removed and the remaining glue had been washed away, the walls were primed with Kilz Wall Primer and the holes were filled. The holes were then sanded and primed again. Note: the word "primed" means to cover the walls with a paint called a primer, specifically selected to help paint adhere to surfaces. Next, the ceiling was attacked: the light fixture from "back in the day" was removed and the ceiling painted a shade of white. Woodwork in the bathroom/mud room remodel is plentiful and in need of priming so that is the next important step. An oil based primer for wood surfaces will be selected for this job.

Many homeowners skimp on the all important step of priming before painting, then wonder why the paint peels and chips so easily. Taking the time to prepare the surface correctly will save time and money later, so don't think your walls are "good enough" and paint over them without priming. Skip a television show instead, but don't skip the priming.

Problem: The small bathroom has a cabinet above the toilet that is not centered, but rather off set to the left, as seen in the photo. Re-painting the cabinet white in a room that will be painted cranberry will only highlight the off-set cabinet even more. Solution: the off-set cabinet will be painted the same color as the walls so the cabinet blends in and becomes less obtuse. The remaining woodwork will be painted a shade of white.

One painter just left to purchase the wall colors: apple green for the mud room walls and a gorgeous cranberry for the small bathroom. Stay tuned.

Photo attribution: somewhatfortyplus

Bathroom Remodel -- Part 2: Wallpaper Removal Tips

Wallpaper can be gorgeous in any room but once the homeowner decides the paper has to go, removing it can be a messy job. After several hours of spraying, waiting and careful peeling, the wallpaper in the somewhat awful looking mud room and adjoining bath discussed previously here, is now history.

Removing wallpaper can be a huge under taking, but several "magic potion sprays" are available to speed removal along. What is the best spray to use, according to HGTV "Designed To Sell?" Something you might already have at home: mixing fabric softener with a little water and spraying it on the wallpaper is the best and easiest way to remove paper. After spraying, wait about 15 minutes for the fabric softener to soak through the paper, then slowly lift a corner. Patience is a virtue here so don't rush now. Carefully pull the paper away from the wall; standing in front of the paper, slowly peel the entire wet sheet away from the wall until the entire sheet is removed and laying at your now wet feet. Continue around the room. Once the paper is gone, the walls need to be washed down to remove any remaining glue. A mixture of dish soap and warm water will work well; use a sponge to wash the area, continuing until all glue is gone.

The good news for this somewhat messed up mud room is the unwanted wallpaper is gone and the walls are free of all glue. The not so good news is the person removing the paper is sopping wet. Oh-oh. After the walls were dry they were primed, and holes were filled. Tomorrow the walls will be sanded and re-primed.

The really good news, as seen in the floor photo, the old individual commercial grade vinyl tiles have been removed, leaving a floor that will be covered with concrete board, then the new Travertine tiles that were purchased an hour ago. More tomorrow.

Photo Attribution: somewhatfortyplus