Bathroom Renovation Update

I bought a bath tub last weekend. An old cast iron claw foot tub–in fact the rusty, green number you see above. The enamel is chipped around the edges a bit, the paint is all peeled around the outside. It’s exactly what I always dreamed of. We’re going to get it fixed up of course–professionally re-enameled, painted on the outside–but actually purchasing the tub has made everything all the more real.

But phew! this has been quite a process. We’re not doing the work ourselves and so finding the right people for the job (hopefully… knock-on-wood we don’t end up on one of those our-contractor-screwed-us-over shows) has taken time, then setting up meetings, getting quotes back, more meetings, more quotes, shopping for materials and still waiting on some quotes before we can actually schedule the start date. But it’s soon!

This is the first major renovation we’ve ever done. And we have always, always had really old, out of date bathrooms. And thankfully the bathrooms aren’t “sorta nice, but not my style” they’re bad. So, so bad. We’re starting with the main bathroom–the one the girls use and also the ones guests use as well. It’s a 2.5 bathroom home, so other than the master, this is it! And here are some before pictures to feast your eyes on:

See how there is a little hallway with closet doors on either side? We’re going to be reconfiguring this whole space, pushing the bathroom all the way out to the main hall, eliminating this little entry way to the bathroom. We’ll still have closets, but they will be accessed from the main hall as well.

And now behold…mid century meets country bumpkin. Blue mid century tile all around and then wood paneling across the top. I intentionally left the toilet paper on the floor just to accentuate the awfulness of this bathroom. And the brown towels and (ha I just noticed this!) the toilet paper roll sitting on the towel bar. A really bad before picture always makes for a great after picture.

And here is what I’m envisioning for this bathroom below. Modern brass fixtures, a mid century  style buffet turned vanity, vintage medicine cabinets (also in brass), clawfoot tub, white subway tile, white hex tile, brass sconces and a little greenery in there somewhere.

Modernica garden planter / Pottery Barn Vintage Medicine Cabinet / Sample Color Swatch of Snow White 3×6 Glass Subway Tile for Kitchen… / SomerTile 10.5×11-inch Victorian Hex Glossy White Porcelain Mosaic… / West Elm sideboard / KOHLER Purist 8 in. 2-Handle Wall-Mount Low-Arc Bathroom Faucet Trim… / 10 Trendy Clawfoot Tubs Vintage, Bold Rustic / Cedar Moss

I know brass, white and black are very of the moment, but I also think it will wear well for years to come. I’m trying to convince myself that these styles are timeless (and I honestly think they are) but it seems inevitable that everything goes in and out of style eventually. When we first got married the neutral I was in love with was brown. I still like the color brown in general, especially when it comes to wood, but I have not bought anything brown for my home in probably since my second year of marriage. But I still think black and white is a pretty good way to go. And since I can’t predict or control what I will or will not like in the future, I’m going to go ahead and go with what I like now.

Also, buying the clawfoot tub…I had this moment where I was like, “Am I allowed to do this? Am I allowed to get exactly what I like? For no other reason than I want to?” I’ve talked about this before but home decor is one of those things that I really love and enjoy, but I have a hard time pulling the trigger and really going for it all the way. Most of the rooms in my house have a few key things missing that I’ve been wanting for a while, but pulling the trigger and getting that last rug, or finishing the closets just feel…something. Extravagant maybe? Part of it is worrying about perception–I’m not an interior designer who am I to have a beautiful home? Do other people think I’m being too fancy, and thus shallow? The main part is just about my own insecurities with spending money and having what I want and feeling deserving…I’m sure I feel that way in other areas of my life, but nothing brings this feeling out in me more than when it comes to decorating my house. Anyone else relate? Thoughts?