BEHIND DOOR NUMBER 2
After a long winters nap I think it's time to check back in with my friend in Connecticut and her ongoing renovation project (s). If you will recall, she opted to buy the cheapest house in the nicest neighborhood and do as much as she could with a sad ranch to make it more modern, roomy and fun. Last time I was with her, holding a hammer in one hand and cocktail in the other, we had accomplished many things (with the help of my great contractor); we removed several walls on the main floor to create an open concept living/kitchen area with brand new appliances, an enormous island housing a gas stovetop and double ovens, relocated the front door to create an extra bedroom, turned a porch into a dramatic dining room, removed hideous carpet to reveal (and redo) lovely wood floors, gutted the lower level and added windows, new floors, sheetrock, lighting and new fireplace, updated the electrical system, added air conditioning and painted the exterior. I'm exhausted! Now it's time to attack the refreshing of four bathrooms, each of which is more hideous than the other. The day I walked through this house with her last March I mentioned that EVERY SINGLE SPACE AND SURFACE needed attention, and I wasn't being dramatic. The bathrooms all have carpet over dated tile. The vanities all look like something you'd find in a crack den. The showers and tubs...same goes for them, and the toilets all look like they've had more action than most politicians in D.C. Need I say more? Because this isn't her "forever home" I suggested she NOT go nuts with the bathroom designs, yet make them look unique, comfortable and fresh. So, let's start at the beginning with a PLAN. What does she like? Well, she mentioned seamless glass doors for starters and I quickly whipped out my needle to burst her bubble. She referenced a bathroom I did a few months ago (photo above) in a basement. The seamless glass door cost $1,700! I told her I could furnish one entire bath on that budget. How? Well, let's start with the doors and a new find at the Home Depot. Delta just introduced seamless doors that are as easy as 1, 2, 3! Step 1) Choose door style and finish, Frame style and finish. Step 2) Choose glass type and Step 3) Choose knobs/handles and finish. The cost? $350!! Unlike the doors above that take up to seven weeks for install, you walk out of the Home Depot with these and pop them in the back of your wagon and off you go...with a few extra pennies for a Starbucks coffee!
