~BATHROOM MAKEOVER - Torn Down to the Studs and Back Up Again~

~TOTAL BATHROOM MAKEOVER~

(A True Labor of Love)

Ever since I started Blogging last January I've wanted to share with you pictures of our main upstairs Bath Makeover. But~since I'm NOT computer savvy and couldn't find just WHERE I saved the few BEFORE pictures I took when the renovation was underway, I opted to just forget about it!!! :( What good is it to show a makeover if you can't see the before pics, right? I mean...I want to see WHAT WAS DONE and read about the JOURNEY... not just view the end results!!!

~FUNCTIONAL AND LOVELY~

Great for holding lots of STUFF!

Well...I mentioned to my Mr. AGPMan last night that I'd given up on finding the before pictures...want to know what his reply was???

~LOVE THE PEDESTAL SINK~

Perfect for Maximizing the Space

"Oh...you've been looking for the bathroom BEFORE PICS? I've got those on MY computer!"

(ERRR...now go read my "Love Is..." comic title from yesterday! No further explaining is needed!)

~FREE STANDING LINEN CABINET~
Hobby Lobby Reduced Special - $150
Perfect for Towels, Sheets, Tissue, etc.

~I LOVE THIS CEILING~

(My Favorite Part of the Makeover)

Code REQUIRED a VENT

~So...no chandelier I'm afraid~

Anyway...my guy forwarded the pics to me this morning making it possible to finally showcase for you all HIS hard work. I hope you are inspired!

HERE WE GO!

~ORIGINALLY A GALLEY-STYLE BATH~
(Yes...YES! The walls were RED! Don't faint Tea)

Our home was built in 1970 and came with a Galley-Style upstairs bathroom. It was long and narrow and not at all functional. In the picture above you see the placement of things. On the right (where there is no tile) there was a long sink and built in cabinets. Very dated. There was also a half wall that SORT OF hid the toilet...I was soooo happy to see it GO! On the left was the tub (along the wall) and a built in linen closet. Everything was removed straight down to the studs!

~WHERE THE ORIGINAL SINK WAS~

The tub below was right in front of the toilet. It was tiny and made of cast iron! The original tile was a terrible off white color with huge blobs of avocado green scattered about. I lived with it like this for 14 years (ARGH!) When you are raising a family you don't always have the $$$ mullah to spend on house makeover stuff. Too busy buying school clothes and the like!

~HEAVY OLD THING - MADE A HUGE MESS~

The original tub was way too heavy to try and get down the stairs. So...we opted (like that word "WE?") to beat it up with a sledge hammer into manageable pieces. What a job!!!

~THE MASTER MAKEOVER MAN HIMSELF~
Such a Tiny Window
(No Idea What My Guy is Doing Here!)

The reason I've included this picture is because I want you to see what kind of window was in the bathroom before the makeover. It was oddly tiny and I hated it from day one (red cup on floor is where the toilet had been and the tub was where the blank patch in the wall is - just to the left of my guy's raised foot).

~ORIGINAL BATHROOM DOOR ON LEFT~
Our TINY Linen Closet Door is on the Right

Including this shot is important for two reasons! First, I want to show you how TINY my original hallway linen closet was. It was almost useless. It is where you see the green carpeting. It was ripped out and the original bathroom door on the left was closed up! Second, the new entrance to the bathroom is what ONCE WAS that closet...just flipped the door around!! There was also a deep built-in closet in the bathroom as well (it butted up to the shower end of the tub). It was worthless. Too deep to be functional and it's only true purpose was to collect hair spray! :(

~FRAMING OF THE NEW WINDOW~

After all the STUFF was removed the renovation could begin. In this picture you can see how the new window's size compares to the old! Wow! Even at this point I couldn't really imagine how it all was going to work out!

My guy did though! And his vision was simply amazing!

~HOW THE DEBRIS WAS REMOVED~

Now...is this ingenious or what? Since this bathroom is upstairs there was no way we cold haul all that debris away without this contraption! It was wonderful! It stayed in place until the new window was installed. For a few weeks the window opening was covered with heavy plastic!

And there you have it!

Now...here's just a bit more information!

We started the bath makeover in 2006. It was finally finished in early 2007. It took almost a full year. My hubby is NOT a construction worker...he's a Computer Analyst for USA company. Still, he did all the work himself and saved us THOUSANDS of dollars.

Including the Whirlpool Jet Tub, Custom Window, Pedestal Sink, Toilet, Bead Board, Tile, Electrical, Recessed Lighting, Overhead Vent/Light, Wood, Faucets and Cabinets totally makeover cost was approximately $4,500. Had we hired the work done it would have been a $40K makeover. Having the tub installed along with the tile work the estimated cost was at least $3,500.

Was this a labor of love for us both? Yes! It was. And even more. The renovation was long and tiresome at times, but the rewards have been well worth the sacrificing of a tub for nearly twelve full months. Plus, the money we saved is helping us pay for our kitchen makeover.

I soo hope you enjoyed the tour.

Blessings to you as you remember that hard work and commitment always pay off in the end...Rebecca
PS: To my Mr.AGPMAN: You are amazing! Forgive me for forgetting sometimes how awesome you are and how you always work so hard to make my dreams come true! You are the most talented person I've ever known...xo~B