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Feb 10, 2018

Tiny (42 sq ft) Bathroom update - Part 2


I am so fortunate to have a friend who is a master craftsman and totally 'gets' my style. I call him "Mountain Man". He is a backwoods mountain dweller that lives nearby. He harvested trees on his land and built himself a beautiful yet really funky (in a good way) little house on a mountain top. He is quite a frugal guy and very creative. Up-cycled freebies and thrift shop finds are given a new life inside Mountain Man's unique home. He made all of his furniture by hand and cut thousands of little pieces of wood and inlaid them in a beautiful pattern to create amazing wood floors. I call his little home a hobbit house. It is so masculine, like a creative artists man cave, which is just how he likes it, he assures me.

When I have a project in mind for my own home, he comes to help me and. he doesn't complain when I explain to him what I envision. He charges a beyond reasonable price for his work. He also is always recycling lumber and hardware and passes the savings along to me. I could not ask for a better or more awesomely skilled creative carpenter friend. Thanks Mountain Man! You rock.

 As you look at the pictures below, keep in mind the bathrooms width is not quite ten feet long/wide. It's three feet, nine inches deep, plus  a tiny nook making it a grand total of forty-two square feet. That folks, is VERY small loo. It's not as tiny as my tiny homes itty bitty bathroom, or my vintage Glampers micro mini bathroom but you can take my word for it -IT'S REALLY SMALL.

                                Claw foot tub entering the TINY bathroom's 24 1/2" doorway                     
Okay boys, I am glad you removed the door jam first.
                                                                             
Careful- just make a left turn now.
                                                                                 
Watch out for the paint. Don't scratch my tub.
                                                                     
Carrying it back out - to switch it the other way around
                                                                           
See guys,, I told you so. That will work so much better, now to make a left turn
                                                                                   
Attaching the legs and now to flip it over. Notice how small this bathroom is?
                     
                                                                                  
This is the bottom of my claw foot tub. It was made Nov 14th 1924. It stands about 23" tall on legs, 53"long, 30"wide
                                                                    
1-2-3.. FLIP
                                                                         
Ah..lets check to see if the plumbing fixtures will fit after we slide it in ????
                                                                
I think I heard s few curse words at this point
                                                                           
                                                                             
Now..to get out of here
                         
                                                                                
Whew.. It's in. Hallelujah!!!!.
                                                                     
 There happened to be a small 12" deep by 31" long nook on the left hand side of the bathroom where the last tub was able to fit. You gotta love old farm homes with all their nooks and crannies. Thank goodness for this little nook because it made it possible for my 4 1/2' claw foot tub to fit into place with a few inches left over to spare. Sweet! Now to have the tub plumbing installed.

You will notice on the right bottom corner of the above picture, a recessed spot in the wall which holds one or two rolls of toilet paper. I designed this toilet paper cubby to create a few more inches between my toilet and the wall. Every inch counts in a tiny space. It is convenient and within easy arms reach from the toilet. I liked it so much that I asked Mountain Man to make me just one more little cubby for my toothbrush in the wall next to my sink. He rolled his eyes and shared a few choice words with me before he cut into the already finished wall. He framed out a perfect little spot for my toothbrush and floss and at my request then added a tiny door to keep my toothbrush private and  sanitary. He then asked if I wanted any more mouse houses with doors before he put away his tools for the day. Of course my mind wandered, full of more ideas - but I decided not to push his patience.
                                                                 
I already had lots of items to decorate the bathroom with but I found a few more things that I felt had to make the final cut. My style? Well its pretty much just things that I like. But - definitely anything vintage, chippy, rusty, galvanized, farmhouse, or french-ish with pops of vintage bling and of course crystals in the mix totally win me over.  Now, all that in my bathroom might be a bit too much. Nah,   More- is the new 'less'. I don't need anyone's permission. So ..... let the fun begin.


                              Yes Please, This $3.00 frame, a thrift store treasure made the cut.
                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                \
Yes, yes I know -the below picture is terrible but you didn't need a caption to figure that one out. I don't remember if I was trying to take a picture of my dogs hiding from the noise of demo going on or if I was trying to get a picture of that ugly glossy black spray painted dresser. Obviously I had my eyes closed or something when I bought it and when I took the picture too. It had good bones and so I took pity on it and gave it a new home. It has a dark wood, wormy chestnut top, and I figured I could make it work. I chalk painted it grey but ended up painting it again as I was just not feeling the grey.

 
               
                                                                       
Still ugly...how much paint do I have left? I will paint the drawers white.

 Mountain man pointed out to me that this dresser/bathroom vanity was probably too short to use comfortably when washing my face or hands  or brushing my teeth. Darn, I hadn't noticed this when I had committed to rescue it. I was probably overcome by the ugly glossy spray paint it was coated in. No worries, Mountain Man can fix anything and he set to making 4 leg extensions. This is why I like the relaxed shabby chic style. I don't have to worry or stress about these kinds of things.


                                                          
                                                          The floating vanity/dresser                   
Add your own caption in my comment section below

                                                                          
                                                                            
After the extension was secured I painted it to match

This really old farmhouse medicine cabinet (below) SCREAMED my name when I first laid eyes on it at a flea market. It was $90 and way more than I wanted to pay. I walked away and then came back for a second look. It was amazing. It was really well made and was lined in bead board and the mirror had a wonderful patina to it. I could see that it would easily hold my most frequently used  herbal tinctures and bottles of homeopathy and essential oils too. It was chunky, and really heavy and the crackled paint, well that sealed it for me. After haggling with it's owner, I was able to take it home for $60.00. I really like this piece so much so that I may use it as a casket when I die. Well, I obviously could not fit in it but maybe my ashes could, if I get cremated? I am one with this little sweet cabinet.


                                           

When I got it home and further inspected it my curiosity got the best of me. The inside of the door was also made of bead board and I was so intrigued because this thing weights like a ton. The mirrored door was the heaviest part. I sat on the floor and took out every stripped tiny screw (added years later I am sure) hoping to find a treasure and that I did. It was lined with a vintage newspaper dated 1918 and named the Sharon Telegraph from PA. I had hoped to find a map to buried treasure, not quite. None the less, fun to imagine where it was made and by whom. That's the fun part about antiques, the stories you imagine they could tell. They all have a story unlike most modern pieces that probably have a story of child slave labor, or under paid folks or those who work in heavy toxic environments to create fall apart stuff. I prefer handmade one of a kind pieces that have a history.

                                                                            
I prefer aged mirrors with a history and the patina to prove it.
  Finally the dust has settled and I am at a place where I am content with the remodel outcome. Yes.. pictures to follow. Although there is a claw foot tub revival of sorts, It seems that most trade out claw foots for new fancy modern tubs. Then there are those who remove their bathtubs all together in favor of a large shower with the fancy faucets and shower heads. No thanks, I had enough of the rain in WA state and I consider standing in a fiberglass or tiled box as water trickles down on me just too close to those cloudy rainy Pacific Northwest days. Nope - I don't want a rainy day shower experience. Bless all of you folks who love that weather. Getting rid of my shower / tub combo and replacing it with a once crusty,  beat up mess of a tub was more in line with desires to simplify my life and relax more.

 Then there are people who remove vintage windows and install the latest vinyl, energy efficient double pane brands. Nothing wrong with that and probably smart, but I have always marched to a different drummer. I installed a free multi pane, window with wood grids that I found in a dumpster. . I put up chippy metal tiles as a back splash and re purposed vintage suitcases and a milk man delivery box to hold cosmetics, lotions and potions. A variety of items adorn my walls and while this bathroom on a budget is not everyone's cup a tea, to me this little bathroom turned out perfect.
   
 After shopping my own house and then adding a few more 'new to me' vintage treasures along with some new candles, and throw rugs with lace edging, it is what I had hoped for. This is what she looks like today (below).   This is only a sneak peek and many more photos are on the way.
                            
                                                         'AFTER' PHOTOS BELOW  
I don't like to look at appliances so I hid the wall heater with a vintage tin tile that is removed when I use the heater


                                                                               
The frame on the wall is the same frame I shared earlier, after I chalk painted it

                       IF you missed the before photos of my bathroom, just look at my last post.
                                
                                    Thanks for stopping by.Leave a comment if you care to.

                                                                  Remember it's never
                                                          to late to have a happy childhood.
                                                                              Tonita



































                                                                         







16 comments:

Rebecca Lynn said...

Oh my heart! I just your loo! How I wait patiently for your post, lol. Really so pretty girl. Brilliant job. Hope your well and looks like your keeping busy, all my best, Love & Blessings...Miss Rebecca :)

Mary Charles said...

Your bathroom looks so relaxing and pretty, Tonita! Love it!

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

It is so pretty and feminine. A wonderful place to relax.

Glad you have 'Mountain Man' to work on projects. I'd love to see his place it sounds fantastic.

Happy Valentine's week ~ FlowerLady

Tonita said...

Hi Miss Rebecca, If only I had a blog secretary I could get more posts up. I just have to be in the mood to deal with technology. Thanks for the compliments. Blessings to you and yours.

Tonita said...

Mary, Welcome and thanks for taking time to visit and comment. Thank You. Many blessings sent your from my home to yours.

Tonita said...

lorraine, Thanks for coming to visit. My bathroom is normally not where I would invite people to hang out on the first visit. LOL. Maybe 'Mountain Man' will allow me to share his unique home on my blog?
May your heart be content this Valentines Day. Blessings.

Linda S. said...

love your new bathroom reno! :-)

Tanya said...

That's a very frou-frou loo! Clever use of space & such pretty touches. Since you moved a big truckload from WA state, how do you manage now in your little cottage, everything looks so uncluttered and organized? (looking for some tips here, how to manage all my "stuff" haha).

DownTheLaneWithDaisy said...

I love the finished tub and the whole bathroom, so vintage. What fun!

Anonymous said...

2-11-18 Tiny, terrific, totally awesome bathroom. YOU have put so much love into this space. I like the way that you add new life and purpose to things no one else would think about or would possibly throw away. You think outside the box. For example-you asked the Mountain Man to put an inset for your toilet paper and you recreated a new/old medicine cabinet. Probably no one else would have thought about that. Your bathroom is very girly, old timey, nostaligic, and yet has all the modern conveniences. Shucks, I am ready to come over and take a long bubble bath! Excellent job. Elizabeth

Tracy said...

I love it! It looks great. How nice to have that handy mountain man. I need one, lol! His place sounds nice too, maybe he would let you share a few photos of it?? Thanks for sharing your new bathroom, cant wait to see more of your sweet home.

Tonita said...

When I say it is hard to get to Mountain Man's home I am not joking. I have only been there once in two plus years. IT's like a huge deal to just get up his scary driveway. I would love to share pictures of the hobbit house but his driveway seriously gives roller coasters a whole new meaning. Perhaps I can plan to hike up there this summer?

Shabby Dollhouse said...

Thanks Tonita!!!!

I envy you for your bathtub....so beautiful!

Tonita said...

Thanks, most importantly it is beyond comfortable. I just checked out your amazing blog. It is one that I will have to spend a LONG time exploring. I have always loved miniatures so I will be eating my dinner in front of the computer tonight as I scan the Shabby Dollhouse.

Butterfly 8)(8 Bungalow said...

I love your tub! We have a cast iron, but it is ordinary. xoxo Su

Tonita said...

Thanks Su,
After years of yearning for a cast iron claw foot tub, I finally have it. I can tell you that I have never ever had a more comfortable tub. I have the short one inside my home and even though I am 5'8 I fit in it perfectly. I don't ever want any other type of tub. It's easy to wash my hair in and I can always add on the hardware to the existing faucet should I desire to start showering again. I also have an outdoors claw foot tub so I can soak in the woods. So much fun.

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