Slow and steady my main floor bathroom is getting closer to a finish. I’ll take pictures and do an update once it’s completely finished. This is just an update on progress.
When we remodeled and added to the house, we put this bathroom in. It’s right inside the garage door and I love where it’s located. At the time, we didn’t have a real “vision” or an open checkbook to do whatever we wanted so we put in a toilet, found a pedestal sink on a freecycle group, bought a claw foot tub on Marketplace, and put that in. We had the cabinet and put that in. It was good enough. We had other stuff to worry about.
Fast forward two years. The childcare kids would go in and turn the water on in the claw foot tub. Not once had we ever used the tub. We ended up taking the tub out and putting the changing table there. I was working doing in home childcare and it made so much more sense to have a changing table in the bathroom. We sold the tub for the price we paid for it. No harm.
So this was my bathroom…Not much but it served its purpose.
Childcare left our pedestal sink surrounded by step stools so the kids could reach the sink. UGH. It was so messy and the stools were scratching up the floors. Kramer, my husband, had an idea to someday have a vanity built that had a built-in step stool. That didn’t happen but I liked the idea.
Then Kramer got lung cancer and broke his neck and we suddenly realized we didn’t have a place for him to shower safely. We all jumped into remodel mode trying to figure out how to quickly get a shower installed. Unfortunately, Kramer passed away a couple of weeks later and we no longer needed that main floor shower.
For a bit, I did nothing but then as time went on and I figured out that my money situation was manageable, and I decided to slowly start fixing that bathroom. It was always in the back of my mind, what if my cancer goes bad and it’s me that needs the shower on the main floor of the house. I wanted to have it in place.
I started out by having a vanity built…I made sure it was custom-made and had that step stool built into it.
I like an antique look but needed some lighting over the vanity so I bought this light and had my vanity maker make a box to mount the light to and bring it away from the wall.
I was pleased with this but I still hadn’t addressed the shower issue.
Last summer I ordered an Onyx shower unit. It came in the fall and then in January, it was finally my turn on the contractor’s list. They put my shower in.
Next up, it was time for my cabinet maker to make a cabinet to go next to the shower. On Saturday he came and installed it. Everything isn’t complete but we’re getting close.
Here it is…I LOVE it. I LOVE it so much.
We’re missing hardware and a shelf for the upper part. When the top two doors open, there and three drawers that pull out. There will be one top solid shelf that doesn’t move above these.
Then there are three drawers. I was able to fit everything from that big cabinet and the changing table into this one cabinet. I LOVE it. I love every single thing about it.
My cabinet builder is a genius. He’s also the dad of the two school-aged childcare kiddos that I often tell you about.
I told him that I wanted some sort of changing table built into the cabinet. That was hard to do but he had this idea. It’s not finished yet but close. His idea was to put these brackets with a big “tabletop” attached to them (The top is missing right now). They can be down like this…
Or they can pop up like this. Then that tabletop would be on it and I can change a baby there. So for days when I have grandkids here that need diapering, I can have the table out. When they go home, I can collapse it. Oh, my word. To not have the mess but still have the convenience of a diapering station is awesome. The drawer that you saw in an above photo with the diapers in it is in the cabinet at the perfect height that I can pull the drawer and have everything right there for diapering. Color me HAPPY!!
My bathroom seems so much bigger now which is so weird because I thought putting the shower and cabinet in there would make it seem small. I’m just so happy with how it’s turning out.
I got the hardware ordered for the cabinet and the cabinet maker is coming back in a week or two once the tabletop is tweaked and ready.
Next up I’m going to break the bank with new washcloths and a rug and probably a new soap dispenser…just a few little things that will make the room a little more finished.
I’m so glad that we lived in the house for a while until I knew what I really wanted for a bathroom. At the time we were building…I didn’t have grandkids and wasn’t doing childcare. Who knew then that I’d love having the built-in step stool in the vanity or the awesome changing table option. Now it perfectly fits me and my life.
Many thanks and a 10 out of 10 recommendation to Luke Bouska as the best cabinet maker!! A big shout out also to Alpha Builders and Brian Kleve for their work in getting my shower built-in. I was so pleased with all of the guys.
I’ll update you once it’s all completely finished.
That cabinet is absolutely perfect. Looks just like your other old cabinets. The drop down changing table would make a perfect cutting table too!
I’m pleased for you, Jo, how it’s all coming together. It’s looking good!
Wow Jo! You have an amazing vision. Your bathroom is just beautiful and functional at the same time. Now I’m wondering where you put the antique wardrobe. Ha
What a good team of craftspeople you have there, Jo. I always tell my son that it’s good to have his remodel skills because when the need for framers slacks off, there will likely still be people who know repair and remodel needed. It will be fun to see how you decorate. I get good ideas from you!
Everything is so functional and beautiful. It’s always a relief when your plan comes together:. Kramer would be proud of your accomplishment.
I love the idea of the folding steps for the kids! Now that I have grandchildren (just two…so far) I can appreciate that—the step stool in my powder room can get really annoying!
Your bathroom looks fantastic!
Great idea for the changing table and LOVE your dirty wash cloth “bin”!!
This column is great because it reminds readers how much of a remodel is a result of living with a situation in various forms long enough to know what you finally need. P.S. I sprang for an $18 pack of cotton multicolored washcloths from Amazon, rolled and stacked them, tops facing up, in a sweet-grass basket on the sink top. A simple but nice touch…
Wow, it sure is coming along! The cabinet is beautiful and so needed in a bathroom. Your cabinet maker is very good and I’m happy for you that it won’t be long for a finish.
Wow! That is turning out great! Can’t wait to see it all decorated. Looks like you’ll have space for more cross stitch! Lol!
That will be so handy for you – and adaptable as time goes on and the kids grow! Love the look of that cabinet and the pull-out shelves are so handy! Glad for you!
Hi Jo!
Your bathroom is really coming together and is going to be great! I have a question – do you know what color/brand of stain that was used on the cabinets?
I have oak cabinets in my bathroom that I want to update from golden oak to a richer color and your color looks perfect!
Thanks!
Kristin
Beautiful cabinet and bathroom vanity, it goes perfectly with your home. I’m redoing a half bathroom now and it’s tiny but it will be so much better after than before.
Everything looks great! I love the new built-in cabinet. Did you have to move the air vent that was under it?
My Cabinet maker rerouted it. It’s all great.
This all looks amazing! Now that you aren’t using that antique cabinet in the bathroom, have you decided where it is going now? I’ll bet you have something in mind. Love your look and so functional.
Beautiful Cabinet and the changing table is genius!
The built-in cabinet is amazing Love how it looks in your bathroom. I think having the cabinet on the shower wall gives the room more space. Is your mirro9r/medicine cabinet an antique or did your cabinet maker make it for you?
I hope your step stool works. If so you should patient it.
Looks y!
Oops! Looks good!
Your cabinet and bathroom looks beautiful.
It makes home jobs so much easier when you have such good contractors’ folks. Your bathroom is looking like a great fit for you. Very nice indeed.