Dec 1, 2024 4 min read

Before (& During) & After: Part 3

The second-floor bathroom gets a near-total redo.

Vanity is expensive.

When we bought 615 Sunset Lane, I swore to myself we were only going to rebuild one of the three bathrooms—the half-bath on the main floor. And it was just going to become a modern half-bath. We weren't going to tear it totally out and make it a full bath—no, no, no. And we certainly weren't going to tear out the second-floor bathroom and completely renovate it.

But the more I stood in the doorway and looked at the second-floor bathroom, the more I thought it was going to need a ton of work.

The tub was surrounded in thick plastic panels that didn't appear to be properly moisture-lined.

There was a drop ceiling with styrofoam tiles over the tub.

When the HVAC guys raised those tiles to peek at the vent above the shower, it wasn't even clear where the vent was going.

And the whole room felt so sad and dated. It dragged down the rest of the second-floor charm, like the linen closet just outside the bathroom.

The linen closet is just outside the bathroom. (The bathroom is to the left in this photo. To the right is the landing of the stairs.)

Still, I thought we'd put some lipstick on this bathroom and somehow make do.

Then we pulled down the drop ceiling tiles in the kitchen so the plumber could have a look at the plumbing to the second-floor bathroom, and...

I've known my plumber for 20 years. He's a neighbor and a friend. He never talks me into things I don't need. He frequently talks me out of things I don't need.

But when he saw the state of the second-floor bathroom's plumbing at 615, he told me the truth: "You gotta let me tear all this out and replace it or it's going to fail on the next owner, probably pretty soon."

Once we realized we were going to have to tear into all the places the plumbing popped up in the second-floor bathroom, it was clear we were in for a big reno.

But I knew I didn't want to get rid of the tub. It appears to be original (though likely reglazed, as the glaze is in good condition).

So, then it became a game of creating a new bathroom around a yellow tub.

First came the tear-out.

That included tearing out the panels around the tub/shower, which indeed revealed that the space had not been properly moisture-lined. (Obviously we fixed that when we rebuilt.)

We also tore up the vinyl floor in preparation for a new ceramic tile floor.

Out came the toilet and the vanity, since we had to get to all the places where the plumbing needed replacing.

On and on went the demo...until eventually we started to see movement forward. First came the new plumbing.

That may look like old tile on the wall, but it was in fact old plaster scored to look like tile.

And we didn't just bring new plumbing in. We also took the opportunity of having the walls open to put new plumbing out.

That's the new sewer pipe vent and the new toilet flange.

When the plumber was done with this bathroom, the electricians came into completely rewire it. The HVAC guys installed a new, quiet vent (with light) over the tub. The drywall expert came and made everything purdy. And the tiler came and performed a bunch of magic.

I especially love the tile that goes from the floor up the vanity wall, and I love the sconces around the medicine cabinet. It all feels so fresh and textured just right.

The "bubble" tile feature on the main tub wall picks up the gold of the tub. The whole space is so nice now, with sturdy plumbing fixtures that don't just feel reliable but are reliable!

With the ceiling lights turned off and just the tub light and sconces on, the room feels ready for a luxurious bath.

No more looking up at a drop ceiling, either. No more wondering where the vent goes.

Yeah, so this room cost about $15,000 more than I intended to spend when we bought 615. But I feel so good knowing it has proper plumbing, electrical, HVAC, moisture-sealing, and fresh paint, too. It's ready for its first users to enjoy.

Stay tuned to see what happened to the main-floor bathroom....