More New…In The Bathroom
The closet got built out, and the framing for the arch was installed!
Originally, I had planned to have the arch rest on a “nib” wall, against the south window. The nib wall would have been where the vertical window trim was. Hence, the reason for the nib wall was to cover over where the trim was removed.
All this was so the new dividing wall did not encroach too much into the western side of the room. But, after some more measuring, I realized that I could move the dividing wall to the west by 6-inches. Thus, the nib wall would no longer required, and the arch could spiring from the south wall, and kiss the adjacent window trim. Much nicer!
The new “west room” is 5-feet, 5-inches wide, which is wider than most bathrooms (a standard bathroom is 5 x 7). So, it does not feel narrow, which had worried me.
The arch and closet assure that the shower bump-out no longer reads as a bump-out. Before, the shower read as being stuck in the corner. That feeling vanished today, and now the room reads as two rooms: a west room (where the vanity will go) and an east room (shower, toilet, bidet).
Ross happy.
Moving the dividing wall also offered a bonus: the creation of a closet (backing up against the shower wall). The closet though is not very deep (about 11-inches). So, if I think of it as a closet, I think: Gee, it’s not very big. But, if I think of it as a medicine cabinet: Wow! I have a REALLY big medicine cabinet!
The inside of the closet is bead-board paneling. I will stain and varnish this, so the look will replicate the bead-board on the third floor, and the wainscoting in the kitchen.
You are looking west. The door to the closet will be the one shown here, left. Once installed, this will be the second time the door was relocated in the room! The closet shown above was larger in 1894. It was then reduced in size, and the door moved west. The closet has now been removed, and the west wall will be the location of the vanity. The vanity is 7-feet wide, and is a 1920s dining room sideboard (currently in the dining room). It is rather elegant, and has a double S-curve front.
Above the vanity will be a pair of 2-arm Italian-made sconces. The wood complements the vanity. I recently found the sconces on eBay, still in their original boxes, but only $99 each, and with free shipping! They are very high quality. I also have six 1-arm versions, in the original boxes, too, which I have had stored away for years now. One of these will go in the SE corner of the bathroom. A modern LED ceiling light will be above the shower.
The new arch will be the fifth arch inside the house, and we copied the profile of this one in the hall. The bathroom is through the open door in the background.
When the bathroom is finished is should read as, well, right.
To repeat: Right.
I am having new base milled, replicating the original. The oak flooring is the same as throughout the house. The closet door is original to the room. The window trim is extant and and will be restored. And the new arch simply continues a theme of the house.
I am uncertain if the room had picture rail originally. Some sleuthing though should confirm either way. The hall did.
The arch should be sheet-rocked tomorrow and I am excited to see the almost-finished effect!
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That’s really coming along nicely! I think your approach is going to look quite nice, blending your taste and modern practicality with the stylistic inspiration of the rest of the house (the arch is brilliant).
Hoping you are feeling better and continue to regain your characteristic energy and joy!
Ooooweeee! I’ve been waiting especially for the bathroom arch. 🙂
Ah, now I see where the decision to go ahead and drywall the ceiling came from. Good call. It was holding up everything.
That closet is too shallow for hangars but with shelves will be perfect for towels and other bathroom necessities. Linens too.
Not a closet. Not a medicine cabinet, although those things could be stored in there easily. Bathroom Cupboard? Wasn’t there a linen cupboard or something similar somewhere in the vicinity? Blanket cupboard? Well, this is a towel cupboard so almost. Or Linen closet. One can never have too much storage.
It all sounds very exciting. Especially the sideboard vanity and lights. Have you decided on a mirror and chair of any sort?
I mish-mashed a vanity set up in my bedroom with a small kidney shaped inlaid table from Italy from Spiegel catalog. It was a writing desk but not any more. Above it is a small Venetian style glass mirror. Again, Spiegel. The chair I got on sale from the Broadway or maybe Macy’s. It was way on sale and I still paid a lot. But it is also from Italy. The back is carved like a shell. They only had the one chair, possibly from a dining room set, so it was marked way down, but perfect for my needs. I immediately removed the ugly upholstery and redid it with fabric to match a quilt in the room. It’s been temporary for 20 years but eventually I plan on needlepointing a seat for it and that will hopefully be the last reupholstery job on it. I just haven’t decided on a pattern. I’ve already done one other chair as a practice run and love the results. Maybe at some point when I’m not filling in a trench, laying bricks, building a raised bed garden or repairing something I can take some time and finally get down to it.
I have a list. I give my self a decade to get it all done.
mlaiuppa, these old houses dictate our timelines and lists, don’t they? I am currently 21 years into my 5-year project 🙂 I’m not really that slow, but when you allow for raising three kids who have so far provided two grandkids, and then there is the job (which I may retire from next May), and the never-ending domino effect (the new paper in the dining room makes the foyer paper look bad). I’ve been using Ross’ baby-steps method for years, and just didn’t know it…
Ross, the bathroom is going to look awesome! After all of the blood, sweat, and tears, you deserve some luxury!
That is something no one tells you.
I had no idea until I started fixing up the house. When I bought it in 1987 the first thing I did was paint all of the rooms pure white until I could decide what I wanted. They were horrible contractor’s beige. I hate beige.
I did a wash on the foyer that I liked. Then I painted the dining room but the living room between the two then looked sort of drab so I painted that. The hallway beyond the dining room then was boring so I painted that same as the Foyer with the left over wash. So now the bedroom was kinda cold. I washed that in a warm golden yellow. So the other bedroom was now the only room left and that needed something.
Apparently you cannot paint just one room.
I’ve been in my house almost 35 years now. It took at least a decade to decide what I wanted to do with the interior, 20 years to make it happen as I needed some cabinetry built. I’ve only finalized what I want to do with the yard in the last ten years. It was about 80% with a few areas I just didn’t know what to plant. The hardscape was done 15 years ago but the plantings still aren’t. Meanwhile a tree and a rose bush have died and I’ll be replacing them with citrus as I have decided the yard must work by producing food. The last build is the four raised beds for the front yard Victory garden and replace a pergola that came down when the back fence was replaced. Not sure when the pergola will go back up but I want the raised beds done this coming winter. I have to wait for rain to soften the ground. I only got one built last winter. And of course now I am filling in the trench and replacing the pulled up bricks from the replaced gas line. That is also taking longer than I expected.
If you own a home you either have to be wealthy enough to pay people to do the work or you have to learn to do it yourself and then be patient enough to get jobs done on a long time line. I’ve learned patience and would rather do it slowly myself than waste money hiring it out only to have to redo it or live in anger looking at a job done poorly.
I can’t wait to see that bathroom done. Or anything else. I love when care is taken to restore things either as they were or as they should have been, looking correct to the house. That’s what I’ve tried to do on a small scale. My house is only 1275 sq feet. I could never take on a project like Cross House but I can certainly appreciate the work going in to it.
I believe you will be very happy with the bathroom. How is your office coming along?
Hi Ross, I hope you are feeling better. What a lovely job you are doing! With regards to your really large medicine cabinet, it could also hold some towels for the bathroom as well. Just throwing that out there – I’m not sure where the linen closet resides on the second floor – but you could keep an “emergency stash” in the bathroom!
I see all this work getting done and I get so excited for you and the Cross house!
Lots of good thought here! I can’t wait to see the progress. This is why slow sometimes wins the race – it has allowed you to really think things though. Kudos, this will be a terrific space.
How excited you must be to see it taking shape. Can’t wait for the next installment! Take care. 🙂
Wow, this is going to be fabulous. I can’t wait to visit you again! Seeing the house is a bonus, of course. The real pleasure is visiting you.