Half Bath Update – Tile and Wood
Hello! I thought I’d share some photos of where we’re at in our half bath renovation today. (PS- We’re putting together a short video about some of the key steps in our process, and I look forward to sharing that whenever we wrap things up!)
The floor and walls are starting to look much different than they used to, and although we’ve still got a ways to go, we’re really excited about how the room is coming together:
First, Kev ripped out the tile that was previously in there, and since some of the backer board underneath it was damaged in the process- we had to use new backer board underneath our new tile. Here are a couple of cell phone pics that show the new backer board (left) and the new hex tile all thin-setted into place (right):
We’re looking forward to taking this house back a few generations over the next several years, so replacing the contemporary tile with something a little more classic and cottage-y was just what the (old house) doctor ordered in here. We got our hex tile from Overstock.com, and since we only needed three packages of 10 tiles, we felt like it was a good opportunity to get some major cottage bang for not a lot of cottage bucks.
We used Warm Gray grout in between the tiles, and I think Mr. Kit-Cat likes it as much as we do.
We’re really excited about the wood wainscoting we’ve got up on the walls in there now, too. Because the wall studs (behind the drywall) run vertically, our carpenter friend, Wade, suggested we secure our pine paneling planks to horizontally-oriented strips of luan plywood. Here’s a photo of the first few strips of luan after they were nailed to the studs behind the drywall…
And here’s an “in-progress” shot of the pine planks and chair rail molding being nailed to the luan:
We got the planks at Lowes. They’re super thin (5/16″ thick, to be exact) and they’re usually displayed on an end cap, at the end of the trim aisle. They come in 4′ and 8′ lengths, and we decided to go with 7-foot tall wainscoting because we’ve always been fans of the two-thirds look. (Meaning: the lower 2/3 portion of the walls have wainscoting, the upper 1/3 does not.) Here’s a photo of the label that was on the packages of planks in case anybody out there is interested in picking some up:
A pack of six planks is 13 bucks and some change, but again, since this room is teeny-tiny, we thought it would be a fun way to give it a big dose of cottage charm without spending a huge chunk of change.
We also got the chair rail molding at Lowes. We chose a top-heavy one because we’re both suckers for a ”shelf-y” profile when it comes to that stuff.
We’re hoping to get some primer up on the ceiling, walls, and wainscoting next week. After that- PAINT! We’re thinkin’ Simply White on the ceiling, and Wedgewood Gray on the baseboards, wainscoting, chair rail, and crown molding. And after that, WALLPAPER! Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh! #MyFavoritePart
Leave a Reply
64 Responses to Half Bath Update – Tile and Wood
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Layla says:Feb 28, 2013 at 11:25 am
Thanks, Erin! We’re excited to be able to go to the bathroom in there again- LOL!
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Layla says:Feb 28, 2013 at 11:25 am
Ha! I’m glad you liked that, Rene’! It’s true!!!
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Rene' @ thedomesticlady.com says:Feb 28, 2013 at 11:28 am
It reminded me of improper fractions in school. My teacher said to remember them like Dolly Parton. Big on top and little on the bottom
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Heather says:
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Peg says:
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bekah says:Feb 28, 2013 at 11:29 am
Looking good!! Good thing the cat likes the tile…otherwise it would be back to square one !
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Sherri says:
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Dana says:
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Layla says:Feb 28, 2013 at 11:45 am
Nope! The planks are SUPER thin, so the existing baseboard sticks out further than them, which made installation easy-peasy!
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Dana says:
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nono says:Feb 28, 2013 at 11:37 am
Layla, a question about the chair rail molding…Did you butt the bottom of it against the top of the wainscoting, or did you overlap the molding to sit on the front of the wainscoting? We’re currently discussing a similar project, and have wondered what the proper placement of the molding would be. I’d love to know how you achieved it.
Thanks for any guidance you can share.-
Layla says:Feb 28, 2013 at 11:46 am
Yep! It’s just butted up and caulked. Once it’s all painted, any imperfect cuts will just disappear!
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nono says:
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hello haha narf says:
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Marianne in Mo. says:
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Abbey says:Feb 28, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Going to be so pretty! And looks kind of like a sauna mid-project
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Layla says:
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Suzie says:
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Danielle says:
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Kristen says:
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Layla says:Feb 28, 2013 at 1:15 pm
I guess because we’re novices too!
Your thought process would probably make more sense! #GoodThinkin
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Cindy says:
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Kelley says:
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Glenn says:
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Amy G. says:
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joanie says:Mar 3, 2013 at 5:13 pm
Me too. Duh!
Glad I wasn’t the only one.
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Rosette says:
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Kathy says:
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stacia says:
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Layla says:Mar 1, 2013 at 7:56 am
Thanks, Anele! Not that we’re looking to sell anytime soon, but I’m hoping our end result is re-sale friendly too!
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Jennifer says:
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Heidi @ Decor & More says:
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Layla says:Mar 1, 2013 at 7:57 am
Sure thing, Heidi!
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Julie says:Mar 1, 2013 at 8:00 am
Layla, your bathroom & your “vision” are coming out beautifully!
I have a question… My bathroom is tiled half way up. And then the tiles have painted over. They are chipping, and a MESS. Can I put paneling over them? My mom said moisture would get behind the panels
Really appreciate your insight on this!-
Layla says:
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Julie says:
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Necole Kell says:
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Layla says:Mar 1, 2013 at 8:36 am
I’m a sucker for bright white too, Necole- but since our wallpaper is white, I thought having the Wedgewood Gray up against it would make it pop more this time around!
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Erin says:
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Kate says:
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camille says:
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Nicki says:
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Kristin S says:
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Tere says:
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Angela says:Mar 1, 2013 at 10:16 am
!!!!!
We just bought a house that was built in 1991 and has NEVER been updated. I’ve been dying to do something with my kids’ bathrooms, and I do believe that that tile is just the solution!!! Maybe with pretty pedestal sinks! Thanks for the inspiration -
Kristen @ LoveK Blog says:
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jenny@birdsandsoap says:
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Lauren says:
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Katy @ Lolly Linens says:
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Bev says:
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Jean says:
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Mary | lemongroveblog says:Mar 1, 2013 at 4:32 pm
Wow – that is looking super fab. Your ceilings look pretty tall in the bathroom as well – and NICE crown molding – swanky!
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Leah says:
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Carolyn says:
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Layla says:Mar 4, 2013 at 9:34 pm
Thanks, Ashley!
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Claire says:
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Crystal says:Mar 26, 2013 at 10:24 pm
Hi Layla, Love the little bathroom! Did you have to buy more than you actually needed or used? You said you only needed a few packs of it, so I’m curious. I’ve actually been looking for this type tile or penny tile to use as an accent in a new bathroom. So, I definitely don’t need a lot! You have any extra you want to sell??
If not, did you see any other good places that sold it individually and cheaply?! Thanks!-
Layla says:Mar 27, 2013 at 10:31 am
Hi Crystal! We actually used every square inch of it! We even had to break off some pieces that weren’t going to be seen as much so that we could use them in places that were!
I *think* most hex tile runs around $12/square foot, so we got ours on Overstock since it was only $6/square foot there. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for individual ones for you though!
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Kim Dunn says:
I love the tile! And the walls are going to be gorgeous. Can’t wait to see it all finished!