When one door closes, you get a new window

Last October, after thinking about if for a few years, I finally had my bathroom remodeled. K asked me about it tonight and I realized that I shared pics over on FB, but never posted anything about the process here. So...here we are. Better late than never!

First of all, it was a giant process to just to find a contractor who wasn't trying to finance a new boat or their kid's college education with my bathroom remodel alone. Ugh. Seriously, I had one contractor who gave me a quote that was five times higher than what I actually paid the contractor I ended up choosing. It was ridiculous.

So anyway, the process went so smoothly once I found my contractor and it turned out exactly how I wanted it to. My contractor was great to work with. I think it really helped that I had been thinking about this remodel for years. I already knew exactly what I wanted the finished bathroom to be, so going into it, there weren't a bunch of things I had to make decisions about.

Not going to lie, it was a little dicey to be without a bathroom - this is the only bathroom at Casa Starr Fish. Let's just say I got by with a little help from friends and family. Traveling a few days to New Orleans for work also helped. In all, the demolition of the old and the construction of the new took less than two weeks.

Are you ready to see how it all came together? Who doesn't love before and after images? First, let's look at how yucky the original space was:

Old gross tile in the shower. And yes, behind that mini shower curtain, that's a window in the shower. A regular, wood frame, double-hung window In.The.Shower.

Not for long!!! Along with the wall tile, that window was the first thing to go! 

This is the exact kind of window I had envisioned in all  my bathroom remodel dreams. The contractor just made a larger, wider space for the new window and filled in the leftover space from the old window. I don't have images, but they even did a fantastic job matching the siding outside. It doesn't even look like the old window was ever there.

TaDa! This is how cute the new bathroom looks! I had the lighting updated. Also replaced the old tile floor with new tile. And replaced the old crusty sink with a new sink and sink cabinet.

 Here's a peek behind the curtain at the new window and shower tile. The window and tile make me so happy! It's perfect!

Here's a close up of the sink and sink cabinet and you can also see the floor tile. The sink and cabinet are from IKEA. Originally, I wanted to put a pedestal sink in, but when I was sourcing materials, I realized even the smallest pedestal sink would not fit properly. It would have overwhelmed the space. So this is what I came up with and it's quite perfect. 

So there you go! That's the story of my bathroom remodel. If you have any questions, drop me a line or leave it in the comments.

Saturday Treasure Hunting

I love searching through antique shops hunting for unexpected treasures. I also love an estate sale for the same reason, you just never know what you're going to find. Something for a great deal, something that reminds you of your childhood or someone you know, it's just fun! I'm drawn to furniture, vintage clothing and dishes. Searching for furniture is mostly just for fun (or to share with you!) these days, since I literally don't have room in the house for new (additional) furniture.

I went to some of my favorite spots today in Grand Rapids. It was a lovely overcast, yet unseasonably warm November day, so it was perfect for flitting in and out of stores. Here's some of the neato stuff I found today. If you're into it and you're local, go scoop it up!

At Eastown Antiques on Lake Drive:

Two Steelcase office chairs, (you can see a slice of the other one on the left.) going for $198. The fun part for me is that I have six of these at home around my dining room table, which I've had forever. I don't even remember what I paid, but I know it was a DEAL!

Metal drafting desk with drawer, $595. The stool was sold separately and unfortunately I did not get the price.

From Blue Door Antiques and Elements on Fulton: 

Lovely 60's era sofa. It is in excellent condition and was really comfortable to sit on. I love the simple lines of it! This was offered at $395.

From East Fulton Arts & Antiques:

This flat file looks like it was used as a boat anchor for some time, but I love the weathered look. It would make a great coffee table or you know, a boat anchor for just $350.

If you have a kitchen large enough that doesn't already have an island, this work bench/table would be ideal. Just lay out $400 and it's yours!

 They even had this magazine photo sitting out as inspiration. 

What's not to love about this mini chair? When I was little we had a mini mod rocking chair that we all loved to sit in. This chair was actually sitting on the lower shelf of a workbench type table if that gives you a sense of its size. So cute and in great condition and it's only $82! If you have a mini or two at home, I want you to get it!

Kitchen Dreams

[Photo: Kate McElwee, Dwell]

My brother and sister in law have a very minimalist kitchen that employs under-the-counter refrigerators. I'd love to do away with my giant fridge and go with an under-the-counter version. My sister in law, an architect, redesigned the kitchen in their flat. This one in Dwell reminded me of theirs. Click here for an short slide show and a walk through of this particular redesign. Very cool!

Plans for the Bath

I've been thinking about redoing my tiny Barbie-sized bathroom for a couple years now, but after reading a recent post on The Good Life for Less about a savvy kitchen redo in phases, I'm feeling inspired to get moving. I'm feeling the "do it in phases" approach will allow me to do everything I want without breaking the bank. Need to call a friend of mine in for some estimates. New tile floor is in order. Perhaps with heat. Still trying to decide if I should reglaze the tub/re-tile the walls or just take the whole thing out and have a walk in shower built from the ground up. Somthing like this:

The shower/bath part of the redo would likely be one of the last items tackled in the plan since it would involve removing a window and replacing it with another size/shape window. Did I mention that I have a window in my shower? Clearly the house was built prior to an actual shower being installed, it's a regular window, people! A little more involved than just laying new tile. I do know that window's got to go! We shall see.

My current sink/vanity has got to go. It's a tiny one-door cabinet that makes the room look even smaller than it is. So that's got to go. I want to replace with a pedestal sink like this one from Kohler:

Then there's the medicine cabinet situation. There are currently two that hardly provide enough space for all the lotions and potions a gal needs. One appears to be an original standard old-school medicine cabinet which even has a slot where you can deposit used razors. Yeah, because everyone uses straight razors, right? The other appears to be an IKEA addition by the last owner, an attempt at gaining a bit more space. It reminds me of a safety deposit box though. Not huge at all! I want to take out both and do a custom deal where that entire wall would be mirror with built in medicine cabinets. Think secret door like any mystery movie worth its salt or Scooby Do episode would have. Basically I want the doors to blend in. When you press the door it would open. Sadly, there won't be any rotating doors leading you to a secret room. I wish!

That bathroom doesn't know it yet, but I have big plans! Hoping to get started soon! Tile and new sink are first in my mind. Depends entirely what expert friend says makes sense to tackle first. Excited to get going!

Cygnus 27

Square lights @ Cygnus. 

Went there for a friend's birthday brunch a couple months back and had a lovely time. The food was plentiful and delicious. The drinks flowed. 

I liked the decor, but found the way some of the tables were arranged didn't take maximum advantage of the view on the 27th floor of the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids. There are high-back round booths set up in the corners  that look into the restaurant, instead of out over the Grand River. I just thought it was slightly odd, because overall you can tell a lot of thought went into the new design of the restaurant, but how they missed on table layout is a mystery.