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Ok, so as I mentioned in part 1 and part 2 of my recap on Black Feather Farm, Kit (DIYDiva.net) and I didn’t really have a set game plan for what we would be doing during my three-day visit. But as I was walking around the farmhouse for the first time, Kit and I were already chatting up a storm about all the projects we’ve each been doing and how long our to-do lists seem to keep getting. And that’s when I took a peek into her upstairs guest bath and saw a very familiar sight:
Back in March, Kit began tiling her bathroom. Then stopped. And this was how it stayed for many months.
I can’t even talk shit about this. That’s the way projects go sometimes—especially if you’re doing them on your own and have things like donkeys and chickens to feed and chase out of your kitchen. Not to mention, I’m not exactly the right person to judge another’s progress considering how long it takes me to finish my own bathrooms (ahem, the primary still has zero progress made since ripping it out). Instead, I looked at this room and had only one thought: since I realistically have nothing else to do while I’m here, why not help Kit finish something that she isn’t able to get to, like this shower tile?
Kit had made a couple of comments earlier in the day that one of her favorite things to beat cold Michigan winters is a hot bath, and I noticed that she had all of the supplies already (such as big, giant boxes of tile just sitting around, itching to be put on a wall). She also mentioned how exhausted she was. It seemed like an easy win to just put on a comfy tee, open a bottle of beer, turn on my music playlist, and get to work.
In hindsight, I really should have paid more attention to how tired Kit really was, but she hung in there with me during the entire first day (save for her occasional meetings and such while working from home). I then continued on with finishing one side the next afternoon while Kit was at work, and then she helped finish the last side the same night.
There was a lot of beer, and swearing, and goofing around, but here’s where we started:
There was also some ingenuity on Kit’s part:
We also Periscoped each night as we made progress, so check out my last post if you want to see two overtired gals talking incoherently about tiling and making weird jokes.
And here’s where we finished!
Wouldn’t you know it… we were ONE bullnose tile short! UGH.
You eagle-eyed DIYers might also notice that the tile in the corner on the left doesn’t quite match up. That’s because we used two different brands of 1/8″ spacers, and it turned out that despite that they were supposed to be the same size, they created the slightest difference in spacing, which eventually causes a misalignment in grout lines when you’re half a bottle of wine in at midnight not paying attention. We did a lot of mixing and matching of the spacers on the first two walls, but on the final wall (the one with the shower fixtures), we used just one type. We didn’t notice the misalignment until the first section had already begun curing, so this is how it’s going to look. The average person who might take a shower in here wouldn’t notice, so it’s really just one of those things that’s going to bother the person who did the installing. So, lesson learned: use the same kind of tile spacers consistently. Or don’t drink and tile. Or just pay more attention to your work. Or some combination of those things… I won’t judge.
BUT WE (NEARLY?) FINISHED IT, which means that Kit is one large step closer to having a nice, cozy bath upstairs this winter. I hope she enjoys it as much as I enjoyed working on it!
You guys did a great job! You two made an awesome team.
It’s been so fun to read your posts about your trip! I bet Charlie was thrilled to see you when you got home! I never would have noticed that spacing discrepancy unless you pointed it out.
Haha, exactly! I’m sure when it’s finally all grouted and caulked it won’t be the least bit noticeable. And Charlie DID seem to miss me, but I think I missed her more (she always has fun when I am out of town because she gets lots of extra play time!).
You and Kit resemble each other ~ ~ long lost sisters ;)
Nice job, love the white subway tile!
I would avoid a dark grout, go more silver. I think it will hide the misalignment more.
The spacing issue with the tiles will be hardly noticeable if the grout is light or white.
I wish I had friends like you that would come to my house and help me with my projects!
Hey Sarah! This is a very solid project you ladies put together. I do agree with Jeff though, I as well try to stay far way from dark grout when using a lighter tile. Keep it up :)
Here’s the method I use to support shower shelves while the thinset sets. Feel free to use the photo.
http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/1200x/7e/8e/4d/7e8e4d62ae91ba7773d719fb85a68da1.jpg
Great idea!
Aww, I wish i could find a friend who would do the work so that I can just have my way with the selfies LOL. I also couldn’t help myself from noticing the tile in the corner. Suddenly, i saw the eagle-eyed and I was chuckling. By the way you guys look great together. Keep creating epic stuffs
Lol! Were you really working? or is it only Kit who is doing the hardcore stuffs? By the way you guys look great on camera :)
Yep, I was working on it just as much. I mentioned it in the post — she and I worked on it together the first night, then I did a large section alone while she was at work the next day, then we finished it up together. You don’t see a pic of me working on it because I was the one who snapped the selfie for us to both use for each other’s blogs, but yep!
Hey there! Questions for ya.
I’m contemplating purchasing a home with a hideous master bath. Everything else about the home I like/love/can live with. The master bathroom is a pepto-pink, 70’s tile abomination. It’s a decent size too. All that being said, I felt like diy reno would be out of the question. Tile is about 4 feet up the walls (not including the shower) and the floor is a complementary pink tile horror.
I’ve come full-circle back to this home and here’s where I’m at:
I could remove the floor tile and install new myself.
I could remove the vanity/sink and replace with something I like.
I could PAINT the rest of the wall/shower tile with that epoxy stuff that is out there.
I could paint the regular ‘ol walls.
I could switch out the hardware.
My questions are:
Have you ever used the stuff (Rustoleum comes to mind) used to paint tile? If so, have you had long-term success with it?
Have you removed bathroom wall tile and then attempted to re-tile the walls? What happens between removing the tile and re-tiling? It’s bathroom purgatory. I have no idea what happens in between.
Thanks in advance for any feedback you can give me!
Hey Susan!
I actually haven’t used the tile paint product, though I’ve seen a demo of it in person. To be honest, I’m not crazy about the sheen once dry; ceramic tile is so glossy, and the paint simply can’t get to that kind of shine, so I haven’t considered using it in the house.
I also haven’t removed the tile in my home or anyone else’s, but I know from others who have done it that it can be a can of worms. You don’t know until you take off the tile if the wall behind it is still intact enough to tile over again, and any damage has to be replaced and sealed so that moisture doesn’t become a problem.
So, here are my suggestions:
1. Embrace the vintage pink – there is a whole “movement” for saving these pink bathrooms specifically, and there are lots of ideas on this website and you can spend hours looking at other people’s homes and make your decision if you truly, truly hate the pink and need to get rid of it, or if you can find a way to make it work.
2. You can get the tile reglazed – this is usually cheaper than hiring someone to remove and reinstall new tile. It’s kind of like painting the tile (like the Rustoleum prouduct), but it gets a MUCH better shine. I would recommend a pro for sure for the best finish (they do a spray & tape everything off).
3. You can DIY or hire for a complete tile redo – this is the priciest of the options, but you could potentially get a whole new bathroom look out of it.
I hope that helps!