One Room Challenge Bathroom, Week 3 Demolition Complete

Welcome to Week 3 of the One Room Challenge. If you are new here, we decided to renovate our lower level bathroom which was original to the home (and wasn't in working condition). Now that we have a pool, this bathroom will be used quite frequently and it was time for a makeover.

This week my husband and I continued the demolition phase. After looking up youtube videos, we discovered that our bathroom just isn't coming up like they're showing. The bathroom was so old that the technique that was used when building it was wire and mesh filled with concrete. It's called a mud wall and it was 1 1/2" thick. It took a lot of sledge hammering and nothing came out in sheets. Needless the say, we got through it but it wasn't easy and I never want to look at tile over concrete ever again!

It was time for our handyman to come in, and we are so thankful. He was able to properly remove what we demo'd, and he started to take the bathroom walls down. We had a couple of tricky walls and decided it was easier to recreate new walls instead of doing awkward patches and necessary things to make the walls flush (that escalated quickly!). Happy to have his help! He took the walls down, and put new ones up. We added a new fan, and he built a new box for the shower pan. And I particularly love that my "wish list" is still on the wall. It's kind of a joke now as it moves around the room-never forget where you started.

Next our plumber is coming to trim out the shower and create a new shower pan. I'm excited to see the fixtures go in at the end! While this is my first time actually getting my hands dirty for a bathroom renovation, I have done a lot of bathrooms (in my semi short career) at this point. And one thing I will never attempt is plumbing. Please always spend the money to have a professional come in. And while we are at it, it's really important to have a certified and licensed electrician as well. This is for your safety and to protect your wallet long term. It is easy to do some things with youtube access by our side but I have seen and heard a lot of things that could have been avoided if pride wasn't a factor. 

I picked up the tile this week and will be going through it all to make sure none are broken or look wonky. We have marble subway tile going in the shower, and a 1" marble hex going on the floors, with a greek key border. I am so excited for it! 

I'm still undecided on wallpaper, and I'm hoping I can find one soon. That will dictate the remainder of the accessories. I am really hoping Tropique will work out but I am still awaiting the sample. I would love to paint the trim and ceiling green, or maybe a soft blue. How fun for a pool bath, Palm Beach inspired.

Come back next week for tile updates! And check out the other contestants here