I called it "the ugliest bathroom in the world"...a friend just shook his head and said, "I don't know what you're going to do with this bathroom". I think I didn't photograph it in it's original state because it was just so ugly.

It was amazing. Grey sheet paneling on the walls, a nice enough old tub that had been reglazed but was surrounded by a very yellowed, old, awful 3 section tub surround (that leaked) and cheap faucet fixtures that were off center (and leaked)...a newish but very cheap sink cabinet with vinyl flooring on top where a counter should be ...and an old sink (the wall hung kind) stuck on top of that. Turns out the sink drain leaked also (don't get me started!) because it had not been finished...just stuck in. That was covered with a rag, and the rag was covered with caulk. Unbelievable. And it passed FHA inspection! There was so much caulk you couldn't tell that the thing was leaking under the floor.

Fortunately one day my hot water heater (inside a closet made for it, next to the sink) decided to literally fry it's thermostat and had to be replaced. Investigating the water leakage around the unit led to the discovery of the extent of the plumbing problems that had been disguised to pass building inspectors.(Sometimes that's good...sometimes its not). I decided then and there to renovate the bathroom. Good things do sometimes come out of bad.

Plumbers were called, the subfloor pulled up; pipes roughed in for a pedestal sink plus new bathtub and shower fixtures; subfloor replaced; and finally new black and white vinyl tile installed...Then the plumbers came back and finished and installed a new one piece plexi tub surround.

• These pictures show the new wide trim and plybead wainscoting installed after the water heater disaster. The beadboard ceiling was covered with accoustical tile.
  
  
• The pedestal sink only cost $78.00.
  
  
• I added the mirror...
  
  
• and plaster faux finished the gray paneling.
  
  
• The shower curtain shown in the before picture above was used to cover a chair seat. You might notice it on the little wooden chair in the living room (lounge, living room...whatever)

My neighbor, Julie, and I went to the Habitat for Humanity store to find some doors and shutters for her house. I ended up coming home with 2 milk crates full of beige porcelain tile. 12" x 12" squares. And a tile cutting tool. And a can of silver metalic paint. For $85.00

WELL....time to finally tile the shower surround. My friend Benjamin (a young architect from the firm I work for) came out one weekend to help me put up the roof paper moisture barrier and cement backer board. I had already gutted the inside of the tub area walls.

When he walked into the bathroom he said, "there is no window in here!" So I mentioned the 15 glass blocks that were in the little old shed when I bought the property. We went up to look at them and ended up bringing them down to the house. Benjamin designed a vertical window and helped gutt the outside of the wall, and build the framework for the block. It looks great and borrows light from the utility/laundry area. No more black hole....

Benjamin stuck with me the whole weekend and we got the tile backer board up. It was hot (August), dirty work. I used Julie's tub all week. I don't know what I would have done without the two of them. Both gave me total support and advise and just hung in there with me through the project. I doubt I will ever be able to get Benjamin to come near my house again.

The tile design started out fancy and got simpler and simpler. It finally went up and I'm really happy with it. Really dressed up the bathroom and now I LIKE bathing and showering in there. And I KNOW its water tight. Added major bucks to the value of the house. And there is enough tile for the kitchen counter tops over the new cabinets.