Our 1850’s Colonial Farmhouse Guest Bathroom Renovation
When we first purchased our historic colonial farmhouse in January 2015, we knew right away we would need to do a guest bathroom renovation almost immediately. Well, it has been 2 years and we are FINALLY getting around to it! One of the main reasons it needed a renovation, is our home only has 2.5 baths. When we had visitors, we all shared our master bathroom. The guest bathroom was not usable, there was no door, no working sink, just a toilet and claw foot tub, but it had so much potential! So we started the guest bathroom renovation, and I wanted to fill y’all in on the demolition we accomplished!
Before
This is how our bathroom had looked the day we purchased the home. The walls were later “closed and painted” by the seller so we could get our loan, however, plywood isn’t our favorite look… And that awful sink we got rid of pretty quickly, that does not match the era of the house whatsoever. The clawfoot tub worked, however, it did not have a shower unit, and it’s monster green…yikes! The toilet was the only thing we later replaced because we bought all new toilets for the house at the same time. Lastly, the door to the bathroom could not be attached, and a bathroom is not usable without a door!! For some reason, which we still cannot figure out, the previous owners added a slate tile to the floor on top of multiple layers of plywood, and this raised the floor about an inch and a half. That took away space the door needed to clear the floor. We don’t know if this was an accident or not, but we bought the home mid their renovation, so maybe they hadn’t realized it yet.
Demolition Time
We started our renovation February 1st, 2017, and the first thing we did was remove everything! I was surprised Chris and I could move the cast iron clawfoot tub by ourselves, but we did it! We then removed the walls down to the studs. Next, we removed those slate floors. We had a feeling the original heart of pine hardwoods were hiding underneath, and they were, UNDER 6 LAYERS OF FLOORING, no wonder that door couldn’t go on! I kid you not, there was the slate tile, very thick mortar, 3 different layers of plywood, some roofing tiles (no clue why that was there), and laminate, MAJOR TOE STUBBER!
Then ta-da…HELLO, HARDWOODS!
They were obviously in really rough shape, and there were lots of holes and patches from previously moved plumbing we would have to fix, but we were determined. The hardest part was coming, we had to find 10 sq ft of matching “160-year-old vertical grain heart of pine 3.25-inch wide 1.25-inch thick hardwood” for our patching. We called and researched everywhere, but no one had it, or they could custom make it for us for the cost of our entire bathroom renovation budget! Then we were referred to check out “Landrum Tables“, who has a large wood warehouse for their custom table business, and they were having a moving sale. They had exactly what we needed and so much more, and so affordable! Highly recommend them for all your wood needs!
While He Works
I am sure y’all are wondering what I do while my handy hubby is working on all the demolition. Most of the time I am the “supervisor”. I am the planner and thinker, he is the doer, that’s why we make a great team! I know all the details and specifics and stay a step ahead, and he follows my direction and brings them to life! I also clean up all his messes, (goodness that man is messy!). I assist him on cuts, measurements, heavy items, keep his tools organized, and when I magically find time in between, I may have time to work on my own projects. One of them I was able to accomplish during this guest bathroom renovation was repainting the clawfoot tub! I will make a more in-depth “how-to” post on this later, but it saved us a lot of money doing it on our own! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!
Coming Up
We had a plumber come to check our plumbing under the floor boards to make sure everything was installed correctly. Then we started putting things back together! Starting with the floors, we filled in the holes and patches, then moved to the walls, adding a vapor barrier. We decided to put beadboard 1/4 way up the wall, then cap with a chair rail, which matches the rest of the house. We drywall patched the remaining 3/4 of the wall and repaired the window casings. Then we will be sanding the floors down, staining to match our current floors, and adding floor molding. We will also be changing out a vent and all the outlets and switches. So that is what we did in an exactly a month!
Then after this, all the fun stuff begins! We will save that for Guest Bathroom Renovation Part 2!!
Thank you to my handsome husband for taking the time to smile for the camera, Love you!
Have you ever done a bathroom renovation? What was your favorite part?
Go check out our Guest Bathroom Renovation Part 2, click here!
Jane Davidson says
Wow! What a project! I cannot WAIT to see the finished results. It’s going to be amazing.
Jenna Panehal-Pelayo says
Thank you Jane! Hopefully it turns out as good as I pictured it in my head!
Sam says
The clawfoot tub is to die for! Wonderful progress, so excited to see the end result!
Vrithi pushkar says
That looks like a huge renovation project. I can’t wait to see what it looks like once it is done!!! Great job guys.
Vrithi pushkar
www. Epicuriouspassport.com
Krysten says
It already looks so much better than it did! I love the wood paneling! Hope it turns out how you want it to!
JoAnn says
Wow! Ambitious project you guys! Especially finding matching wood to the
Existing flooring! Bathrooms and kitchens are the worst. But, you both make it look fun and easy! Can’t wait to see the results!
kirstin says
Now that looks like a project my husband would love to do! He loves renovation. Keep up the good work you guys! On my site, I also have a bathroom renovation my husband did if you wanna check it out!
Jenna Panehal-Pelayo says
Thanks! I will go check it out!!
Lindsay says
that tub is so fun! you guys are doing an awesome job, can’t wait to see the finished product!
Joyce McQuerry says
Wow! That is a big renovation! Looks great so far. Can’t wait to see the finished project.
Ashley Andrews says
Looking good guys…..the place has come a long way from the first time we stepped inside. You have really restored it back to its original glory.
Jenna Panehal-Pelayo says
Awww thanks Ash!!! It really has huh?! We absolutely LOVE our home and we have you to thank for helping us get it! We will be forever grateful!