Hello, friends! My kids are off at school today (yes, already – !!) and so I’m back at it! I’m going to get going on the guest bathroom project this week, so I thought I’d give you an update on that project. If you missed what the guest bathroom project is, please see THIS POST and then THIS POST for which paint color I chose.
OK, so when last we spoke about the guest bathroom, I was pondering the following things:
(1) Where to put the wainscoting, given the tub surround height?
(2) Do I remove the mirror?
(3) What do I do about the ugly light fixture? Just change the bulbs like I did HERE?
I think I now have the answers to each question (woo hoo!):
(1) Height of wainscoting?
I’m going to leave the wainscoting at the height I originally planned, even though the tub surround is higher.
(1) is planned wainscoting height; (2) is height of tub surround.
I decided that the shower curtain will mostly hide the tub surround, leaving me to put the wainscoting at whatever height I want. I don’t want it to be too high (the height of the tub surround) and there was no good way to arrange the panes of the wainscoting to accommodate that height.
So, the answer to #1 is, well, #1 in the photo above! Here’s the good news: I’m painting the blue on the wall before attaching the wainscoting, so if the paint looks odd dipping down lower than the tub surround, I’ll know it and can fix it before the wainscoting goes up.
A couple of you suggested planking the wall instead as a way to solve the height issue. Being honest, I don’t want to plank the walls. First, I’m not looking for a farmhouse-style look here. I want it to be crisp and modern. Second, that much wood in a bathroom kind of scares me. A little is fine, but a lot of wood with the moisture in a bathroom worries me a bit.
(2) Do I remove the mirror?
You all convinced me: a resounding YES! I agree that, if I don’t do it now, I’ll regret it, and now’s the best time because I can patch the wall and then paint it while I’m painting the rest of the bathroom. Totally makes sense.
(3) What do I do about the ugly light fixture?
Well, I was wrong on this one. I decided to take off the glass shades on the fixture and swap out the bulbs, just like I did in our master bathroom.
In our master bathroom…
Here’s the problem: For some reason, the bulbs I got this time have more of a yellow tint to them, and the whole room looks yellowy (is that a word?). Which means the paint color looks icky. Which means the white vanity and fixtures look beige.
In a word: ew.
But this makeover is supposed to be a budget-friendly makeover, so replacing the light fixture isn’t in the budget (yet). I’m going to think about this one: decide whether to spend money on a new fixture and whether I can install it myself, rather than hire an electrician, or whether to just get new glass shades for the fixture (that are a more modern shape and style). I’ve always been hesitant to do DIY electrical work, mainly because electricity terrifies me, but changing a light fixture is a good DIY project generally. For now, the fixture stays, but not with the Edison bulbs. Again, ew.
So there’s the update from the guest bathroom project. What do you think?
A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.
OK, question!! How did you get the white globes loose from the actual fixture? Mine don’t have a screw or pin that you can loosen the shade to remove it – is there something I don’t know about how to get those suckers off??
Help anyone!
Oh yeah, like your decisions and I do think there are other light bulbs that give off a whiter brighter light – think there are some on Amazon.
Do they simply screw out ? – I had one in a closet that screws out like a light bulb…..just a thought .
I wish! Nope, They spin around but don’t come loose. There just has to be a way! Thanks for the idea though. Hope someone can tell me!
I was going to say what Marilyn said, but I guess that wasn’t it! Can you see the fixture’s manufacturer somewhere on the fixture? If so, I would either google it and find their website or call the manufacturer and ask them. I’m guessing that some just don’t come out? I don’t know – mine have the pins in them. Are you sure that the pins aren’t just screwed all the way in, flush with the sides (I ask because that’s happened to me before)?
Great choices. I also had the same problem with the edison bulbs. I was also terrified of electrical DIY’s but I have to tell you the bathroom light was really easy. I have now changed both of my bathroom lights and they were really simple. Like the mirror I did not change the light my first bathroom redo and I really suggest you do it now. Some new fixtures don’t fit in the same spot leaving unpainted spots or the wrong color spots when you do change them OR you limit your choice to something you don’t totally love, just because it fits in that spot. Way easier to do it the first time around (the light wasn’t that bad on me as I was already paying the price for the mirror, what’s another spot when your already repairing that wall).
Robin, that was exactly my thinking – that if I’m painting anyway, I might as well do that work now, while I can patch and paint any holes in the wall! Thank you for sharing that about changing the fixture – I’m glad it’s not too hard!
Get on it GF I was expecting pictures!!
Arlie, I know, right?!? I need to get on it! Thanks for the encouragement!
All sounds good. Go for it!
Thanks, Karen!!