PLUMB FINISHED

Yesterday was a frenzied day of getting-the-bathroom-done, for the GIRLS were due home from their week at the beach.

I cannot show or tell you where we started, except that a couple of days before they left, I remarked that the upstairs potty rocked a bit. They both said that it was just the new lid, and I said NOT. And it DID rock, from the floor. Scary and upsetting, for that is usually a harbinger of a LOT of work, and an expensive re-do.

Chris said that he could take care of it, and he DID---it is a constant source of amazement to me the things this man can DO. He tore out the two layers of flooring, the old linoleum, the crotty plumbing. We measured and calculated and drew diagrams, and then cut out the big sheets of flooring to fit. He trimmed and gouged and shaved the bits just so, and there was a neat, well-grounded shining layer of fresh new wood, gleaming in its new home.

The roll of linoleum was a gift from a client’s discontinued bin in his warehouse, perfect size and wonderful colors and pattern for the small space.

This is about 2/3 of the way done---he’s done the labor, the floor laying, the plumbing and seating and re-floating; I scrubbed the tub (repository of toilet, tools, trimmings, odd paper and nuts and bolts) and hung the new clear curtain. We put the shower in quite a few years ago, with no recourse but to shower-curtain the window. It’s worked quite well---she just changes out the clear one every couple of months, and it's on big rings up on a thin brass rod---easy to fling back to open the window on a nice day. A matching liner goes inside the decorative front curtain, as well.



The old vanity was one of those clunky doll-size pre-made two-drawer, one-door things, of that unspeakable dark fake wood, garish yellow formica, beige half-gallon plastic sink and a tee-ninecy flaking "chrome" faucet which stuck out about three inches---you could never even wash your hands without touching the back of the sink. This is the new sink, ready for plumbing:

We picked it up at a garage sale for $15.00 about three years ago, and it’s sat in the potting shed, awaiting its resurrection, all this time. I don’t think it had ever even been used.

We bought all the plumbing supplies and faucet, with several trips back and forth, for more parts and just the right elbow; he got to know everyone at Home Depot---I think he may be taking all the guys out for a beer this weekend.

Caro just said, “I’d like an up-and-over faucet, with the little side-wings, but not in shiny chrome.” And this is what I picked---a lovely brushed nickel with plenty of room beneath:

It will match the beautiful five-bulb nickel light I've chosen to replace that glaring fluorescent monstrosity.

I’ll show you the finished room after we’ve finished painting next weekend, and she gets all the Monet prints re-hung, and the wicker racks and towel-stand into place. This is the curtain, and one of her several old mirrors that she loves:

I hope one coat of the pale, wisp-of-smoke green--the exact color of the palest leaves on the curtain---will cover that unfortunate wallpaper.

Welcome Home, Dear Caro---how I MISSED you!