Today, Dave is our Guest Blogger - he did a great job putting together the review of our Upstairs Bathroom Destruction/Construction!
The Great Upstairs Bathroom Re-Do of 2009-2010
We did not begin the Great Bathroom Makeover with a blank slate. The previous owners of the house had allowed their grandchildren to choose the colors upstairs. And that choice was: Green. (Before and after pictures of the makeover of another room upstairs can be found at: http://www.appletonstudios.com/HomeOfficeMakeover.htm.) So here’s what we began with: “The Green Room.” We began by stripping the wallpaper from the walls and the popcorn ceiling treatment from the ceiling. The former was not as easy as it sounds; the wall had not been primed before the wallpaper had been applied.
Then came the fun part: Demolition. Take out the sink, and carefully remove the toilet (since it was the one we were planning on putting back in), and take out the carpet and baseboards.
Much time was spent in getting the wallpaper residue and “stickum” off the walls. Did I mention that the walls had not been primed before the wallpaper had been applied?
Indeed, it took us the best part of a month to get all the remains of the wallpaper off. Then we could start repairing the damage to the wall and preparing it for priming.
Some plasterwork...
Okay, a LOT of plasterwork...
And then, of course, the sanding. And marking places that needed more plaster work.
Until finally, we were ready to remove the light fixture, do the necessary wallpaper removal and plaster work behind where it had been, and prime for painting!
Putting the new color on the wall (well, except for across the accent wall, of course).
Painting the sky and clouds on the ceiling took several tries before we got to a point we thought was acceptable. We are clearly not Italian master painters.
Then it was time to put the Venetian plaster on the accent wall. Let it dry, then burnish it to make it shine.
Do a little repair work around the tub enclosure, and then install the light fixture.
Then we were ready for Jo to start work on the Lion of St. Mark on the Venetian plaster accent wall.
The accent wall done with the lion painted and the Venetian plaster sealed, it was time to put in the substrate for the tile floor,
cut and arrange the tiles,
mix the mastic and stick ‘em all down, followed by grouting the spaces between them.
Cut and install the new baseboards and threshold, and get the new pedestal sink ready for the plumber to install. (Copper lines, “above my pay grade”, that is to say, I have had no experience doing them. So, call the plumber. Contrary to popular opinion, sometimes I do know my limits.)
The plumber comes, the plumber goes, leaving in his wake ....
Cut and install the crown molding ...
Install the new shower rod, shower curtain (and liner), fixtures, mirror, and towels.
Buy frames and print out a carefully chosen selection of our photographs of Italy to put in them, arrange them on the walls, and by golly! 
We have a new upstairs bathroom- just in time for the New Year!
And, for some odd reason, now he says we'll write a check to somebody for the Master Bath rennovation. I wonder why he'd say that???
