Correcting a Poor Job

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When we had the ensuite bathroom in the downstairs bedroom renovated there were some items that weren’t finished to a high quality.

After the closet was removed the wall was closed.

The variation of color shows the ups and downs of the mudder’s lack of skill.

One of the spots that really bothered me was the new wall that enclosed the shower from the bedroom side.  I decided to paper the wall.  My only dilemma was what to choose.

These were my choices.

I really liked this fish design.  I had a choice of multiple colorways so I ordered a sample of 2 of them.

Koi on the bedroom wall.

I hung them on the bedroom wall (gray).

The one on the right looked great with the rug.

I put them on the rug (ochre and gray).

The top sample looked great in the bathroom — same as the bedroom rug choice.

I hung them in the bathroom (tan wall).

I could swipe back and forth to compare the effect of the 2 colors.

I even did a digital mockup.

I was pretty much set on choosing the more golden of the 2 koi samples.

While I really liked the fish I wasn’t sure it went with the feminine nature of the suite.

The wallpaper is subtly colored and more delicate than the fish.

Without searching I saw another sample with flowers and birds —SEABROOK DESIGNS “Marsh Cranes” in the color Daylight.  The real beauty of it is that both the bedroom and the bathroom wall colors are represented.

I was surprised how substantial the paper was when it arrived.

Next step is to paper the wall.

Jo

Basic Outdoor Shower

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We live by the water.

The backyard of our property is adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay.

An outdoor shower is great for a quick cleanup after a kayak ride, working in the yard, or just cooling off on a hot day.

The shower was $139 from Amazon.

I ordered from Amazon a gotonovo Outdoor High Pressure Wall Mount Rain Shower (SUS304) with a Dual Function 8 Inch Showerhead and Handheld Spray Combo, Single Handle in Brushed Nickel Stainless Steel.

I thought the railing post would make a sturdy base.

After choosing the shower we had to decide on a place to put it.  We wanted it on the bay side of the house.  It also had to be in a spot where running both hot and cold water to it would be reasonably easy.

Hot on the left and cold on the right with multiple spigots. (Gas meter in between.)

While the plumbers were finishing the downstairs bathroom they also installed a hot water hose bibb on the side of the house near the cold water spigot.

The shower height is adjustable and it can turn to be used on the grass or on the deck.

The shower is mounted on the railing post.

Hot on the left and cold on the right.

The hot and cold hoses are run to the added faucets on the shower.  In Maryland this outdoor faucet would surely freeze so we will drain it and unhook all hoses when the weather turns cold.

A soft rain shower falls from the showerhead.

The water pressure and temperature are regulated by one lever.

The handheld wand will be great for cleaning the dog.

The handheld wand is activated by a flip of a lever near the temperature control.

Our view of the bay is part of the allure of the outdoor shower.

Eventually I might like a shower with more privacy but for now this will do.

Jo

Downstairs Bathroom Renovation: Towel Bars, Hooks, Etc.

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My part of the bathroom renovation aside from finishing the closet was to hang towel bars and hooks.

The sink has a Champagne Bronze Delta Saylor faucet.

The metal color for the house is brass for a nautical effect.  The faucets and fixtures are brass, actually champagne bronze, so the towel bars are also champagne bronze.

Kayra profile

I ordered Delta’s Kayra toilet paper holder, double hook, two 18″ towel bars, and one 24″ towel bar from Ferguson Home.  They arrived the next day.

Saylor profile

The Kayra style is similar to Delta’s Saylor faucet.  The Saylor towel bars were more industrial looking which was not the look I wanted.

The toilet paper is easily reached while indisposed.

I hung the toilet paper holder first.

The robe/towel hook is near the shower.

Next I hung the easiest installation — the double hook.  It only uses one bracket so leveling and measurements are not critical.

The green squiggles hanging on the door are actually hooks.

I also hung 2 squiggly Ikea brackets on the back of the door to the bedroom which can accomodate hangers as well as robes or towels.

A good spot for a damp towel that is headed for the laundry.

I cut down the two 18″ towel bars so they would fit — one above the sink and the other on the side of the vanity.

I used a pipe cutter but a hacksaw would also work. The key is patience.

Using my pipe cutter I carefully cut the bar that is held between 2 brackets.

The bar stays on the brackets with rubber washer friction.

After cutting I used a file to ream out the inside of the cut to taper it so it would slide back onto the bracket.

Both of the towel bars in the photo have been cut down a few inches.

The towel bars are hung out of the way but close enough to be convenient.

These towels hang inside the shower and stay dry while the shower is in use.

Finally I hung the 24″ bar on the tile in the shower.  This was more challenging than the last time I did something similar.  I had to buy a new set of glass/tile drill bits since I couldn’t find the ones I previously used.

Ready for action.

When I finally got it hung I was done for the day.

No natural light but still light and bright.

Whew!!

Jo

Jo

Downstairs Bathroom Renovation: Shower Enclosure

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I have a 55 inch opening from wall to wall in the new shower.

Glass Warehouse Astro Satin Brass 52-in to 56-in W x 78-in H Frameless Sliding Shower Door 5/16-in Thick Clear Glass purchased from Lowe’s.

Since the bathroom is relatively small I decided to use a sliding glass shower door.  It is trimmed in brass like the other fixtures in the bathroom.

The hardware was applied separately. One side of the handle on the sliding door has been attached.

The door was shipped in 2 large glass panels and 2 additional boxes of hardware.  While the glass is very substantial it is glass afterall.

I chose white (instead of brass) grab bars to limit the visual busyness in an already double patterned space.

The installer was careful to level everything so the door would run smoothly.  It stops on a rubber stopper before hitting the wall.

The only thing left to be installed is a towel rod in the shower.

The overall size of the shower is 36″ by 55″.  There’s room enough for a bench at the back to hold shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc.  The double hook just outside the shower door is convenient for a robe and/or towel.

Opposite the shower is the vanity.

The bathroom is finally finished.

Former tiny full bath.

The former half bathroom.

The former closet.

We transformed 3 separate rooms — full bath, half bath, closet — into a comfortable, useable bathroom adjacent to the downstairs bedroom and also accessible from the living room hall.

Photoed from the hall entrance.

After a little more cleaning I’ll hang some towels, supply toiletries, etc. then we’ll be ready for guests.

Jo

Staining the Shed: First Half

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On the street side of our bayfront property is an unattached shed.

The shed was brown and covered with dirt and moss.

It’s roof is brown just like the house so if the new color I pick works on the shed then we’ll use it on the house.

I was eager to start now that the shed was much cleaner.

I began this project by washing down 2 of the walls with Mold Armor house wash.  It looked a lot better and was ready for stain.

The back and gated sides of the shed are going to take more effort to prepare for staining.

The other 2 walls needed more extensive prep as English ivy was growing up the sides.

Cabot Solid Stain for Fence and Siding in Spruce Blue.

However, the sides that are finished look great with the brown roof.

This stain color definitely changes with the weather.

Sometimes the same color looks gray so I plan to go with a slightly bluer shade on the house.

Jo

New Hydrant

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I’ve never before had a house that had a hydrant.

When we lived in the woods there was a fire hydrant very close to our property.

The only hydrants I knew about were fire hydrants maintained by the fire department.

The hydrant is circled in turquoise.

When we came to The Landing we had a hydrant about halfway down the dock but it didn’t work.

Simmons 802LF hydrant meets Federal Safe Drinking Water Acts and requirements — we could drink water from it if we were really thirsty.

Turns out that it needed to be replaced.  Of course it did.

The crew dug out the old pipe which had totally disintegrated and replaced it with a new system that comes in one piece..

While the plumber was here for the bathroom remodel he got a new one and had his crew replace the broken one.

The water is fed by a hose under the dock that comes from the house.

It’s possible to lock it an an on or off position as well as hook a hose to the threaded faucet.

I suppose I’ll have to find a dedicated hose that reaches at least to the end of the dock.

We’ll be using it to clean the dock, our boats, our feet, and our little dog when he gets back from his island visits full of sandy debris.

Jo

Upgrade of the Foundation Planting

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The foundation planting strip outside the front door was full of weeds when we moved in.

Our Sidewalk Supervisor surveys the work that has been completed thus far.

Charlie pulled the weeds. Now what?

Charlie took apart liriope plants and planted them along the edge of the rock border.

While I was working on some little projects in the house — changing a light, putting up shelves in the garage, making a closet where there wasn’t one — Charlie was replanting some stray plants from the yard.  There were clumps of liriope — lily turf — throughout the yard.

The plan is to continue to add plants.

I hung a plant  that I received for Mother’s Day near the end of the bed.

The lights come on nightly at l’heure bleu but don’t detract from the dark night sky.

I added 4 solar lights since the area is very dark at night.

Parsley is a staple of our crab cake recipe — fresh is preferred over dried.

Charlie also planted parsley which he uses in his crab cake recipe.

We had to raise the red-flowered plant because an animal or maybe a bird was snapping off the branches.

Maybe a few more herbs would be a good choice.

Jo

Minor Furniture Zhuzh

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I inherited a little green metal table from my mother.

The tile-topped stand is useful since it fits almost anyplace.

It’s only one tile large. It used to be out on the covered porch but even so the metal base rusted.

Although the green frame looks good in the photo it was actually scarred with rust.

I carefully pried off the tile which I washed.  I also scrubbed the metal stand.

I gave it about 3 coats and let it totally dry in the sun and breeze before reattaching the tile.

The next step was to spray it all over with rust inhibiting primer. After letting that dry I followed up with gloss navy spray paint.

The tile is attached with a schmear of adhesive.

Finally I reset the tile with tile adhesive that I had on hand from another project.

I keep moving the table around.

The plan is to use it in the newly remodeled downstairs bathroom to hold extra toilet paper or towels or a plant or .  .  .

Jo

Another Light Switcheroo

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I bought 2 recycled Bicycle Glass wall sconces.

When these went on sale at 25 percent off and free shipping I snagged 2 of them.

I put one in the primary bathroom and one in the primary bedroom hall replacing the inexpensive sconces I installed here.

The brown sconce was very dusty and had a square metal plate against the wall.

After remodeling the downstairs ensuite bathroom with new lighting I decided the attached bedroom ought to have something better than a brown can light.

The new light will fit on the old bracket.

After taking down the light I painted the area since the new sconce has a round plate and would not have fully covered the area behind the lamp.

Using the fixture from the primary bathroom upstairs I wired it up in the downstairs bedroom.

The Celestial wall sconce by Bicycle Glass looks good from the adjacent bathroom.

I’m glad I thought of it.  Now I need a fixture for the spot from where I nicked this one.

Jo

Storage in the Garage: Shelves and Hooks

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Ever since we moved into The Landing the garage has been half filled with boxes, tools, and other clutter.

I’m tired of the unorganized clutter.

I have at least been able to park my car in there.

The pegboard on the wall made leveling the shelf easy.

There were a pair of shelf brackets screwed to the wall but oddly they were upside down.  I righted them and added a 48″ board to create a shelf.

I reused the short lumber I removed from the closet in the downstairs bedroom.

We had 7 pieces of 12″ wide and about 20 ” long wood shelving left over from removing the closet in the downstairs bedroom.

The Ikea brackets do not come with hardware but the price is right.

I purchased 14 sturdy metal TOMTHULT shelf brackets for $2 each from Ikea since I had 7 short cuts of wood. (Ikea sells a similar plastic bracket for half the price.)

I’m sure the shelves will fill up quickly.

I hung them on the side wall near the back of the garage.

The chairs are hanging to the right of the fire extinguisher.

To the right of the long shelf on the other side of the post I screwed in 2 large hooks about 10 inches apart on which I hung 3 of our folding chairs.

Even with this new storage we have loads of clutter to arrange including about 10 boxes of sheet music and hymnals. (Notice how quickly the shelves are being utilized.)

For the time being we keep rearranging our belongings.  And I can still park my car in the garage.

Jo