We’re plugging along on the bathroom project. At first I thought I’d just post photos when the whole thing was finished, but then I remembered that I used to be one of those cool blogs that documented the progress, so this is my attempt at being cool again. (Just lie to me, I can’t handle the truth.)
Here’s a link to the Sketchup model that we’re using to work from. I messed around with a dozen different layouts for the wainscoting, and contemplated another dozen peg ideas, but once we finally settled on something, we got to work. We looked at many different options for additional trim pieces that we needed (the vertical battens and the ledge / cap at the top of the wainscoting), and after puzzling through all of them, M came up with an even better (and less expensive) option. We purchased two sheets of MDF, and he and E got to work in our basement cutting those beastly sheets into perfect strips.
You’ve likely never seen photos of our basement before – it’s nothing fancy, but it works okay for projects like this. (And for surviving the frequent tornado warnings.) M and E worked on this project for a few hours, and then they assembled the corner pieces for the room and cut the shelf pieces.
M started installing the trim whenever he could find an hour or two to work. It took several tries before he found furniture slides that would work under the bathroom cabinet – this piece is a beast, and has to be manhandled into the stair hall each time he works in there.
I drew up sketches with measurements for each wall based on the model, slowly but surely, each piece was attached.
The nail holes were filled and sanded, the drywall was patched and sanded where we removed shelves, hooks, toilet paper holder, etc., the pilot holes were drilled for each peg, and the priming began.
Next up is a whole lot of caulking, and then we can start painting in earnest. I have one final (hopefully perfect) shade of blue to test out for the wainscoting, and then the bottom will go blue and the walls and ceiling will be bright white. We’ve got a couple of pegs in temporarily to hold our towels, and those will get some sort of oiled finish / clear coat, before they are installed for real.
I cannot overemphasize how sturdy and fantastic the pegs are – and the thought of having them all around the room makes me really happy. It seems like such a little thing, but I think it’s a great detail, and it’s so, so practical as well. Having the ability to hang up an outfit for the next day, or just being able to hang up an article of clothing that doesn’t need to hit the floor or the laundry bin quite yet is going to be great. When we are getting ready to travel, we can hang up our toiletry bags and fill them as we get ready, and then hang them back up temporarily when we get home, before putting everything back where it belongs – I just love when the intersection of form and function works out so nicely.