It feels like we’ve been sidetracked with all of this flooring drama.  Actually, no, not “feels like”…we really have! We’ve had the bathroom about 85% done for several weeks, but all this flooring nonsense stopped us in our tracks.

This past weekend, we managed to get a lot accomplished. There’s nothing like the impending arrival of my parents from Vancouver to cross things off the to-do list. Oh yes, we have been busy bees. We can proudly say that our bathroom is now 95% done. A few finishing touches, along with the much-anticipated arrival of our bathroom art (really? 2 weeks at customs? For art posters!!??), and we’ll be able to bump that number up to 100% finito.

But I can’t wait. Must. Share. Progress. Photos.

First of all, remember this picture?

This has got to be one of my favourite renovation-related photos of all time. Anyhoo, back in this post of yore, I shared all the challenges that we had with our tiny, oh-so-narrow bathroom: we couldn’t physically be in there at the same time, the sink literally overlapped with the toilet, the shower head hit Christian in the chest (I think I forgot to mention that one), etc etc. It really boiled down to a non-functional layout for us.

So we changed it. A lot.

Before – view as you walked into the bathroom (sorry it’s so stretched…my SnapFish album went a little crazy):

This photo does not do the narrowness justice: the entrance was just 24″….Christian and I had to do the Tango every time we passed by each other in here. So, onto the money shot:

Yes, our bathroom is now a VERY happy place.

Let’s zoom in on a few fabulous things!  First, the toilet.  Yep, I’m leading with the crapper.  Honestly, I never thought I’d be someone who got excited about a toilet but this thing is seriously gorgeous.  And comfortable!  I was kind of against the square at first but I’m so glad that Christian got me on-side.  It’s a conversation piece.  Yep, my toilet is a real conversation starter….what can I say?

The floor tile is from the store that never ceases to make me chuckle at the simplicity of the store name,  The Tile Store.   Soapbox moment warning!  If there is one thing you take away from this post, let it be this: do not go to big box stores for your tiles without shopping around.  The tile options that are available in this world will blow your mind!  We have been so surprised at all the options that are out there, many at very reasonable prices.  Yes, you can get lovely tiles at Big Box stores, but if you have a specific “vision”, shop around. Go to the mom & pop shops that only sell tile…you’ll be glad you did.  Don’t compromise your vision just because Home Depot doesn’t sell it.

Moving on…..we opted for a teak-look vanity.  Originally, I was really feeling the ash-grey look vanity (which this very same one comes in, by the way) but again, points for Christian for convincing me of the “warmth” of teak (I love that my husband actually cares about these decisions):

We picked up both the toilet and the vanity at Toronto Vanity, where Miguel was super helpful and responsive.  If you’re into a bit more of a contemporary/ modern look, this is the place to be.  Most vanities come with the sink top, faucet (see photo below for a close up of the faucet), AND medicine cabinet for around $1,000.  Even IKEA vanities have a hard time beating that price…trust us…we did our research.  What’s great is that there are about 8 different faucets you can choose from, all for the same all-in price.  Customization without all the “I love this faucet more but it’s twice the price” drama.  Cuz  you know I’m always the one who wants the more expensive one.  Always.

Now for a zoom-in on the backsplash, which matches the tile in the shower surround.  It’s a beautiful ice-blue frosted square glass tile. Again, we shopped around and had a hard time finding anything like this for under $8.00/ sq foot….on a whim, we hit up Ceramic Tile World in the east end of Toronto, and there she was…on sale for $5.00/ sq foot.  It was destiny!  And I’m in love with my marble soap pump with a hint of sparkle that I picked up at the Bay…it’s so glam-squad.

Finally, the shower head.  Christian loves the square look so I let him run with this one.  We went to Bath City in the Beach and they were amazing.  Honestly, if you want to learn everything you ever wanted to know about plumbing on a Saturday afternoon, go here.  Their hours are awesome and the staff are super knowledgeable. We picked up the shower system and glass shower door from them.  A+

The best part is?  The shower head doesn’t even come close to hitting Christian in the chest…or head!  It’s so tall!  Yay!  It’s a beautiful chrome finish rainfall shower and again, I’m in love.  And yes, I *might* sometimes sing into the wand that you see in the photo, as it totally resembles some kind of futuristic microphone.  Whatever.

What’s cool is that we really stuck to our “vision” board and things really came together!  What the heck did people do before Pinterest?

So, there you have it!  Our 95% complete bathroom!  More to come on artwork, towel bars and other riveting finishing touches.  But we’ll save that for later…too much excitement already for just one post!

xo M