First Light Designs

I was dazzled last week by the subway tile wainscoting and shower tile. The tilework is even more beautiful now that the grouting has been added. Take a look:

Here’s a close-up of the product niche:

The photo above really shows off the skill of Erik, the “tile guy,” in particular the way he aligned the tile at the back of the niche with the tile on the outer wall.

Here’s a shot of the tile wainscoting:

In this photo you can see the “droplet” trim above the top row of subway tile. I was going for a classic look that will stand the test of time.

Erik actually grouted the floor tiles first but I neglected to take a photo when it was done. The next morning he covered every inch of the floor with paper to protect it while he grouted the walls, so I don’t have a photo to show you how wonderful it looks. All in good time.

Next came the painters, who covered all of the tilework as well as the windows and every other surface that is not going to be painted. An enormous amount of time goes into preparation for painting, and it looks like it will be midweek before all of the painting is done. I’m having the linen closet painted, too, and that required a lot of prep.

If you’ve been following the remodel, you can see how far we’ve come by clicking on the links below to the early weeks. New readers can start from the beginning if they wish:

March 16: Happy Birthday, House!
March 27: The Bathroom Remodel Begins
March 31: Bathroom Reno, Week 1
April 8: Bathroom Reno, Week 2
April 15: Bathroom Reno, Week 3
April 21: Bathroom Reno, Week 4
April 28: Bathroom Reno, Week 5
May 5: Bathroom Reno, Week 6
May 12: Bathroom Reno, Week 7

All of the wood trim will be white. To find out what color I chose for the walls, please stop by next week!

What a difference a week makes! The shower tiling is 99% done. Take a look:

Here’s a close-up of the product niche:

I asked for a shelf inside the niche so that I could put soap on the bottom ledge and shampoo bottles on the shelf.

I’m sure you noticed the beautifully mitered corners. It’s enough to make a quilter’s heart sing! Did you also notice that the tiles on point at the back of the niche match the ones on the outer wall? Erik, the tile man, is a real craftsman.

Here’s a close-up of the bench, nice and symmetrical:

Notice how the tile wraps around the corner? You can also get a good look at the “droplet” tile accent and the dust cap, which go all the way around this side of the bathroom. A row of subway tile, the droplet accent, and the dust cap will also form the backsplash of the vanity, which will help tie the two sides of the bathroom together.

The half-wall that forms an alcove where the toilet goes will have the same quartz surface as the vanity top. Here’s the half-wall with its wood trim prep:

Here’s a look at the south wall, where the vanity, mirror, and sconces will go:

Next up: grout and paint. I think the vanity may be installed in the coming week, too. As good as the bathroom looks now, it will look even better at the end of Week 8!

Updates on several fronts this week. First, a look at the shower curb underway:

Notice the base row of white wall tiles to the right of the shower.

Base row of tiles: done. Now the subway tile starts up the wall:

Tile work had to stop so that the window on the north wall could be removed . . .

. . . and replaced with a new double-hung window:

Both windows were trimmed to match the two double-hung windows on the other side of the bathroom.

With the new window in, the tile work could continue:

On the other side of the bathroom, the pocket door was framed:

As you can see, we were able to use the original five-panel door. (It will be painted white.)

We were also able to use the original trim on the other side of the door. Here it is back in place:

That door you see on the right goes to the linen closet.

I’ll have a lot more to show you next week so please stop by!

The tile is down on the bathroom floor. Here’s a view looking south . . .

. . . and northeast:

Setting the 20″ x 20″ floor tiles on the diagonal — on point, as we say in the quilting world — was an easy design choice. I use that setting in many of my quilts.

Here’s another view looking north:

The 2″ x 2″ tiles on the shower floor are the same product (Century Darwin porcelain tile in the Floreana pattern):

A few things had to be done before any tile could be laid. More prep work on the floor of the shower . . .

. . . and on the bathroom floor:

Do you know what those curly things are? You’re looking at one of the splurges in this remodel: an electric heat mat. I think the investment will be well worth it on a cold day!

The heating mats were covered by some of that self-leveling compound:

Next up: white subway tile wainscoting on the shower/tub side of the bathroom.

If you’re a new reader, you can catch up on previous posts relating to the remodel by clicking on the links below:

March 16: Happy Birthday, House!
March 27: The Bathroom Remodel Begins
March 31: Bathroom Reno, Week 1
April 8: Bathroom Reno, Week 2
April 15: Bathroom Reno, Week 3
April 21: Bathroom Reno, Week 4

Thanks for stopping by!