Young House Love

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Day One Of Our Big Bathroom Makeover For Granny

There are almost always three main steps to the room makeovers that we tackle, and depending on the scope/depth of them, they can take a few days or a few months (ok, and sometimes we jump around so much that things take years). Either way, the order seems to go like so:

  • prep/planning (brainstorming, picking a color palette, going shopping, priming, sanding, spackling)
  • bigger upgrades (painting walls, refinishing or painting cabinets, laying new flooring, etc)
  • finishing touches (curtains, new hardware, art, accessories – all the things that add “you” to the space)

So when John’s mom mentioned his grandma’s half bathroom could use a little makeover we got to put those three steps into action. It resulted in a three day bathroom blitz that involved two seven hour drives and some obligatory midnight painting (thank goodness John’s parents traveled with us to keep Clara busy and happy). First you should meet Granny. She lives in Huntington, West Virginia, and is one of the happiest, kindest women you’ll ever meet. Here she is holding baby Clara for the first time:

GrannyOne Clara Meeting Granny

And you know we love to share the day-by-day play-by-play, so with further ado, here’s what our To-Do list looked like for our turbo-charged three-day project (along with guesses about when we’d actually tackle things in parenthesis after each line item):

  • Brainstorm colors & go shopping for accessories (Day 1)
  • Spackle/sand/caulk everything to prep the room for paint (Day 1)
  • Rebuild the cabinets a bit so they look more balanced (Day 1)
  • Prime and paint the cabinets for a more updated and open look (Day 1 & 2)
  • Paint the entire room, including the ceiling (Day 2)
  • Fix a few issues, like a rusted duct and an old dingy corner below the sink (Day 2)
  • Redo the floors, which were that old sheet laminate stuff (Day 2)
  • Revive some hardware/accessories with a fresh finish (Day 2)
  • Make & hang curtains to add some charm (Day 3)
  • Bring in some meaningful art (Day 3)
  • Add some functional/personal accessories to finish things off (Day 3)
  • Reveal the whole shebang for Granny, who promised not to peek beforehand (Day 3)

Here’s her charming 1920’s house, which they’ve in since the 1940’s so John’s mom and her siblings all grew up here. John’s late grandfather (“Papa”) actually did a lot of the handiwork himself over the years so there are lots of stories and memories tied to this place.

GrannyOne 0 Grannys House

In fact, it was Papa who converted an old kitchen pantry into this little half bathroom! So everything from adding the plumbing to the electrical was all him. But that was decades ago, and the room was looking ready for an update, especially thanks to some wallpaper that Granny was “ready to tear off the walls” herself (at 90 years old, she still has that DIY spirit running through her veins, by the way). So here’s what the room looked like before the wallpaper was removed:

GrannyOne 1 Before Sink

GrannyOne 2 Before Drawers

Thanks to Granny, our Aunt Ellen, and our Uncle Dean, the wallpaper was all miraculously removed before we arrived around dinnertime – just in time to work the night away prepping the rest of the room. But not knowing our store options in Huntington, we did some shopping before we left, including a mad dash into HomeGoods for some items we thought could work (we over-bought, knowing we could return whatever she didn’t need). We also knew Granny might have some of the items that we grabbed, so ideally we would get to use some of the new stuff, and some of her existing stuff, for a nice mix (and some nice savings).

GrannyOne 3 Shopping Cart

We also stopped at our favorite fabric outlet (U-fab) and grabbed a yard of pretty floral-printed fabric that felt a lot like Granny (it’s made by Braemore, for anyone looking for it) to make sweet little cafe curtains for the one small window in the bathroom. Here’s that fabric with some of the accessories we picked up, just so you can see where we were “going” in our brains:

GrannyOne 4 Fabric Frame

We also stopped into Home Depot and grabbed some new flooring (which you’ll see more of during Day Two) and we used our seven hour drive to brainstormed a few other ideas for the space while we took in the road trip scenery (slash kept a pooch and a toddler occupied).

GrannyOne 5 Driving There

Here’s what the room looked like when we arrived. It was already looking worlds better with just the wallpaper being gone.

GrannyOne 6 Wallpaperless Sink

GrannyOne 7 Wallpaperless Drawers

Apparently the paper came down with just a little tugging, so that was the good news. But without the wallpaper, some areas of the room actually looked even more worse for wear… like the bottom corner of the sink, the burned outlet, and the rusted vent on the other side of the pedestal sink.

GrannyOne 8 Problem Areas Under Sink

Yup, there were definitely some areas that needed attending to…

GrannyOne 9 Gunk Along Sink

So we got right down to business. My job was cutting all of the old caulk out. It’s a step that doesn’t look much better immediately (sometimes it looks worse)…

GrannyONe 10 Gunk Cleaned Up

…  but once we get some fresh caulk and painting done, it looks as good as new.

Speaking of cutting out caulk in general, it’s amazing how much of it there can be. Just look at my pile after tackling the sink, the baseboards, and other random corners that also had bits of leftover wallpaper and cracked flooring:

GrannyOne 11 Pile Of Gunk

I actually ended up using an entire tube of caulk in this tiny space! Everything from the baseboards to that area around the sink and the doorway/window trim got some fresh caulk. It’s definitely a tedious job, but so worth it for a polished look.

Then it was on to spackling and sanding. We just used regular old Dap spackle (with the blue lid) and a spackle knife, and pressed it into every crack and crevice, working our way around the room. Sometimes I’ll sand something before I spackle it, just if there’s something hanging off (ex: a flake of plaster) so I get a better finished look and a less crumbly foundation under my spackle job.

GrannyOne 12 Sherry Sanding Wall

Meanwhile, John was off doing some wood cutting in the middle of the kitchen. I guess this is what happens when you don’t have your usual workspace and tools with you?

GrannyOne 13 John Cutting Board

He was cutting a small plank of wood to cover a gap in the top of Granny’s cabinets since they’re actually two cabinets pushed together and topped with an old hollow-core door. So we filled the gap for a seamless look by nailing the plank into the 2 x 4 pieces that were already there to support the counter.

GrannyOne 14 How Board Attaches

It would of course look more seamless once it was painted, which meant it was time to remove the hardware and prime those cabinets.

GrannyOne 15 Board Attached

Here’s John rolling on some primer (this post has a much more thorough rundown of how we prime and paint cabinets).

GrannyOne 16 Painting Drawers

And here are the drawer fronts all drying in Granny’s back-room-turned-cabinet-painting-studio:

GrannyOne 17 Drawer Fronts Painted

It took us a good four or five hours to prep the room as well as prime the cabinets and the countertop, so our to do list now looked like this (with little notes next to each remaining task about when we hoped to tackle them):

  • Brainstorm colors & go shopping for accessories (Day 1)
  • Spackle/sand/caulk everything to prep the room for paint (Day 1)
  • Rebuild the cabinets a bit so they look more balanced (Day 1)
  • Prime and paint the cabinets for a more updated and open look (Day 1 & 2)
  • Paint the entire room, including the ceiling (Day 2)
  • Fix a few issues, like a rusted duct and an old dingy corner below the sink (Day 2)
  • Redo the floors, which were that old sheet laminate stuff (Day 2)
  • Revive some hardware/accessories with a fresh finish (Day 2)
  • Make & hang curtains to add some charm (Day 3)
  • Bring in some meaningful art (Day 3)
  • Add some functional/personal accessories to finish things off (Day 3)
  • Reveal the whole shebang for Granny (Day 3)

We had high hopes that we could bang everything out in our three day blitz, and we were really happy with our end-of-Day-1 result. A nice fresh clean slate to start gussying up in the morning. So it was off to bed exactly at midnight, after a very full day of shopping, driving, prepping, and priming.

GrannyOne 19 Clock

We’ll be back with the full Day 2 rundown tomorrow, we just have to edit some photos (um yeah, we might have taken 1,294 in just three days…). Are there any other bathroom updates going on? Or shopping/prepping/brainstorming? Have you ever done a little room makeover for someone you love? It sounds weird, but it was even more fun than doing something like this for ourselves because the excitement of the big reveal for Granny got us so dorked up and giddy.

Comments

  3. Sophie says

    Looking great so far!
    Kudos to you guys for that seven hour drive – I can drive from my house in London to PARIS in two hours less than that!

    Reply

  4. Belle says

    Oh! The drama of waiting for the next installment.

    Either I need to get out more, or your blog is amazing. I think a little column A, a little column B!

    Reply

  5. Maureen says

    Maybe it’s just Monday… but this post combined with the news that a baby panda was born at the National Zoo has me feeling all misty. So sweet and considerate that you guys did this for Granny… and baby zoo animals! What a great Monday!! Maureen (Kensington, MD)

    Reply

  6. Suni says

    John, your Granny is so lucky to have you 3 do this for her. I’m sure Clara loved getting lots of Grandparent time too. Can’t wait to see the big reveal!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes! It was the most bonding time they ever had (three days of fun at the park, the book store, out in the yard, etc). It was awesome for them- and Clara’s so in love with Granny.

      xo
      s

  8. Janelle D says

    Can I just say something? You guys are the MASTERS of blog teases.

    I’m excited to see how this turned out! I love enchanting little powder rooms tucked away like this one. They’re the perfect spaces for bold design choices. I know you guys won’t disappoint.

    Reply

  10. lizaanne says

    We just did a complete tear out and remodel of our bathroom. It was a pro job, but some things we did DIY – the curtain, the painting of the medicine cabinet to make it what we wanted, I did all the painting myself, and my husband installed the beautiful old vintage heat grate we bought.

    Not sure how I could have pulled all the ideas I had in my head if it were not for Pinterest. It was priceless for pulling all my sources for products, paint and tile ideas, all into one place.

    Here is my Pinterest board of our shiny new bathroom!! No before photos – sorry, those are all on my Facebook which is not public. :-( But the after photos are pretty! :-)

    http://pinterest.com/lizaanne930/our-new-bathroom/

    Reply

  11. Kay says

    This is just lovely, Sherry and John. You are so kind and thoughtful, something that absolutely comes through in all of your posts but especially in this one. Can’t wait to see what’s next!

    Reply

  12. Cristine says

    I’m in the middle of redoing my house built over 70+ years ago, and everything is a mess. We’re in the third week of painting! We move so slow with us both working full time jobs! I can’t wait to see Granny’s finished half bath!

    Reply

  13. Martha says

    That’s so sweet that you’re doing this for your Granny. My grandparents built their entire house by hand in the 1940s, so I definitely appreciate the memories associated with granparents’ houses! I’m amazed at how industrious folks were back then.

    Can you give a little more detail on how you caulk? It’s kind of a boring questions, but we’ve redone our entire bathroom–we demoed down to the studs retiled and installed new everything, and now we’re having the hardest time with the caulk. Everytime I apply it it looks goopy and smeary and messy and honestly, ruins a beautiful bathroom. Any tips or tricks to getting a clean line?

    Reply

  14. Sarah K says

    You guys are the best! Can’t wait to see how the bathroom turns out. Such a sweet idea to gift this to your Granny.
    And I’m sure Clara loved all the extra attention from the rest of the family!

    Reply

  15. Kristy says

    I am so excited to see all of your work, and what you can accomplish in 3 days! We are tackling our bathroom next summer, and I am trying to get my husband to not panic too much about doing it all ourselves – it will be our first real room project that isn’t just cosmetic. So I think it will be very helpful to show him a project that doesn’t cost thousands of dollars or take six months :)

    Reply

  16. Crystal says

    Love that you’re doing this for Granny, so many older folks have no one to help them. So kudos to you and I hope others who are reading your blog are inspired to help out an older family member or neighbor.

    The picture I’m most taken with on this post? The first one where Granny and Clara met for the first time… their smiles are mirror images… and their clothing matches! What a love connection!

    Reply

  17. Kelley says

    I love this story! So nice of you to spruce up for Granny. And YAY for Granny for caring about her space! We are currently in the midst of a bathroom remodel ourselves. A little too large for DIY (we’re scared!), but I’m documenting the process on my blog. Check it out! http://www.kelleyime.com

    Reply

  18. Julia says

    What a gorgeous exterior and as they say in the biz that bathroom has great bones! I cannot wait to see how you guys refreshed and modernized it, while still keeping with the spirit of the era the home was built in!

    Reply

  19. annie says

    Love this act of goodwill and good taste! :D

    Since y’all asked about other bathroom projects out there . . . I just finished one repair in our single bathroom (the layout and scale looks JUST like the one in your old house with the subway-inspired art, just as an FYI). I am now anxious to re-paint the walls, and am considering installing a textured tin (coated/sealed) ceiling. We are also thinking about hanging and painting this (http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=314377-37364-19737&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3104177&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1) wallpaper with an anti-mildew bright white paint. Thoughts? The house was built in 1949, so I *think* it will work with our general aesthetic, which mixes modern-ish leanings with the vintage and heirloom pieces that we have inherited. Fingers crossed. If it’s successful, maybe we’ll upload to the Reader Redesign!

    Reply

  20. annie says

    I should clarify (Clara-fy?) that the wallpaper would go on the ceiling instead of the tin, not on the walls in addition to the textured ceiling. :)

    Reply

  22. Lesley says

    Best.Post.Ever. I don’t know if it’s the subject matter (helping Granny in her really old house filled with memories) or what, but I cannot wait for the Day 2 post.

    Reply

  23. Stephanie says

    This got me a little misty-eyed. My nana passed away 4 months ago and had a stroke 1 year ago but up until that stroke she was living alone, drinking gin martinis, and walking her dog every day. She was a total firecracker. Your Granny wanting to just tear down that wallpaper made me think of her. This is such a sweet thing you’re doing for your Granny. I can’t wait to see the reveal. And it’s great that Clara will know her. :)

    On a lighter note, I was on the recieving end of family help this weekend. My mom came over and helped me get my room in order (I still had unpacked boxed 4 months after move-in.) We even moved my new dresser up 3! flights of stairs, took down a shelf, moved a chaise lounge. It’s starting to look like a room, as opposed to a disaster zone.

    Reply

  24. Katie Rose says

    So sad I have to wait another 2 days for the big reveal! Such a sweet thing for you guys to do for Granny. :D

    I don’t mean to pry, but did Granny try to pay you for your hard work? Did other family members chip in or were you guys happy to handle all the expenses?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We covered a lot of the budget since it was our gift to Granny, but you know Granny’s – she refused to let us leave empty handed (and insisted we put it in Clara’s college fund if nothing else).

      xo
      s

  25. Carla says

    When I was in my 20’s and 30’s my mom and I would take road trips from CO to OK to visit my Grandma every spring and every fall. We’d stay a week or two and in addition to doctor’s appointments, hair perms, visiting cemeteries to place flowers, and stocking the pantry we always had some project – redoing a bathroom or bedroom, organizing photos, sprucing up the yard, etc… It was always fun to see how the changes put an extra spring in my Grandma’s step. Having three generations under the same roof was also special – lots of sharing. Now I’m 50 and have great memories of those trips. You and you’re extended family are in a very sweet season of life; bravo for creating memories!

    Reply

  26. Ali says

    Very sweet of you to tackle Granny’s bathroom! Looking forward to the finished version. And I smiled when you mentioned your Uncle Dean – I remember you mentioning him when I saw you guys at preschool the other day. :)

    Reply

  32. Kim W Rily says

    I’m really hoping the bathroom will pick up some of that wonderful purple in the fabric you bought. Also, looking forward to see how you got rid of the rust. (I need to do some new caulking myself. Do you have a tutorial on that?)

    Reply

  33. Kristin says

    You guys are so sweet to fix up your Granny’s bathroom!

    My husband and I repainted my mom’s bathroom and made some very small updates (new shower rod & curtain, new shower head, etc) for her mother’s day present this year, and it made us so happy to see her surprise when it was all finished!

    Reply

  36. heyruthie says

    yea!!!! So excited for this bootcamp! i’m a single mom, and i have to work bootcamp-like hours when my kids spend a day or two with thier dad. this gets my ideas goin’!

    Reply

  38. Jocelyn Pascall says

    First of all, I LOVE that you are doing this for her – very sweet. I am sure she just loved having you all there and getting the help. Secondly, I can’t wait to see how it turns out! I love that fabric.

    Reply

  39. Amanda Wells says

    I have a half bath that has hideous wallpaper from the 60s. I’m waiting to tackle it. Do you guys have any great tips on removing wallpaper? I’m scared to do it for some reason…

    Reply

  41. Jamie says

    For the our full bath, I purchased a new vanity. Our bathrooms are original to the 1970’s, and whoever did the tile then tiled around both vanities, so we have to decide on tile and then rip out everything. It’s going to be a slow remodel, but I’m so glad to have my new Restore Vanity! ($75 for brand new maple vanity!!!)

    Reply

  42. Heidi P. says

    Ah! Cliff hanger! I wasn’t expecting that for some reason, so it feels like I just walked, unawares, off the edge of that cliff! Excited to see the next few posts!

    Reply

  43. hillary says

    I love this whole concept! Granny sounds awesome and what a gift to give her. Plus it’s fun to see your process condensed down into a weekend. Can’t wait for the next installment!

    Reply

  44. Laurie says

    What a sweet gesture. Very excited for the big reveal. We just did a renovation on a rental property my father in law owned and wanted to sell. The best part? Renovating with someone else’s money! He lives out of state so definitely needed a project manager (read: US!). Even though I knew the house would be sold, the designer in me still loved picking out flooring, paint colors etc… We had a $5,000 budget so it was fun to get creative and decide which improvements would give us the best return. Best news of all? It sold after being on the market for 4 hours for $25,000 more than the realtor expected. We also just did a small tile project in our main bathroom. It was remodeled about 10 years ago but time for a spruce up. We tiled halfway up the wall and did a glass mosaic with a glass insert in the middle and then a tile chair rail. Huge improvement for under $200!

    Reply

  46. Tara says

    I’ve been hoping you’d do some things this like. I love your place, but it’s nice too mix it up with a few projects from other places too. This way I can imagine that you are at my house too. ahahaha

    Reply

  49. Carrie says

    I love this! So sweet to do for Granny. Her flowers out front are so pretty! Cant wait to see days 2 and 3, and Granny’s reaction :) I grew up in Parkersburg WV and currently live in Charleston WV. Did John grow up in WV by chance?

    Reply

  50. Koliti says

    Taking the “LOVE” on the road!

    Maybe for your book tour you could have a raffle in every city for YHL to do a “Table-Scape-Blitz” (or other quick tweak). You could swoop in – shop their house – do a tablescape – swoop out! And say “You’ve been LOVED”.

    If you do, then you have to come to Tucson :)

    Reply

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