Stow Bungalow - Bathrooms Revealed

When we purchased the Bungalow it only had one bathroom, which was on the first floor and had two doors - one of which opened into the kitchen. That's the second house in a row with a bathroom off the kitchen. What was wrong with builders back in the day? So that door had to go. To boot, the walls were covered in a particle board-type siding with metal rails connecting pieces. The tub was in great condition but the shower insert was typical fiberglass and looked cheap. So it had to go.

The floor was vinyl tiles and when torn up we discovered hardwoods underneath. The best part of this bathroom is how tall the ceiling is. I've never had to tile this high before and get nervous on ladders but it had to be done and was well worth it in the end. We didn't add any square footage and yet it feels so much bigger than before.

So the second floor of the bungalow was divided into two spaces - a scary storage space (which became the second floor bathroom) and the attic, which was rafters and became the primary bedroom and closet. The bathroom we did not add square footage to but we raised the ceiling. It was low, the windows were boarded up on the outside, and it was not insulated. Frankly, the room gave me the heebie jeebies if I was up there working alone.

When the walls were opened I asked my dad if we could keep the nook vaulted. Even just adding a little bit more height to the ceiling makes a big difference. And now that these windows aren't boarded over they let in so much light throughout the day so this bathroom is never dark. 

I chose a dramatic marble-like porcelain for the shower and because of that I wanted a simple floor tile that would make the space feel warm and bright in contrast. I fell in love with this sand-colored floor tile while perusing the store and would happily use it again. It made such a difference in this room and matched the wall colors perfectly. 

The door to the second floor opened into what is now the shower. My father moved the door to the other side of the landing so you now enter the second floor in the primary bedroom. This is the second house in a row that I've chosen to work with large format tiles and while it's a real pain (putting it mildly) to work with, especially in this shower which I tiled by myself, in the end, I think all the swearing and verge-of-tears and frustration was worth it to end up with a final result like this. 

~ Stephanie