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Here is where my poop-chute from hell enters the floor under the upper bath. You can see the two inch branch on the right that allows the tub and sink to enter the stack. The copper water lines were wrapped in insulation and color coded tape was applied. Why do this in an enclosed wall? I don't know, I just do it. I will know each time I look at this wall that heat loss and noise is at a minimum.
Me and my guys. When this house finnaly kills me it will be all theirs!
Here you can see the plastering has started. Between the concrete floor, stainless pipes, plyboard walls covered in plaster and R13 insulation in all four walls, this is the most sound-proof room in the house. Which is a good thing see'n how it shares a wall with the eating-half of the kitchen.
Now the wall and cieling plaster is complete. The bare plywood will be tiled. The rear wall is tiled all the way to the ceiling. The triple dental crown is also installed and everything is painted. The trim is always high-gloss and the walls, semi-gloss.
The Tile Saga.
I looked for more than a year for the floor tile I wanted for our 1920's era bath. The tile is a basket weave pattern of white domino sized marble tiles and small black ¼ inch square dots. I first saw this pattern in the Prestwood Building in Richmond, Virginia. The building was built in the 1930's and is a historical landmark. I renovated one of the condos on the 1st and 2nd floor in the mid 1980's that a very good friend of mine lived in. I liked the pattern so much that I did crayon rubbings of it and yucked it away. Fast forward to 2004 and that darn tile was no where to be found. I was even setting up to make my own from large marble tiles and small black squares. I stumbled onto a marble version at "BEST Tile" in Richmond. It looked great! I don't know if the marble is historically "accurate" but it is historically "sensitive".
Here is seen the dark grout going on. Also notice that I chose to have the shower walls made from cinder block. I wanted this bathroom underneath to be constructed like a High School locker room but the surface to be traditional. My two boys are rough on this house and staying ahead of what they break AND renovate is a chore. My boys would break an anvil.
Here is a close-up of the tile at the grout line. The edges of the tile are slightly rounded simulating wear. Now that the floor is finished this effect makes the floor appear as one of the original features of the house.
Here is a wider shot during the grouting process. This dark charcoal color required me so sponge for hours to get the color off the white marble. You can see how black the water in the bucket is. Notice the bottom 12 inches of the wall is Harde Tile Backer Board. I guess was expecting a regular flood.
The Final product comes together
After adding a $500 antique Hoosier Cabinet to hold towels & cleaning supplies and a $400 trip to Bed Bath & Beyond with the wife, Here It Is! The Glass block had a wonderful green wash to it and we decided to run with it. We added the towels, rugs and smaller green accents and a great mirror to complete the look.
This shot shows the two 1920's art deco lights I ordered. They were perfect for the feel I wanted. I almost went with 1920 school house lighting (if you know what that is) but I'm glad I went this way. There is one more light I need to install that will hang just above the door. I am going to use an original fixture from the house but I need to get it re-plated first.
A better shot of the Hoosier cabinet. We have also purchase really old magazines that have 1940's-50's soap ads and bath related ads that we are going to have framed for the walls.
And finally the 1920's art deco lights go up. I searched the internet for many nights picking out the perfect lights for this bath. After coming very close to picking "School House" lights, I decided on these matching French designs.
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