Boys Bathroom Part 2: Materials1

Stuff to Buy

I never realized all the crap you need to buy. The pretty tile of course, but the grout, thinset and tools. I think I've logged in 100 million hours so far in research and selection.

The Big Stuff:

Tub:  nothing fancy here, just standard size acrylic tub, but with a curve out.  Got at Lowe's for $249

Toilet: simple here too, except I wanted the dual flush  Got at Lowe's for $139


Vanity/Sink: This was the biggest nightmare.  The current vanity is 42" wide with a 3 inch filler piece against the wall and the counter extends another 2 inches on the other side. So 47" of space used up.  So I thought, naively, that I was get a 42" vanity with only a 43" top and have a few extra inches not to crowd the toilet. Ha! 42" is not a standard size.  There are some, and I could order a semi-custom KraftMaid this size, but choices were limited.  I could not find a top that I liked.  Reviews are so mixed.  Many times the reviews state that the "marble" top is not really marble and that there were seam lines. And because I like to be contrary I didn't want to go the marble or granite route. So I thought I might get this

But I don't really like the sink and top being one and I freaking hate that cabinet - looks like a kitchen, so boring and plain - although this style is similar to most cabinets available.

Then I found a glass top I liked, but it only went up to 37". Crap. Well maybe I'll get a smaller vanity, there will be just lots more room.  But again I can't find a vanity I like. Clearly white is not the color of choice. This would have been alot easier if I had gone for a warm color, and used a wooden vanity. But that doesn't match the tile.  And I want white  dammit!

Now this is where the real hours come in.  I go to Home Depot, I go to Lowe's, I scour the internet. I can't find the combination I like.  If the vanity looks good, the reviews say its a particle board piece of crap. I move to a 30" vanity search, then 24"  vanity (I'll just add another cabinet - it will be fine... sob...)

Again I hate the top materials.  Then I find these

Wow funky, cool, I like these.  I have no idea why the one costs so much more than the other (and of course that's the one I like...)  Neat! I'll get the blue one and then just buy a small white cabinet to put on the side... but this is chrome and everything I already bought is brushed nickel. darn darn darn.

Agony! I do another tour of HD and Lowe's and I dont think the chrome will look right with everything else. So I'm going for this instead. Foremost Pedestal Sink at HD   Note the integrated back splash. Only a few of the pedestal sinks had this and I think its important because my boys don't care if they drench the dry wall.

The Fun Stuff: Tile

This was tricky too but I'm happy with my final choice.

But first I had picked this at the local DB Tile place. 10x14 marbley ceramic tile with matching 13x13 porcelain floor tile

Its pretty, about $2.25 sq ft, but its was too white and sedate even with the mosaic I found. Also because the window in the shower is large and off-centered, I would have to cut so many pieces. I was going to get this anyway but I wasn't too happy.  

Then after looking at 5 billion bathroom pics, I decided that even though large tiles in the bathroom was popular, I don't like that look.  I like smaller tiles. I really like when everything is 1" or 2" tiles, but that's too much grout.

After staring at the bathroom for hours, I decided that the existing 6x6 tiles were the right size.  Then I stumbled on the floor tile when I went to HD (having decided that I would carefully look at every single piece of tile)

So now I have this:

To address the small space on the left side of the window, I'm going to use the mosaic to fill that in and cascade down to the ledge. I'll use matching white sink cap on the ledge and fill in with mosaic.  On the wall I'll add two different lines of mosaic around to eliminate the cuts to fit under the window and on the top.