Working with what you've got

It's my new motto.  Is my bathroom everything I ever wanted? Not really.  Is my bathroom better than it was just a few weeks ago? Absolutely.  I began the bathroom overhaul by removing the etched glass shower doors.  Here's a reminder of what it looked like:

Taking down the door was much easier than I anticipated.  I just unscrewed the caps, wiggled each piece loose, used a scraper blade to remove the silicone from the bath edge and filled the four drill holes with caulk.  Here is what I didn't anticipate: shower doors are grrrrose. My mom always commented on the inherent "dirtiness" of shower doors, but I never really knew what she was talking about until I took them down:

Underneath that silicone seal was an entire ecosystem of mold and mildew.  I can't believe I was showering next to that. Looking at the pictures still gives me the heeby-jeebies.  Anywho. A gallon of bleach later, and everything was as good as new.  The tub is cast iron and original to the home, which I adore. Next I hung a floor to ceiling shower curtain on a curved rod.  We were originally concerned that, given there is no light in the shower, a floor to ceiling shower curtain would make for a really dark showering experience.  To ease those fears I found a double rod so that the curtain can be moved back and you'll still have the plastic liner.  This ended up being an unnecessary concern - the shower is still quite bright, but having extra nice hardware (and the option) never hurts. I then went on to change out every piece of hardware in the bathroom.  Here's some before and after shots for you to get an idea of what I'm talking about:

No, that top drawer doesn't open...but doesn't it look great with a little jewelry? I picked these out from the Martha Stewart Collection at Home Depot - nothing fancy, just a simple $7 fix. While I was at the HD I also found a waterfall shower head with a vintage-inspired look. 

So much better! I then ordered very specific hooks online from Moen.  I wanted hooks that hinted at a vintage/nautical theme without being overt, looked similar to the hardware I already purchased for hand towels, door knobs, etc. and I wanted each hook to hold at least two towels.  Why two towels? Great question. When you're a newlywed people love to speculate about your unborn children.  I remember when my sister put up four hooks in her daughter's bathroom my immediate response was, "Whoa! You want four kids?!" ... but I need more than two towel hooks in the event a guest comes to visit (our shower rod is 9 feet in the air, so it's not like anyone can hang their towel over it). Basically, I didn't want to give people a reason to speculate and I definitely didn't want to count chickens so I went with this:

The two hooks are very substantial and look great on the walls.  I particularly enjoy that they allow me to avoid folding my towel after I get out of the shower:

In the process, I also changed out our shades for 2" faux wood blinds that are only $19 at Home Depot.  Sure, there were Levelor honeycomb shades up before...but just because it's a fancy brand, doesn't mean that it looks good and the yellow/cream shades (which almost immediately became stained with my makeup) had to go. 

After hanging up the inspirational pictures and changing out the light fixture above the sink, I have a practically new bathroom.  It's not the black-and-white paradise I dreamed of, but for a $230 investment I couldn't be happier.

Only three small projects remain for the bathroom:

1. Replace the faucet with the Belle Foret faucet I previously purchased.
2. Replace the toilet with our new eco-friendly guy.
3. Repair the quarter-round at the base of the vanity.  It's no longer securely nailed into the base and needs a fresh coat of paint. 

I'm not really sure when I'll get around to those projects, but they're definitely still on the list.  My parents are visiting the weekend of March 18th and I've placed replacing the faucet on the top 4 list of priorities. See?

Mom and Dad's Visit: Priorities

1. Replace hot water heater.
2. Add crown moulding to the kitchen.
3. Add external drain for the washer (it currently drains into a utility sink. ugh.) and switch out the old W/D with our new set.
4. Replace the faucet in the upstairs bathroom.
5. Build a wine rack insert for the new kitchen cabinets.

Most parents come into town hoping to relax a little and see the city.  Not mine. I don't even give them that option. It's all manual labor all the time. Fortunately, my parents wouldn't have it any other way and for that, I'm thankful.