Upstairs Bathroom

We don't really need to have a contest for 'worst room in the house', because the winner is so very evident. It's the upstairs bathroom, and it's a doozy. It boasts a laundry chute, the strangest countertop I've ever seen, a telephone located conveniently near the toilet (if you call the house, that is where we will answer!) and is literally coming apart at the seams. It's also tiny, so it's pretty hard to take decent pictures - a problem I have all over the house, since I don't have that fancy realtor lens. 

Laundry chute is the blue door, please note the disgusting carpet covering up some nice hex tile that has heaved and is coming up in chunks. The wall tile is falling off. Like, the base tile is just tucked between the floor and the wall. 

 

Yes, there's wallpaper above the tile. And this charming showerhead! Words fail. 

 This clearly custom countertop runs the entire length of the wall. For all your behind the door, three inch wide toiletry storage needs. The door brushes the countertop as it opens. 

Toilet telephone! Telephone toilet! Our dearly departed homeowner loved the colored sinks and toilets. There isn't a white one in the house.

So, let's talk about the future of this little room. It is the room that dictates our move in date, because we aren't moving beds into the house until there's a working shower. We know, supposedly, that the tub doesn't drain but none of the appraisers had issues with it (it was winterized for our inspection - those are the orange stickers). There's good evidence that there was a leak from this room into the first floor, where the office below has a much newer and painted ceiling. This bathroom is sandwiched in between the two small bedrooms, and our longer term plan is to turn the bedroom to the left into a master bath/laundry room. On my list of things for my '30 year house', not sharing a bathroom with my future teenaged son is a high priority. So after we build out the master bath this will be our son's bathroom, and my sister's when she comes to stay. I want to make it nice but not too nice, is the point.

Here are my inspiration photos for this room:

I love the classic design of the pedestal sink, fixtures and tile. I'd prefer a white floor tile but I love the hex shape. Our 1925 house needs to look more 1925 and much less 1974 (the year our dearly departed homeowner bought it and shagified it)

This is my dream for the tub surround tile. It may be a financial impossibility, but we'll see. 

This is my color inspiration photo. I'll do another post on colors for the house, but I want this room to be bright and cheery and fun for my little guy to get up and ready for school. 

I'm about 95% decided on the pedestal sink. If we can salvage the cabinets and gain some inches from taking out the laundry chute, then I think we should have enough storage. Where the laundry shoot is I'd like to frame out for some shelves. They won't be deep but it will be enough to put some readily accessible toilet paper and stuff. The medicine cabinet behind the mirror has enough room for whatever kind of products teenage boys of the future require, and if there's not enough room for lady products, then all the more motivation for those ladies to either a) complete the master bath or b) buy their own house. ;)

We're not really sure how the wiring on the sink lights works right now, but those are headed out for sure. I think. I like the historic look of the two handled faucet, but it frustrates the Kid, and I like being able to change the temperature with one hand when I'm washing my face. Many more decisions to be made, but we're hoping that this room will be totally rehabbed in the first month.