Bathroom Update: Ceiling Mounted Shower Curtain Rod + Turquoise Tweed Pleated Shower Curtain

The lakehouse bath reno is done.  D.O.N.E.  Seriously - done.  Okay, maybe there are one or two tiny details missing, but it's done enough!  After all of our setbacks, do you want to know what held us up the most?  The shower curtain!  Of all things.  In the end, though, all of the shower curtain fussing led to a really cool DIY shower curtain situation that I think is just gorgeous - and it functions beautifully - so it was worth the extra time and effort.

Behold: our floor to ceiling, DIY aqua shower curtain (with separate, washable liner) and our super luxe ceiling mounted shower curtain rod:  



Take a closer look:



It's perfect!  Here's a run down of the hilariously drawn out process - plus why we love our ceiling mounted shower curtain rod and fabric + liner shower curtain combo so much.

Plan #1 - Tension Shower Curtain Rod:

At first the plan was to slap up a tension rod and hang a pretty linen shower curtain.  I wanted to try a fabric curtain + liner because it seemed like just the right amount of fancy for our new bathroom - something different than the polyester Marimekko Tuuli shower curtain we had in the townhouse bathroom (here's a similar birch tree shower curtain). 

The first tension rod we ordered was broken and we tried to fix it, but it still came crashing down one night.  I had ordered it online but for the second attempt, we searched high and low in our city, hoping we could examine it carefully for any defects.  We finally found one, but it didn't have enough of a surface area to grip our textured tile, so it came crashing down even more quickly.  We decided we'd have to get a curtain rod that was affixed more firmly but, having realized how much work it is to drill into tile, neither of us wanted to tackle that - or tempt fate.  More importantly, by this point I realized that I really didn't love the look of a shower curtain rod inside the shower nook because the height made the room seem stumpy.  It was time to think outside the box.

Plan #2 - Ceiling Mounted Shower Curtain Rod:

My Mom brought over one of the brushed nickel West Elm curtain rods from her bedroom and we played with some options:  mounted right above the shower?  Maybe placed a little higher, near the ceiling?  It was the craziest option of all of them - ceiling mounted - that had Hubby, Mom and I oooo'ing and ahhhh'ing.  A ceiling mounted rod made such a statement!  The floor to ceiling height felt grand.  Was it weird, though?  I immediately took to Pinterest and found some inspiration in my Bathroom Design Inspiration board.  This bathroom had a gorgeous ceiling mounted rod and it sealed the deal for me - but this one and this one made me realize it's really not that unusual.  I was sold on the idea!

But we couldn't steal Mom's curtain rod (which West Elm discontinued), so we needed to find a simple, modern rod with small, ceiling mounted brackets and a brushed nickel finish.  That is not an easy thing to track down!   I looked online for weeks to no avail and drove to all of the home reno and curtain shops in town - finally tracking down the perfect rod (since finding one, I did spot a somewhat similar rod online, if you're looking for one).  Mine was a custom order from Budget Blinds (which, at $200 for a curtain rod, wasn't as budget-friendly as I had hoped!).  It took a couple of weeks to arrive, and then we still had to cut the rod to length ourselves and install it.  The whole process took three weeks - you could see a sneak peek of the new curtain rod in my last bathroom update.

It was worth the wait because the rod is excellent quality.  Plus it matches the Kohler fixtures exactly, which is important because brushed nickel finishes can really vary and some of them look very, very cheap.  This, however, is perfect!

Plan #2A - Gathered Shower Curtain:

I had decided against curtain rings, for some bizarre reason, hoping to create a similar curtain ring-less look as my DIY back tab curtains.  I hatched a plan to add a channel to a store-bought shower curtain and my plan went horribly, horribly wrong.  It looked so 80s!  How did it end up so ruffly?   Another week, and lots of thread, wasted.

Plan #2B - Curtain Rings:

Oops!  Live and learn!  Back into town to the curtain shop to order rings, but the owner is the only one who can order things and she was busy so a week went by and I texted every day but she still didn't/couldn't get around to it.  I gave up and was actually at Fabricland, buying curtain rings, when she called to say that the order had been placed.  Curtain rings ultimately added a couple of weeks to my timeline.

I have to admit, they do slide nicely and they look really sharp.  Definitely worth the wait!

Plan #2C - Fancy Metallic Linen Fabric:

In the meantime, I realized my linen shower curtain, although it was supposed to be long enough, wasn't actually going to reach the floor everywhere.  It hovered in a couple of spots because the hem wasn't even.  So Mom and I headed to Fabricland for fabric ideas but I also ordered some samples of a metallic linen.  Those samples, lost by Canada Post I guess, took three weeks to get here!

Oy with the poodles already.

Plan #2D - Clearance Fabric Score:

The wait was good (bad for the fabric company, good for me) because I came to my senses and decided that it would cost way too much for this shower curtain (now it's $25-30 USD per yard, but when I was first looking is was around $45 and I would have needed six yards!).  I just thought it would look so chic and upscale but, at the end of the day, this is a shower curtain and that fabric isn't even washable!  In hindsight, the dark grey might have really made the bathroom feel dark and dreary anyway - even though it was shot with shimmering metallic threads.  At Fabricland I found a clearance fabric that was double the regular width (it's meant for draperies).  I bought all of the yardage I needed for around $30.  Score!  The light grey and pale aqua brighten up the room which, although blindingly sunny in the summer, is quite a bit darker in the summer thanks to heavy tree coverage behind our house (you can see the trees on this side of our house actually peeking over the roof in my DIY fire pit post).  The best part about this fabric choice: I tossed it in the washer and dryer with no problems.

It turned out to be the perfect fabric!  It's the exact color as the sinks, just a lot lighter (in the photos it reads a bit differently).  It ties together all of the aqua and grey accents and is similar to the tweeds in the bedroom and office - so I love that consistency.  Plus, this room is all about natural textures - no patterns or prints - so this fabric pairs beautifully with the other design elements. 

After my fabric finding victory, my Mom and I still need to sew the darn thing!  We decided to add a soft, very minimal pleat so the curtain would drape evenly when closed.  We used drapery hooks to easily affix the curtain to the rings, but they remove in snap for laundering.  My biggest concern was that I wanted the shower curtain to wrap around and cover the shower opening at the edges, so you can't see a sliver of it walking by the bathroom.  Success:

But here's where the real genius is:

I wanted a separate curtain liner so I ordered the Hotel Fabric Shower Curtain Liner from Bed Bath & Beyond.  It's excellent quality, with grommets and bonus little suction cups on either side to hold it in place (so clever).  I wanted it hidden, though, so we sewed the shower curtain with two more rings than the shower curtain has, so it starts one ring in on both ends, ensuring that it stays hidden when the shower curtain is closed.  To affix it to the shower curtain, I used ball chain ordered from Amazon.  I ordered 25 feet with connectors and just cut my own chain curtain rings.  The ball chain links hold the shower liner to the curtain, but are easily removed for laundering the liner.

It took me a week to order the ball chain and another two weeks to finally cut it to length and get up on a step ladder to add the liner.  By this point, I had grown a little weary of the whole shower curtain business because, frankly, I prefer a soothing bath these days anyway.

BUT it turned out so beautifully, and it's so, so practical, so it was worth the fussing and fiddling and re-working our plans.  Whew - hard to believe this shower curtain took longer to choose than anything else in the bathroom!  I'm sharing the full reveal later this week so stay tuned. 

Now tell me: what's the weirdest home decor/renovation delay you've experienced?

Bathroom Update: Kohler Purist Sconces Mounted on a Sheet Mirror

Way back when I was plotting the lakehouse bathroom renovation, I fell in love with these Kohler Purist sconces and decided that I had to work them into the design.

But there were some other must-haves that got in the way: namely, double sinks and a linen tower.  Neither left a lot of room for sconces and mirrors, so my original sconce, round mirror, sconce, round mirror, sconce idea was a no-go.  I could keep the round mirrors and do a light above them, or keep the Kohler sconces and try something crazy: mounting the lights directly on the mirror.  Turns out, I'm not the first one to try installing a sconce on a mirror and so, after rounding up some inspiration, I decided to go for it.

Well, the sheet mirror and sconces are finally installed, and I just love how they look!  I forgot just how much brighter and larger a small bathroom feels with a huge mirror - it just bounces so much light around.  I know that sheet mirrors get a bad reputation for being "builder's basic," but I just love them for a small space - and I think mounting the sconces on the glass gives the mirror a more custom look.

(For some reason in my pictures the sconces look a little wonky, but I assure you that in real life they are straight.)

Once we were committed to this idea and had ordered the sconces, I spent some time researching local places that cut custom glass.  I picked a great place that also does cool things like stained glass and textured glass - they seemed to be the most ambitious glass company in town.  Although I went to the shop prepped with measurements, they sent someone to double check - for which I am incredibly grateful.  Living in the country, we actually paid a lot (mileage/time) for this service, but it was worth it.  In their words:  it's better if they screw up the measuring!  I had recently been burned by the careless counter top place, so I was incredibly cautious about this purchase - but luckily, so was the guy who came out to measure.  I think it took him about an hour to carefully measure the placement for the holes and outlets, which he triple checked.
A standard sheet of mirror is 72" but we needed 72 3/4 (so close!) so it was a special order - which increased the time and the cost.  It was delivered and installed without any problems and was glued in place to avoid clips because I just don't like the look of mirror clips.  They did a great job cutting out the circles for the lights and the holes for the outlets.  When cleaning the glass for these photos, I did notice one fleck of imperfection under the glass but it's minuscule.

Here's a better look at the holes cut in the mirror for the sconces and outlets: 

I didn't want the mirror to match the height of the linen tower with the mirror, which puzzled the installers.  Instead, the distance between the top of the linen tower and the top of the mirror is the same as the distance between the bottom of the linen tower and the bottom of the floating vanity.  You might not notice this detail from the hallway, but when I'm in the tub that's all I see, so this thoughtful little touch pleases my type A side:

Once the mirror was affixed, we installed the light fixtures per instructions but with one caveat: we had to make sure not to crank the screws too tightly, otherwise pressure could crack the glass.  It was a two-person job but fairly straight forward.  These sconces are securely affixed, but I wouldn't want to monkey around with them.

I was really curious to see how much the back of the sconce is reflected in the glass, but it's not much at all: just a shadow really - no wires or anything show.

Whew!

We decided to put the outlets in the mirror too.  Stashing them inside a cabinet or to the right of the vanity didn't feel practical for us (although it would have kept them out of sight).  We thought about putting them in the backsplash, but cutting into the stone seemed like a shame.  Someone suggested putting an outlet in the side of the linen tower, but cutting a hole in the walnut seemed like a shame too.  Seriously, outlets are a real bummer!  After spotting an outlet in a mirror on Pinterest, I decided that the mirror was the best spot for accessibility and hiding them somewhat.  I regret how high we put them but we were still contemplating a higher stone backsplash or maybe adding a shelf at the time, so we intentionally left (too much) wiggle room.

Straight on, the outlet covers really blend in (I tried to snap a straight on photo without me in it!):

But from some angles there's a green tint and if you look just the right way - and get in nice and close - you can see a shadow/reflection of the back of the mirrored outlet cover.

I spent a long time looking for a mirrored outlet cover.  So many of them are a fake finish and I wanted actual glass.  This one was the best I could find but I don't love the bevel because I opted not to have the edge of the mirror itself beveled - it's just a clean, ground edge, for a more modern look.  Hopefully I can track down a simpler outlet cover in the future but, for now, this will do just fine.



I just love how the bathroom is taking shape!  We're so close to being finished.

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Bathroom Reno Update: Mid-Century Modern Inspired Cabinet Pulls

I feel like I'm doling out little morsels of bathroom reno updates at this point, but I know you're all curious to see progress in the most drawn out bathroom makeover ever!  Instead of making you wait for a big reveal (which is still at least a couple of weeks away because I'm having a tough time with my shower curtain hack and am waiting on some fabric samples), I'm sharing little updates as we finish them. 

You might remember that we had a little bit of trouble with our walnut cabinetry in the bathroom.  There was a long scratch on a drawer front so a replacement set was ordered - but there was a nearly identical scratch on the second set as well.  We think that it happened in the manufacturing, like maybe a machine grabbing the veneer on an assembly line was scuffing it.  It's difficult to get irritated because it's Canadian made and purchased from a local shop - I'm always much more patient with manufacturing problems when jobs are kept in Canada or the States.  With weeks stretching on between the delivery of each set of drawer fronts, I was getting a little antsy because I was so excited to affix the hardware!  The cabinetry place was so helpful, though, and they tried to fix the second set to save us the hassle ordering a third, but the scuff was beneath the finish, so a third set was ordered anyway.  They recently arrived, scratch-free, although the manufacturer didn't drill the holes exactly right so they are misaligned by a few millimeters.  Oy vey!  We're not the gambling type, so we're sticking with these!  They're also a smidge lighter than the rest of the cabinetry but I think they will darken up once they've been exposed to the same light.  But really, I only notice these things when I'm zoomed in taking blog photos.  Day to day, these minor imperfections are nearly imperceptible.  

Despite these teeny, tiny concerns there was major cause for celebration in the lakehouse because the replacement drawer fronts meant that we could finally install the hardware!

We found the perfect pulls with a mid-century modern feel and a brushed finish that matches the Kohler vibrant brushed nickel perfectly.

 
I first spotted the "Contemporary Antimicrobial Edge Pulls" from Richelieu in a showroom and although I spent a few months pouring over various hardware options, I couldn't find anything I loved as much as these.  You know how it is, when you keep comparing everything you find to that first, perfect thing?  These pulls became the yardstick and I decided to just get them.  Hubby's Dad is a woodworker so I asked him to order them from because he gets a trade discount.  I couldn't see prices online and I nearly fainted when I realized they would still be about $250 (for 11 pulls), but I was committed!  It seemed silly to buy cheap hardware when the other finishes in our bathroom are high quality.

The pulls didn't disappoint!  They are so pretty and coordinate so well with everything else.  I know metal mixing is on-trend, but I find it distracting - especially in small rooms like our bathroom.  There is already so much to take in, like the cheery aqua sinks, stunning quartzite stone and busy walnut grain.  These pulls are simple and un-fussy, but make the whole vanity area look pulled together and polished.

Before installing them, we taped them in place and experimented a little, finding the most comfortable and natural way (for us) to open everything.  After living with awkward pulls in the townhouse kitchen (smack dab in the middle of the cabinets!), we're super careful with hardware!  We walked with our eyes closed around Lee Valley when we bought the lakehouse kitchen pulls, trying to find the comfiest pulls.  We spent two days pondering placement here, but finally decided to put them in the middle of the drawers and cabinets on the vanity for uniformity, and then place them vertically on the linen tower because that felt the most convenient.

For the linen tower, we tried putting them staggered in the same orientation as the vanity, but it was awkward opening a door when the handle was toward the hinge.  Unfortunately we had to stagger them because otherwise the doors wouldn't close (unless we widened the gap between them, but then we could see inside).  So this was the most aesthetically pleasing, but still perfectly practical, placement.  They affixed from the back, meaning there are no holes on the front of the drawers or cabinets, which was a major plus!  I don't know why, but I could not bring myself to drill into the front of this gorgeous walnut grain...

 
It's truly amazing how much time figuring out these little details takes.

I'm also seriously impressed with how long I've been able to ramble on about these cabinet pulls.  You could literally put me in front of a room full of people right now, assign me a topic at random, and I could entertain the crowd for however long you need.  An hour?  An afternoon?  I can talk forever on any subject, so whenever you read a short post around here, know that I exercised considerable restraint composing it.

Not today, though, not today.

If you like the look of these contemporary pulls (but not the price), I did find a similar, less expensive Richelieu pull on Amazon.  This Contemporary Edge Pull is about $11 for two, and it comes in stainless or aluminum.

 

Next time I show you the bathroom, get ready for a selfie!  Mirror and sconces!  Mirror and sconces!

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Bathroom Update: Kohler Purist Faucets + Crisis Averted

The bathroom is done!

Kidding (sorry, that was cruel).

But when you can use the toilet, bathe, AND brush your teeth in the same room (the same room!), you start to wonder what else could possibly be done to make this bathroom feel more complete...

Oh right, a few things - the dangling wires, for one, aren't an art installation.

But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!  The shower curtain rod was a special order and it just came in.  We're planning a shower curtain hack, so I'll be doing some late night sewing I'm sure.  The custom mirror was measured and ordered - the standard, in stock length is 72" and ours needs to be 72 3/4" so we were 3/4 of an inch away from having it immediately.  I had to laugh, but it's getting installed Friday (yay!) so I didn't have to wait long at all.  I picked up the replacement cabinet drawer fronts but I'm too nervous to unwrap them, so I stashed them under the vanity - which is ridiculous, I know.  Meanwhile, Hubby and I skipped ahead a few steps and even hung up some artwork.  Accessorizing this space - finally - makes me feels triumphant!

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Bathroom Update: Kohler Purist Fixtures

I've had to make some difficult decisions while planning our bathroom renovation, but choosing the fixtures was simple: I wanted Kohler.  Everyone I encountered during the planning process (including plumbers, plumbing supply and bathroom reno store employees, and random old dudes at The Home Depot who do not work there but feel compelled to share their wisdom/chat me up) insisted that the quality can't be beat.  That was all I needed to hear, because I've been drooling over the Kohler ads in my home decor magazines for years.

Handy Hubby and I chose the Purist line because it has a simple, mid-century modern inspired look that we love - and it complements our interior door hardware.  Even though mixing metals and styles is trendy right now, give me matching metals any day.  In a small home like ours, the coordination helps create the cohesive, streamlined, airy space I crave. 

For the tub, we opted for the Purist® Rite-Temp® pressure-balancing bath faucet trim and the Purist hand shower kit.  We had a hand held shower in the townhouse and loved it, so I knew from the beginning I wanted it again.  I shower at night but wash my hair in the morning, so this hand held shower is indispensable to me - plus it's perfect for rinsing out the tub after washing it, bathing the pup (if we ever have a dog smaller than a horse), and winning at water fights.  I have seen a lot of bathrooms where the hand held shower kit supplements a standard shower head, but that seems a bit redundant to us.  This is perfection.

We made a critical mistake by not measuring where we put the bracing for the bar, which was then completely covered during the tiling process - obviously!  Not to worry: we located the bracing and were able to move forward with the installation.  Other than that, installation was a breeze and we just followed the instruction manuals for everything.

One of the best features is the drain plug control, which you operate by twisting the cover for the overflow - this means no reaching in to a scungy tub to pull a drain cord!  In my mind, that is what total luxury looks like.

I accidentally ordered the wrong tub spout.  I had originally wanted this spout because the profile is the same as the Purist lavatory faucets we ordered for the vanity.  But when this arrived, I really liked the shaped and so I kept it.  This is my version of mixing and matching ;)



I have seen a lot of people (like Emily Henderson) use the Kohler Purist line in the brushed gold, so ordering the vibrant brushed nickel was a gamble because I hadn't seen it in person or even on any design blogs.  Happily, I wasn't disappointed - it's beautiful!  The brushed nickel on some cheaper faucets at the home improvement store really varies and some have a really yellow cast.  This finish is perfect - exactly what you would expect from a high quality, brushed nickel finish.  It's been really easy to clean, too: I just wipe it down gently with water and buff dry with a towel to ensure there are no water spots.  It takes seconds and there are no harsh cleaners involved.  I am just thrilled!



In these photos you can get a better sense of the beautiful shimmer and organic feel of my tile choice - and it's so easy to clean, thanks to the large size and minimal grout lines.

Baby steps toward a finished, functioning space!  The walnut cabinetry is getting installed today, which means the counters and aqua sinks will be installed soon... 

Disclosure: After choosing my finishes and fixtures, I reached out to Kohler and was thrilled when Kohler agreed to collaborate with me on this bathroom reno.  All design choices and opinions are my own.  I was not asked to provide a review about the projects.  I am just jazz hands excited about finally having some high end bathroom faucets!  Oh yeah, and showering inside - another major luxury.

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Using Rub N Buff on Vintage Hardware

We had a new furnace installed yesterday and today a giant boom truck is arriving with an eyesore of a propane tank.  After a year of outrageous heating bills, we're finally converting from electric forced air to propane.  Our new propane supplier made a poor first impression by offering to dig the 25 foot trench required, and then, once our account was created and things were rolling along, reneged.  Lovely.  Tasked with digging our own 16 inch deep trench, I decided I best look busy on other projects (I have a slipped disk, but I sure hauled ass hauling wood despite it, so it's perfectly excusable that I wriggled out of this job).  While Hubby worked his magic with a spade, I was ridiculously productive.  It's amazing how much work I can accomplish when I'm avoiding other, even less desirable tasks.  Among the many jobs and projects checked off my summer (ahem) to-do list, I finally got my rub 'n buff on!  I've been wanting to try this stuff for so long, but it's not easy to come by here (I had to order it from Amazon).

Hubs and I built some awesome plywood magazine files and we needed hardware.  I couldn't find anything I liked that wasn't $15 a knob (agate pulls, I'm looking at you).  On a whim, I checked out my local Habitat for Humanity ReStore and found two viable options.  I loved the circles but, alas, there were only four and I needed five.  A little more rummaging, however, and I produced two smaller circles and decided that I could mix up the sizes.  Once I got them home, I realize they were made in Austria (you know I'm such a snob about European-made things), so that made me smile.  The colours, however, weren't right.  Not to worry!  I applied a little rub 'n buff and made the hardware look brand new.     

I tried the Silver Leaf rub 'n buff, hoping for a bright brushed silver finish.  The rub 'n buff is strange, strange stuff.  It goes on smoothly and a little really does go a long way.  It does provide a more natural-looking, less "painted" finish, but wow - is it time consuming!  I toiled so long my hand started to cramp up.  Each time I buffed, I rubbed a little too much off but if I waited too long it dried past the point of buffing.  I think there's a trade off, when compared to something like spray paint.  This dries more quickly, but you spend more time working on it - although I'm sure with practice this could be a much quicker process.      

One perk is that you can control the finish so you can avoid getting it into the threads, for example, something which can be trickier with spray paint:

In the end, although I'd classify this as super piddly work, it did create a beautiful finish that looks smooth but with the natural texture the metal already had - it lets that peek through.  I'll keep you posted on how durable the finish is.  So far, I'd be inclined to use this again on a small makeover like hardware.  It seems pretty foolproof.

I tried using a cloth, a brush, and my fingers (all of these applications are recommended by the manufacturer).  I found that using my hands provided the best control, but then I buffed the finish was a soft cloth.  The only downside to this method was that it made a total mess, which came off with soap and a few skin-dehydrating hand washing sessions.  Hubby is constantly harping about donning protective eye wear, buying me a respirator, and wearing gloves - even if the product in question doesn't have a bony hand on the label.  When he caught me doing my best Tin Man impression (just covered in the stuff), he started to ramp up to a safety lecture.  He started with, "should you be doing that without gloves? Doesn't the tube say to wear gloves?"

Haha, NOPE, I informed him, "the tube says to apply with my fingers.  Now get back to diggin".

See the awesome plywood magazine files we built (with aqua interiors!) that showcase this new-to-me hardware by clicking here!

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