Upstairs bath: almost there

We've been doing more work in the never ending project upstairs bathroom and have some exciting progress to share.

 Noticeable changes since the last batch of pictures (can it really be well over a month since the last photos?) include:

• We installed tile floors, baseboard, and repainted walls a lighter color of aqua. The first color was much more saturated than what we wanted--it was left over from another project--so we toned it down by adding white. The color now is much more mellow, and we love it.

• Installed the toilet, glass shelf, and toilet paper holder. Remember the original toilet paper holder? No? Allow me to jog the old memory a bit.

 Yeah, not so good... but we noticed it was heavy cast iron and decided to see if stripping and spray paint could bring it back to life. 

Taking off the 4+ layers of paint revealed a pressed basket-weave pattern and flowering vines on the surface. The eyesore became a charming addition.  Love that. 

• The sconces flanking the original medicine cabinet are up and working like a charm.

• The shower tile is up and looking good. The air vent has yet to be covered, but we've just been careful when showering to not splash water in that direction. We bought a cover for it, but silly me didn't measure the opening and it ended up being way too small. Opps. We'll return the cover for the wider version asap. 
• We chose to paint the ceiling the same color blue as the walls. The color difference is hardly noticeable when the lights are on, but we like the slight contrast against the white tiles.

Oh, I can't even tell you how amazing it is to use the shower in here. After using a teenie-tiny shower stall with a 6-foot shower head (reminder we're 6'4" and 6'6") for the last year and a half, this tub/shower combo feels like a palace. It's a dream come true. And I'm not being at all dramatic. Ok, maybe just a little, but you get the point.

• The new chrome faucet and handles are stellar, especially when you compare them to what we had going on before:

Yikes.

• There's a handy towel bar behind the door and next to the shower.

• The door was freshened up with a light sanding and application of Danish oil. The bathroom door--on the right--shows off its wood grain more with the new finish. For comparison, our bedroom door on the left has a flat (and peeling) varnish finish. We love the depth Danish oil finishes bring to wood. 

There's still some work to be done though, namely, painting over some necessary plaster patching and installing the faucet and sink. We also have to paint the trim around the windows, but that won't take long. We also plan to add some much needed storage.

The most pleasant surprise of this whole project may just be the garage sale sink we told you about here. It was in its original packaging when we bought it, and we assumed it was one of the smaller, less expensive pedestal sinks you find at big-box home improvement stores. Oh my goodness, were we ever wrong. It's much taller than the old vanity, and it has a huge basin with holes for a wide mount faucet. 

 Seriously, you could wash your baby in this baby. And all for $40. Awe.some.

So there you have it. The bathroom isn't quite done, but it's getting there. 

Oh, and see that roman shade in the very first photo of this post? My friend Lori taught me how to make it months ago. She's going to share the experience with us in a guest post coming up soon. Be excited, people!