Tuesday, March 10, 2015

A little bathroom un-remuddling


Remuddle:

"To remodel a building or room in a way that obscures or destroys key aspects of the original design."

Learn more about it here, here, and here.

The last link is from a blog, on a website, called The Old House Guy and is written by someone after my own heart. So much so that I've actually shed tears when he's describing what has happened to the old houses he features.

I don't know him, I just stalk read his blog, because I'm a little intimidated by someone with that much knowledge on my favorite subject.

Anywho......

Today, I have just a little un-remuddling project, that's been a pretty easy fix.

The last owners thought it would be a fabulous idea to paint part of, what I think is, the original 1930s pink tile in my downstairs bathroom green along with the walls.

Within the first few months I was here, I painted the walls white and the window trim yellow, because it looked like a dark green hole in there and it was a quick fix. 

My mom almost changed her mind about me buying the house when she saw the downstairs and this was one of the reasons. 

I'm not kidding. 

It was that bad.

I'm not as easily thrown though ;)

Eventually, I'll get to the rest of the scary part, but for now here's the tile that I had already started scraping today, before I grabbed the camera.


I'd been neglecting this room, until today when I got a bug up my butt to actually do something about it.

This is what I do when I'm bored and sick.


Anyway, I'm actually happy about two things... 

That they didn't tear out the vintage tile 
and 
that they were dumb enough to use latex paint to cover it up.

Yay!


Had they used something else, this would have been a much messier job.


I finished the top part today and I plan on finishing the bottom tomorrow.


Looks pretty good, huh?


I feel sooooooo much better knowing that I'm finally turning this bathroom around and I won't have to cringe every time I go into it.

I have a few other plans for it too and as soon as it's done, I'll be sharing it with all of you :)

xo
rue



39 comments:

  1. Remodeling is equal parts fun and frustrating. We had the worst bathroom in a rental a couple of years ago, we remuddeled in there all we could but there was no saving that room. I can't wait to see the finished room Rue :)

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  2. Remodeling is fun, stressful and demanding. But, it's always been worth it! When I bought the house the bathroom had "plastic" tiles? What's up with that? I love the pink and am pea green (you get it right?) with envy. I would love to have a pink bathroom, but the hubs would never let me do that, he said it's getting too girly here now.

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  3. I love your pink tile, Rue - it's going to look great when you have it all done. The colors of vintage tile are so wonderful and I can tell you're excited the paint is coming off relatively easily, I would be too!

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  4. Rue,
    How lucky you are to find the original tile in such excellent condition! I lived in a 30's Tudor in Salt Lake City and one bathroom was the same colors, pinky-peach and maroon, and the other was blue and yellow. They were great. Such personality. Can't wait to see the finished results of all your hard work! Hope you shake that flu bug soon. :)

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    1. Thank you, Ms G :)

      I would have loved to see those bathrooms!

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  5. How lucky for you! When we bought our house, the sellers tore out the original pedestal sink and put a teeny vanity sink in it's place! (And covered the hex tile with carpet) -- thinking it would sell better -- sigh! How I wish I had that sink -- we have a replacement but it's not the original! Good job!

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  6. I would love to not cringe when I go into the bathroom. Our bathroom need so much work that I definitely cringe.

    good luck with your bathroom.

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  7. It is great when you do something that makes such a big and immediate change isn't it! Have fun with the rest of it! xx

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  8. Glad that that job was a relatively easy one as they had used latex paint. You're doing a great job, as usual.

    Happy Spring and hope you feel better soon ~ FlowerLady

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  9. Good for you and the tile looks great - even the grout looks good! You're something else, little lady! :)
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  10. Love the vintage tile. All the elbow grease will be worth it in the end.

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  11. Great job getting that paint off! Loved the comment about not being a man or a child when we're sick. So true! Hope that doesn't backfire on you when you really DO want some babying! lol

    A tidbit of hopefully useful advice: Try spraying 409 on the paint and I bet it comes off even easier. That stuff is evil good at moving things that are hard to move!

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  12. I can't believe the paint came off that easily and the tiles are unscathed. I can't wait to see it when it's restored!

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  13. Ok, I'm back...I just read the linked articles. I rarely, if ever, watch TV but my husband says that I have a girl crush on Nicole Curtis and I do. That article is why. I love the other guy, too. He calls a spade, a spade. I live in a very historic part of the country, tons of homes where Washington and the like slept or dined. These homes have all been "preserved", but many in the manor in which he describes. We did rip out two bathrooms in our 1920's home. They were both poorly thought out additions in the 1960's and then badly renovated in the 80's. Thankfully, that's all anyone touched around here!

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  14. oh I love it Rue! this is going to be absolutely wonderful! perfect shade of pink! save the old! love love love. and i love you.

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  15. Wow, bless your heart! You are making it look MUCH MUCH better... and I love pink! Can't wait to see what you do when it is all done. Hang in there, it is worth it!

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  16. I can't believe that paint is even coming off the grout! That looks so much better! Our son bought an old house with all the original old tile in the bathroom and it's in good shape.

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  17. I can't believe you're scraping tiles when you're sick, lol! I know it's hard to keep a good woman down, but wow. Please don't overdo it or you will just become more ill. (Not that I know from experience or anything.) In any case, the pink looks great. My aunt lives in a home that was built in the 30's and the main bathroom still has the original pink tile. She thought about having her bathroom redone but now its grown on her. I rather like it. My grandparent's house had a pink bathroom, too.

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  18. Can you imagine!

    Bravo for un-remuddling one tile at a time! I'm going to look at your links now but please take care; get well soon, Rue.

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  19. You got a lot accomplished, and it looks much better already! Our home, about a decade older, had the original tile roof line and the two corner front windows and we were able to get the tile line put back on after the new roof and restore the front windows, but that meant sending a lot of people away who would not listen. The inside of our place was wrecked, even the awful 70 fix to a 1940s kitchen. have to go look at those links now.

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  20. One word, "Wow"! Looks like brand new tile! Just needed a lot of TLC! Fabulous job, Rue! :)

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  21. I kinda like the pink. I'm interested to see what you do! My late MIL had lavender tile in her bathroom. I kid you not.

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  22. Wow, that's a lot of work, Rue, but it will be so satisfying when you are done. We still do have snow on the ground, but I'm hopeful!

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  23. I think you're doing a great job on this...so glad it's going to be what you want.
    xo

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  24. oooohhhh....I can tell this is going to be just a super bathroom! I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be a favorite room in the house...and you are right...glad they used the wrong paint. Have fun doing this and feel better soon. :-))

    Big hug
    elizabeth

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  25. It looks like a big job but well worth the effort to get back to the original tile. It will look brand new when you are completed!

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  26. Rue,
    This is alot of work, but it is well worth it-seriously it is going to be gorgeous. I suppose if I was your Mom, I would have said the same thing, out of love for you and the work it entailed. But I have three daughters who know what they like and it usually works out beautifully!
    Take care!
    xo
    Jemma

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  28. Rue, Looks like it will be a beautiful finish when complete. I know it is a lot of work, but so worth it to reveal the beauty below the layer of paint. Thank goodness it is coming off easy!
    Have fun with the process!
    Hugs, CM

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  29. Wow, Rue, you did a great job! Your tile absolutely glows. My Mimi had a pink tile kitchen when she lived in New Orleans, and I would give anything to have kept that in the family. I'm horrified that the PO committed such a travesty, but I'm glad they used latex. My Brady Bunch split-level/ranch has had countless makeovers, some quite puzzling, others an attempt at a faux Versaille. I worry about what I'm doing...and undoing. But I love what you've done with your enchanted home. xxoo

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  30. I can't imagine why the previous owners would have painted over the tile like that! Go figure. Kudos to you for making the Herculean effort to bring it back to its original glory. It's amazing how good it looks now. Not a scratch in sight.

    Going to check out those links too.

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  31. Wow! That tile is in perfect shape! I wonder why the previous owner painted it in the first place?

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    1. I don't know this for a fact, but I'm pretty sure it's because they're idiots LOL

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  32. Thank you everyone for the encouragement!

    xo,
    rue

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  33. Love the vintage pink!! It looks great! You are braver than me!

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  34. Seriously....what the heck were they thinking???? I bet your little house is so glad you rescued it!!

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