Out With The Gold (And Lavender) And In With The Blue(ish Green).

Guess what time it is?  It's basement half bath budget breakdown/look what we did time. But, before I go ahead and tell you all the secrets, I should reveal to you what we did and how we were on a strict diet with home depot. When we began the planning we viewed the entire process as this: it's a basement hangout, it doens't need to be fancy. It does, however, have to be presentable and put together. So, what does that mean to us? The people whom are on a strict home depot diet? Builders specials and sales, baby! Ed picked the color (which is Behr paint and primer in one) called Contemplation and we decided on brushed nickel for all the hardware. (Oh and P.S. this color is not blue-ish green as the title states. P.P.S. Green just doesn't fit in the good ol' saying and blue did.) 

The middle door is the bathroom.

  

Originally we decided that this cutey-patooty half bath would get a face lift involving tone-on-tone stripes in the creamy white variety. 

photo creds: younghouselove.com

 However, time wasn't on our side (read impatience) and either was our home depot diet. So, we went solid. I was very much looking forward to the stripes, but at second thought realized that this is a basement half bath - not one regularly used - therefore enjoying the stripes would be minimal due to my lack of time spent down there. Yes, I just justified laziness, impatience, and poorness (even a word?) with that sentence. And yes, I feel better about it, thanks. So, what's our solution to a stripeless hizzy? The other half bath (I know, right?! So many bathrooms!) in our master bedroom will adorn stripey's and flair. Speaking of the master bathroom we are thinking about closing off our current walk-in closet and transforming it into a shower to make the master bathroom a full one. What is a girl to do about a closet you ask?! Have no fear, theoretically speaking (wo)man is here! We will build another walk-in closet on the opposite side of the room. Oh! Such scandalous talk! Ok, ok let's get back on topic.

So, what did we do and put into this little bonus gem of a half bath? We insulated, holy sheet!rocked, painted the ceiling, installed new molding, installed a new vanity, faucet, toilet, sconce, blind, tp holder and towel ring. Phew. Let's mud roll the tape (little home renovation humor) and see where we landed. 

Break-it-down:
Holy Sheet!rock: F-R-double-E. We had it on hand.
Holy Sheet!rock mud and tape: $14
Insulation: $10
Behr Paint and Primer: $25
Other primer: $10
White paint: F-R-double-E. We had it on hand.
Brand Spankin New Paint Brush: $5
Vanity: $39
Faucet: $25
Toilet: $78
Sconce: $30
Misc: $24
Art: F-R-double-E. 

Grand total: $258.

Before and After: 

Maybe a few more before pictures. Shall we?

That bathroom was so friggin' nasty. Seriously, I couldn't go in there without fearing some giant bug was going to crawl up out of the sink or toilet and rooooaaaarrrr in my face then chomp my body in half or swallow me whole. Ok, maybe I exaggerated the medium-sized spiders that called that nasty room home, but it's a basement bathroom and it was yellow and purple. 


Now how about a few more after pictures that are far easier on the eyes:

We still need to add a mirror and a rug and I should tell you a little about those awesome pieces of photographic genius. I bought those a whole lotta (love? Letting the Led [Zeppelin] out) years ago at a craft fair. They're shot all over New York State and the photographer's name is Jack Miller out of Brooklyn. He uses reclaimed wood and faux suede matting. LOVE. Another thing I should mention is that the truer of the gree color is depicted in lower left hand picture of the quad posted. Silly lighting. 

Anywhoosle. Was it a total cheap-o reno? Nope. Was it a total splurge-o reno? Nope. This little make-over was what we call a happy medium. It added more (albeit small, but more nonetheless) equity to our growing pile we have going; it's also serves as a completely functional luxury for those lazy bums who don't want to go upstairs to see a man about a horse, aaaand it didn't cost us an arm and a leg to get er lookin' spiffy again. Win-win-win all around. So, what's next on the good ol' to do list for the basement-erooni? We will be painting the laundry room, building a pedestal for the washer/dryer, adding new lighting, and makin' er' look fancy-pants. Thhheeennnn, we will be adding carpet to the big room, getting the fireplace cleaned (just in time for spring and summer! silly us), painting, installing recessed lighting, framing in the i-beam (aka stripper pole), hopefully new windows (those suckas are drafty and busted and as old as RHN), adding some furniture, an xbox and a TV (Cmans request).

Oh! and I have to add this - Katie and Philip sent the coolest gift to us for xmas and I cannot wait to get them out and proudly displayed in the hizzy. Look! (Yeah, one got a little broken in transit, but we're fixin' that guy up good as new. No worries.)

Yea, I know! You're so jealous, I can tell. I would be too, they're freakin' sweet and from Bermuda! Ed will be building us a dining room table and we will be investing in some grown-up dining chairs and a chandelier. Those beautifully hued babies will be perched on the beautifully made table under the beautifully graceful chandelier. Excited!