Frugalistic with a muffled thud....

I haven't posted much lately between the demands of my job and ongoing house remodel.  After 11 looooonnng years we have finally reached the point where we could begin the house remodel.  We began by doing some insulation work and installing carpet in the living room and both bedrooms.  I can't begin to tell you nice it is to have this carpet in a drafty old house...in the winter.

The house isn't being remodeled in the manner I had first envisioned.  Due to unforseen circumstances (impending job loss and re-evaluating our finances) the projects have been scaled back to frugalistic (frugal+realistic).    Cue the "wah-wah-wah" sound here.  Nothing like have your dreams hitting the ground with a muffled thud.

After feeling sorry for myself (and drowning my sorrow in booze food),  I decided everything will be ok. Instead of running to a big box store everytime I need something for a project , I am going to put on my creative thinking cap and find a less pricey alternative.  Anytime you can re-use, reduce, recycle, and repurpose is a good day for your pocketbook and mother earth. This is also an opportunity to see exactly how creative I can be. (No pressure!)

Drawing inspiration for the color pallette from my favorite piece of art and focal point of the living room.



I had hoped to gut the room to the studs but reality reared it's ugly head.  So we worked with what we have. Painting the panelling a creamy, dreamy pale yellow (like cool glass of buttermilk, mmm) and added crisp white crown molding has done wonders to amp up the the charm factor.  Splashes of color in the pillows, artwork and the quilts covering the couch keep the room from feeling bland.  Bamboo shades bring texture and much needed privacy.  The living room is approximately 90% complete.  I still need to install the new chunky 4 inch cottage style baseboards also painted a crisp white to match the mouldings.



The "someday" dream would be coffered ceiling and non-panelled walls but for now I will enjoy the plushy carpet and seek cozy refuge from the chaos elsewhere in the house.  So come on in sit for a spell and let's get acquainted....

Is there a Guiness Book of Records category for the longest bathroom remodel in history?

The date was 9/26/2009. I was bright eyed and bushy tailed. Due to some unforseen circumstances (i.e. the waterfall pouring from my upstairs bathroom might be a  clue something was amiss) we were forced to begin the much anticipated (1 of 2) bathroom remodel. Oh darn!  I was really gonna miss the fake oak cabinet, the gold and white faux marble counter top, the plastic tile walls in the high-end design of white, gray and blue flowers, the dingy acrylic bathtub, green and brown pebble linoleum and the toilet you had to..um sit sidesaddle on--or else you would smack your knees on the sink vanity. Yeah...NOT

So now the date is April 4, 2011. Where is my beautiful new bathroom? The high gloss white wall tiles, the smooth granite countertop, the new and expanded layout? Still in the photoshopped magazine layout of any home improvement magazine. Back to earth with a resounding thud. It seems my dreams of grandeur = much moula I do not have (and if I do have it, it has been acquired illegally and I am looking at slammer time)....sigh!

Soooo, what did I get? Well.... we did gut the room to the studs. The hubby refused to expand the footprint, so it is still a VERY small bathroom at 5 1/4 ft x 7 1/2 ft. For a full size bath...Really?! The plumbing was reconfigured to best utilize the small space (which ain't saying much). The electrical was slightly updated to include a GFI--no home perms for me! The room has since been insulated and vapor barrier installed. Green board and cement backer board is installed--although there was the incident of hubby installing the backer board incorrectly. Do over anyone?

The beautiful new enamel on steel tub is securely installed and the water connection checked (Yay for no leaks!). Everything has been mudded, taped and sanded. The beachy sand colored ceramic floor tile has been mortared in and  yet to be grouted. The beautiful high gloss white subway tiles and corresponding trim pieces, the neutral glass mosaic tiles for accent and all the sleek and shiny satin nickel hardware sit forlornly in the corner of the spare bedroom  are now installed. As did the new toilet--which is FORTUNATELY still in the box  is also installed. How disconcerning would that be to see that everday. Yeah that had to go out to the garage. No john in the bedroom unless it is John-ny Depp....um what was I saying....

On the upside of TWLBRIH (That would be THE WORLD"S LONGEST BATHROOM REMODEL IN HISTORY) is I have had MORE than adequate time to score some awesome deals. The 13" ceramic floor tile- only $0.75/ tile. The bathtub was on sale for $109, I had a $20 coupon and a $50 gift card, so my out of pocket price was $39 plus chump change to cover the tax. The cost to reconfigure all the plumbing was the cost of all the materials and a CHEAP-O favor= slave labor from a family friend at $125.00. Considering there was a full 8 hrs of work, can you imagine what I would have had to pay a plumber on my own dime--YIKES!

The subway tile was $0.22/ tile and I had a $20 coupon for the total order. All the hardware (sink and tub faucets, towel bars) are from Ovrstock at 65% of the original cost. The light fixture was a clearance item for $10. The best deal was the the wall mount tilt mirror. Found at the local thrift shop still in the package with ALL of the hardware AND instructions--(you know a man didn't buy it cause they always throw the instructions away)-- retails at $50 and I got it for $4.50! YAY for thrift-erific bargains!

We are currently 60% 90%c ompleted on the bathroom. So 60%  x 19 months= a helluva long time. I hate math. Hopefully we will be finished before the 2yr 30 month mark comes around. Unless there IS a Guiness category and I am gonna have to win that sucker. What DO you win for a Guiness category?...


UPDATE... As of November 3, 2011 the only remaining projects are to install the crown moulding, hang the shower rod, hang the mirror, install the exhaust vent and accessorize. As soon as it is complete, I will post a picture! Yay!