Walls and Tile

If you're wondering how the bathroom remodel is going, the answer is that I've nearly picked everything out.  My contractor is on vacation in sunny Florida, so construction won't be starting for a while.

Since I'm bringing you along for this process, this is what we're up to so far:

Above, are the towels, floor tile, paint colors, and shower tile I've chosen so far.  I picked up the Cynthia Rowley "Quatrefoil" towels at HomeGoods before I moved up from Florida.  They were a steal at $7.99 a piece, and I got 5 or 6 of them, with matching hand and wash towels.  I like a white towel, because they're a cinch to keep clean... when all else fails, use a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and let them soak for a while, then dry them on the clothesline on a sunny day.

The floor tiles were picked up quite some time ago from one of those builder-supply discount stores in my general area, called Grossman's Bargain Outlet.  At 80 cents a square foot, I really couldn't beat that with a stick.  I was lucky enough to pick up 3 boxes.  I also found some matching bullnose wall tile that will go around the bottom of the walls for $2.47 each at Home Depot.  

The paint was probably the one thing that I really had trouble coming to a decision on.  Normally, I look at something and it is a definite yes or no.  I know what I'm looking for, and it is either it, or it isn't.  As evidenced by my still-unpainted bedroom, I have paint issues.  For the bathroom, however, I finally settled on Behr's Ocean Pearl for the walls and Sea Salt for the ceiling and the trim.  

The shower tiles are Home Depot's stock glass mosaic and runs $4.99/sq foot.

I wasn't going to replace my 1.6 gal/flush toilet, but decided to do so to save water with a 1.28 gal/flush model with cleaner lines than the existing commode.  

The sink will also be replaced, since I really dislike the current sink setup which takes up far too much room in such a tiny space, not to mention, the previous homeowner cut large holes in the bottom to allow for the existing plumbing, so the cabinet is mostly unusable as storage space.  I would like a small sink, since the current one is only used to wash hands.   Nearly all of the tooth brushing and primping action goes on in the downstairs half-bath.  Yes, it is weird, but it's more convenient for us.  After the remodel, tooth brushing might just move upstairs.  We're living on the edge, people.