Our master bath remodeling project is starting to build momentum from the theoretical planning phase (hundreds of pins on Pinterest and saved photos on Houzz) to the “let’s get our hands dirty” and actually do stuff phase.
I’ve been planning this project for at least eight years, long enough for several decorative tile/main tile pairings to go in and out of stock (and probably out of style, to be honest). For a number of years, I was loving the pineapple onyx as a decorative detail tile because of the warm glow it brought to a space. I loved it enough to go from a small hex to a border with brown Emperador marble when the hex went out of stock. Then the border went out of stock, and I had to start all over again.
See the lovely pineapple onyx in these two mosaics! When installed and sealed they give off a lovely glow. Too bad they went out of stock before I could use either one of these.
In fact, it was yet another primary tile selection from Lowe’s going on clearance that prompted us to pull the trigger on purchasing the tile we needed. Who loves a bargain? This girl! You can read more about my bathroom plans here.
Final tile selections for master bath
I chose a 12-by-24-inch taupe tile for its neutral meshing of warm and cool tones. Also, it goes well with the Orion Bianco marble hex decorative tile I’ve been eying from Floor and Decor. I love this marble so much that I would use more of it, if I could afford it. This marble has a bit of gray and brown and is just a bit warmer than traditional Carrera marble.
Ode to Bianco Orion marble: how I love the way you mix warm and cool tones. Exquisite! The taupe mosaic goes on the shower floor while the large taupe tiles will go on the floor and walls of the shower around the marble panels. Note the old carpet that is actually in my bathroom now. Yes, be horrified! Carpet in my bathroom!
Why did I want something warmer? I didn’t like all those cool tones, but the gray-white aesthetic doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. I’ve always tended to like a bit (or a lot) of warmth in my colors. I decided this pairing had a little bit of both warm and cool.
We plan to sell our Texas house in the not-too-distant future and move permanently to Plum Prairie Ranch in central Kansas. Although we haven’t set an exact date yet, we know it’s gotta be before my farm boy husband loses his ever lovin’ mind from all the big city irritations that fill his daily life.
For that reason, I wanted my choices for the master bath to be pretty neutral and appeal to many buyers. So this bathroom isn’t exactly everything I would want. I think it will be lovely and it will be completed on a tight budget because that’s how we roll around here. And because we have so much updating to do in pretty much every corner of our 1995 home. We’ve got to figure out how to do everything on a budget. More on that later.
So I have my tile selections set, and I’ve zeroed in on the design for the tile in the shower. The plan is to have a panel of the marble on each of the three walls: a portrait of hex tile framed by 4-inch-by-12-inch tiles in the same Bianco Orion marble.
On the back wall, it will just be a gorgeous feature set into the field of taupe tile. The wall opposite the plumbing will have a niche for shampoo and body wash set into the marble panel. For the plumbing wall, I plan to have the handle for the faucet set in the middle horizontally of the portrait-shaped panel. If it’s off center, I think it might tap into my slight OCD tendencies.
My sources for tile and marble are my neighborhood Lowe’s and Floor and Decor. I’ve been planning this bathroom remodel for so long that Floor and Decor has become much more convenient for me to visit. I used to have to travel 25 miles to see all the pretty tile and marble options at Floor and Decor, and now there’s one just four miles away from me.
The advantage of a big metropolitan area like Dallas-Fort Worth is that you have soooo many choices for materials.
I’m getting two 36-inch vanities and marble counters for them at Seconds and Surplus. More than a decade ago, we bought unpainted cabinets to create our built-in entertainment center and bookcases from Seconds and Surplus. They have great products and phenomenal prices.
The Fix-It Farmer and I plan to tackle this remodeling project in the next few months. We’d like to get the shower totally completed before we tear up the rest of the room. That way we can still mostly function in the space.
I’m getting a handheld shower attachment for our bathtub so we don’t have to share our daughters’ shower.
How to get more bang from your remodeling buck
A few more notes on the budget. We’re saving money by doing all of the work on our own. The only way that is possible is by keeping all the plumbing in its current location, another way to cut costs.
The shower right now is just 33-by-34 inches, as small as they come. It can’t get any wider than 34 where it is, but we can bump it out a foot or more, depending on the footprint. I’ll write more about that in a future post.
If you’re a DIY family on a budget, do yourself a favor and spend time searching out inexpensive options.
In advance of my bathroom project, I’ve spent countless hours online and visited lots and lots of places in person to shop for tile, counters, vanities, and fixtures. Here’s a rundown on what to look for.
Big box retailers
That’s my tile under the 50 percent off sign in the foreground. They keep moving it around.
Clearance or end-of-season items are your friend, as long as they have enough material in stock to do your project. I visited two different Lowe’s stores to get the primary tile for my bath. One had the large format tile and the bullnose and another had enough of the mosaic for the shower floor. Lowes, Home Depot and others put their vanities on sale on a regular basis and have some decent selections on clearance. Be sure to visit the clearance area of the store and ask sales associates for help. My main tile was moved to a different part of the store. I could see it was in stock online but needed help to find it.
Look for surplus materials stores
In Dallas-Fort Worth, we have lots of options like Seconds and Surplus, Builders Surplus Warehouse (YEEEHAWWW!!!) and the creatively named Builders Surplus Materials. You don’t have to settle for the big box retailer if you’re willing to drive to a large metro area.
Large specialty stores
Floor and Decor is where it’s at for flooring materials in my area. Even though I didn’t end up buying my primary tile there, they had way more options in the decorative tile department. The prices were decent and they cater to both contractors and DIYers. Around me, the small flooring stores seem to be more geared to contractors. A few are very helpful to homeowners doing the work themselves, but are more pricey.
Online shopping
I’m looking at online sources like Amazon, Wayfair, Overstock and Houzz for faucets and lighting. You’ll find the widest selection and a huge variation in prices if you shop online. I try to find products with lots of positive reviews to ensure that the item is of good quality. Be sure to compare what you see online with what’s available at your local big box. Also be aware of the return policy, in case it’s not what you were expecting.
What is your favorite tip for saving money on a DIY project? I’m eager to learn more ways to save!