The One With the Unexpected Home Remodel
Sometimes life gives you lemons. And you can cry about it (and I may have, a little) or you can make the best of it. Recently I found out that the old cast iron sewer line under my slab needs to be replaced (yay mid-century homes, am I right?) and since the walls will already be open, might as well do a re-pipe. Ugh. Not only is it going to be a costly repair, but it’s also going to wreak havoc on almost my entire home.
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The guest bath, the primary bath, the hallway, my office, the kitchen, the dining room, the dining room – all of those rooms will be directly impacted by the plumbing work. Which means trenches dug in my terrazzo slab and holes cut in my walls. Now I’ve always wanted to remodel my guest bathroom “someday”. And I’ve always wanted new flooring and a paint job “someday”. Welp, today is that day.
Because I’m a visual person and because this is all happening somewhat quickly and because I may be halfway around the world when the work is being done, I put together some mood boards for myself. They helped me make my shopping list (my AmEx bill reads: Home Depot, Home Depot, Home Depot) and convey my vision to the contractor.
Let’s take it room by room, shall we?
Hall Bath
Resources Wall Tile | Floor Tile| Shower/Tub Fixture | Vanity | Sink Fixture | Light | Paint | Medicine Cabinet/Mirror
This is pretty much ground zero for where the bulk of the damage will be happening. It’s also the bathroom I wanted to renovate some day. Currently it’s a 1970s powder blue tile dream (just not my dream) and when all is said and done, it’ll be a mermaid-inspired modern masterpiece (if I do say so myself!) I’m also having the window replaced because it was the only one not replaced by the previous owner. I’m guessing it’s because it’s set in the tile and they didn’t want to deal with tile repairs or replacement.
Primary Bath
Resources Wall Tile |Nook Tile | Floor Tile| Shower Fixture | Vanity (similar)| Sink Fixture (similar)| Light | Paint | Ceiling Paint
This bath was renovated by the previous owner when I moved in (I rented for a year before I bought from the previous owner). The plumber is hoping to do “minimal damage” so hopefully this bathroom will need minor repairs. Hopefully.
Office
Resources Flooring| Paint | Light | Rug
My office is another room that’s going to take a big hit because it’s where the sewer line enters the house from the street. It’ll be getting new flooring, a paint job, and a new rug. I’m eyeing this one from Ruggable.
Kitchen
Resources Floor Tile| Cabinets | Hardware | Light | Paint
The kitchen is another room which “may or may not” take damage. I’m hoping for “may not” because it was renovated shortly before I moved it and it’s perfectly fine. My hope is that I’ll be able to keep the existing cabinets (shown) and add new flooring and a new light fixture, just to spruce things up!
Living Room
Resources Flooring| Paint | Sofa (similar) | Rug
Odds of the living room taking damage are slim, so that’s nice. The layout of my house is such that if the dining room, hall, and kitchen get new floors and paint, the living room has to as well. So that are the only updates the living room should see. If all goes well. Knock on wood.
Other Rooms
My den should take no damage, but it’s getting a fresh coat of paint and new flooring to match the living room.
The dining room and the hallway will be getting a fresh coat of paint and flooring to match the living room to hide and repair the damage.
My bedroom will remain, shockingly, untouched! And since it has carpet, which I want to keep, no work will be done in there. The guest room will also remain untouched, but it will be getting new flooring to match the living room.
Whew! I’m tired just think about it! Or maybe it’s because I’ve been packing up my whole house to put into storage to make this process somewhat easier. Either way, your girl is beat!
Stay tuned to see how it all unfolds and follow me on Instagram for stories about the process as it’s happening!
Lori Barbely
Hi, I’m Lori, the Chief Travel Officer for Mostly Solo Travel! I created this site for solo (and would-be solo) female travelers. My goal is to inspire your trips, give you practical advice on how to plan, and to ease your fears so you can explore the world on your own.
