poplar road

I really wanted my ensuite ready for my birthday at the beginning of October but at least it looks like the main bath will be done instead. I'm sealing the tile tomorrow in preparation to install the tub border and countertop as soon as our custom cabinet arrives at the kitchen place. Another week or so on that. Despite being a small room it doesn't really photograph all that well, so the photo in the last post will have to do. I can't wait to show off the tile, it's tumbled stone in a lovely range of coffee shades that will give depth and texture to that teeny tiny room. And I think the fact that it's unglazed will really suit Richard's diving collection of antique bottles and pottery.

As I've mentioned before, the main bathroom's new tub juts into what was the original master bedroom. The floor area of the main bath hasn't changed, and the new toilet is in the same spot as before; but it looks smaller when you stand at the door, and bigger when you're inside with the light on in the shower. Light coloured walls help too. The main reason for the switch is to give more room to the ensuite, which also bumps out almost as much as the main bath does, leaving what's left of the original master bedroom as dressing room. The patched drywall on the ceiling shows the old closets and other divisions between rooms. (Fixing the ceiling surface is going to be fun.) The new wall is wired for wall sconces and the thermostat for our bedroom heating/cooling zone, and there will be lighting inside the closets as well. The odd black rectangle near the floor of the entry wall is the return air vent - it'll have a grille over it when it's done.

Everything took longer than we expected, because although it looks as if we've started from scratch, we've got a lot of existing structure with flaws that we have to live with. Getting things square, for example. Wishful thinking. Having Jonathan come over on Monday to help put up most of the drywall put us almost back on schedule, though. We got just enough done that I've been able to start mudding this week. I'd like to finish that torn up corner in my office as well. Then I'll have a whole lot of painting to do.

I never thought of myself as one of those women who would give her firstborn for a walk-in closet, but after living out of suitcases and narrow, dark, mouse and moth-infested closets for a year, I can't wait to move my things (and Richard's - he's the one with all the clothes) into this new closet and dressing room. Each section will have a white 5' bifold door, like the other closets in the house, with the same white mouldings we've used elsewhere. On the opposite wall there's room for a bench. For inside the closet we found some economical lighting, and the dressing area will have three wall sconces. I'd love to get the closet organizer system IKEA has, but we'll probably end up with basic shelving and rods for now. With 30" in depth, there will be lots of storage space for suitcases, and a linen closet at the far end, across from the laundry in the ensuite. Down the road when we eventually sell this house, I hope the closet will be desirable enough that buyers forgive the fact that the bedroom itself is only 10'x10'. Still, with the courtyard window at one end and French doors at the other, looking out over the yard, it has a flow down the length that makes it seem quite large now that the drywalling is almost done. I've also given up on my first choice of a dark paint colour in favour of a mocha colour, which will still give the contrast we love and go with my dream furniture and fabrics. (Richard's first choice of colour was "fudge brownie", but somehow I think the name, not the shade, was the reason.)

My biggest challenge tomorrow is to even out the joints between the existing painted wall of the hallway and the new drywall. So far my feelings towards mudding haven't changed, still love it, but I am worried that after volunteering to do this, I might have to leave a lot of it for Richard because I haven't done anything this finicky before. We'll see. You'll know I pulled it off if the next post with primed walls shows up next week, and not the week after.

After all the mudding today and typing tonight, my joints are stiff and swollen, and there's so much more to do tomorrow now that I'm onto the second or third coats, so that's it for this Playing House. More next week.