Kids Bath Reno Progress — Lauren Koster Creative

No pretty pictures or fun shopping resources to share with you this week, unfortunately. We have been getting down to business though! If you’ve missed it, check out my plans in week 1, tile layout options in week 2 and lighting options in week 3. About two and a half weeks ago my husband and I completed the demo. We ripped out the bad shower surround, the blue formica countertop, the carpet, all of it! Keep reading to see how far we’ve come!

This is my first time ever hiring someone for an unnecessary job. We have only hired out things that need to be done, like a new furnace, installing a new washer/dryer, etc. While this bathroom was ugly and dated, it was completely functional, so ripping it out was purely an aesthetic choice and those kind of jobs I have always tackled myself. I work with many subcontractors as a designer, but not in a managing capacity and many of our go-to guys are occupied with client jobs, so I couldn’t steal them away for a personal project. So I’ve learned a lot in handling this process myself.

I think it’s a no brainer to say to start with your circle. My father-in-law is very trusted in this arena, so he was my first stop in asking for contractor recommendations. I briefly worked at Lowes a few years back and found out one of my coworkers that I really liked is a contractor, specializing in bathrooms. I have actually saved his card for years waiting for the day I was ready to pull the trigger.

Planning timelines of multiple contractors is another fine dance. My original plumber fell through, so I had to find a back up. I mentioned my last post the second quote I got was 4 times my first quote for the job! It took me two weeks to get the additional two quotes. Have names in your back pocket and even line up multiple quotes ahead of the start date. If you’re starting from zero, it can add weeks and even months to your project.

Over the past two weeks the tile contractor has installed almost all of the tile. It’s felt so freeing for things to keep moving forward while I’m at work or occupied with other projects. In all other instances, nothing gets done unless I am personally working on it. Once the tile is finished, I will take back over to patch and paint the walls. The plumber will come back to install the fixtures and I get to finish up with the fun stuff!