Frame Around the Medicine Cabinet

We want the medicine cabinet to be be a little hidden in the bathroom so we decided to put a frame around the mirror. We looked all around the antique and other stores for a larger frame that we could cut down to fit the medicine cabinet and finally found what we were looking for just at Michaels.

This is still larger then we need but one quick trip to the chop saw and it is in pieces.


The frame was not quite deep enough to line up with the mirrored front to the cabinet so a spacer frame was built that holds the frame off the wall. It was painted the same color as the wall so that it would blend in.


The spacer was attached to the wall with screws and the frame was nailed to that. We also had to alter the way that the door opened because the frame blocks the handhold of the cabinet. We installed one of those push-push cabinet latches so now all you have to do is push on the glass and the door opens and then push once again on the glass to close it. Here are a couple of pictures showing what it looked like once it was all in place.

In this last picture you can see the finished mirror up on the wall and the hole where the over sink light will be mounted. You can see that the light location is placed right where the header goes across...guess that full depth electrical box will not do it. Have to put in the 1/2" box I guess.

Making a Xylophone

One of my friends at work just celebrated the first birthday of his son this past weekend. We built a xylophone out of cherry, popular and electrical conduit tubing for him.
All the tubes had to be cut to the right length for the correct note. There are some that are a little off but overall they are pretty close.
Here is a picture of the backside. The back plate is made of 1/4" popular that was "stained" with acrylic paints. The cherry body is just oil with mineral oil. Under the four pads on the back are screws that hold it on.
This is a picture of the bottom side with the back cover removed. You can see the turnbuckles that tension the fishing line that strings between the two bridges on the front side.

And finally what you have been waiting for.......the video of Kristen playing it.

Clawfoot Tub Feet

When we moved in, there was a nice clawfoot tub in the downstairs bathroom. However, it only had three matching feet. We found a very close match at the ReStore and are painting all four to match.

First, the feet had to be stripped of all paint.Then, the primer went on.
Finally, they are painted chrome to match all the other bathroom fixtures.

Floor Tiling

A fir board in place at the threshold and the first tiles lined up.
Starting in the front corner - the part that will not be covered at all and will be seen the most so we decided this was the most important place to look straight.
Working back into the room.
Half the floor is set. Once it dries and is grouted, we will move the tub and start flooring the other half. The walls all need to be grouted as well and the walls and ceiling painted with final coats.

Wall Tiling

Downstairs Bathroom

The boards are up on the walls, started on the floor.
Spacers in place for the baseboard.
Tiling has begun.

One Year Anniversary!

We have now owned our house for one year as of today! A lot has been accomplished but there is still so much more to do. It's amazing to look back at the pictures from a year ago - we can't even remember some of the things being the way they were.

Back to work...

Bathroom - Medicine Cabinet and Tiles

Because our house has no storage or closets, we need to add some to every project. In the bathroom, we decided to put in a medicine cabinet. We couldn't find one we liked so we are customizing one. We bought the size we wanted in a plain mirror front and will make the frame ourselves. As you can see from these pictures, we are also experimenting on wall colors. The one you can see is a light mauve/purple. The nails you see are coming from the house exterior - the clapboard nails.

Here is our subway tile that we will use as the wainscoting. It will be very simple white with a white tile chair rail.

Downstairs Bathroom Deconstruction

We started ripping apart the bathroom downstairs. The sheet rock on the lower part of the wall had to come off because we are doing a tile wainscoting and need to put up a hardyboard. All of the fixtures are moving from their original positions so everything needs to be re-plumbed. Tyler got the water lines done and is now starting the work on the drains. The easiest way to access all of the plumbing was to simply cut holes in the floor. One layer of plywood was already removed and the second was cut through.




Plumbing the water lines was not easy. Even with the main water to the house turned off, there were occasional drips that ruined the soldering and caused leaks. An easy solution to this? Bread. Just mush up some white bread and shove it in the line. It absorbed the water drops and dissolved and was purged from the line once the water was turned back on.