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April 23, 2015

Revisiting the Master Bathroom & Our 2 Year Blogiversary

It's hard to believe that our DIY master bathroom is now two years old.  I count the day that I posted pictures of our bathroom reveal as the official start of this blog, so today marks two years of Golden Boys & Me as well.  Phew, that went fast!

So many were curious, including me, of how our mostly white bathroom would hold up and today I am going to talk a bit about that. 
DIY master bathroom with carrera marble and built in storage-www.goldenboysandme.com
Overall, I am still in love with this space.  I still can't believe this is our bathroom and I still relax every time I walk into this room.  You can find out more, including a full list of sources, in this post.
DIY master bathroom-www.goldenboysandme.com
The small white tile floor has been easy to keep clean.  I think the best thing we did was choose a medium gray grout (delorean gray is the color) because the grout hasn't stained at all.  Because it is ceramic tile, we can use any cleaner without worrying about damaging the floor.  
DIY master bathroom vanity with Beverly vanity and carrera marble countertop-www.goldenboysandme.com
I still love the style of the vanity.  Keeping the front of the bright white vanity clean is something I need to keep up with daily.  The fronts of the drawers (where I keep my makeup) need frequent wipe downs.  It is a bit of a pain, but it is worth it for the crisp and clean feel it gives the bathroom. Definitely something to keep in mind if you are considering white cabinetry.  I replaced the white baskets that we originally had on the lower shelf with the mint green ones (from HomeGoods) to add some color, and because the white ones were hard to keep clean. I keep all of our bathroom toiletries and my hair things (blow dryer, brushes, etc) in these baskets so they are constantly in use.   These are much more forgiving.  I still think this vanity was a great find and I would still recommend it after 2 years of daily use.  Unfortunately, the mirrors never became available again at Lowes.  They are available at Bed, Bath & Beyond for about 3 times more than we paid for them at Lowes.  In my opinion, they are even worth the more expensive price as I think they are such a key element in the bathroom.   
Hydrangeas and carrera marble counter in DIY master bathroom-www.goldenboysandme.com
I still enjoy keeping fresh flowers in here and buy them weekly at Trader Joe's.  Fresh flowers in the bathroom are just one of those simple pleasures that make the day better. As for the carrara marble countertop, I still love the way it looks.  As you can see in the picture above, I keep most things on the counter on trays, including the soap dispenser.  Those Target soap dispensers look so pretty, but they always drip soap onto the counter so I put a matching soap dish under the dispenser to catch any leaking soap.  Fortunately, the hand soap doesn't stain the marble.  Although we haven't had too much trouble with staining, anything that is left on the counter surface will leave a mark that usually can be removed after wiping it down and letting it dry.  But I have panicked several times.  Once, some pollen that fell from a lily appeared to have stained the marble, but we were able to get it off.  I will say that marble definitely requires much more care than any surface we have ever had in our home and I do still worry about it.  We do have one permanent stain in front of one of the sinks.  It is small (about the size of a pencil eraser) and only noticeable up close.  I darkened the exposure of the picture below so you could see it better.
stained carrera marble countertop-www.goldenboysandme.com
I have no idea what caused it and have not been successful in removing it.  I knew going into it that marble could stain.  Even knowing that, I would still choose it again.  I am just trying to keep this update as real as possible :)  And I am so glad I chose not to put marble on the floor!  We use a mild dish soap and water to clean our marble counter.
DIY master bathroom with pedestal tub, chandelier, and built ins-www.goldenboysandme.com
The vinyl bead board on the ceiling and below the chair rail are awesome.  So easy to keep clean!  The tub is also holding up so well.  I take a bath almost every evening so we have definitely gotten our money's worth on that tub. I love the built in shelves for storing our bathroom supplies.  Since the remodel, I have replaced all the white towels with new towels from Target.  Our favorite towels only cost $4 there so when the original towels started looking a bit off white despite lots of bleach, we replaced them.
DIY master bathroom with pedestal tub, chandelier, and built ins-www.goldenboysandme.com
I took the picture above through the shower glass.  We still squeegee after every shower and that has made all the difference in keeping the shower clean.
DIY master bathroom with white subway tile and tall shower niche-www.goldenboysandme.com
The white subway tile is easy to keep looking good.  Our shower faucet continues to shine and work great.  We have very hard water so we have needed to occasionally clean the shower head.  Our favorite cleaner for the faucets and tub is Bar Keeper's Friend.  We originally purchased it for our kitchen farm sink, but it is fabulous as a bathroom cleaner.
Review of DIY master bathroom 2 years later-www.goldenboysandme.com
So that is my honest review two years later :)  Most importantly, I want thank all of you that have followed along on our journey.  I am so glad that I found the courage to share pictures of our DIY bathroom on my little online journal of a blog.  The support and friendship that this blog has brought into my life has been amazing.  Thank you, friends!!

35 comments :

  1. that is a beautiful bathroom....no doubt i would pay to shower there!

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  2. Courtney,
    Your master bathroom is a dream. What a great room reveal to start into blogging. Just beautiful. It must feel like you are at the spa every day. Congrats on two years.
    Kris

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    1. Thank you, Kris! I do love spending time in that bathroom every day. It is where I escape for a few minutes of peace from my kids ;)

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  3. Happy Bloggiversary! I'm so glad we met. And so glad I got a peek at your bath. I love it! I think white bathrooms simply look clean and fresh and yes, you have to work at it a bit. I really like your mirrors and the ceiling is just awesome...what a great idea. The details are amazing, the built in shelving, the tiered container next to the tub...oh, the tub! Heaven!

    Thanks for sharing again!

    Jane x

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    1. Thanks so much for your sweet comments about my bathroom, Jane! It really is a calming space I have enjoyed using as an escape from my crazy household. I love spending time in there so much that I don’t even mind cleaning it!

      I am so glad we met too :)

      Have a great weekend,
      Courtney

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  4. Congrats Courtney!! Great blog post today....I love reading your 2 year update on your bathroom remodel and daily use...you always have such useful advice! We are in the process of remodeling an upstairs bedroom into a full bathroom and I had a few questions: Did you use a shower pan and what size is it? (I can't tell from the photos) And also, what brand and how much was the shower enclosure? I am trying to weigh out the cost of a custom size shower over a standard pan and enclosure. I definitely need to have 2 sides of the shower as glass since the room only has 1 window and is tiny. Thanks for the info!!

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    1. Hi Lori,

      Thanks so much!! I am so glad you found some useful info in my post. I think any bathroom can look beautiful when it is brand new, but the true test is how it holds up over time.

      For the shower, we used a shower kit we purchased online at Costco.com. The kit included the shower pan and the shower glass and sliding door. Unfortunately, it is no longer available. Ours is 48inch and was called the Kelsey model by New Waves. If you have more space, this one is still available at Costco.com.

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  5. This is the most lovely bathroom, Courtney! Congrats on your blogging milestone!

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  6. Your home is stunning & the bathroom is no exception! HAPPY 2ND BLOG ANNIVERSARY , Courtney!! #Iloveyourblog

    Paige.Rose

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    1. What a wonderful comment to wake up to this morning, Paige. THANK YOU!!!

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  7. I love your posts, they make me feel so optimistic! Happy Anniversary Courtney.

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  8. Your bathroom is just gorgeous. I'm sure you have to pinch yourself every time you go in there as if to say is this really ours! Happy Blogiversary Courtney! I'm so glad you are here and I enjoy visiting you!

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    1. Thanks so much, Jeanette. I really appreciate that YOU come back to visit me. Have a great weekend :)

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  9. It is absolutely stunning, Courtney! My master bathroom at our old house has similarities to yours, especially the fact that I loved it from day one of our remodel. Great color and I love all the fixtures. That tub looks like a great spot to relax!

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  10. Your beautiful spa bathroom invites me right into the photo. The paint color sets off the marble to perfection. May I ask what is the wall color?

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    1. Thank you! The wall color is Sherwin Williams Sea Salt.

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  11. I love taking a tour of that room again! It really is a stunning space and so helpful to know how you feel about certain things. The marble is just gorgeous so I guess a little extra work would be worth it. I thought about it for my kitchen but reality struck and I decided against it. I think in the kitchen it would be really hard to maintain. It's bad enough that I am putting White Dove cabinets in there. I will be ready to shoot myself after a couple months with these boys! I have always admired those mirrors of yours. They add so much to the look. And as far as the white towels go, I will definitely check out the Target ones because my white ones have seen better days. If you get a chance, please let me know the brand/label on them. Thanks!
    Shelley

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  12. This bathroom is beautiful! Everything about it is stunning. I like the idea of having a wire basket to hold the toiletries, where would I find the one in the picture?

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    1. Thanks so much, Sara! I found the wire basket at HomeGoods. It was in the kitchen department. Hope that helps!

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  13. Love, love, love the bathroom! I'm so happy you chose to revisit this project to let us know how it was keeping up with daily ware. My husband and I are currently choosing items for our 1/2 bath downstairs soon to be a 3/4. What shower head did you choose with the shower system? It is our understanding it does not come with a shower head. I am so happy you posted on Pinterest, we have been looking for an exposed shower with handheld shower without a TON of additional holes and items, this one is perfect. Thank you for the inspiration!

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  14. Hi Courtney, we're in the middle of a very similar DIY overhaul. Looking at your shower fixture, the reviews on Amazon aren't too favorable, but you still happy with yours? Also it says the shower head isn't included - which one did you buy? Secondly, do you have a link still for the pvc beadboard? That's one of the main features I'm looking to put into our bath but haven't found the right product yet. Thank you for your help!

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  15. Where did you purchase the vinyl bead board planking used in the ceiling?

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  16. Beautiful! Can you offer any advice on the tub? Comfort, water depth, heat retention, size and your height? Finally source to buy it? Thanks you so much!

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  17. Can you remember where you found the stainless tiered caddy in your pics?

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  18. I love your bathroom and I know this is an older post but I had a question. Our home is 106 years old and has original beadboard ceilings throughout. The back half of our home was an addition added in the 70's and has lower popcorn ceilings (ugggghhhh). We are starting a reno in the bathroom in the addition and have been having issues with mold forming on the popcorn ceiling above the shower due to the ceilings being lower and the porous material. I spray it with bleach/water on occasion to prevent this but thats a pain because everything has to be removed from the bathroom that can be stained by the bleach. My question is this, do you find that the vinyl beadboard is noticeably different from wood? I would like to put a nonporous and warp resistant material on the ceiling to prevent the moisture issues we've been having but I also would like it to blend in with the beadboard throughout the house. I dont want people coming in and looking at the ceiling thinking "They put plastic on the ceiling?" Thanks for any quidance you can provide!

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  19. What are the dimensions of your bathroom space. Our size seems similar, but we have no tub, bigger shower, too large linen closet. I would like to add a tub. Thank you.

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  20. I never get sick of this bathroom. So lovely! Can you tell me where you got your vanity faucets?

    Beautiful!

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  21. I'm sure someone already asked and I just can't find it but what size is your bathroom. It has everything I want, its efficient but dreamy!

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