2015, The Best Year Ever
2015 has been the best year I’ve ever had for the number of readers who shared their molding projects with me, and I couldn’t be happier with the results!
Some of your projects were simple while others were complex, but all were beautiful; their creators should be justifiably proud.
And it gives me great pleasure to present Linda’s bathroom renovation as my last post for 2015. Linda is a self-proclaimed molding newbie, and yet her project turned out as if she were a seasoned professional. I hope reading her story and seeing her beautiful bathroom inspires you to tackle more projects in 2016!
Happy New Year!
-Ken O’Brien
Hi Ken,
I have done some small projects in the past but my bathroom was my first complete remodeling attempt. For a long time, I wanted a room in my home that had character like the pictures in the decorating magazines I have seen. The character I wanted would involve installing moldings. So after studying almost all of your website, I felt confident enough to start. I figured to remodel my bathroom first because it was small. I had an image in my mind but it turned out better than I imagined. I think the best part of this bathroom are the moldings. I mixed both Victorian and Craftsman styles.
This room was stripped to the studs. Nothing worth keeping except the cabinets because the style of everything was from the seventies. I kept the original layout so the cabinets could be reused. I sanded the cabinets and vanity to bare wood and stain them a dark espresso. I had a tile tub and drywall installed. I figured the crown molding was going to be the hardest part to do so I started at the ceiling. I followed your instructions step by step to do the three-piece CROWN MOLDING-103 pattern. I used the pictures to help me understand your explanations of each step. It took me awhile to finish the crown molding and it was hard work but so worth it.
The floor tile was the starting point for this whole design. For the baseboard, I decided it was best to use a simple 5-1/2″ board. I didn’t want a detailed baseboard taking the eye away from the beautiful tile but I needed a wide board to balance the crown molding.
I used your instructions for DOOR TRIM-133 pattern. You did such a good job explaining each step. I followed them exactly and at no point did I not know what I was doing. I love the doors. I used the simple flat-stock for the Plinth Block so they would blend well with the baseboards.
Again, I followed exactly your instructions on how to paint the moldings and walls. And again, I had no problem with trying to figure out anything. I am so glad I painted the ceiling one shade lighter (Basalt Powder by Sherwin Williams & HGTV) than the walls (Gracious Greige by Sherwin Williams & HGTV). It really makes the crown moldings stand out (Fundamental White by Sherwin Williams & HGTV). Side note: Flotrol is a great product. It really helped to paint the trim and doors.
As I was getting closer to finishing the project, I wanted to skip some steps but I didn’t. As you already know, doing trim work takes a lot of time and is hard work but I”m already thinking about the next room to do. I feel as though I really accomplished something.
You are an expert craftsman but also out-standing author. I have enjoyed reading within your website. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
Sincerely,
-Linda Pennington
