Mallory Lunke 8/26/24 Mallory Lunke 8/26/24

A BATHROOM REFRESH GONE WRONG (KIND OF)

The main goal when renovating should always be to design and build a space that will suit your needs and feel like a reflection of you (as well as your partner or family) for years to come. The amount of time, money, as well as physical and mental energy should not be lost on mistakes that can be prevented in the planning stages before anything begins, right?

Unfortunately, this mentality is easier said than done sometimes. No renovation or interior refresh goes unscathed to some extent. Sadly for us, our small powder room in the main living space encountered an issue with paint and caulk viability. No matter how hard I tried to rectify the problem, it kept reemerging. The brand of paint and caulk did not get along, leading to a bright lime-green bleed through everywhere caulk was used. It would start showing up again and again every couple of weeks after I tried repainting.

After 2 years of trying various primers, I finally decided I was done trying to figure it out and would prefer to repaint (using a new brand of paint that I knew was compatible with the caulk used in the room). For me, re-painting meant an opportunity to try something new that felt more connected with the rest of the rooms in our home, but also felt like a better reflection of my personal aesthetic.

All photos of the space from the beginning to the end are provided for reference. While both renditions of this space have my heart, I can decidedly say I am so relieved to be finished with this bathroom, and very happy with the results.

I’ve listed the initial paint and caulk used, as well as the final paint selection. Please note, I do not hold the initial paint brand accountable for the problem. I have nothing against Farrow & Ball. This was a DIY project, and if I were to do this again, I would have initially asked the paint supplier in my area what caulk brands were recommended for this paint).

CAULK:

AFM SafeCoat, Caulking Compound

(highly recommend for chemical sensitivities, or those seeking a more non-toxic, low VOC caulk option).

GREEN PAINT:

Farrow & Ball Treron [No. 292]

PLUM PAINT:

Deepest Mauve [SW 0005]

Color Collections:

Historic Interior Color Wall, Victorian (1830s-1910s)

Before Updates.

Mallory Lunke 9/13/23 Mallory Lunke 9/13/23

HOW MUCH DID IT COST?

That nagging question hiding behind every perfectly tailored space you come across on Instagram, Pinterest, in magazines, and the like. How much did it cost? And, because I would love to scratch an itch for you, I thought it would be refreshing to openly share what we spent. My hope is to provide you with some insight to decision making and planning to help you get started on your own project.

Since we did the labor ourselves and designed everything in house, our total bottom line only includes materials. If you are planning a remodel of your own, please keep in mind that labor and design/architectural fees can be some of the costliest (but most pertinent) parts of a project. It cannot go without saying that the value of good labor and good planning should not be overlooked.

Technically, this bathroom is a ¾ bath and includes a shower. Since we left the shower untouched, for the sake of where money was spent, let’s consider this a powder bath. All costs include tax and shipping. So, without further ado…

THE TOTAL COST OF THIS PROJECT CAME IN AT $5,380.00.

Below is how it all breaks down, along with some insight into where we chose to spend more, or less, and why.

STONE VANITY: $1630.00 (including mounting brackets)

This was the biggest splurge; it’s the main event and for me, worth every penny! Since the shower was in good shape and was more of a personal taste issue than a had to go because it’s so broken down or unbearably ugly item, financially (and for the planets sake!), it didn’t make sense to replace it. The goal was for the shower to blend in with the rest of the room. This sink, helped to accomplish that.

FAUCET: $520

There is a wide range you can expect to pay for a faucet. Right now, in 2023, I would say the typical range starts around $150 and goes all the way up to $2600 (give or take). I would consider our option to be a mid-range option. My non-negotiable on the faucet was a polished nickel finish. Polished nickel can often be a special-order option and depending on the brand can have slight upcharge (around 10% or so); so, keep this in mind when you are shopping. Nickel finish is a warmer silver tone than chrome and complimented our other selections in the space best. The existing shower fixtures were satin nickel, so I wanted to keep the plumbing fixtures in the space somewhat consistent.

ADDITIONAL PLUMBING PARTS: $345

Including but not limited to P-Trap, Shut-off Valves, Supply Lines, and other connection parts. This area is often overlooked when budgeting. More goes into making a faucet work than the faucet itself! This is where things got a bit more expensive for us since I opted for a polished nickel finish. Since we have exposed plumbing, I wanted the finishes to match. Anytime you want the parts typically hidden in a vanity to have a finish other than chrome or PVC, you can expect to pay more. In this case, we paid around $125 extra for upgraded finishes.

FLOORING: $450

The flooring in the bathroom is a 12x12” slate tile. The same flooring runs from the adjacent mudroom space, so this isn’t a precise cost number since it’s a fraction of a total cost that covers more than one area… but it’s a decent estimate of what it would cost if it were just in the bathroom.

LUMBER & MISCELLANEOUS BUILDING MATERIALS: $1,000

This includes wood for the baseboard, trim, and crown molding, as well as the linen cabinet shelves and wall paneling. The wall paneling accounts for the majority of this number and we chose to apply it for several reasons. For one, the walls were in rough shape in this room. They were a mixture of poorly applied, inconsistent wall texture, mixed with untextured wall, dents etc. It also ties into another bathroom upstairs where we also applied vertical paneling. Lastly, I feel it gives the space a little extra depth and interest to go along with the striking marble vanity.

HARDWARE/ACCESSORIES: $255

Includes towel hooks, cabinet door hardware, cabinet hinges, toilet paper holder etc.

WALL SCONCE: $365

MIRROR: $270

TOILET: $235

PAINT: $130

VENT COVER: $30

ART: $150

(Although I ended up switching it out for art I already had in a different area of our home)

The art of planning a home renovation large or small, is finding the right balance between what you need, what you want and what you can afford. Don’t let this number discourage you from modifying a space to fit your needs as everyone’s situation is unique. And that is the beauty of creating spaces. Your personal style, mixed with budget and pre-existing conditions, is a recipe for endless possibilities. Could we have done this for less? Yes. Could we have done this for more? Always. Whatever you do, don’t cut corners to save money, and try not to take yourself too seriously. It can be (almost always is) a stressful endeavor when renovating. I promise you though, the reward on the other side is worth the effort!

The Finished Space:

What the space looked like before and during the renovation:

***The existing shower we chose not to replace for the time being.***

Mallory Lunke 4/19/23 Mallory Lunke 4/19/23

FIVE QUICK TIPS FOR ORGANIZING YOUR PANTRY

5 quick tips for organizing your pantry.

Today, I am trying something new. My intention is to provide you with some value beyond pretty renovation photos and art. I would like to offer actionable content you can walk away with and potentially use to make your life a little bit easier.

So, in honor of spring cleaning, I am kicking things off with quick tips for organizing a pantry or dry goods area in your kitchen. Coming on two years post renovation, I can finally say I’m at a happy place with how things are organized in our pantry. Whether you have a designated room for your pantry, or one small cabinet, these rules can apply. Our dry goods are stored in a hutch style cabinet. These tips also work for organizing closets, bathrooms and more:

IT’S NEVER ACTUALLY DONE.

The goal here is to get to a stage where you can find a balance between knowing where everything is with relative ease, and not being overwhelmed by the mess. There will be some level of disorderliness, we aren’t going for a curated magazine-worthy space here, but we also don’t want to feel embarrassed when a guest comes over and wants to help in the kitchen or grab a quick snack. What I’m saying is, go easy on yourself. The only person you should be trying to impress is YOU!

TAKE YOUR TIME.

There is no deadline. Take time to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. It took me 2 years to get to where I feel good about how everything is stored. Storage containers are also a big investment, and better purchased overtime once you know exactly what you want.

TAKE AN INVENTORY OF EVERYTHING YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU START.

It sounds overkill, but it truly is the best way to ensure everything will fit in the space you intend to put it. I learned this technique while working for California Closets and now apply it to every space I plan, most especially kitchens. When I plan a kitchen, I measure the linear inches of how much space certain items take up. For instance, my pots take up two shelves in a 27” cabinet. How many jars and what size will you need for X-Y-Z, how many bins will you need for A-B-C? Always plan for a little overage, as things typically take up more space than you anticipate. Over plan, and over buy. You can always return what you don’t need.

HAVE A MIXTURE OF BINS AND GLASS STORAGE CONTAINERS.

I have been collecting bins and jars for over a dozen years now. Bins conceal pre-packaged foods/snacks etc. and allow you to haphazardly throw things into a designated spot and be done with it; because let’s be honest, I’m not going to lovingly organize every kid fruit pouch I buy in order by color and variety.

For cost saving options try shopping thrift stores for bins and baskets, and use mason jars to store less frequently used flours, nuts, seeds, etc. I’ve included some links below on jars and bins I used for our pantry. If you bake, I highly suggest at the very least keeping your flours and sugar in a large glass container. Trust me, I waited too many years to be able to reach into a wide-open jar and scoop out flour without making a dusty mess out of my entire counter. They will also stay fresh longer this way. Having at least 2-3 large jars for this is worth the investment. We have 4 bins, and countless jars. Each bin is for a particular food category and is labeled. This will look different for everyone of course. Find what works for you and what your space will accommodate.

USE A LABEL MAKER/LABEL YOUR CONTAINERS.

They are relatively inexpensive and oh so satisfying to use. Labeling containers kind of forces you to put everything back in its place, maintaining all that hard work you spent time on initially. When you create a designated jar to store dry goods in, it also incentivizes you to start buying more items in bulk, which saves you money and is a more earth friendly way to buy your food. I’ve linked the one I purchased recently that is Bluetooth enabled and can print right from your phone.

* BONUS TIP:

You can use masking tape to label things if you aren’t ready to buy a label maker. I still use masking tape on the top of my jars to add quick cooking instructions for rice, flour mixes and grains that either came from the original packaging or from the cooking instructions on the bulk bin at the store. If buying in bulk, take a photo of the cooking instructions at the store so you can write it down when you get home.

Click the images below for links to products mentioned in the post