Splish - Splash, a giveaway and poetic Architectural Decay

Welcome to our upstairs bathroom. The door's open, please come in. The artwork on the door was designed and painted by me, along with all the moody faux painting. I was going for a relaxing and whimsical yet dramatic mood. Our bathroom of grayness, white and black.

But first let me tell you about my giveaway and how to enter to win.

Enter this giveaway, a hot off the press (published on April 1, 2014) House Beautiful's 500 Bathroom Ideas - Elegant and Dreamy Spaces. Hardcover, 304 pages, size - 7x9.8 by 1.2 inches thick. The book is gorgeous, full of inspiration sure to inspire ideas in your bathroom. Love the book and I purchased an additional one as a giveaway. The giveaway will run for two weeks and I will announce the book winner in my next post. 

You will be entered just by leaving a comment. Double your chances and enter another comment stating I'm a new follower OR I am a follower. I will use a computer generated random selection. I promise whoever wins will enjoy this lovely new book.

You can put the light's on, but today I photographed with only the light of our skylight, streaming in gorgeous springtime late morning light.

We have had one major gut job and a remodel and update on this bathroom. The gut was in the 80's. I think many bath jobs become a major job by sheer chance of what lies hidden for years.

John and I are real do-it-yourself people ... But this was a real headache/backbreaking experience. We noticed on our living room ceiling below a sagging and a glimpse of a beam's trace. Then the water started dripping. 

The culprit turned out to be a small stone ... when the plumber soldered a lead pipe for the sink he propped the pipe up with a stone back in 1934. It had through the years worn through the pipe and made a pin hole that leaked into the floor, slowly weakened the beams and finally soaked the floor enough to show up. SURPRISE... the wet set tile flooring underneath had about 10 inches of cinder (what a mess). John needed to re-support all the beams.

A second remodel was in 2012. Yup another drip, drip, drip down into our living room, seriously isn't a torture technique done with water??? This time a copper pipe in the shower floor developed a pin hole. It caused my gallery light over my living room Buddha to short out, spark and then the water dripped down. We wound up cutting away the corner of the ceiling and patching and repainting all the down stairs ceilings, to color match since it is an open concept living space.

We replaced the sink in 2012 with this pretty pedestal with it's own towel bar. It is a couple inches taller than our old pedestal which is what we were hoping for. 

Love these tiny watering cans on the door frame, a Mother's Day gift from my son years ago.

During the initial gut job we were able to close up a hall closet which we put our air conditioning duct work in and reworked it into recessed cabinets inside the bathroom. The niche we made just for architectural interest. 

We also put a recessed cabinet in over the toilet for towels. The cabinets came from IKEA back in the 80's. We chose them because we liked the wired glass doors. Lemon oil monthly keeps them refreshed.

Splish…Splash….I was takin’ a bath!  We loved our original Art Deco inspired bath (deep and long) and we tried to keep the Deco look in our remodel. This is the original extremely heavy cast iron tub. It was the only thing we kept in the gut, besides the shower door frame. John put fiberglass insulation underneath and on the sides of the tub to retain heat during a soak in the tub and we had it refinished a creamy white.

So glad we decided to keep the old cast iron tub, we love the blend of old with new. Living in Philadelphia with echoes of history you tend to develop a true reverence for old. New buildings built next door to historic sites. Built with respect for the cities history and founding fathers intentions. 

2012 we introduced all brushed nickel faucets into our bathroom. L-O-V-E brushed nickel. 

2012 also was when I finally was able to have my long desired honed Italian Carrara subway tile and mosaic in the shower. The shower door is the original chrome frame from the 30's which we replaced the glass twice. Once years ago with frosted and 2012 with clear. I find a Mr. clean magic easer keeps it sparkling clean and removes all soap scum.

Inside look at our shower stall, we installed a mosaic border trim. It also was used for the shower floor. The rain shower faucet is one of my favorite 2012 changes. The faucet control keeps the water a set degree, also a wonderful addition.

Shower floor and wide marble step. We matched the green marble from the 80's.

Sure ... I'll show you my shampoo!!! Actually showing you the corner nickel soap and shampoo holder. 

On the ceiling we installed red oak flooring and I applied a Marine varnish finish to it. 

On our glass shelf over the tub holds my latest purchase. A painting done by mon amie Kerrie Sanderson from her etsy store, Sea Washed. Kerrie has a blog named Sea Cottage. A visit there leaves you feeling peaceful and feeling sea breezes. The painting is titled Prairie Rain and I had looked for awhile for an ethereal looking painting and as soon as I saw this one I knew it was perfect for our bathroom. I adore Kerrie's talent.

Another photo of shelf and Rain painting.

I have two of these antique wall planters, they hang opposite each other on the bathtub enclosure walls. I'm going to replace the plants with spider plants that offshoot babies. They will be safe from >^..^< Max and Simon munching on them. 

On top the tank top. The basket is a vintage rice basket from the early 1900's in China. I purchased it from Material Culture in Philadelphia, one of if not my favorite Philadelphia store. It is a perfect size to hold two rolls of toilet tissue. The gray planter is from Target a few years ago. It was a solid dark resin, I altered it with a white glaze to highlight it.

The box on our aluminum table was painted by me. It holds Q-tips. I love black olives branches and they are a reoccurring theme throughout our house.

Another look at the table. It is handcrafted in India from recycled aluminum cans. It is a very sturdy table that we purchased from Wisteria.

Our sconces and medicine cabinet are from Restoration Hardware.

I will leave you with my poetry entitled Architectural Decay. Good luck in the Giveaway and I'll see you in two weeks with a new post and announce who won.

Architectural Decay

I find undeniable beauty and I appreciate the innate imperfection of architectural decay.

Admiring centuries old windows adorned with elegant fabrics that time will gorgeously fray.

I simply ask this question, why tear down buildings of grandeur built in the past?

Do you really believe modern construction will gracefully age or will truly last?

The answer can be found in the energy of dwellings, decades that passed slowly not fast.

Echoes of European history, some even have survived wars relentless enemies bomb blast.

Walk along the streets and experience the rhythm that will endure in your memories, it's no mystery...

There is a soulfulness that lingers and fuses with the pulse in a centuries old towns history.                                                                                            

All I am really suggesting is to first study the integrity of structure in a proud old world city,

to not build in passion and harmony blending the old with the new, to me, seems a real pity.

Building Modern style in thoughtful expression showing historical respect you will inspire.

A blending of new construction with centuries old is thoughtful building and design to admire.

© Vera