Let's Go Shopping!

After many houzz.com searches and hundreds of Pinterest pins later,  we've finally decided on the style and fixtures for the bathroom.  As much as I would love a nice contemporary bath (left), I think we have to go with a more traditional style (right) because of the home.

 

Once we decided to go traditional, we had to select fixtures to fit the style. It was important for us to get everything ordered asap so that we'd have everything shortly after the renovation started.  We want to make sure that the contractor has everything they need to keep moving along.  Last thing we'd want is for the project to get held up because of US!  Here are photos of what we picked out...

In addition to these fixtures we selected, we also decided to install in-floor heating. Initially, we envisioned just the bathroom floor having it, but the lovely saleswoman conveniently sold us on heating the shower bench and shower floor as well :)  Can't wait!

Second Floor Renovation

We are moving ahead with the second floor renovation! This renovation will include the master bath, master closest and the laundry room.  

Master Bath

Here are some photos of the existing bath and closet:

Here are the plans and 3D renderings for the master bath:

Laundry Room

Currently the laundry hookup is in the master bath....odd, so we are moving it down the hall. We're converting one of the bedrooms (the smallest) into the laundry room.  One cool tidbit of information is that this bedroom that we're converting used to be the maid's quarters back in the day.  Remember, this house was built in 1895, so this is one of the interesting historical facts about it.  This bedroom is completely separate from the other bedrooms and is directly above the kitchen.  It also has its own staircase that leads right into the kitchen.  We call this staircase the back stairs.  The front, main staircase is made of oak, while this back staircase is made of pine.  This is again an indication of who was using this staircase. The homeowners used the bigger, more expensive staircase, while the house staff used the narrow, less expensive staircase in the back.  

Some historical info for you...

Wikipedia: "Servants' quarters are those parts of a building, traditionally in a private house, which contain the domestic offices and staff accommodation. From the late 17th century until the early 20th century they were a common feature in many large houses. Sometimes they are an integral part of a smaller house - in the basements and attics, especially in a town house, while in larger houses they are often a purpose-built adjacent wing or block. In architectural descriptions and guide books of stately homes the servants' quarters are frequently overlooked, yet they form an important piece of social history, often as interesting as the principal part of the house itself."

According to glessnarhouse.org, "Servants were essential to the successful operation of large nineteenth-century households. About half of the house was dedicated to service, including the kitchen, back corridors and servants’ quarters. The extent of the importance of servants in everyday life is not fully understood, in part because there are very few first-hand accounts from servants themselves. Those employed in domestic service tended to be young, unmarried and foreign-born, with the majority having immigrated from Scandinavia, Ireland, and Germany. A small number of African Americans were also employed, almost always as coachmen. Servants’ sparse quarters were separated from the rest of the house, normally near the kitchen or stable, with a separate entrance, stairway and dining room."

Here are some photos of the existing maid's room:

Here are the drawings for the laundry room: