I got deep into “Remodel Mode” last weekend. A dear friend moved into a “new” apartment, and he told me it needed a little TLC. About two and a half seconds through the door, and I realized that TLC stood for Terrible Living Conditions.
We decided to tackle the bathroom first, that room being the smallest, and the fact that we’d probably need use of the toilet before too long.
The previous tenants had painted the bathroom a color I shall refer to a “BSB”… Babyshit Brown. Apparently they liked it so much that they even painted the ceiling that color. It was so dark, we knew it was going to take a white primer coat before we attempted a top coat of any other hue. At 1 a.m., we had completed spreading KILZ from hell to breakfast, and the toilet was working. Good news!
But the next day, in the true spirit of “home improvement projects,” one thing began leading to another in rapid succession.
The previous tenants had also not bothered to remove any light fixtures before applying the BSB, so the wall plates and lighting mounts all had to be scraped clean. The shower curtain, and rod, were missing, there were no towel racks. Apparently the broken vanity had been installed by an unemployed Edsel mechanic. There was caulking and bits of plaster everywhere. The floor was covered in “sticky stuff,” and there were holes in the sheetrock that desperately needed filling.
To cut to the chase, the “smallest room in the apartment” took two people three days to overhaul. But now… Ah! The room is a joy to behold. The walls are a beautiful soft blue, and we installed brass-colored towel racks, shower curtain rod, and shelves over the toilet. We added baskets on the shelves, accent mirrors trimmed in the same brass-like color, and new color-complementary towels. The shower curtain highlights a seashore motif, and the decorative candles continue the theme.
And best of all, there is no evidence of BSB left to be found!
I figure in another week or so, the aches and pains acquired from ladder climbing and floor scrubbing will subside, and I might even agree to help him tackle the kitchen.
Note I said “might.”