Overwhelming Floral Wallpaper Gives Way To Easygoing Earth Tones In a Master Bath

Kathy Long called me after following my column in Houston House & Home. She thought my advice seemed practical. “Every day I walked into our master bath and thought, ‘I really don’t like this wallpaper.’ It was not a good way to start the day,” she smiled. “My husband lived in fear that he would come home one

day and find me ripping off wallpaper or banging out floor tile,” she laughed.

TIP: Paint gives a lot of bang for the buck.

“As long as we were confused, we did nothing,” she said. With three kids in out-of-state colleges Kathy and Michael also needed a master plan they could follow. She loved the visit because there were several small projects that she could quickly complete to freshen up her home. After our meeting, she had comprehensive notes with exact measurements, products, contractors and a budget for the renovation. “I took your notes to the paint store to buy paint the same day,” she explained. “One of your suggestions that

stays with me is the recommendation for good granite seams.

Everywhere I now go I look at granite seams—I cannot help it!”

TIP: In a slab house, if you don’t move bath drains, you can save a lot of money. The basic floor plan worked and the room just needed cosmetic updates. After interviewing contractors, Kathy hired Les Albin of Lacon Homes to do the work. She said that visualizing the finished look of the tile was difficult for her. 

“We went from an 8 x 8” floor tile to an 18 x 18” floor tile and a larger 13 x 13” tub surround tile. While you can lay a piece of tile down and get an idea, it is difficult to visualize how it will look. I decided just to trust your recommendations on the sizes and heights because I felt like we were on the same page right away and that you were able to articulate my concerns even though I was not able to communicate them very effectively!” Kathy explained.

Kathy advised when undertaking a remodeling to be prepared for unexpected problems and modifications to the plan. She explained that when the plumber removed the shower’s P-trap it was clogged full of concrete.

“He said he is not sure how it even drained!” Kathy said. She also said it is easy to say, ‘while we are at it, let’s do X, Y and Z’, which can blow a budget fast!

TIP: Take control of your project and order everything in advance so every item you are responsible for is there when the contractor says

he can start your project,  Kathy says.

“With our tile, we learned the hard way that items can be discontinued and promised delivery timelines don’t always happen, so don’t wait until the last moment,” she said. Items also can arrive broken so allow plenty

of time to reorder or return, Kathy advised. Kathy said her friends and family are jealous of her bath and are

inspired by the room’s simplicity. 

“Since we are keeping resale in mind, we knew it needed to be neutral but not boring. It is such a treat to walk into the bathroom each morning and to love not having green floor tile and wallpaper,” she explained. We love the accent tile, and the limestone vanity counters. The room is relaxing, not jarring. We like the neutrality of the bath and find it soothing,” she concluded