the major part does sound close! doesn't the floor need to go under the legs of the tub? or is it one on a pedestal?

Nice Chandelier ML. Can't wait for more pictures. Whats happening now??? This really has happened very fast. I am enjoying every update.

Chris

Steph, I think I can jack up the little screw legs under the tub to make sure it is high enough for us to install the tile under it. Most everything including the tub can be taken loose at the faucet and the drain, so the tub can be yanked out to do the floors. If the plumber does not want to do it that way, then I just won't have the tub put in yet. Just the plumbing up to the tub. Bummer, but we;ll be able to tile over the floors after we get home in the fall.

And Shades, thanks for the compliment on the chandelier. It is a simple looking thing, very plain design, and sturdy too.

The inspector was by after the plumber left, so we are ready to go with knocking down the old stucco wall and opening up the bath. But so far no electrician so I don't know if they'll be able to close up the walls until HE shows up. I think I'll call the contractor about that now.
******
Back again.
The contractor did not know the electrical was not done yet, so I also got a call from the elec dude. HE will be here in the morning about 9am. I hope he is ready to get hot, because it will be HOT by 9am. At least I don't really have to get up at 7am again though.

Things have progressed here though. My friendly gardener came over and planted my 35 star jasmine along the new 7' tall chainlink fence. Then he spread the pine straw mulch along that 100 foot long fence. Hopefully that will keep my little dachshund girl from escaping to pursue her favorite critter, the little brown rabbit. Her other favorite is Bob the Squirrel, but never underneath a fence.

I'm sitting here today with the electrician and his helper going like moles through the wiring of the house, to figure out what the current status is, and then to add the new wiring for the bath and closet. I am happy with their appearance on the job.

The electrician has his building permit, and he queried me about what I wanted where, and then offered me some suggestions. Too many options for me, I just want to keep it simple and straightforward, and SAFE.

For those with questions about chandeliers in the bathroom, YES, you can have one. NO, you cannot put it over your tub.
Mine is going to be CENTERED on the tub, in the alcove, but it CANNOT BE OVER THE TUB. It CAN be just in front of it. The switch for it is on the wall in the bank of switches for everything in the new bath. No wall plugs will be on switches though. They will be always ON. And I will have two circuits. Both GFCI, 20 amp circuits. No worry if my baldheaded husband wants to use a 2000 watt hair dryer (drying paint?) it won't blow the circuit. And I can install the rope lights around the perimeter of the tub alcove, on a dimmer, by plugging in to an outlet high on the wall in the alcove. I have a remote switch made by Lutron which will let me switch those rope lights on and off. The LED rope light set I have is the correct length to circle that space. I'm into rope lights!

Even outside on the new walls there will be a user friendly box for GFCI plugs, the lid closes and the cords hang out the bottom. That will be for my DH in his workshop/shed, and running his garden cultivator or the weed whacker. Whatever. Just so he stays away from my stained glass window with his long lumber pieces.

Once the electrical is wired, the inspector comes again, and then they can rip out the old stucco wall to make the tub alcove part of the bathroom, and then take out the windows to allow access to the closet, and then put in the Lexan clerestory lights/windows. Since we lost two days this week, the finish of the job will be NEXT week.

I got my chandelier yesterday. It does look good. Even though it turned out to be made in China. Bummer. But I'm putting it together today. After the inspector looks at things, the electrician will return to close up things and mount the fixtures and the switch covers. I'm pretty content with the status of the job for now. Cannot wait to see how the wire lathe and old fashioned stucco job will look. How thick it will be. How the Lexan windows look installed, matching the work done by my DH elsewhere in the porches.

Life is good.

I may have misunderstood some of the electrical. The electrician suggests putting a switch on the high-up wall plug in the tub alcove. so I won't have to unplug it or reach up above my head to operate it. Hmmm, I want it simple, something I cannot forget how it works.

The plumber just showed up again, this time to remove the old supply lines from the previous sink and toilet locations. He had to go to the hardware store down the road, because the supply lines for this house are not standard pipe. The previous plumber told me the house was plumbed with air conditioning pipe. A little different size, a much higher grade material. He told me this and then said he'd checked with the pipe yard, and they told him it was superior pipe. Whether that is true or not, I do not know. I just hope that we don't set up corrosion in the lines due to different metals being next to each other.

Tomorrow afternoon, the electrical inspector will come. If all goes well, come Monday morning the walls and insulation will start going in, the old bathroom wall will come out. I will be getting close to a sealed up house then. Windows, and the stucco and then installing the lights will be the final thing. I am amazed at suddenly reaching this point.

So far so good.

Woo hoo ML Things are moving along quickly.

It rained last night, and it POURED all this morning. Now it is stopped but I have an idea it will come again this afternoon.

I took one bird to the vet this morning for his nail beak and wing trim, the Interstate was covered in puddles and driving was trecherous. I am a defensive driver, very experienced, but I'm always alert to hazards. Never presume.

Hope the electrical inspector comes when it is not raining.

The inspector spent about 5 minutes looking at the small job of ours, and then left. Several days of nothing, and now there is another crew here knocking down the stucco from the old exterior bathroom wall so the tub can get in its alcove.
The two dogs did not get excited at all when they started sawing and banging around. Old hat I suppose. But my African grey boy started hammering and talking in his super deep manly voice. Those who do not know his talents are quite alarmed to hear a man talking. It is so charming though when he is helping his papa remodel the house.

After they leave this afternoon, I will be able to get some photos of the space, which should be unified by that time. Where the stained glass window goes they will cover it with plywood temporarily until the last thing. I'm glad they realize how fragile and special that window is. It is probably the oldest thing in this house.

I've never heard of an over-eager plumber. But I wouldn't have let him put the tub in before the work was done either. It is really moving fast now. I like your chandelier. I had been trying to picture it. Can't wait for the photos.

"talking in his super deep manly voice"

that's so funny! does he talk to your dh in his 'manly' voice?

Steph, my dear boy will talk and laugh like my bro, a voice my bird learned ELEVEN YEARS AGO and never forgot. He will now also talk in DH's voice when he calls me by name. The funniest part of it is, he has all the sounds down right...the hammering, the drilling, the garbage truck in reverse, the front door squeaking, my post nasal drip (and I thought he was ill..), and the sirens on the major road two blocks over. It is suh fun.

Well, here are a couple of the latest shots. More can be seen at my Webshots albums.

OH Goody ML So happy for you. Can you please post your web shots album link I scrolled twice and am missing it. I Wanna see more.

chris

am I seeing outside in the corner of pic 1?

it's looking good - and moving right along! you'll have water in that tub in no time flat!

that your bird can imitate voices just cracks me up! he'd probably scare the H outa me. he'd use another voice and I'd scream thinking someone got in...

Oops. Sorry. I thought I'd posted the link.
The album is titled Casa Del Sol. Home Improvements.
The first 63 pictures are the previous shots, the last 25 are the ones I took yesterday.

Here is a link that might be useful: ML's Webshots albums-choose CasaDelSol Home Improve

ML thank you so much for adding the link. I looked for it ans knew some where I had it but seemed to loose it in my bookmark hoard. What fun to see ALL the pictures. LOL Not so much nosy just enjoying the process. Had question on wall under windows if it was going to be a step in walk in closet. LOL But I see you will be removing that small bit of lower wall.

And I also did not realize your slipper tub was acrylic. Very nice. And I bet warmer than cast to not draw the heat out of the water as fast.

REALLY like the arch you are considering for over the bed.

Thanks Again and can't wait to see more.

Chris

That is so funny ML. When I was a kid, we had a squeaky swing set in the back yard and a mockingbird learned to imitate the squeak. I'd hear the swing and think someone was out there playing.

Marti, my boy Kimali is a bird of many talents. The other boy Keno was hollering today, "Do you want to drink a beer?" After a few times of that, he'd then say, "Do you want to drink a NEAR BEER?" I don't drink beer, but his mama would drink the near beer stuff. It's always interesting here.

And now the Lexan clerestory windows are in, so I can show you how they will look. From inside and from outside too. The ladder is leaning against the spot where the stained glass will go, once they remove the rest of the old plaster.

And here is from the inside. One group of three in the tub alcove, and the other two groups of three in the closet.
I ordered a 66w x 18d x 53h 14 drawer pine chest unfinished today. I had one like it (from the same local store) which Katrina destroyed, and it will fit perfectly in the middle of the closet under the windows.

OH Looking good. I do not understand where your clothes will hang? Love those windows.

Shades, the closet is almost 5 feet deep. A double row of wire shelving/hanging space will be across either end of the closet. The window bottoms are 63 inches above the floor, so there will be another wire shelf running the length of the closet. Of course, the 66" WIDE chest (53" high) will be centered in the window wall, and that will leave about 3 feet of hanging space on either side of the chest. With 14 drawers in the chest (4 shallow small ones across the top, and 10 in pairs below that) I and DH will each have 7 drawers for clothes. That is in addition to the bedside wicker chests. I don't hang sweaters, just things I don't want wrinkled. Plus, I am paring down my wardrobe, getting rid of the things I never wear for any reason.

The closet in the front bedroom is made of cedar, so that is where any woolens will go. And my long (floor length) favorites like my caftans....ahhh, the good old days of hippie culture!

"The closet in the front bedroom is made of cedar, so that is where any woolens will go. And my long (floor length) favorites like my caftans....ahhh, the good old days of hippie culture!"

Hehehehe Yah they were what seemed the good old days for sure.

I got it now. I could not see the hanging space at the end of the window walls. Love the idea of the dresser in the closet. We have a book case at the end of our closet and it works well. I keep my folded sweaters in the buffet that is in our room. Weird I know but it works.

I too have pared down my clothes big time and then a friend sent me a whole new wardrobe of pass me downs but really nice fancy ones. So had to go through the stuff I kept again and think I finally have it down to just what I will wear and a couple of things I am hopeful about as I loose some more weight.

Still kicking myself for passing up one of those hundred drawer dressers from yard sale several years ago. I SHOULD have bought it and gotten rid of the other dressers that do not work for me. Course it did not really have 100 drawers but it seemed like it.

Can't wait to see more pictures.

Chris

all those windows are wonderful! looking good!

"And my long (floor length) favorites like my caftans....ahhh, the good old days of hippie culture!"

oh yeah - I had a few of those! and my suede fringed purse (still have it). might still have a caftan or 2 packed away.

those windows will be so nice to let natural light into your closet (and bdrm).

I'm thinking about putting a 4 shelf pantry cabinet (5'tall x 2' wide and 1' deep with doors) at the end side of one of my walkin closets - for my bedroom sheets/cases. maybe even 2 of them. one could be for sweat sets - my sister gave me about 10 sets in the past 2 yrs!

Desertsteph sez:" I had a few of those! and my suede fringed purse (still have it). might still have a caftan or 2 packed away.

HEHEHEHE, I have a sueded fringed purse too! Not really old, but it appeals to me.

If you have space somewhere that can be used but not in the way it was originally intended, I say go for it. Having your bed linens close to the point of use makes more sense than in a distant unified space, where somehow things get tossed into a common pile.

I think I'll run over to Southeastern Salvage and see what they have there. I want two 12 x 12 towers about 88 inches tall for the bathroom storage. And if I by chance run across the 24 x 24 x 96or 88 H tall cabs for the pantry, I'll be way ahead on my next project. (which is the dining room window seat flanked by the two tall pantry cabs.)

If I can find a picture of the 14 drawer chest, I'll upload it. At 66" wide, and 53" tall, it is perfect as a backup to the bed headboard. In another house, of course, not this one. but where someone has heater vents around the perimeter of a room and cannot cover them up, moving furniture out into the room helps a lot, and makes more usable space like a private dressing area.

ML ~ I look forward to seeing how this all turns out. It's exciting that's for sure.

FlowerLady

FlowerLady, yes it is exciting. They put up insulation for the ceilings in both parts of the bumpout (tub and closet), and added the beadboard for the closet walls and ceiling. The blocking is also in place for my closet racks/shelves and the towel bars/hooks and grab bars, and the hanging flower basket ceiling hooks of the bath.

Once again, I am covered up in dust after they removed the final stub of the stucco/plaster wall at the floor level, so a real double DOORWAY now exists, and the tub could be slid into its spot if needs be. The last old plaster wall with some mold/mildew signs remain, but will be torn down next Monday. I asked if I could tear it down, and they said NO, it has metal mesh reinforcing it and I might bring down the ceiling on my head. Glad I did not know that when I tore out the walls for that first tiny bath!!!!! Ignorance is bliss.

I have more photos in the camera, but will wait to upload them. To see more construction zone stuff is about as exciting as watching paint dry.

With my alarm clock set for 7am, I figured to be ready for the contractors today. However, less than a minute before the alarm went off, the dogs announced the presence of cars in the driveway. Oh yeah, before 7 am.

Now the stucco crew is here, installing the underlayment or whatever (Durock) for the top stucco to match the rest of the house. And then the finishing crew to complete the interior wall surface of the bathroom. The remnant of cement plaster wall in that bath is coming down before the rest goes up, and the blocking for grab bars and towel bars and hooks and shelving is going in as well. My parrot is hard at work hammering along with them!!!

They measured the stained glass window a short while ago, and are lowering the site for mounting that. I really want it to be low just in front of the tub spigots, where I have full benefit of the difracted light coming through that glass in the setting sun. I figured 24" above the finished floor was just fine. The window is 40" tall.

By tonight I will take more pictures and upload them to the Webshots album about my cottage redo in Alabama. It won't be long now. As soon as I can get inside the closet, I will be priming the beadboard ceiling and walls.

Look for the photo update by 7pm Central time (Greenwich -6)
So it would be 1am Greenwich mean time.

Here is a link that might be useful: Casa Del Sol Home Improvement

I'm really enjoying following the progress of your master addition. Did you do an electrical plan ahead of time or is that something you just talked with the electrician about at the time?

It's so cool to see this all coming together, but most of all ... I want to meet your bird!

Don't know on the stained glass window placement. I wonder if there is concern of water splashing on the glass at all? I constantly splash my kitchen sink window and it is 8 inches above the sink.

If it is what you want then it is how it should be. I would prefer it at least half way between the high and low but I think I prefer the high position. I am afraid it might make you feel like you always need to duck to look out when entering the room. Only I know it is stained glass and you do not look out of it.

The window we added to our guest bath is as high up as it can go and I am glad it is that way. But then I am not laying in a tub looking at it.

What a wonderful seamless addition on the outside. When it is done it will look like it always was.

Loving it.

chris

Thanks, Shades and Sailor. I spent a while after they left today vacuuming. It was quite hot in there, but I kept at it. Now the finish interior work, or their part of it, is done. The stucco exterior will be continued tomorrow, and maybe on Friday also. It take 24 hours for the base coat over the Durock cement board to dry, so Friday may be the day that the electrician comes, and the plumber too. Once they have installed the lights/plugs, and the tub, and the crawl space access is closed up, their job will be DONE. From there on, it will be just me and DH laying the floor, building the shuttered towers, installing the hooks and towel bars. And, of course, PAINTING.

I have a shot of the tub in its spot, and the shutter panels standing in their finished location. The afternoon sun was streaming through the stained glass window also, and I hope you can tell what it looks like.

And this one shows there is still plenty of space around the tub with the 12" shutter storage towers at either end/side of the new alcove. I think we gained half a foot of space when the old exterior wall came out.

moccasin, that is absolutely lovely! The light from the window is beautiful--you planned very well. Enjoy!

oh wow moccasin! look at the glow of that light streaming thru your window. you'll be in heaven soaking in that tub with that window and glow.

light some candles, toss some rose petals around...

the tub is beautiful! there's plenty of room around it to easily access the area for cleaning too.

OH It is Gorgeous!!! And the window in the lower position is great. There is much more room around the window for the tub than what it looked like before the window was placed. Pictures are so hard to get the real feeling of space.

Totally in love with the tower idea.

So now it is all up to you to get painted? This has been so fun to watch the progress. I was so disappointed last night when I could not get here to see how it turned out. LOL Was having GW withdrawals.

Chris

Sailorgirl sez:"It's so cool to see this all coming together, but most of all ... I want to meet your bird!"

He is a good boy. I hand fed him from 5 weeks...well, earlier than that because I visited the breeder to learn how...I fell in love with him when I saw his ugly little prehistoric self 3 days after he hatched out. Baby parrots are unbelievably ugly! And wonderful. He is now very elegant. When things go on in the house, he will ask me, "What are you doing?" And he loves to fly through the rooms to see for himself. I must make sure the ceiling fans are off and the doors locked. This is a recent photo of him:
He is fully flighted. Meet Kimali, an African Grey.

Wow, ML I love your wonderful bathing space. I can hardly wait to see it finished. That stained glass piece is fantastic and really adds a beautiful touch.

FlowerLady

One of the things I wanted in the bath was the window sills. Wide enough to use, not skinny little things. I think I was inspired by such a deep sill in an old Pottery Barn catalog, which also featured beadboard on the walls.

The carpenters were amused when I told them I needed sills even on the high clerestory windows so I could set flower pots there. Things which like light but not direct sun, tend to flourish in this northern exposure. Things like African violets, ferns, bromeliads, tillandsias, and even pothos and philodendrons. If they like humidity, they will love being in the bathroom! So that is why I have the window sills even in the closet. Now THAT was a real funny thing even to my DH, who scratched his head over the windows in the closet.

But when light is important, NATURAL light, you must take advantage of what you can find. Anyway, I'm very pleased to have the 6 clerestory windows in the north wall of the closet, which contributes to the style of the bedroom. Turning the two holes which were formerly the big windows on that north wall into closet doors with glass panes (bifold French made by Pinecroft from Home Depot), it continues to give light to the entire room. It also allows the eye to consider the closet as part of the bedroom. I have a 66 inch wide 53 inch tall 14 drawer unfinished pine chest on order from a local store, which will sit under the high clerestory windows inside the closet. So no hanging clothes will be visible in the center area. The double rack of high/low hanging clothes will be across the 5 foot wide ends of the closet. I had the carpenters block inside the walls so I could hang myself from the walls if needs be.
I also have space at either end of the wide chest for a single rack of long hanging clothes, and I might commandeer that tall space from DH's end of the closet.

I realize that I could have omitted the windows and had a lot more hanging space in the closet. But esthetically, I wanted the light. I wanted the visual breathing room which contributes a lot more to the FEEL of the smallish bedroom.

Sad to say, the completion of this project, once the stucco is applied to the exterior, the electrician and plumber does the final install of their things, the real pretty stuff will have to wait for late this fall when we return from up north.

"I had the carpenters block inside the walls so I could hang myself from the walls if needs be. "

for chin ups? lol!

I think it was very good thinking on your part to put a dresser in there centered under the windows and hanging space on the sides. with double rods on each side you'll each have at least 10' of hanging space! that's a lot! plus the extra ends for longer things.

it'll make it seem so less crowded in there - and more like a dressing room.

lol steph.

I like the wide ledges too and intend to put formica on all of them in my addition.

Bravo! That tub alcove is just great.

"I just love it when a plan comes together".
John "Hannibal" Smith

Marti, hmmmm, I had not thought of Formica for the sills.
Now that is a great idea. I do have some extra pieces of Lexan sitting around. Especially nice for the stained glass window sill to protect it, since it is down low and near water.

This morning, the electrician arrived to install the lighting fixtures, install the powered smoke detector, connect the Toto washlet toilet seat to power, and my outdoor in-use receptacles, plus connect the wiring to the breaker box. He just left. I now have lights....but no "action" yet, because the plumber is off fishing today. :)
The tub will happen on Monday. And the inspector will come on Monday for the electrical too.

All in all, the sub contractors were great, and I will more than likely call this electrician when we decide to do the power supply weatherhead, move the outside main breaker panel, and flip the kitchen breaker box around so it is accessible from the back porch instead. That way, we will be better able to remodel the kitchen. Hopefully this will be this December after we complete OUR share of the master suite project.

Hannibal Smith? Idie2live, are you a fan of the A-Team? We working with a plan here, just mostly LONG TERM. Incidentally, when I looked at the date on my original conceptual drawing for the creation of this master suite, it was dated January 1, 2008. It is essentially that plan with no changes.....just some choices in materials and fixtures varied. But the design stayed true. Amazing.

ML That is so neat to hear you did not have to change your plans from light-bulb moment to switches for those light bulbs.

Not so with the lamp I am trying to put together for our living room. Yah I know turned another direction than planned today. LOL

Lexan would be a good water proofer but I think it might scratch?? Not sure how fragile it is.

Biting my tongue trying not to say do it in glass tiles. Hehehehe Ducking now.

how about marble or granite sills? you could get small left over sections from a fabricator. or thinner slices of them to put on the sills.

wow I'm only just catching up on this thread and the progress is fantastic ML! I love those clerestory windows and the stained glass window is just so perfect in that spot - You won't be able to stay away from that tub when it's done!

First bath.

This is the Strom plumbing fixtures on the Restoria Ambassador 60 inch acrylic clawfoot slipper tub.

Woo Hoo Enjoy!!! Looks Wonderful!!!

only a tiny bit of the first pic shows up for me... can barely see the tippy top of the faucet.

wowee! you got water! enjoy!

WHAT!!! NO PICTURES of you enjoying??? Hehehehe Hope it was fun. time to get myself to work.

Chris

Chris, I guess I could take a picture of my feet turning off the water? ;)

The house now awaits the tile floors and painted walls and ceilings.

"Chris, I guess I could take a picture of my feet turning off the water? "

lol!

we await the final 'leg' of your remodel!

moccasinlanding, are you still totally enjoying your 60" slipper tub after a couple of months of use? :)

I'm thinking about getting one like yours, but mine will go in a corner (instead of an alcove). Love your tub caddy with the towel rack on the side!

Chris sez: "we await the final 'leg' of your remodel!"

And now we are back in Alabama, and DH is raring to get started on the flooring project. First the closet tiling. But I think I am supposed to paint the beadboard first?

And of cocurse paint the beadboard in the bathroom. Then the tiling for the bath, which will be the same Italian porcelain unglazed tile as in the closet. Rialto Blanco from Lowes. It is all still sitting under the loveseat in the living room. Bummer, but I will now begin moving it to the back bedroom, staging it for his use. Sigh. More dust coming, I can tell. I wish he'd wait until after Christmas, just to have a little break, but don't think that is going to happen.

And 52, I still like the tub very much.
It is the acrylic clawfoot slipper tub Restoria Ambassador, 60 inch long. It holds a LOT of water, and gives a good bathing experience. It is also available in a 66 inch model.
I did not realize that we would have as wide a tub bumpout when I drew up the plan, and ordered the tub. If I had known there would be such clearance around it, I could have gotten the 66 inch model for just a little more money from Vintage Tub online.

However, I am totally enjoying it yes indeed. I left here two days after it was installed, and got back a couple of days ago, so I've only used it 5 times or so. The hand held shower by Strom Plumbing is heavy duty and well made. By ordering the complete package of plumbing with the tub, they gave me a 10% discount and it was free shipping too.

I know it will be a couple of weeks more before I can post a photo...or two or three....of the finished bath and closet, so wish us luck. At this point in life, having it done perfect or not, is good enough for me. We are getting too old for such heavy work. :)