So this bathroom project is happening...

We have officially started on the bathroom remodel.   On Saturday Matt spent about 9 hours taking out the window and filling the remaining hole.  It took a lot longer than planned which sums up every home improvement project we've ever undertaken.

It was very strange walking through the backyard and seeing the bathroom open.

current view from the toilet, in case you don't get the pleasure of seeing this in person

We've been talking about this project for so long but I never considered how dark the bathroom would be with the window gone.  It's a cave now.  In the 8 years we've lived there we've opened the window maybe twice (when working on the stair project) and the blind maybe 5 times but there was still a nice amount of sunlight that came through. 

We aren't expanding the bathroom at all, just rearranging in a way we think will work better.  The bathroom has 2 exterior walls, the stairs on another side, and our mudroom on the 4th.  The only possibility for expanding would be into the mud room but then that would mean moving two back doors (the storm door to the mudroom and the actual door into the house), which would then mean moving the back window.  Moving the door would make the back steps in the wrong spot and we'd lose kitchen space.  Basically not a real option. 

The plan is for the shower to be across the wall where the window was.  We've been pricing tubs, toilets, and tile and have most of our decisions made, now it's just buying things.  Plan is for bathroom demo to happen next weekend.  I really hope to the toilet is back in the same day but I'm preparing to pee in a bucket. 
 
We've tossed around a lot of ideas for wall color and upper storage but are really just concerned right now with getting a functional toilet & shower.  Even a sink isn't super high priority since the kitchen sink is about 10 steps away (but the sink & vanity is the one piece we do have). 

Definitely scared to take on this project, not having a fully functional bathroom for an undetermined amount of time.  Have I mentioned this is our only bathroom?  Only shower.  Only toilet.  We'll be bumming showers for a while.  Nice that Luke still uses his baby tub! He'll be bathing in the basement or kitchen.  Hope to share weekly bathroom updates...hopefully we keep moving on this.  I think getting a tub and shower back is definitely good motivation!!