Today we started to work on finishing the master bathroom. We primed and painted the textured (knockdown) drywall surfaces. During the renovation we added the texture to conceal the flaws in the drywall job. Hanging and finishing drywall on the inside of a dome is quite challenging…lots of taping and angles. When the drywall was initially installed and finished, we weren’t satisfied with the way it looked. The added texture camouflages the less than perfect drywall finishing.
The master bedroom and bath are located on the second floor, which is, of course, the top portion of the dome. This means that the outer walls and ceiling are one continuous surface. Thus, painting involved a lot of overhead work. My neck and shoulders are pretty sore tonight. But I am happy with the clean look and the color, Gray Beard (Olympic), a very pale gray.
Gray walls are somewhat of a departure for us. In fact, the décor choices for the entire bathroom are a bit of a departure. Years ago, when we began to work on the bathroom, we selected tile that was well outside of our customary neutral palette preferences. The tile is a pale green with gray glazing. We used a gray grout as well.
The tile (shower walls)
For a “do-it-yourselfer,” Mr. MT Nest is pretty accomplished in tile installation. This bathroom was a big job. The floor area is large for a bathroom and he also tiled the large shower area. The vertical walls in the bathroom other than the shower area are planked. When they were originally installed, we used a pale green wash on the planks.
If we were constructing this bathroom now, we would certainly choose a different tile. But, the investment in time and treasure was significant, and, since the upstairs bedroom and bathroom were never before finished, we’ve barely used the bathroom over the years. We aren’t going to rip everything out and redo it. So, we’re trying to make design decisions that coordinate with the existing elements and enhance the look.
I was never happy with the look of the green-washed plank walls. So I am going to apply a stain technique to create faux weathered wood. I originally wanted to create the look of aged barnwood, with lots of texture, but Mr. MT Nest wasn’t thrilled with the idea of making it too rustic and rough. Upon further reflection about all the moisture in a bathroom, I decided roughing up the wood might be something I would later regret. Having lived for so long in Florida, I have done battle with mildew and mold in a bathroom. And bathrooms also tend to be fairly dusty places. Both the dust and the moisture concerned me in thinking about rough, rustic wood surfaces. After rethinking I decided to apply the weathered technique but not to distress or rough up the wood planks.
I’ll have to experiment a bit with stains to get the look I want. If we don’t end up liking the result, I guess we can always paint over it.
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