First project of 2008

really, what were they thinking with that red?

It's more of a work-in-progress that languished at the 80% completion point. The bizarro "clown bathroom" on our second floor is finally getting finished. Last year we pulled out the sink, tore down hideous wallpaper, ripped out the floor, put in a cork floor, added a new sink and storage, re-textured and painted the walls. Whew! Unfortunately it was all too easy to whisk the shower curtain closed and cover up the last abomination: the strip of red tile in the shower.

You see, the bathroom had been a study in red and white. Only red and white. Over and over. White linoleum with tiny red diamonds. White wallpaper with red diamonds. White vanity with RED sink. The switchplate, the outlet cover, all red and white. It was complete insanity and whoever did that bathroom that way was either blind or sadistic. Or both.

It's now a more pleasing combination of natural tones. The warm (visually and literally on your feet) cork, rich grey walls, white porcelain, an aqua shower curtain. The one thing that remained was the strip of red tile in the shower enclosure. We learned when ripping out the sink backsplash that the previous owners had mudded those tiles directly onto the drywall. It was a beast patching up the huge holes we had to rip in the walls. There was no way I was going to mess with the integrity of the shower enclosure.

I did some research and found an industrial primer/paint combo that works on boats, cars, construction equipment, tanks, and oh yes also tile. Last week I taped off the tile with blue painter's tape and scruffed it up with sandpaper. Today the first coat of primer went on. Whee! You can feel the brain cells dying when you use that stuff. There will be another coat of primer tomorrow and then I can put the paint on and hopefully by the end of the week the last bit of craziness will be gone from that room.