You may remember the Dreaded Bathroom Renovation that commenced around this time last year. You know, the one that was supposed to take a week and took many, many more? So many in fact that I came dangerously close to the edge and even broke out in shingles on my neck. In the end, it all turned out fine and we remain quite pleased with our new loo. And G finally brought home the right lens to shoot the tiny, narrow space in which we conduct all our ablutions, so I can share the outcome of all that suffering with you. Normally, you would show the before pictures as well, but I am just too ashamed to do that. Suffice it to say that I turned to G one day and said This looks like a poor person's bathroom. That may seem like a terribly elitist statement, but I think it begins to give you the right visual. It was so bad that you would think only a total lack of funds could be keeping the owner from fixing the situation. It was rotten through and through. Cracked and loose tiles meant years of seepage and leaks, and there was a permanent air of mildew. Our towels stank just a day or so after washing. Oh, the horror. And now? Something worthy of showing you. (Though please bear in mind that the lighting does not do it justice.)
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Have you ever seen Woody Allen's movie by that name? It's among my favorites of his (along with Crimes & Misdemeanors, Hannah & Her Sisters and Annie Hall) and is sort of an ode to Ingmar Bergman. Geraldine Page is absolutely brilliant as a neurotic/depressive/perfectionist interior designer. Perhaps I could use her help in the upcoming remodel of our bathroom. It's simply got to be done. The toilet is literally sinking into the floor. We updated this tiny room in our snug cottage (circa 1935) when we first moved in 5 years ago, adding some grey paint (the same Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain that is featured throughout the house), a burlap shower curtain and a few simple, decorative touches—striped Turkish towels, a large Mexican ceramic owl, a couple of small paintings. I also feel the lack of a bathtub keenly since we no longer have our place in the city. So we’re resolved to make some changes, even though I can’t imagine how we’re going to “make do” with our bathroom out of commission. I’m pondering the idea of adding some color, even though the room is small, because the rest of the house is mostly quite neutral.
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