Our Cabin Make-Over: The After Photos! (Upstairs Bath / Entry Way / Mid-Level Mud Room and Wet Bar)

Picking up where I left off to share photographs of our recent lake cabin remodel (see before and after photos of the living room, dining room and kitchen here)...

Quite possibly my favorite outcome of the entire cabin remodel is the upstairs bathroom and funny enough, that project was actually a last-minute add-on. Andi and I had intentions of updating the bathroom with the rest of interior, of course, but we'd planned to save it for a later date. What we quickly learned once work began in the interior of our lake cabin, is that construction dust would be everywhere and we didn't love the idea of enduring the mess twice. We also realized the bathroom would stick out like a sore thumb once every other room in the upstairs level was updated so in the 11th hour of construction, we added it to our project scope.

One aspect that made the renovation process run smoothly is how similar of taste Andi and I share. For us, it's something like "yep, yep, nope ... yep." We know what we like; we make a decision and move forward. There isn't a lot of negotiating from either side.

Andi and I both agreed the main objective in the bathroom renovation should be to enlarge the shower. Previously, the shower was a hexagonal shape and I hated the way my elbows touched the sides while showering. It was also bone-colored with frosted glass and spoke of its dated 90's installation. I'm not sure what, if anything, was in the empty space beside the shower stall previously but it seemed logical to extend the shower across the entire back wall of the bathroom to make it feel more open. We selected a gray slate tile for the shower walls, as well as the flooring in the bathroom. It's difficult to tell from the photographs, but there is a clear wall of glass that separates the shower and the toilet. Andi was adamant about putting in a river rock floor in the shower, and it does add a nice touch of natural landscape to the bathroom. Now, showering feels as if we're vacationing at a luxurious spa retreat. It's heavenly!

Upstairs Bathroom - BEFORE / AFTER

Andi sourced a cabinet builder to create a custom bathroom vanity. The top surface is skip sawn barn wood with a lacquered clear protective finish and a dark wood base. We added river rock pulls to the cabinet drawers, and selected a white bowl sink and coordinating toilet. The contractor also framed in the existing mirror to match the dark pine trim we carried from the rest of the cabin's interior throughout the bathroom.  

An entry way connects the upstairs and downstairs (added onto the cabin in the late 1990's) to the middle level (the original portion of the cabin built in the 1980's). Moving downward from the upstairs level, Andi and I sheet-rocked the alcove above the stairway previously plagued with faded sun-spots. Once again, the white sheetrock helped break up the monotony of all the blond-colored knotty pine wood. We also replaced the cut-out tree railing detail with black metal beams and extended the stairway railing so it could accommodate a baby gate. Previously there were two steps before the railing began which made the stairway somewhat unsafe and unable to accommodate a baby gate.

Stairway - BEFORE  

 Stairyway - AFTER

In the entry way between the stairway and the middle-level, we sheet-rocked the main wall and painted it Benjamin Moore White Dove to match the upstairs, replaced the front door and large closet doors, and continued the dark bamboo flooring from the upstairs level.

Entryway - BEFORE

Entryway - AFTER

The middle-level is the largest pass-through area of the cabin with a door to the attached garage on one side of the room and a patio door to the backyard on the other side. The kids' bedrooms and a wet bar are also located here.

Middle-Level - BEFORE (June 2013)

We painted the middle-level cabinets the same color as the upstairs kitchen (Benjamin Moore Newburg Green) and updated the laminate countertops to granite over the summer of 2014. We also removed the existing carpet and had the concrete floor beneath stained a bronze color, hoping it'd stand well to wet feet to and from the lake and foot traffic from the garage entrance.

Middle-Level (September 2014)

Except, Andi and I secretly hated the stained floor. The concrete didn't absorb sound, so noises made upstairs echoed right into the children's bedrooms on this level. The floor was easy to clean and didn't show much dirt, but it looked like dirt half the time. So while under construction in other parts of the cabin, we decided to complete this room the way we wanted it. The bamboo wood flooring placed upstairs and in the entry way wasn't a suitable option since the middle-level meets wet and soiled feet from the lake and the attached garage, so Andi and I selected a wood grain porcelain tile for the flooring in this room. Its gray color compliments the dark bamboo flooring elsewhere and is easy to maintain.

The cabinet builder who created the upstairs bathroom vanity was also hired to install custom wood storage cabinets in the largest corner of the middle-level. We use this room like a mud-room as we most often access the cabin through the garage entrance, and now's there a place for each family member to store coats, hats, mittens, shoes and bags in an organized way. We also added a bench next to the garage entrance for cabin guests to sit and remove their shoes upon arrival and replaced the middle-level trim with the same dark wood as other parts of the cabin.        

Middle-Level - AFTER

This concludes our cabin's remodeling projects ... for now! Andi and I have plans to update the basement level, backyard deck and outdoor siding in the future, but for now are beyond thrilled with the results of the upstairs and middle-level renovations.