Today was the day we shut down the old bathroom, moved the toilet, completed the plumbing changeover in the basement, and got the new bathroom up and running. A big day, nearly two years in the making, and although it doesn't represent the end of the project by any stretch, it's a very important milestone.

I marked the occasion with some new rugs and a matching towel from the L.L. Bean premium range. Other sizes of towel are also available in that series, but I decided not to order more of them until I had a chance to find out how I liked them. (Turns out: very yes.)

The towel bar under the window was another of the fittings we put in place today. Eventually, there will be an electric baseboard underneath it, but it was 95° F out today, so that's a pretty low priority just at present. :)

Meanwhile, in the shower stall, grab bars. Nice decorative ones, but fully rated.

Only one is visible in these photos, but there's a matching one on the wall opposite (hidden behind the shower curtain). The enclosure has a hardpoint for a horizontal one across the back, but the part of the wall where it goes is curved, so we'll have to figure out how to go about attaching one there.

And another bar by the toilet. I'm thinking of getting yet another one and putting it across the wall behind/above the tank, too. They aren't cheap--nothing even vaguely medical is--but they're handy.

Much like the second Death Star, the bathroom is not finished, but is fully armed and operational. You probably already noticed that there's no toilet paper holder yet, and there are a few towel hooks to put up, as well as a nice wall holder for that plastic cup that's visible to the far right of the sink in the first pic. All of these items have been salvaged from the old bathroom, we just haven't had time to reinstall them yet. Plus there are the shelves to the left of the sink to build, as well as the drawers and whatnot for under the sink.

But it does all work, and that's the most important part. Now I must navigate the learning curve of figuring out a new routine, which is surprisingly steep, given that I've had 18 years to ingrain all the tricks for the old one. I can already tell it'll be worth it, though.

--G.
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Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.