IVE always believed

a ECT ES

eme to a small bathro

that a bathroom

should be

an extension

of the theme in your

house.

If you are setting a theme

or time period to your
home, this room and the
kitchen are probably the wo

old house
new look

rooms most carbon dateable
and theme-setting. So, when

it came time

existing bathroom and plan

the new one

keep it consistent with the
1912 theme but swank it up

a little bit.

downplay the size of the
small room by attempting to
draw the eve away from a fot
of details and cupboards. We
put in new gyprock, old-

to gut the

we decided to

The eight-by-six-foot

room was encumbered with
dark cabinets, a small sink
and old tile. The layout of

the bathroom was extremely

tight.

The first thing we decid-
ed to do was remove the
door and have it swing out
into the hall rather than into
the bathroom. This allowed
for more usuable space with-
in the room itself.

As this was to be a major
renovation of the bathroom,
we removed all existing
plumbing and lighting fix-
tures, replacing them all
with new products in their

ee exact locations.
ate In other words, the bath-
room was sinall and is still

NEWS photo Terry Peters

AN antiqued silver mirror was hung over the pedestal
sink to complement the rocm’s heritage theme.

small.

We were hoping to

of the Greater
Vancouver Home
Builders’ Association
(GVHBA), suggests
that homeowners can
ensure a successful ren-
ovation if they follow
these 10 steps.

the short and long term.

@ Find out how much you can afford. Once
you have a firm idea of the kind of renovation
you would like to undertake, it is time to

Successful

THE Renovation Council

fashioned 10-inch floor
mouldings and very simple
four-by-half-inch mouldings
on the window

The pitee de resistance of
the room is the old-fash-
ioned tub. A ravourite of
ours was the American
Standard Reminiscence
Slipper Tub. This tub stays
true to the pre-war era
theme of the rest of the
house as well as being an
extremely stylish feature of
the small bathroom.

the existing space of the old
tub. So, with the removal of
a storage closet, we were
able to fit it in.

We learned that there are
a good variety of faucets to
cheose trom.

After visiting numerous
bathroom showrooms we
decided on the traditional
crisscross faucets for the tub
in a chrome finish. The tub
also has chrome feet which
complemented the other fix-
tures in the bathroom.

Our biggest concern was

the size. It had to fit within

ren vating tips

@ Do your homework. Advance
research is the key to getting what you
want. Study magazines and books to get
an idea of the look you want. Consider your
lifestyle and the needs of your family, both in

decide how you are going to pay for it.

@ Look for a

45% orr

All Blinds
made

iy
f

:

Dh ;
ait

ba

CAPILANO DRAPERIES tn.

Free In-Home Estimate
988-5621

PT Yess yo

ee En Te er TS Oe en Se OS ne ee ee cer ey

AGES AMAT |

Fe ee teem md

professional renovator. Call the
GVHBA at 588-5036 for a list of member ren-
ovators in the Greater Vancouver area. Ask

brkin

Park Royal North, West Vancouver |
968-5650" a
Park &Tilford, North Vancouver -.

‘

See Retro following page

family and friends for recom-
mendations. Drive around
your neighbourhood to see
who is renovating, then talk to
the homeowners about their
project. Most people are
delighted to share their renova-

tion experiences.
@ Choose your contractor.
Once you have acquired names
of several professional renova-
tors, interview them. Be sure you
have listed all the items that are
important to you. Choose a couple of

the renovators you feel most comfortable °

with. If you have plans and specifications have
the chosen renovators provide you with a pro-
posal. If you do not have plans already, ask the
chosen renovators to provide you with a pro-
posal and a budget for a design build project.

®@ Check references. Don’t omit this step just
because you are too busy or “they seem like the

See Get following page