Last night the kids brushed their teeth in their new bathroom for the first time! We have running water! Getting it to actually happen was probably the biggest hurdle of the renovation, but we did it and now it runs out of beautiful new Moen ® faucets!

Let’s start with a little back story…

A big THANK YOU to Moen ® for providing the products shown above.  My positive review of the Danika faucet by Moen ® is100% my own.

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To put it kindly, being my husband has to be pretty “interesting.” And by “interesting”, I mean a royal pain the the you-know-what at times.

You see… before this renovation, our bathroom worked. It had running water, the kids were able to bathe, brush their teeth, and do their business with no problems. They didn’t have a place to put their toothbrush, which would have bugged me forever, but if we are talking about having a bathroom that worked the way a bathroom should, it did.

But you see, we have done a lot of work to our home, and the bathroom just didn’t fit with the rest of our house. Oh and I’m pretty much always game for a big project, so there’s that. The hubs was definitely up for a bathroom refresh for sure, but he definitely had to be talked into the complete gut job that it ended up being. He did not want to take on ripping out the tub. That was my idea, and I take full credit. I had no idea it would add to the timeline (and budget) the way that it did.

Am I sorry? Ummmm…. well, you’ll see.

So the tub was out. No going back now. But there was a big problem.

You see the piping for the tub and shower were not back between the studs. The plan was to install a tub, cement board, and then tile the walls around the tub. So the pipes being out from the wall the way they were was a big problem. And one we could not do ourselves.

That was just problem number one.

Problem number two was that we literally lifted the tub in and out of this tight space about 50 times trying to get the bottom drain piping to match up with the hole in the tub and still be plumb and level.

It was sooooo frustrating.

What we realized was that there was no way we were going to be able to match up the pipes and ensure that there were no leaks without being able to see what we were doing.

So we had to cut a hole in the wall in our loft so that we had access to the back side of everything that was going on.

We knew we were in a bit over our heads with these two problems and we are dealing with water here. Water on a second story. So it had to be done right. So we called Lou, the plumber, and he saved us!

Yes it was an added cost, but so worth it knowing that the plumbing would be done correctly and we wouldn’t end up with a flood or mold growing in our walls. There is a time for DIY and a time to call in a pro. This was one of those times.

Once the pipes for the shower were recessed into the wall and the tub was hooked up properly and tested we were good to go and installed the hardibacker, which is a cement board used in wet areas in place of drywall.

Once the tile was complete (those details coming soon) the pretty part of the plumbing was ready to happen.

Moen ® sent me this beautiful shower faucet and matching sink faucet. Sure these faucets are beautiful, but we thought a lot about the function of the faucets too.

Our kids are still little and still in the bath phase, so having a shower head that we can use when they are sitting in the tub to wash their hair is so helpful. The temperature is also super easy to control and it turns on and off sooooo smooth. (Something the builder grade faucet we had before was lacking.)

I know paying so much attention to a faucet may seem odd, but I love how simple the design of this one is, and the brushed nickle finish isn’t going to show as many spots as chrome would.

Along with the shower/ tub faucet, Moen ® sent the sink faucet to match and I love it.

When I first had ideas for this remodel I thought I would want a faucet with the separate hot and cold knobs on either side. But when it came down to it, I really wanted something that was easy for my kids to use and looked good. This faucet is perfect.

Again it has the brushed nickle finish, so it won’t show as many spots, and I was able to install it without the bottom plate for a really clean (and easy to clean) look.

This project was definitely a little more than we bargained for, but the results are turning out so beautifully and exactly the way we wanted. We may not have thought so during the ordeal that was the plumbing, but now that it is done, I’m so glad we took on the project.

So I literally have just a few minor finishing touches to get done before I show you the finished bathroom, so I’m going to go so I can (fingers crossed) be back this week to show you the final reveal!

Have a great day!

Related:  The Kid’s Bathroom Reveal  ||  Modern Coastal Bathroom Source List

How to Tile a Tub Surround  ||  5 Tips for Choosing Bathroom Tile