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February 2007
Dear Divas,
I've got a problem. I want a new bathroom, not just a couple of updates. But - terror sets in every time I think about getting started. I know it will be a mess or the contractor will bully me into something I don't want or...you name it. How can I get started when I haven't the vaguest idea what to expect.Rattled in Roanoke
Tracy:
Oh boy, I can tell you suffer from negative thinking. It's not hard to do when you're envisioning a project that isn't fully formed in your mind.
Della:
Here's my two cents - stop thinking about the problems, start envisioning what you'd want if you could just snap your fingers and it would be there. First, decide what the room will be used for. Is it for relaxing, romancing or scrubbing the top layers off the kids and dogs? After you've figured that out, start sleuthing around stores and magazines and the Internet. There are a lot of free or reasonably priced consultants in bigger stores who can give you a hand, also.
Tracy:
My trick is to write about it. There's no secret to it - writing, even making a list, helps put things in order mentally. Remodeling is never uneventful, but if you can think of it more as an adventure than a lurking crisis, you've turned a corner.
Della & Tracy:
Repeat after us until you believe it: I expect a beautiful bathroom, I expect a beautiful bathroom. I expect...
Dear Divas:
My bathtub needs updating. Can I do it without breaking the bank?Corroded in Kansas
Della:
Of course, everyone's "bank" is filled differently, but there are lots of ways update a tub, some of them quite reasonable in cost. First of all decide why it needs a face lift. Is it just because you can't stand to look at the corroded fixtures another year? Or is it something more and the fixtures are just the most obvious blemish?
Tracy:
This may seem snooty, but the first thing to do when assessing the situation is to clean and polish the bathtub, the surround and the fixtures. What you say??? You read it right.
Della:
You'd be amazed at how many people never shine the old girl up. Now, if it's still a lost cause, decide what it needs. If new fixtures will do it, there are plenty to choose from and remember it's extra nice if all the fixtures in the bathroom can match. It looks like you put some design effort into the decision.
Tracy:
Sometimes it's not the tub itself, but the surround of the tub. Check out the newest tile and pre-built surrounds with a trip around the Net first. Then head for stores to see the real thing. That will give you a better idea about what's out there. As we've said before, there are also companies that can resurface your tub with new color. And, if it is the tub itself that needs to removed, smile sweetly at your local bank rep and plumber and know you'll eventually have something really special to dip your toe in.
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