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Brian and I were browsing at Barnes and Noble last weekend (we decided to take a tea and cookie break from running errands in the area) and after browsing at designing books, I decided to buy Bungalow Bathrooms . Though our home isn't a bungalow it was built in that time period, and the bathroom design we're going for is one that would be common in a Bungalow. There are a lot of good pictures in the book and a huge reference list in the back as far as supplies (original and reproduction).
The book also features a chapter on the history of plumbing and sanitary conditions around waste and bathing. I'm such a huge dork, because I find this fascinating. The author loves puns, so reading the book is a lot of fun. What's interesting is that ancient societies were actually quite advanced in terms of plumbing with running water, flush toilets and all of that only for the technology to go away, come back with the Romans, go away again, come back with the Turkish, go away again, etc. Its funny in this crazy information age to think of a time where knowledge wasn't shared as widely between parts of the world and where large developments (like ways to deal with poop) were forgotten.
The author suggests that the only good way to renovate an old home is to design in accordance with the home's style. Shag carpet looks dated now but was the coolest thing in the 60's and 70's, but a Victorian home done in Victorian style is timeless. Though she says that the bathroom is the second most renovated space in a home (second to the kitchen) she shares that a lot of original Arts and Crafts and Art Deco bathrooms still stand in their original glory, mostly because fixture and plumbing function hasn't changed much (if at all) since the early 1900s and removing all of that tile is a big pain in the butt.
I'm looking forward to getting this thing started soon, and I can't wait for the day that I can shower in an area that's not infested with rotted wood and moldy peeling paint!
The book also features a chapter on the history of plumbing and sanitary conditions around waste and bathing. I'm such a huge dork, because I find this fascinating. The author loves puns, so reading the book is a lot of fun. What's interesting is that ancient societies were actually quite advanced in terms of plumbing with running water, flush toilets and all of that only for the technology to go away, come back with the Romans, go away again, come back with the Turkish, go away again, etc. Its funny in this crazy information age to think of a time where knowledge wasn't shared as widely between parts of the world and where large developments (like ways to deal with poop) were forgotten.
The author suggests that the only good way to renovate an old home is to design in accordance with the home's style. Shag carpet looks dated now but was the coolest thing in the 60's and 70's, but a Victorian home done in Victorian style is timeless. Though she says that the bathroom is the second most renovated space in a home (second to the kitchen) she shares that a lot of original Arts and Crafts and Art Deco bathrooms still stand in their original glory, mostly because fixture and plumbing function hasn't changed much (if at all) since the early 1900s and removing all of that tile is a big pain in the butt.
I'm looking forward to getting this thing started soon, and I can't wait for the day that I can shower in an area that's not infested with rotted wood and moldy peeling paint!
