Project Diary Entry #7: Sealing Brick

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Project Diary Entry #7: The bathroom makeover continues! We’re sealing an old original ‘decorative’ vintage brick chimney today!

The full bathroom at the studio property I’m working on was completely covered in paneling or what my husband refers to painted cardboard. For real. What is that stuff?! Even the claw foot tub and pedestal sink was boxed in with the same material! Why?! 

Follow the before and after makeover journey —> #helloredreno

RockSolid Concrete Sealer

Before: 

Yikes! (And no worries, we did repair the roof. It was top priority and the very first project.) But seriously. That paneling. What the….?!

DIY craft studio // workshop - before room makeover @diyshowoff

Recap: 

We tore it all away! Oh my! You guys…I know it’s dirty but do you see the potential?

rustic bathroom makeover

Included was this bump out beside a built in cabinet (another feature I love!)…

DIY craft studio // workshop - before room makeover @diyshowoff

which revealed an original brick chimney…

vintage bathroom charm

Rustic! Texture! A buried treasure! And just like making one of the gorgeous wood plank walls a feature of the bathroom by leaving it exposed…

shiplap wall with hexagon tile floor

I couldn’t bear to cover up all that gorgeous old brick. Know what I mean? It’s completely decorative and not functional but the texture and pretty color variations! Oh man! The old gas register is staying as well.  

decorative brick chimney

But it did have a dirty dull finish. Blah!

brick before

What I did:

  • We gave it a good scrubbing with a wire brush to remove all of the filth and crumbles. 
  • And after talking with the professionals at Rust-Oleum, I used the RockSolid Natural Look Concrete Sealer (low gloss clear).RustOleum Rock Solid Concrete Sealantj
  • I simply applied it with a brush, making sure to get into all of the nooks and crannies. And watching for drips. I gave it one thorough coat and plan to do another. It’ll have dried several days by the time I get around to the second coat. Rust-Oleum Rock Solid Concrete SealerIt goes on white but dries clear.   sealing brick with brush
  • This product sealed it all in and provided a beautiful low gloss finish (nothing TOO shiny, not a high gloss or lacquered finish) that brought out the various vibrant colors and gave it a clean surface. It reminds me of an eggshell or satin finish. 

Conclusion:

So, this 114 square foot bathroom has a lot going on but I am in LOVE with all of the original charm. 

vintage brick

That floor though too! ::drool:: ::heart eyes:: 

exposed brick

More on that here—> Shaw SanFrancisco Hexagon Tile Flooring

What are your thoughts?

Do you embrace and work with the original old character or prefer removing or covering it for a clean slate? 

Next up on the bathroom remodel:

Paint, baseboards, {possible} vintage cast iron tub re-finishing, installing the toilet, vanity, sconce lights and my favorite part…decorating and the reveal! Oh. And probably cutting down 6 doors since re-doing the floors raised them. Not looking forward to that part but things are moving along. Stay tuned!

The building has so much historical charm. It’s about one block from our town’s Main Street. The bus stop is literally steps away. There are breweries, the YMCA, shops, restaurants, salons, florists, candy/coffee shop, holiday parades and festivals within walking distance. So fun! If renovation from blah to ahhhhh is your thing, stay tuned!

So subscribe and be reminded of updates as the renovations progress! I’ll share before and after photos, projects underway and updates, plans and design boards, sources and links as they relate as well as fun events going on in and around the downtown area. I’ll be using a specific hashtag on social media to keep things all neat and tidy and organized.

#helloredreno

I welcome your thoughts and ideas! And as always, thanks for your encouragement and support and for sharing in my joy and vision! Watch for #helloredreno!

DIY Recycled Brick Patio & Walkway Tutorial

What DIY project has taken us all summer long to complete? [Not a valid template]Our DIY recycled brick patio and walkway under the grape arbor/gazebo is finally done! A true labor of DIY lovin’. ::high fives all around!::

Because of the large volume of pictures from start to finish (it took me days to organize and edit the MONTHS worth of photos), I put together a slide show of the progress from uncovering the brick on our property to putting it to good use by creating a walkway and patio under our grape arbor and gazebo. Now not only can we enjoy our backyard patio for dining al fresco, the covered barn patio for entertaining, we now this quiet beautiful private little space too. That’s where you’ll find me on pretty days. Just wait until next year when I can add some fun DIY decorative accents! 

I love the herringbone pattern and that we were able to use bricks we already had on hand. It’s such a good feeling and the fact that it’s old and not new? Loooove that the most! It looks as if it’s been here at least half a century and fits with the age of our old home. recycled brick patio and walkway tutorial

See the entire grape arbor gazebo before and after reveal here!

It may have taken all summer but Mr. DIY did an awesome job at repurposing all of that brick to create a gorgeous recycled brick patio and walkway, didn’t he? What do you think? Love it? Not your style? We’d love to know your thoughts.