The Bathroom Remodel Reveal

Our months-long bathroom remodel project has finally come to an end, and we are THRILLED!

We ordered our fancy countertop in August and it was on a delay.  So we had to wait until just before December to get it installed, which meant other features of the bathroom were delayed.  

The first two pictures with the brown walls are how the bathroom looked in the listing photos online when this house was for sale.   A typical bathroom.

After some time, we replaced the drab and dated canvas roman shades with white shutters and painted the walls a lovely greenish-gray shade called "Sea Salt."  It was the perfect, cheap update for a time.

But we still didn't care for the brown cabinets, white tile counters (with white grout - what?), and the dated beige tiles.  We also weren't using the tub at all and it was just collecting "stuff" and dust.

Took us a long time to pick out the perfect fixtures, tiles, flooring, countertop, lighting, mirrors, etc.  EVERYTHING was a huge decision in that moment.  And all the while, trying to picture the finished bathroom with all these choices and would we REALLY love it?

Good news:  WE DO!

So we took out the tub and replaced it with a bigger shower, and a makeup vanity for me.  And frameless shower glass, and no shower door.

We got a HUGE tower cabinet between the two sinks and as you can see, we just have a ton more store space now between cabinets and drawers!  

Each sink has two pull out drawers, too!  And the drawer right under the sink is functional, too!

I absolutely LOVE this arabesque tile for the shower.  It was a pain for the tile guy to install, but ... well ... just LOOK at it! :)

Closeup of the countertop with the gold and purple flecks!

Our request for both bathroom remodels was a smooth sided toilet, as I absolutely HATE having to clean around the pipe shape of traditional toilets.

The first ceiling light we purchased was a disappointment, and so we found this super sparkly one at Home Depot for a ridiculously cheap price.  The photo doesn't do this light justice.  It is like a light you'd seen in a fancy Las Vegas hotel lobby.

We got three of these fixtures at a great pice, too!

Even the drain is fancy!  There is a piece of tile in the middle and it lays flush with the round tile.

And what was really cool was two of the subcontractors who came to do work on the bathroom asked if we had worked with a designer!! 😍  Nope, just took A LOT of time picking out every single aspect of this new bathroom. 

The Glorious View Along Highway 46

This view (with the ocean in the background) just a few miles away from our house is beautiful any time of year, but absolutely breathtaking after significant rains!!   It's not every year these hills turn THIS green!

Exploring Morro Rock

Since moving here in 2018, we have been to Morro Bay several times, but somehow have not actually walked over to Morro Rock, which is an icon in SLO County.  

Along the way we discovered many sea otter mamas with their babies, and squirrels that walk right up to people (obviously hoping for a treat) ... it was crazy!  

What a Storm!

 All-too-often, when a big storm is predicted here, I think "I'll believe it when I see it."  

But this storm ... wow!   Sooooo much rain ... sooo much wind! 

Yesterday was absolutely crazy, and it was the kids' first day back at school.  The surrounding school districts eventually closed schools early because of road conditions throuout the area.  Eventually our schools sent out a message that IF we wanted to pick up our kids early, we could ... but schools would remain open.

In downtown Templeton, there is a creek that meanders through town, mostly unseen because of trees and brush.   Yesterday morning, I came to an intersection where the creek had risen above the street and I thought ... what do I do?  "Turn around, don't drown" or chance it.  I chanced it and won - whew!  Other areas of Templeton were flooded, but none others along my particular drive.

Other areas of the county really had it bad.  The Salinas River - which is bone dry most of the year - was FULL and running fast.  There were landslides, mud slides into people's homes, downed trees (including huge oak trees), etc.  And it's entirely possible there was a small tornado that woke many of us up in the 4:00am hour today.  We have a loud fan in our bedroom that muffles noise outside, but I did hear intense winds all of a sudden. Many people in the area who heard the unmuffled noises and looked outside are certain it was a tornado ... who knows?

Today our district closed the schools, but it didn't seem necessary after all.

But saddest of all ... a local 5 year old boy got swept away in a flash flood.  He and his mom were driving to school when their car got overtaken.  Bystanders were able to get the mom to safety, but the boy got swept away.  How incredibly heartbreaking!  People are still hopeful that he's alive somewhere ... but even if he managed to get out of the river, he would have been wet and cold and I'm sure would have suffered from hypothermia.  We are all nervous to hear eventual news that he's gone. :(

We get a break in the heavy rains for a couple of days, but then they are back on Friday, the weekend and into Tuesday.  

As for us, we are thankful to live in a "traditional" neighborhood with streets, sidewalks and storm drains and a huge water retention basin.  So, unlike our rural neighbors throughout Templeton we did have to deal with flooding, mud, etc.   And we are so grateful that our many trees and long wood fence are still intact.  

Here is a glimpse of how much rain we got in SLO County so far. 

2022 Lucero Family Photos