A Stroke of Luck...and a New Project

Sometimes things don't go as planned.  When we bought our house, the renovations were only supposed to be three weeks long.  As we came to find out, that was just not going to happen.  Several months later, and we finally got the contracted work finished, yet with a lot more DIY projects on our plate than we had planned for in the beginning.

But then, sometimes a stroke of luck comes along and gives you exactly what you're looking for.

I can safely say that along with my sometimes crippling clumsiness, I have also been cursed with a fair amount of bad luck.  Yesterday, however, proved that even one such as myself can be blessed with a bout of good fortune.  With the start of renovating the main bath, Jared and I had discussed plans for the finished product, however far away that might be.  A dream of mine has always been finding an old claw foot tub for the space, though I never really thought it would be a possible feat.  With all the new renovation shows on HGTV and the DIY Network, claw foot tubs have gained a huge following.  As I found out while I perused the net the last few days, brand new tubs are astronomically priced, and restored antique tubs are pretty much right up there as well.

"Oh well," I thought.  "It was only a small chance."  But then there's always Craigslist.  We found all of our appliances there, why not a claw foot tub?  There weren't too many entries, but there was one reasonably priced, advertising an antique tub in fair condition...in Pembroke.  Jared made contact, and yesterday evening, we checked it out.  Listed for $300.00, the tub was indeed antique, and really quite beautiful, if a little rough around the edges.  The catch?  It needed some refinishing.  So we didn't commit to buying it until we had found some more information on that whole process.

A few calls, some discussion, and a negotiation of price later, Jared and I went right back to the tub man and had ourselves a deal.  Not only did we talk him down 100 bucks, we got a fabulous, if in need of some love, brand new vintage tub!

The outside is clearly in need of a good sanding, but there are no major dents, scratches, or otherwise impossible issues with it.

It didn't take long for Loki to be intrigued by the tub.  The inside is in almost perfect condition, which is incredibly lucky, as that is the most difficult part to get refinished without spending a fortune.  I've been doing a lot of reading online about cleaning up the inside.  There aren't any scratches, and the glaze seems salvageable, so the exterior is really the only issue, as far as condition goes.

When buying antique tubs, it is always a possibility that it will be missing some or all of its feet.  These beauties were all accounted for!

And probably my favorite part.  It has the original faucet!  Not a bit of rust touched the fixture, so I'm considering keeping it up, so long as it works. All in all, a very good find!  I do wish I could tell how old it is, but I think the tub will make a wonderful piece when the bathroom is done.









We're really hoping that we can refinish the exterior without having to take it to an expert.  As long as the interior glazing remains intact, the exterior can easily be done at home, so I'm crossing my fingers that we can do this ourselves.  Even though it was a fabulous steal for the price we paid, Jared and I are on a very strict budget for the bathroom renovation.  In the end, I'm just counting my lucky stars that we found such a great piece, even if it means a little extra elbow grease.

Let's just hope whoever occupies this house after us appreciates the vintage touch as much as Loki seems to!