It all started with a toilet seat. I know – not a very sexy opening.
But it’s not just any toilet seat, it’s the Toto Washlet 300.
You know how you go to a charity auction, and everything is displayed nicely, and you’re sipping their wine, and you want to make just a little bid so someone else will come along behind you and bid higher? Then the organization will make more money because you put down a bid. Right? Well, that’s how we ended up with the Toto. We won the bid when we lived in Atlanta and attended a charity auction, and we’re so glad we did. The original price is quite high, but we got a great deal. All of the money went to The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, a charity that I am more than happy to support.
It has an amazing heated seat that is perfect for the cold winters here. Yes, we have heat, but it’s the details, like a heated toilet seat, that make life interesting. Plus, since we only have one full bath in our house, it was nice to add such a luxurious perk to the room. However, this little purchased kind of brought on another project, a heated bathroom floor. Mr. Spring has been wanting to change out the bathroom floor and make it look more like a floor that a house of our vintage would have. I requested that if we ever do that, let’s add a heated floor to the bathroom.
However, there was more to the project. The Toto seat is not round, so it required the purchase of a new toilet first. The guys at Home Depot informed us that installing the new toilet would be easy and quick. One evening while I cooked dinner, Mr. Spring was upstairs working away. Then the problems started. He called for me to come look at something. He removed the old toilet and noticed some issues with the ring that goes around the toilet. (Sorry we didn’t get pictures.) Well, it needed to be replaced because it was past its life and wasn’t going to work with the new toilet. This meant we had a hole in the floor with no toilet. This all took place two days before we were getting a house-full of company.
As a quick fix, Mr. Spring decided a section of the floor would have to come up, and he could use some wood to attach to the subfloor. He would then temporarily attach the toilet to that section for an easy fix. Since he had started removing the floor, we just decided to change the tile and add the heated floor at the same time. Luxury all the way for this tiny bathroom, but it doesn’t happen quickly when you DIY. We loved the original tile that we could see peaking through, but since the previous owner topped it with more tile, we couldn’t save it.
This is what we have going on right now. It’s not pretty, but it’s also not permanent.
The Toto was worth all the trouble. Plus, in the end a new floor with heat will be coming out of this quick switch out. Stay tuned.
Have you started a quick project that led to something much bigger?
Click here to like The 2 Seasons on Facebook.
Toto toilets are unreal flushers! My BIL has them in his house. Bet he wishes he had the bells and whistles like your unit! Good luck on your project. I can only imagine how great a warm and toasty floor will feel on your cold tootsies once it’s done. 🙂
Isn’t it always the way – that one project leads to another? This looks like a fabulous toilet and reminds me of time spent in Japan!
Fun one!
Oh the toilet sounds great! My mother and father-law used to have a home that the bathroom floor was heated and my goodness it felt so good in the Winter! I know you will love yours as well. You all are always doing such neat projects that add so much value to your home!!