Remember the almond toilet that came with our master bedroom (which we recently replaced with a taller, cleaner-looking white model)? For a while the old almond commode sat in our entryway while we decided what to do with it.

The plan was to list it on Craigslist. Once John discovered it was a Kohler model originally priced at over $1,300, he was sure someone would want an upscale almond toilet. You’d be surprised what people buy online. A few days later we sold it for $80 to a lovely family—a dad with two young boys and a baby girl—who came by after work to pick it up. It felt oddly satisfying knowing the toilet had found a new home. Clara even wanted to go with them; when they were leaving she waved and said, “I go in car too!”

Initially we considered the $80 as a small credit toward our new toilet (which cost $88). A few days later we learned of a local single mother named Chevelle who, with six children, was receiving help from Habitat for Humanity. For a $100 donation we could fund a toilet for their soon-to-be-built house.

We happily put our $80 Craigslist proceeds and $20 of our own toward that donation. Habitat for Humanity does great work, and it felt good to pass the benefit along. With that handled, we turned our attention back to the bathroom door trimming project.

Previously we’d noticed the bathroom door wouldn’t open all the way because it rubbed against a floor vent. That made it impossible to use even a thin bath mat: the door pushed and bunched any mat up against the tub, creating wet puddles on the floor. Stepping into the bathroom with wet socks or feet is unpleasant, and the puddles formed right in front of the toilet—definitely not ideal.

This week’s update is all about finally fixing that problem. We removed the door, carried it outside, and trimmed the bottom with a table saw. Two people are best for removing and handling a door to avoid it slamming down unexpectedly. John held the door steady against the saw guide while I fed it in slowly for a clean cut. We removed between a quarter inch and a half inch—just enough to clear the vent and to allow space for a future bath mat.

After cutting, I sanded the newly cut edge to smooth any roughness before rehanging—once the hinge screws are back in, getting sandpaper under the door is difficult. About thirty minutes later we rehung the door using the original hinge screws. The door now clears the vent, and we only need a few quick paint touch-ups along the bottom edge.

I also added a doorstop on the bottom right edge so the towel hooks on the back of the door won’t swing open and hit the art hanging on the side wall. With that, the immediate functional issues are resolved.

Here’s where things stand on our bathroom to-do list:

• paint the walls for contrast
• replace the ceiling light fixture
• paint the cream trim white
• hang bathroom-friendly art
• sell the old toilet and install a classic white one
• add privacy treatment to the window
• remove the cluttered showerhead caddy
• trim the bottom of the door and add a doorstop
• finally buy a bath mat
• replace the decorative border tile around the room (maybe phase 2)
• move the blue pendant so it’s centered in front of the window (phase 2)
• replace a section of floor tile to break up the expanse (definitely phase 2)

John and I are still deciding whether to tackle the border tile and light relocation now or save them for a second phase. If we delay those, we’ll share a full budget breakdown for Phase One. For now, we’re happy that the door problem is solved, the vent is clear, and the bathroom is more functional.

How about you? Have you ever sold or bought a secondhand toilet, or needed to trim a door to clear a vent? We’d love to hear your tips and experiences.

Psst—To follow this bathroom refresh from the beginning, check the earlier posts about the planning, painting, light swaps, trim updates, and the toilet update.