Jo Llewellyn-Davies transformed her two room bathroom into one unique, stylish space.

[twenty20 img1=”11464″ img2=”11465″ offset=”0.5″]

Image: David Giles

The transformation of Jo’s bathroom has enabled her to add character and colour to the room, whilst also providing space for a freestanding bath and separate shower, plus extra, unique pieces to match the age of the property. The before and after of this space is really quite amazing, and we’re sure you’ll agree!

Jo, a GP, lives here with husband Mark, also a GP, and children Tilly, 13, Maisy, 12, and Tommy, 9. We caught up with Jo to get the inside scoop on this dramatic renovation.

What was wrong with the original bathroom?

‘It was horrendous in there. The house was built in the 1920s and it had the traditional separated-off toilet, as it would have been the only bathroom in the house. This meant there were two smallish rooms which both felt cramped and the sanitaryware was old-fashioned and needed replacing. It all had to go.’

Image: David Giles

What were your big ideas for the new design?

‘We’ve got an en suite to the main bedroom so this was earmarked as the family bathroom, and we wanted as much in there as possible. It was obvious the wall between the two needed to go, one window needed blocking up, and the existing window enlarged to bring in more light. We also took a bit of the corridor and put a new door into the room on the right so we could have a separate shower in one corner.’

Image: David Giles

What was the biggest challenge you faced?

‘As we’re not planning to move any time soon, I wanted to add masses of character and colour. The mural across the back wall by Timorous Beasties achieved the colour. I love their stuff and all the colours in the room are in the wallpaper. With the character, I chose a refurbished Crittall door to screen off the bath, an old vinyl record cabinet to plumb the sink into, and I personally revamped an old Lloyd Loom box I’d had for ages, with velvet to match the mural, painted it in Little Greene’s Leather and added tape plus sequins I stuck on myself.’

Image: David Giles

How did you make your budget work for you?

‘I knew I was going to splash out on certain things, like the bath, the wallpaper, the flooring, a high end shower and the taps as I wanted a gold colour, and I had set aside £9,000. The bath took up a third of the budget, but I saved on the vanity unit, which only cost £240, including the basin, and added some personality.  Also the tiles I’d fallen in love with were in a clearance sale so that helped, although I did go £800 over in the end.’

Read more: 7 stylish ways to use blush pink in a bathroom

How do you feel now it’s all finished?

‘We all absolutely love it in there and from being the place no-one wanted to go into, it’s become the go-to destination. The back wall makes you feel a bit like you’re in an art gallery with the explosion of colour and you can stare at it for ages and find different things while you’re relaxing in the bath. But the shower is lovely and big and powerful if you’re in a rush. It makes me smile every day.’

Would you do anything differently?

‘No, because it was a year in the making and I considered every little detail really carefully. I knew there would be an awful lot of those pink tiles, and I didn’t want my husband and son to feel it was too girly with all the pink and gold, so I deliberately went for a deep blue from the mural for the walls to provide a contrast and it’s worked so well. As it’s a large room it can take the vibrant colour.’

Project Costs

• Sanitaryware £3,879
• Shower £1,988.66
• Taps £948,
• Mirrors £280
• Tiles £476.16
• Lights £427.15
• Wallpaper and fabric, £700
• Paint £41.97
• Flooring £959.88
• Accessories £101.

Total Spend

£9,801.82

What do you think of this bathroom makeover? Let us know! Tweet us @goodhomesmag or post a comment on our Facebook page.

RELATED ARTICLES

The biggest bathroom trends of 2021

Bathroom makeover: ‘Wood cladding set the tone of my new space’

Discover this pink and green ensuite bathroom in a converted attic