Inside a dream bathroom makeover with boutique hotel elegance
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Feature and styling: Lisa Moses, Photography: Katie Jane Watson
Knowing a bathroom should be as gorgeous as the rest of her home meant Jenny Haines went for beauty and practicality in her new space.
Meet the renovators
Jenny Haines, a midwife, lives here with her husband, David, a mortgage underwriter, and their two-year-old daughter, Hallie, in Wolverhampton, West Midlands.
Their home is a three-bedroom detached house built in the 60’s and they moved here in July 2019.
Makeover brief
To transform two pokey rooms into one luxurious bathroom with walk-in shower, that can function both as a dressing room for getting ready for work in the morning, but also a spa-style space to relax and bathe in the evening.
Project costs
Sanitary ware £751
Vanity unit £1750
Tiles and vinyl £842
Shower and screen £758
Taps £529
Total spend: £4630
Jenny has softened the look of her bold monochrome scheme with pale pink accessories and plenty of greenery whilst the contrasting geometric pattern has added pace and balance to the design.
What was wrong with the original bathroom?
“When we bought this place in 2019 it had clearly been well-looked after but was obviously last decorated in 1967 when the house was originally built.
“The tiles and sanitary ware were green and looked really old-fashioned and the original bidet was still in place.
“The toilet was in a separate room next to the bathroom and there was carpet on the floor, never good in a room where water is splashing about.”
What was on your wish list for the new design?
“I wanted a bold, monochrome scheme, inspired by the clothes in my wardrobe which are mainly black and white, but the look also needed pattern to add interest and prevent the room feeling too stark.
“I wanted an opulent his-and-hers vanity unit which meant being clever with space as we also wanted to include both a bath and luxurious walk-in shower.”
Jenny’s driving force was to create a sophisticated room that felt luxurious and the ‘his-n-hers’ vanity unit was key to creating the look. The cabinet, a joint design between Jenny and her carpenter, was built in situ then Jenny painted it to compliment the black and white tiles and accessories, attaching antique-style hardware as a finishing touch.
How did you plan the space?
“After measuring the room I sat with a piece of square paper and played around with the layout, though knocking the two rooms into one was the obvious starting point.
“To maximise the space we decided to put the bath behind the shower screen, a trick I’d seen on Pinterest, made possible by choosing a wet-room style shower rather than a shower tray. “
What was the schedule of works
“Precise planning was key.
“We both work full time and don’t have another bathroom so making sure we weren’t without washing facilities for too long was a priority.
“I wrote out a time table and made sure the tradespeople stuck to the time scale they promised, which meant we were still painting the ceilings at 10pm one night so the plumber could get in the next morning.
“The majority of the work was done in three weeks through thankfully we were only without a bathroom for about four days.”
As well as a bath the couple wanted to include a wet room-style shower, rather than loose the sleek look by incorporating a shower tray, which took some planning. In the end they used large pieces of paper and actually laid them out on the floor to see where the bath would fit best.
Any clever ideas?
“The black and white tiles around the bath and behind the unit are actually a piece vinyl flooring stuck to the wall.
“I saw the idea used in a restaurant and although the plumber was initially dubious, it was incredibly cheap; the whole roll only cost about £30, and it was easy to fit because it’s simply glued on, and with no grout or gaps it’s 100% waterproof, really durable and easy to clean.”
Jenny wanted to include a shelf behind the bath to display ornaments and pictures so she had the false wall built out. Needing a waterproof solution for the top, Jenny sourced the black plastic window sill for £10 which, when cut down, simply slotted onto the surface.
How did you make your budget stretch?
“Managing the project ourselves and hiring independent trades people saved a lot, but I didn’t want to skimp on the marble counter top, which was quite expensive, so rather than tiling the walls, we saved on the vinyl wall solution.
“I also bought the cheapest toilet I could find and we did some of the work ourselves; after checking it wasn’t structural, Dave knocked down the internal wall, and I did some of the tiling and grouting which not only saved time, but taught me new skills.”
Rather than having messy shampoo bottles on the floor, Jenny chose an inset shelf, complimented by the contemporary matt black shower with concealed fittings which also adds to the minimal, sleek effect. The brick-shaped tiles, from the same range as the chevron tiles, edge the shower wall to create a finished look.
What’s your favourite part
“I love the vanity unit.
“It’s got a pull-out laundry basket in the middle so we can easily keep the room tidy, and there’s a hidden socket at the back for my hair dryer and straighteners so the space doubles as a dressing room.”
And now it’s all finished?
“Ultimately I wanted a room that wasn’t just functional but was also beautiful and relaxing to spend time in, and I’m so proud as that’s exactly what we’ve achieved.”
Jenny’s use of greenery in soft pink planters is a simple way to add a feminine touch to the bold monochrome scheme.
The use of organic shapes, including matching mirrors, light fittings and basins, balances the graphic lines of the Crittall-style shower screen and the geometric pattern of the vinyl tiles. Pretty accessories, delicate candle holders and a gold mirrored tray play off the proportions of the chunky wooden vanity unit.
Shopping list
- Mode Spencer round black basin mixer tap, £155; Orchard Eden countertop basin, £85.99; Orchard Eden black freestanding bath shower mixer tap, £219; Mode Spencer round black twin diverter valve shower set, £549; Mode Harrison freestanding contemporary bath, £499; Mode 8mm black framed wet room glass panel, £209; all Victoria Plum.
- For similar toilet, try the Plumbsure Bodmin Close-coupled Toilet with Standard close seat, £80, B&Q.
- Sagres 599 Candy Vinyl Flooring used as wall tiles, £10.99 per m2, Online Carpets.
- Vanity unit made by Joined Up Carpentry. For similar vanity unit, try the Hope Double Sink Vanity unit painted in Inkwell No 31, from £1705, Harvey George.
- East Haven Chevron Mosaic tiles, £200.03 per m2; East even brick tile, £124.96 per m2, both Claybrook.
- For similar wall tiles try the Haven 30 x 60 White Matt wall tiles, £33.26per m2, Porcelaine Superstore.
- For similar floor tiles, try the Lounge Matt Dark Grey Stone Effect 600×600 Floor Tiles, £33.95 per m2, Walls and Floors.
- Elements Round Wall Mirror, £25 for similar tray try the Hexagonal Gold Tray, £10; for pampass grass, try the Dried Pampas Natural Grass Bouquet, £10; all Dunelm.
- Pair of Ambrose Antique Brass wall light with glass shade, £38.99, Value Lights.
- Fredriksjon pink bath towels, £13; Sodersjon pale pink bath mat, £10; Gradvis pink plant pot, £5; all Ikea.
- Artwork on shelf made by Jenny.
- Large glass black vase, £19.99, H&M.
- For similar woven plant basket try the Seagrass Basket with Tassels, £25, La Redoute
Stockists
- B&Q 0333 014 3357; diy.com
- Claybrook Studio 020 7052 1555 claybrookstudio.co.uk
- Dunelm 0345 165 6565 dunelm.com
- Harvey George 01423 810070 harvey-george.com
- Ikea 020 3645 0000 ikea.com
- Joined Up Carpentry @joinedupcarpentry
- Online Carpets
- Porcelain Superstore 0330 094 0304 porcelainsuperstore.co.uk
- Value Lights
- Victoria Plum; victoriaplum.com
- Walls and Floors 1536 314730 wallsandfloors.co.uk
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