Smart luxe
A small bathroom has been brought up to date with polished cement walls, hexagonal floor tiles and clever storage.
Polished cement walls make this bathroom stand out
Samantha Pratt, 31, a digital marketing manager and her husband Tim, 35, a pensions consultant, have lived in their three-bedroom Victorian terrace in Wimbledon, south London, since December 2009. They asked an interior designer to help them create a modern, streamlined space.
What didn’t you like about the existing scheme?
The green and cream checkerboard tiles over the walls and floor was jarring and the window hadn’t been sealed properly so it was always draughty. There was no storage and it was frustrating going back and forth from the spare room to grab towels and toiletries.
Talk us through your wish list for the new room
We wanted to get a contemporary spa-like look with a simple, unfussy feel without spending too much money. On the practical side we needed a new window and plenty more storage.
Did you get help with the design?
As we’re both busy and work full time we had help from interior designer Clare of Clare Elise Interiors. It made the process much easier and Clare came up with ideas we’d never have thought of. After creating a moodboard, she got quotes from three plumbers, checked out their work and project-managed the job. One of her suggestions was to move the basin across the room next to the door – this freed up the corner and enabled us to create built-in shelving there. She also recommended a wall-hung vanity unit for storage, and sourced amazing hexagon cement floor tiles from Ireland.
You went for polished cement walls
Tim and I had seen something similar on Pinterest, which we liked, then not long after we noticed it on the walls of a restaurant and it looked even better than we’d thought it would. Clare found a firm called Plastering Interiors that specialises in polished cement and plaster. It took them about five days to do the job and it looks great.
Did you stick to your budget?
We did spend a little more than we anticipated because it cost extra to get the products and finish we wanted. We also discovered the floor needed replacing as it had a 7mm slope and plastering was more expensive as chunks of the wall came away when the old tiles were removed. But Clare saved us money by creating designer-look taps for a fraction of the price. I was keen on black taps, so she bought chrome ones, asked the plumbers to take them apart and took them to get powder coated by Purpose Powder Coatings, which cost about £220.
What’s your favourite part?
Definitely the bath and the black taps. Although we have a shower in our ensuite, it’s lovely to have a luxurious bath in here. Even though it’s slightly shorter than standard, it still feels really spacious and I can happily spend half an hour there.