‘This room was an Eighties throwback’

Jane and James Fitzpatrick’s bathroom was shabby and had no space for a shower until they gave it a dramatic redo that proves even small bathrooms can be luxurious

JANE AND JAMES GAVE THE BATHROOM A BOLD, SLICK LOOK WITH SIMPLE SANITARYWARE AND STUNNING TEXTURED SPLIT-GRANITE TILING THAT SUITS THE RUSTIC NATURE OF THEIR FARMHOUSE

For a similar bath, try the Windsor Brooklyn, £599, Victorian Plumbing. Split face mosaic black slate wall tiles, £83.11 per sq m; Mokara Grey ceramic wall tiles, £47.92 per sq m; similar Capao Mato Grey slate floor tiles, £63.89 per sq m; all Topps Tiles

how Jane did It

‘Having three large males in the house, this room was a priority. A bath and a shower were at the top of my wish list, but given the limited space, it seemed impossible. Our builder suggested moving the wall between the bathroom and hallway and repositioning the door. This created space for the shower and an alcove to slot a bath into. None of this was in our original budget, but they were more than worth doing. Laying underfloor heating meant we didn’t need a radiator, which gave us more shelf space. I read interiors magazines for décor ideas, but my biggest inspiration came from our local Italian restaurant. It had split face granite tiles on one wall, which I loved. We ended up spending £7,500 in total, which included the building work, and it took three weeks. The end result is beyond my expectations – it’s a calm sanctuary. I hate the boys using it because I want it to stay perfect!’

What I learned “Expect the unexpected with an old house. We found antiquated plumbing, pipework issues and the old boiler and hot water tank had to be replaced – which we hadn’t budgeted for”

above

BUILT-IN FURNITURE KEEPS THIS SMALL SPACE FEELING STREAMLINED AND NEAT. JANE CHOSE A DARK, GLOSS FINISH TO COMPLEMENT THE COLOUR OF THE TILES AND CREATE A FOCAL POINT AGAINST THE PALE GREY WALL

Geo semi-countertop basin, £167.50; Vigour basin mixer tap, £164.50; Aruba Mali basin unit, £395.50; Aruba Mali floor cupboard, £234.70; White laminate worktops, £108.50 for a 1,500mm length; all

Roper Rhodes. Similar Pellini marble and porcelain wall tiles, £88.78 per sq m, Topps Tiles

Turn to page 149 to shop the look THIS TILED SHELF BLENDS IN WITH THE FLOOR camouflaged LEDGE

Downlighters THESE CAST A BEAM DOWN THE WALL FOR SOFT, RELAXING LIGHT

THE FRAMELESS SHOWER SCREEN DOESN’T INTERRUPT SIGHT LINES, VISUALLY STRETCHING THE SPACE. SQUEEZING IN AN EXTRA-LARGE RAINFALL SHOWER HEAD GIVES THE ROOM HOTEL-STYLE LUXURYHydra dual-function shower system (includes valve, fixed arm, shower head and handset), £690; (on wall) similar madison double bottle basket, £98.50; both Roper Rhodes. Similar aurora walk-in shower enclosure with return panel and tray, £379.95, Victorian Plumbing DRAWS THE EYE UPWARDS TO MAKE THE CEILING SEEM HIGHER Mosaic Strip

ANGULAR BRASSWARE MATCHES THE BOXY SANITARYWARE LINES Hydra filler taps, £218.50, Roper Rhodes

HAS BUILT-IN LIGHTS AND BLUETOOTH FOR STREAMING TUNES Smart Mirror