Style advice

Three simple tricks to try in your own home

CLEVER HACKS

Along with the tiles, the beautiful Tikamoon sink was another big splurge, so Abigail wanted to make sure it stood out. Together with Mark, she converted a vintage G Plan dressing table, bought on Facebook Marketplace, into a vanity unit by repurposing wood from the mirror-stand to raise the height of the unit. To finish, they covered the top with a sheet of perspex to protect the wood and the sink, which is porous. A wall-mounted tap completes the customised look.

TRY DIY

The tiles steal the show in Abigail’s bathroom. After finding the design on holiday in Morocco and ordering them upon their return, the couple spent hours arranging them on the bedroom floor before settling on the perfect layout. ‘Laying the tiles was a challenge,’ says Abigail, ‘as we tiled from floor to ceiling, and I was very specific as I wanted a 2cm grout line in between each row of the white subway tiles. Either save up for an amazing tiler to do the fiddly bits or go for it yourself and embrace the fact that it won’t look perfect.’

SHOP IN ADVANCE

‘As we had lots of time to prep for the makeover, we bought items as and when we could afford them and stored them until they were needed,’ says Abigail. ‘ The bath and toilet were both bought in a January sale, and we kept them in the garage for around two years before the build even started.’ Take inspiration from Abigail and look out for bargains ahead of time. Set up alerts on eBay and Facebook Marketplace and save items on high-street apps, ready to buy when they go down in price.