MY EXPERIENCE

We had been living in a rental property but, after our daughter was born, we looked for a property we could buy and renovate. This place was a good price with a massive garden, so we decided to go for it. When we moved, it hadn’t been touched for 40 years. Once we’d dealt with the basics, like the boiler, plumbing and radiators, a bathroom that we could all use was a top priority.

We decided to combine the cramped old bathroom and the toilet next door into one space to give us what we wanted. My brother-in-law, Shaun, is a builder, so that was one thing sorted, and my husband, Jack, is really good at DIY, while I’ve got plenty of décor ideas. I knew what kind of look I wanted but I took a course by Instagrammer @fifimcgeee to focus my thoughts. I’d already fallen in love with Lucy Tiffney’s Forest Mini wallpaper and contacted her to ask if it was suitable for bathrooms. She was lovely and told me to use basic varnish over the top to seal it and protect against water, so that was the inspiration for the rest of the room. We moved in with Jack’s parents for nine weeks while the work was going on. Apart from a slight hitch with the wrong bath being delivered, which the plumber sorted out quickly, it all went smoothly.

I was so proud when it was all finished and had come together. The tiles and patterns that we chose aren’t often used together and even less so in bathrooms. Many of the people involved were sceptical about it working but I think they would all agree that the end result looks great.