‘WE WANTED OUR BATHROOM TO LOOK BIGGER’
A mirrored wall and painted ceiling create the illusion of space
Describe what your old bathroom was like?
There were dull grey tiles that went all the way to the ceiling and the basic suite was a budget one. The most annoying thing was the bath, which had a big rounded end that stuck out into the room.
What was your biggest challenge?
The bathroom is just 2.4m x 1.8m, so the main aim was to make it feel larger. My idea was to put a huge mirror on one wall to create a feeling of space – however when we were installing it, we had a really nerve-wracking time trying to swing the bespoke glass around at the top of the staircase! We had to cut out a bannister and newel post, which sounds drastic, but we knew we’d be replacing the stairs. I was convinced there was enough room, but had to prove that to the installers by trialling it with a piece of MDF cut to size. Now in place, it’s the perfect fit, running pretty much the length of the bath and up to the ceiling.
How did you want your new bathroom to look?
I’d seen the star floor tiles on Instagram a year before and loved their aged look, which I knew would work well with the charcoal grey paintwork and Crittall shower screen. Brushed brass fittings look good against dark walls and I chose a mottled finish for the mirror to go with the overall vintage, industrial feel.
You decided to paint the walls and ceiling one colour…
Yes, I’d already fallen in love with Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe and got braver with each room I decorated. I kept seeing Instagram pictures with streamlined ceilings and walls and was surprised at how it made small rooms look larger – so I decided to go for it.
Was keeping the layout important to you?
We considered putting the bath beneath the window, but that didn’t leave enough space for a separate shower – and the window
prevented us going for a shower over the bath in that position, as it wouldn’t have allowed for privacy. A big walk-in shower on its own was another option we looked at, but in the end we felt this might devalue the house as a family home in the future.
Where did you spend and where did you save?
I had to convince Ash about the mirror because it wasn’t a cheap option, but then he wanted the Crosswater taps – as a plumber, he has seen that cheap brands don’t last. Although he gets a trade discount, I still managed to source branded sanitaryware for less than he could, through Ebay. We used up existing paint and a box of Metro wall tiles that were left over from other rooms we’d renovated. By the time we started, we only had to pay for the plasterer and the electrician.
You and Ash did most of the work yourselves – how did it go?
We’ve always said this is like the house that Jack built. When we started to chip off the old tiles, we discovered the previous owners had tiled on top of tiles and the plasterboard began to break away. Then we found the ceiling had been overboarded many times and we’d lost a few inches of head height. In the end, we took everything back to the brickwork and rafters, which created lots of awful black lime dust and rubbish that filled two skips!
What’s your top tip for anyone renovating a bathroom?
If you’re going for wall-mounted fittings, make sure you invest in a good quality brand that will last. Cheap fittings are more likely to need repairs, which means the plumber will have to break out the tiles to access the pipes. Don’t compromise, but wait and save up to buy exactly what you want. A new bathroom is a long-term investment that should last for years.
Are you happy with the result?
Yes, very – I wouldn’t change a thing! The bathroom is both practical and pretty, and gives the impression of being a lot bigger than it is, which is exactly what we wanted to achieve.