‘A RETRO-STYLE SHOWER WAS A MUST’

Ellie cleverly stretched her budget to create her dream en suite

Having moved to get more space for our money, we knew we had plenty of work to do on this house,’ says Ellie. ‘Luckily, Mark is handy and can do most things himself, which we’d factored into the equation.

We took the top floor, a loft conversion with an en suite, for ourselves, but we only did basic stuff to it, as there were other more pressing needs. First, we renovated the kitchen, the children’s rooms and the main bathroom. After three years we finally got to our en suite.

First moves

The shower was the worst aspect of the room. It was old-fashioned and leaking. We like an industrial feel rather than ultra-contemporary stuff, so after hours spent searching online I chose a black grid style. Although it was more than we’d been hoping to pay, nothing else came close. We also needed a matching shower tray and a decent shower to go with it. I won Mark over to my way of thinking, and then it was all about how we could cut costs elsewhere to achieve it.

Recycling wins

The existing vanity unit was made of wood and we knew we were going to paint it anyway, so we took the warped top off and used an offcut of the kitchen worktop to mount on top. A baby Belfast sink found on our local Facebook Marketplace creates a sort of gentleman barber vibe. To carry on the theme we bought a kitchen-style mixer tap.

We’d over-ordered on white metro tiles when we did the kitchen renovation and there were enough to do half the area inside the shower. The white brick tiles were cheap and easy to match, so it was another area where we could

save money. When it came to the floor, we chose a lovely geometric tile which was a luxury, but as it was such a small area, it wasn’t too expensive.

Panelling solution

We love a bit of panelling, as it’s inexpensive but incredibly effective. Mark panelled halfway up all the way round, making sure he used waterproof wood because of the damp atmosphere. We both like green, and it goes so well with black and white, so green it was.

Waiting game

Lockdown was starting to bite and there was an issue with the paint delivery. Although the room was only two weeks’ work in days, the whole renovation took three months because of the stopping and starting. In the end we chose a different green from a company that could deliver. At first we were worried that it was too dark and would look like the back room of a pub, but once everything was in, we absolutely loved it.

Stylish additions

A new Victorian-style toilet with a wooden seat had been fitted, but I saw a black toilet seat online at Dunelm for £15, which I knew would tie in with the shower enclosure better, and make a huge difference for very little money, so I swapped it over. We had a little retro cabinet which I’ve put back up on the wall and a new cage light over the mirror adds to the industrial feel. We think we’ve achieved a traditional barber shop style. It now feels as if we are in our own little boutique hotel room in the mornings when we shower.’

‘GROUTED, PAINTED MDF PANELLING ADDS CHARACTER AND IS VERY BUDGET FRIENDLY’

‘The tumbler is a lovely shade of green which fits in with our scheme’ IDEATOSTEAL ‘Opt for one special signature light that ties in with the feel of the room, and consider finish and colour’

BOLD CHOICE ‘Going for such a dark green on the panelling was a risk, but it’s paid off, and complements my stunning shower enclosure so well’

DOOR DRESSING ‘The little metal owl hooks add interest to the back of what would otherwise be a boring white door’ DIY SUCCESS ‘I’m really proud that Mark has created our own vanity unit out of a basic carcass, an old bit of kitchen worktop and a free washbasin – it looks a million dollars’ IDEA TO STEAL ‘Consider upcycling your own vanity unit with offcuts and a basin that can be positioned on top and plumbed in’

GROUT SHOUT ‘Grouting the tiles in grey provides some definition and breaks up the expanse of white’ NEAT LEDGE ‘I picked a gorgeous mirror with a handy wooden shelf for essential toiletries and my favourite cactus’