Bathroom makeover that won't break the bank

While photographer Virginia Macdonald absolutely loves the colour blue, she doesn’t love it on a toilet, a bathtub or a vanity sink. Unfortunately, she had to put up with just that in her second-floor bathroom.

 

 

 

 

The before

When she finally got around to transforming her only upstairs bathroom into the sophisticated and relaxing oasis she’d pined for, Virginia knew just who to call on for help: good friend and Style at Home contributing design editor Samantha Pynn, who was delighted to come to the rescue.

A major expansion, or even a plumbing switch, was ruled out pretty quickly. For one or two people, it was big enough. I wanted a drastic makeover but without having to knock down walls.

 

 

New colour and curtains

For the finishes, an eye-catching pennyround floor tile and a sophisticated marble countertop were installed to provide a clean, neutral backdrop for the show-stealer: a stunning custom-made floral turquoise shower curtain. “With this design, Virginia can give the bathroom an inexpensive refresh by simply changing the colour of the paint and the shower curtain.”   

 

 

 

While a shower curtain may be a small detail, it makes a big impact in this all-white bathroom. Visit your local fabric store to see the latest range of outdoor and waterproof fabrics, grab some curtain rings, and whip up your own shower curtain to match your style and colour.

 

 

Shower tiles

Subway tiles are a classic, timeless choice. Instead of wrapping the entire room from floor to ceiling, they were stopped halfway up on one wall to bring in more colour with paint.

If you don't want to go through the hassle of ripping out and replacing tiles, give tiles and update with Rust-Oleum Tub & Tile Kit. Tub & Tile Refreshing Kit acts and looks like porcelain and ceramic and can be applied to ceramic, porcelain or fibreglass. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bathroom vanity

Grab some 16mm SupaWood and your DIY tools to make your own Shaker bathroom vanity to fit into any space. We finish our units off by spraying Modo low sheen PVA with a Bosch PFS spray system and then apply a coat of Woodoc antique wax.

 

 

Vanity and doorway: The before

A new bathroom vanity was designed to anchor the two off-centre elements: the window and the mirror. Shaker doors and minimalist hardware preserve the clean lines, directing the eye straight to the fabulous shower curtain. Thanks to the large window, no additional lighting was needed.

 

 

Vanity and doorway: The after

A handy neighbour helped solve Virginia’s cumbersome-door challenge: at her request, he transformed two panels from one closet door into a mini double door. The frosted glass inserts further open up the small room.

 

 

Fittings and finishes

If you have a small budget, or perhaps you can put some money aside, look at replacing dated fittings with new modern taps. A top-mount or under-mount sink will cost you around R600 and Builders Warehouse have a fairly decent selection of styles to choose from.