3 Easy Steps for a Bathroom Makeover
Post-Covid panic, everyone seems to be doing something or other to their homes and bathroom and kitchen renovations are top of the list.
30/09/2021
colette barnard - facebook
Everyone seems to be renovating, improving or fixing up their homes, and the bathroom and kitchen are topping the list. Is it a post-covid situation where we have all realised that something needs to be done after spending months locked into our houses or are homeowners just taking an opportunity to improve their homes? Whatever the reason, there are plenty of local ideas out there to get your creative juices flowing, and after the initial consideration and planning stage for what you want to do, at least with local projects you know you can buy the materials and supplies you need to get it done.
Colette Barnard recently shared her bathroom makeover on facebook, and I wanted to share her experience and how the project looked before and after. I think the change is fantastic and what was a boring brown bathroom is now a modern, bright sanctuary.
The transformation from the bathroom before to the finished bathroom is amazing. The brown wall and floor tiles are so out of date, and it has become even easier now with modern paint technology to paint over tiles - both on the wall and the floor. You just have to buy the correct products, and there's no better way of finding someone who has previously used the products with success. Everyone has their favourite brands that they like to work with but having a stellar review and seeing how the products are used in an actual situation does help.
A few new accessories were added to the bathroom as part of the makeover and that included the slimline Venetian blinds, bathroom storage and shelves, as well as a wallpaper mural that was applied to the side of the bathtub. All the changes really do make a difference in this smallish bathroom.
Like the storage ideas? Pretty easy to make your own using PAR pine that you can purchase at any Builders store or your local hardware, or you can source bamboo online or locally to make the wall storage shelf for your bathroom.
Supplies you will need for a bathroom makeover
Painting walls and tiles, even floor tiles, can be done these days. However, keep in mind that when painting tiled floors, this will probably only last about 2 to 3 years before it needs to be done again.
For her bathroom makeover Colette used the following products:
Prominent Paints Select Universal Undercoat
Dulux Acrylic PVA - Walls & Ceilings - White
IMPA Stoep Paint - Dark Grey
Vinyl Wallpaper with grey brick pattern
Installing the Wallpaper
The wallpaper installed on the side of the bathtub brings something different to the bathroom and you can find plenty of wallpaper designs and prints locally. If you like this particular design, enter 'wallpaper brick' in your search bar.
Even though the wallpaper says it is waterproof, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Colette used waterproof acrylic glue to secure the wallpaper onto the side panel of the bathtub, and then applied several coats of clear acrylic sealer - or ModPodge - over the wallpaper to offer protection. Not sure how this will last but if you make sure the edges are properly sealed and water doesn't flood over the side of the bath, it should be OK.
Painting the Wall and Floor Tiles
Painting tiles is easy these days and as long as you use the right products, painted tiles should last quite a while if prepped, properly primed and painted.
Colette chose the Prominent Paints Select Universal Undercoat as a primer for the walls tiles and needed to apply 3 coats - allowing sufficient drying time between each coat - to cover the brown tiles. The primer was then overcoated with Dulux Acrylic PVA Walls & Ceilings paint in Brilliant White.
On the tiled floor, Colette applied IMPA Stoep Enamel in a dark grey. Because the paint is darker than the brown tiles, you won't need to apply as many coats of paint for full coverage. It is important to follow the recommended guidelines for proper application to ensure a successfully completed project. Stoep enamel is tough and durable and should last for a couple of years before it needs to be touched up.
