OK, this bathroom makeover was in the making for so long that I almost forgot to share it on the blog. And it actually started with a TV going up on the wall in the living room a whole year earlier. Yes! You got that right! The TV was going up on the wall leaving an old, a bit tired but still pretty cabinet without a purpose. Then and there in my head that old TV cabinet became a vanity unit. I just needed to convince Rob to my idea…
A year later we started our cheap bathroom makeover…
But let me start by showing you what my bathroom looked like before.
It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t pretty either. It was the only room in the house that didn’t get much of my attention. Apart from the weekly cleaning and few pretty baskets. But with time it definitely needed more than just pretty baskets. As the full revamp was out of the question, I started to think what else I could change without spending too much money. Quickly new vinyl flooring was on the agenda along with some new colours on the wall. Vinyl flooring is one of the cheapest ways to update your existing floors. And if you still associate vinyl flooring with something back from the 70′ or 80′ you couldn’t be more wrong. With so many styles, colours and patterns to choose from vinyl flooring has become more popular then ever.
For the walls I went for black and white which seems to be my favourite colour combo lately (apart from my bedroom’s blue and yellow of course). And I’m telling you painting this one wall (along with the shelves) black made all the difference!
I’ve also painted the radiator black, although it is actually situated against the white wall. I believe there are two ways with radiators (if you don’t have the money to splash on a new fancy one). You can either paint it to match the colour of the wall or paint it in a contrasting colour.
But the absolute star of this bathroom makeover has to be my new vanity unit with not just one but two little basins. We went for two smaller ones instead of one big basin so that the kids don’t fight over who uses it first in the morning… Now they fight over who uses which basin (urghh) I will be writing a dedicated post with all the instructions for making your own vanity unit so make sure you stay tuned.
What we did next?
The next step for this bathroom makeover was to replace the toilet seat as the old one was broken. Unfortunately the cistern broke too so it kind of made sense to replace the whole toilet instead. Luckily we found one we liked on Ebay for less than £100. I guess it proves that it’s always worth checking the internet before heading to your local DIY store.
So next I turned my attention to our horrible plastic bath panel. First idea was to use a sticky back plastic (self adhesive film). Then I thought about panelling it with wood and painting black (still think that would have been the best option). Unfortunately because we haven’t budgeted for a new toilet I went back to the first (cheaper) option. I chose a black and white marble pattern to complement the new flooring and the colours on the wall. I’ve got to say, for a £5 spent I couldn’t ask for a better result!
Design choices
Last summer (and still way before the project even started) I spotted this lovely dark parrot shower curtain in H&M. I loved the vibrant colours and as I knew I wanted to have lots of plants in my new bathroom, the parrot motif seemed just perfect! And that was the starting point for all the colours in this bathroom makeover. I love that deep blue colour against white walls!
If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know I love mixing colours and patterns. Therefore I decided to go for green paint for the vanity unit. It complements the blues perfectly! And it’s not too matchy matchy!
And as a massive blue colour lover I even surprised myself by painting blue mosaic tiles WHITE! I knew I would bring some blue in a different form and this stripe of blue tiles around the room just screamed DATED! So I used white tile paint for the first time as I always thought of tile paints as tacky. I have to say I’m really impressed with the result. Honestly you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between new and old tiles! And because it’s already been couple of months since, I can say that the paint is still there. Cleaning, scrubbing and using chemicals does not effect the painted tiles at all! I also used a grout pen to refresh the grout. Actually I think I must have banged my head on the wall because at first I decided to paint all the grout black for a bold look. Oh boy, how that did not work out! So after this little disaster I used white grout pen to hide the mess. And that looks so much better and I’m happy with the result.
The final touches
The rest of this bathroom makeover was down to some final touches. But you should never underestimate the power of the last few pieces. Often they can make the whole look.
First on my list was a new mirror. Because of the awkward space and a position of the mirror being not exactly above the vanity unit, I decided on a round shape to make it less awkward. And it worked exactly as I wanted. The mirror doesn’t seem to be in the wrong position, instead it looks as it was all planed. (Obviously having two basins instead of just one underneath the mirror also helps.)
I had couple of plants in my bathroom before the makeover as I believe it is their most natural environment in the house (meaning they won’t die even if you forget to water them). And when the bathroom makeover was complete I brought another few for my jungle look!
I also added a beautiful Succulent Art by Charlotte Argyrou. I was lucky enough to win this amazing piece of art few months ago on Instagram but if you would like to buy one or check out her other drawings just visit her online shop (and especially her wedding collection- it’s stunning!).
The last thing I did was to turn a wooden board and a few door knobs into towel hooks. Originally I planed to paint it black but I left the untreated wood just to see how it looked. I liked it so much that I decided to keep it as it is! It brings a little bit of natural feel to this otherwise all painted bathroom.
Photos
So, there you have it! My bathroom makeover completed on a budget of £400. You will find a full shopping list at the end of this post but first let me show you the rest of the after photos…
What do you think? For less than £400 I couldn’t be happier with my new bathroom!
Shopping list
Vinyl flooring from Carpet Right £55
Cooke & Lewis Blanca Countertop Basin from B&Q £84
2 stainless steel taps from Ebay £45 (use my Ebay tab on the side to find yours)
Toilet with a soft close seat from Ebay £80 (use my Ebay tab on the side to find yours)
Amsterdam Green paint by Annie Sloan £18.95
Dulux Easycare Rich Black Matt Emulsion Paint 2.5L B&Q £19
Round black mirror from Dunelm £20
Parrot shower curtain H&M £19.99 (it has been discontinued but check out in stores)
Cooke & Lewis Nira White Straight Shower Rod B&Q £8
Marble sticky back plastic from Wilkinsons £5
Spare pipes and parts for the basins – around £30
Related News
bedroom tv stand
June 29, 2019Useful information. Fortunate me I discovered
your site accidentally, and I’m stunned why
this twist of fate didn’t took place in advance! I bookmarked it.
Anonymous
July 28, 2019Thank you so much. And you know what they say… everything happens for a reason 🙂
Robert
February 7, 2019This bathroom renovation is fabulous. Thew look of the new bathroom is stunning. Well chosen colours, simple yet not boring. The sight of some green plants is refreshing.
Anonymous
February 25, 2019Thank you so much for your kind words Robert ?
Via B Design
February 20, 2018Lovely job! I am shocked how nice the white paint on the tile looks. All the different design elements tie well together, thanks for sharing!
Anonymous
February 22, 2018Thank you ? Yes, I was very sceptical about that tile paint but it looks good ?
Jenny Kakoudakis
February 15, 2018Oh, you’ve done such good work here and I love THE PARROT SHOWER CURTAIN! Sometimes I wonder, if something is so successful (like a sold out product) why not re-stock it. We’re too caught up in “Season XX” design. So, with the bathroom also going blue, your whole home is now blue-ish, right?
Anonymous
February 15, 2018Ha ha… Yes, there are fifty shades of blue in my house ? it’s a colour that runs throughout the whole house making the look more cohesive I guess ?
Laura Potts
February 14, 2018My jaw dropped when I saw you did all this for £400! Unbelievable, you should be very proud as it looks amazing. That shower curtain really brings the whole look together. Being a renter I have always thought that any renovations in a home would break the bank but you have given me hope for my future renovations!
Anonymous
February 14, 2018Thank You Laura. There is definitely a hope ? My whole house design has been built on hopes and dream and not that much money??
Stacey Sheppard
February 13, 2018What a fantastic project. It looks great. You’ve really injected some personality into this room without spending a fortune. Some really inventive ideas too. You must be so pleased.
Anonymous
February 13, 2018Thank you Stacey. I am very pleased ? Its actually better than I expected ?
Anna Urban
February 12, 2018Great job on tiny budget. I love the colour palette you chose and love the makeover of the vanity unit, this parrots curtain has such a wonderful colour and pattern too. I think what I love the most is the way how you style it, all the finishing touches are making this space look at its best. Well done ? x
Anonymous
February 13, 2018Thank You so much. I really love this space now which I never thought I would say about our bathroom ?
Susan
February 11, 2018I love your painted unit so much! You’ve made the cash go really far!
Anonymous
February 12, 2018Thank you Susan.I do love my new vanity unit and especially its colour 🙂
Wheel Chic Home
February 11, 2018Great work! Looks like a new room. I have that shower curtain as a spare, it’s really fun! Looks great, well done!
Anonymous
February 11, 2018Thank you. I love that shower curtain ? It’s too pretty to keep it as a spare ?
Mary| hellopeagreen
February 11, 2018wow on £400 that is quite an achievement. The vanity unit and the shower curtain are definitely my favourite updates – great bold colour too.
Anonymous
February 11, 2018Thank you so much. I think they are my favourite pieces too ?
Juan Sandiego
February 11, 2018Anne Marie, this is really good! And I’m not just saying this. You’ve done so much with a tight budget. My bathroom is three time smaller and needs a mini update. I say mini because I can’t touch the units or tiles (they’re textured so tile paint would look horrible). But I’m definitely going to try a new vinyl floor and add little details like the light cord ornament.
Anonymous
February 11, 2018I’m glad you like it ? That cord ornament is actually a sentimental touch. I know it doesn’t really go with the rest of the room but my partner bought it for our bathroom years ago when the theme was sea side. And he never buys things for the house ? So you can imagine how surprised I was ?
Pati
February 10, 2018I love your transformation hun it shows you do not need a ton of money to create a super stylish bathroom
Anonymous
February 11, 2018Thank you. Its exactly my point ?
Caro | The Twinkle Diaries
February 10, 2018Anne Marie!!!! What a transformation! I love the floor particularly- but I think my fave thing is the marble effect batch panel!! It looks fabulous! Well done – you must be absolutely thrilled with it. Thanks so much for sharing! X #HomeEtc
Anonymous
February 10, 2018Thank You so much. I am really happy with how it all turned out ?
Meera
February 7, 2018What an incredible transformation on such a small budget! Well done Anne Marie, your bathroom looks gorgeous! The bold colours are high impact and look amazing. You must be so pleased ?
Anonymous
February 8, 2018Thank you so much Meera. I am very pleased. From the least favourite to the most favourite room ?
Louisa
February 7, 2018Wow. It looks fab! You have achieved so much on a tight budget. I love the basins on the vanity unit and the blues and greens together. We also used vinyl when we did our bathroom, not only is it warmer on your feet than tiles but it is really cost effective. #homeetc
Anonymous
February 8, 2018I agree, there’s nothing wrong with vinyl and there are so many styles to choose from ?