Bathroom Makeover

PHOTOGRAPHER: David Giles

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Sacrificing a bedroom for a spectacular bathroom makeover

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Combining three spaces, making a copper bath the focal point, plus plenty of dark panelling and dramatic floral wallpaper has given Hayley Lees a showstopper of a room…

Meet the renovators

Hayley Lees, who shares her renovations @houseofhaylees, lives with husband Darren, a finance director, and twins Polly and Jemima, 14, in a semidetached Edwardian house in Cardiff, Wales.

Hayley Lees has created a showstopper of a room

Makeover brief

To create a spacious family bathroom with a freestanding bath, a walk-in shower, double sinks and plenty of character.  

Size of room

3.2m x 4m

Project costs

  • Bath: £2,999
  • Vanity unit: £950
  • Taps: £469
  • Paint: £160
  • Panelling: £1,000
  • Mirrors: £180
  • Shower: £1,173.60
  • Tiles: £1,000.80 
  • Lights: £297
  • Radiators: £748.95
  • Shutters: £300
  • Wallpaper: £202.62
  • Furniture: £229
  • Accessories: £50.50

Total spend: £9,760.47            

What was wrong with your original bathroom?

It definitely wasn’t family-friendly – it consisted of a tiny space that housed an old bath, a shower, and a sink.

There was a separate room next door that just contained a loo with no sink, which was a horrible idea in itself.

Even if we knocked these two spaces together, we were still going to be left with a small family bathroom that was disproportionate to the size of the house.

Giving up a bedroom to create a stunning family bathroom decorated in copper and black tones with personalised artwork, underfloor heating and quality sanitaryware was an easy decision for Hayley Lees.
Giving up a bedroom to create a stunning family bathroom decorated in copper and black tones with personalised artwork, underfloor heating and quality sanitaryware was an easy decision for Hayley Lees.

What was your solution?

We decided to sacrifice the small back bedroom, which was just used as a junk room, to be honest, taking the house down from six bedrooms to five.

Everyone we mentioned it to seemed to be of the opinion that losing a bedroom meant losing value on the house, but we stuck to our guns, and even grabbed a piece of the landing as well to make a large, luxurious bathroom.

We’ve got an unconverted attic if any future owners are desperate for more bedrooms.

GO ACRYLIC Think about a copper effect acrylic bath rather than the real thing. They are roughly half the price, and although sealed, copper baths are often more susceptible to staining plus are usually copper inside too, which may be trickier for cleaning. 
CHROME CONTRAST Not wanting to mix copper tones, Hayley chose gleaming chrome for the Edwardian style standpipes that feed the bath.
CHROME CONTRAST Not wanting to mix copper tones, Hayley chose gleaming chrome for the Edwardian style standpipes that feed the bath.  

How did you plan the space?

It was important to me that the bath was visible from the hallway and the toilet absolutely wasn’t.

The bath position was easy, but at first, we had the toilet positioned where the sink now is.

Once we built the wall out, it felt like a feature alcove that would showcase the double vanity unit rather than a toilet, which didn’t need a starring role.

Plus, it meant the soil pipe could stay where it was, so it was less work.

RESTORE AND REFRESH Layers of paint have been stripped from the fireplace to return it to metal and original tiles from another bedroom have been cleaned and relaid in the hearth to give a splash of colour, while the surface has been knocked off the chimney breast and the whole lot cleaned and sealed for an attractive exposed brickwork look.
RESTORE AND REFRESH Layers of paint have been stripped from the fireplace to return it to metal and original tiles from another bedroom have been cleaned and relaid in the hearth to give a splash of colour, while the surface has been knocked off the chimney breast and the whole lot cleaned and sealed for an attractive exposed brickwork look. 
REVAMP FURNITURE An old and but well-loved chair in a pleasing shape but a worn patterned fabric has been reupholstered in plain cream and placed in a light-filled spot under the window with adjustable shutters. 

Any other considerations?

We changed the solid door into the bathroom.

It’s directly at the top of the stairs, and no light came through to the landing from the back of the house.

So, we replaced the panels with privacy glass, which makes such a difference.

With my beautiful bath now in view, the door’s permanently open to let the light flood in—except when the bath’s in use, of course!

><strong>STORAGE CHOICE</strong> In a big bathroom, choose a cabinet with deep drawers that can accommodate all your toiletries and cleaning products in one place. If it’s on a wall next to wallpaper, tie in one of the colours as Hayley has done with her black cabinet. ” class=”wp-image-3583 ufurnish-shoppable-image” style=”width:794px;height:auto”/><figcaption class=STORAGE CHOICE In a big bathroom, choose a cabinet with deep drawers that can accommodate all your toiletries and cleaning products in one place. If it’s on a wall next to wallpaper, tie in one of the colours as Hayley has done with her black cabinet. 

What about the look?

My number one thought when embarking on a room renovation is always practicality.

How will the space be used, and what would we like in it that will make our lives more enjoyable?

That comes before aesthetics. But I wanted something timeless that would last.

SIDE BY SIDE Building out a wall for a walk-in shower also meant creating an alcove which was the ideal spot for the vanity unit, with double sinks to beat the morning rush and matching wall lights and mirrors. 
SIDE BY SIDE Building out a wall for a walk-in shower also meant creating an alcove which was the ideal spot for the vanity unit, with double sinks to beat the morning rush and matching wall lights and mirrors. 
SIDE BY SIDE Building out a wall for a walk-in shower also meant creating an alcove which was the ideal spot for the vanity unit, with double sinks to beat the morning rush and matching wall lights and mirrors.
BUILD IT Wanting a seat in the shower, Hayley and Darren built their own from a special kit and then tiled it in sheeted mosaics as the tiles are able to bend round the frame.  

I saw the wallpaper first, then the bath, and went for copper and black highlights throughout the room.

BUILD IT Wanting a seat in the shower, Hayley and Darren built their own from a special kit and then tiled it in sheeted mosaics as the tiles are able to bend round the frame.
TILES Use striking patterned tiles inside a shower that work with your colour scheme, particularly if what’s surrounding the shower is plain walls.

Did you have a strict budget, and did you stick to it?

I try to get things as cheaply as I can, but I won’t compromise on quality.

We didn’t really have a budget as such, as we want this bathroom to last another fifteen years.

Our lucky card is that my dad, Kelvin, is a retired builder and does nearly all the work himself, helped by us, so our labor costs were virtually nil—just keeping him in food and the odd beer.

CHERISH IT Rather than letting radiators blend into the background, Hayley was keen to let her authentic cast iron model stand out, and sees it as a piece of art.
CHERISH IT Rather than letting radiators blend into the background, Hayley was keen to let her authentic cast iron model stand out, and sees it as a piece of art.  

How do you feel now it’s all finished?

The space really works for all of us, and a long hot soak is the perfect antidote to cold weather.

The underfloor heating definitely helps, as there’s nothing like warm tootsies first thing in the morning, especially in winter.

The floorboard-effect tiles are also practical but gorgeous.

This bathroom gets far more use than an extra spare bedroom would ever have done.

SHOPPING BASKET

  • Hylton freestanding copper effect bath, £2,999, standpipes in chrome, £469, vanity unit, £950, all Heritage Bathrooms.
  • Burlington high level toilet, £889.25, and Farnham copper towel rail, £409.95, both Victorian Plumbing.
  • Vado Tablet shower, £987, UK Bathroom Store.
  • Jackoboard curved shower seat, £186.60, Protiler Tools.  
  • Dark Floral wallpaper, £33.77 a sq m, Ellie Cashman Design.
  • Skandi Blue wood effect floor tiles, £72 a sq m, Mandarin Stone. 
  • Shower tiles, Dover Antique, £39.75 a sq m, Porcelanosa.
  • Shower floor tiles, Siminetti Gentle Earth mosaic tiles, £174.60 a sq m, Hyperion Tiles.
  • Winchester Antique Finish radiator, £339, Cast Iron Radiators 4u.
  • Black chest of drawers, £229, HomeSense. 
  • Shutters painted in Farrow & Ball’s Plummett, £300, Shutter Store.  
  • Marine ply panelling, £800, and moulding, £200, walls painted in Valspar Moonlight Dance matt emulsion, £30 for 2.5l, and woodwork in Naval Night eggshell, £50 for 2.5l, all B&Q. 
  • Mirrors, £90 each, Next.
  • Brooklyn flat wall lights, £99 each and Brooklyn umbrella light, £99, both Industville.
  • Ultimate Turkish cotton towels, £6 for hand towel, £13 for bath towel and similar bathmat, £12.50, Marks & Spencer.