When Richard and I purchased our new build townhouse in Gateshead, we couldn't wait to put our own stamp on it and nearly twelve years on we recently completed the full renovation of both our main bathroom and shower room.
If you follow me on Instagram (@thepavlouhome), you'll know that the project was not without its problems but looking back, I'm pretty proud of the changes we've made... read on to see how we transformed two dark, out of date bathrooms into calm sanctuaries, each with their own character and design features.
Our main bathroom with my dream freestanding bath!
Where we started:
Over the years, we have made small changes to our new build home in order to give it some much needed character but we have never embarked on any major projects.
However, both our main bathroom and smaller shower room (which acts as an ensuite to our guest bedroom) were pretty much untouched since we moved in and therefore looked a little grotty and very unloved.
Our main bathroom was also an odd shape due to a linen cupboard which ate into the space. For a long time we had talked about removing it in order to make the room a little bigger, thereby creating space for a freestanding bath which is something I always wanted so at the end of last year, we decided to take the plunge and get both rooms completely renovated back to back.
The project was initially going to take around a month to six weeks but after LOTS of set backs, Christmas and a holiday in between, it ended up taking closer to three months!
The design:
When it came to the design, I was aiming for a calm sanctuary where we could relax... I knew I wanted traditional fixtures and fittings, a neutral colour palette which mirrors other rooms in the house and natural materials like wood, stone and rattan alongside contrasting antique brass.
We stuck pretty closely to my moodboard (pictured) although my original plan for the floor tiles was a parquet wood-effect porcelain but after ordering a full tile sample from Stone Superstore (who I partnered with on the project), I realised our rooms just weren’t big enough to make that work. Instead, I decided that a tumbled limestone effect tile would work better and also balance out the ‘bling’ of the brass fittings – I really didn’t want a super shiny blingy bathroom so by adding the more rustic flooring, I think we’ve ended up creating a really lovely contrast.
I also set my heart on a custom made oak vanity unit from Holly Oak House - if you haven't checked out their bespoke cabinetry, definitely do - which was pretty expensive and I'm forever terrified of damaging it but it's so beautiful! And sometimes you have to go with your heart, right?
How the rooms looked before the renovation
The setbacks:
Where do I start... given that our house is relatively new so shouldn't theoretically have too many issues, we encountered our fair share during the project, some of which we are still in the process of rectifying!
One of the first issues we had was the waste pipe for the toilet in our main bathroom. We had been told it could be moved, thereby allowing us to rip out the existing boxed in section behind the toilet but that turned out not to be the case. The room is small and we wanted to squeeze a lot in (including my dream freestanding bath and bespoke oak vanity unit) so every inch mattered and when we lost that option, we had to rethink the layout - not a huge problem but we had to compromise and it gave me a lot of sleepless nights!
Our finished shower room
Another, more serious issue which we didn't consider when choosing tiles for the floor was that the joists in new build houses tend to be further apart than they would traditionally have been due to cost saving. This means that there's inevitably more movement in the floor so when laying tiles on top, it can cause the grout to crack which is exactly what happened despite us strengthening the floor first. This resulted in the ceiling in our kitchen (which is below the main bathroom) having to be removed so we could further strengthen the joists from underneath - something worth bearing in mind if you are embarking on a similar project.
In the shower room, we encountered what we thought was going to be a disastrous problem in that the shower cubicle we had purchased didn't fit! All the walls had been reboarded and plastered which brought the size of the room down slightly and that meant the cubicle didn't fit... d'oh school boy error! Thankfully, Rich has some very handy friends and they were able to cut the frame to size but it was a very tense time as you can imagine.
On top of these setbacks we had a scratched bath tap, a ruined carpet (which still needs replacing) and a damaged vanity unit which needed repair by the manufacturer!
Where we ended up:
Now that the dust has finally settled (literally!), I can look back and be really proud of what we have achieved. It was our first major house project and we've learnt an awful lot along the way but we've created two bathroom spaces that feel both calm and luxurious. Would I do it again? Hmmm... ask me in a few months!
So what do you think of the finished result? I'd love to know your thoughts... let me know in the comments. In the meantime, I've listed all the suppliers for fixtures and fittings below - hope it's useful.
Isabelle x
Suppliers
Main bathroom:
Sink/vanity - the Chadlington from Holly Oak House
Wall colour: Farrow & Ball School House White Modern Emulsion
Panelling colour: Farrow & Ball Shaded White Modern Emulsion
Bath tap: Milano Elizabeth Freestanding Mixer from Big Bathroom Shop (no longer on website)
Floor tiles: Provence Bianco Antique Effect from Stone Superstore (pr product)
Radiator/towel rail: Milano Elizabeth Dark Gold Towel Rail from Big Bathroom Shop
Prints: Swan & Goose from Trove Prints (gifted - use PAVLOU10 for 10% off)
Bath board: The Plank Bath Board from The Interiors Yard
Mirror: Clemence Washed Bevelled Mirror (painted in Farrow & Ball Shaded White)
Wall lights: Bronze Mini Elbow Wall Light from Pooky
Blind: Roman Blind in Cho Stone from The Pure Edit (pr product)
Shower room:
Shower screen/door: Milano Monet Shower Enclosure from Big Bathroom Shop
Shower tiles: Cotswold Bianco Tiles from Stone Superstore (pr product)
Floor tiles: Â Provence Bianco Antique Effect from Stone Superstore (pr product)
Wall colour: Farrow & Ball Shaded White Modern Emulsion
Wall cabinet: Teamson Bathroom Cabinet from Amazon
Seagrass lidded bin: Vegby bin from Jysk
Green scalloped towels: Antoinette Guest Towels from La Redoute
Toilet roll holder & soap dispenser: Cambridge range from Suffolk Latch Company
Blind: Roman Blind in Cho Stone from The Pure Edit (pr product)
Some of the products I highlight in this feature may carry a small commission for myself via the use of affiliate marketing. I only receive the commission on products you purchase (not via clicking links) and it's at no extra cost to you. Thank you.
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