Mum Quoted £6000 For New Bathroom Creates Chic Monochrome Space For Under £300
- Rhian, 40, was quoted £6000 for a bathroom renovation
- She wanted to create a chic yet relaxing space to take baths
- Her friend introduced her to Frenchic paint
- She found an online hack to cut costs on an upgraded shower screen
- By going DIY she has saved over £5000 on the makeover
It can be easy to neglect our bathrooms and leave plain or dated decor, but this can have a negative effect over time if we enjoy using the space to relax.
One money-saving mum decided to go DIY on her bathroom after being quoted £6000 for a renovation, and the stunning results were just a fraction of the cost.
Rhian Joiya, 40 from Rhondda Cynon Taff who is a court recovery officer and mum of one, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘The bathroom hadn't been changed in the eight years that I’ve been living here. The tiles were beige with a brown patterned strip along the middle, and everything else was plain white.
‘I really enjoy long baths with my candles and so wanted to create a chic but relaxed look. First I asked some local professionals about my options for renovating the space. However they all came back to me with quotes between £4,000 and £6,000. I just couldn’t justify the price for such a small space.
‘I tried to scale it down a little and asked what the price would be for black taps and a crittall effect shower screen. However, even that was £500! I was beginning to think DIY might be the best option, and that was when a friend introduced me to Frenchic paint.
‘I joined a forum and saw that loads of people were using it on tiles. I realised it could be a good money-saving way to upgrade my bathroom without spending thousands of pounds on a professional renovation. After that I decided to look for a way to save on the crittall shower screen.
‘I did some research online and found that I could replicate the crittall effect using black tape. This lined up well with my other idea which was to spray my taps with black paint instead of buying new ones, so once the vision was complete I got to work!
‘I picked up Frenchic paint from a nearby hardware store. I used the shade Blackjack on the radiator and the side of the shower panel, and the shade Swanky Pants on the wall tiles and the blinds.
‘I then got adhesive tiles from Dunelm. While I was there I also got a black mirror and a toilet roll holder. Next up was an under-sink cabinet from Habitat. Then I got 3 prints and a set of 3 shelves from Amazon.
‘In B&Q I picked up black spray paint and black electrical tape. Then I got 3 black photo frames from B&M and accessories from IKEA and Primark. Finally I got white spotlights from Screwfix. In total I spent just under £300.
‘I paid £60 for an electrician to change four yellow tone spotlights to bright white lights. This was the only paid work, and I was then ready to do the rest of the work myself.
‘First I primed and sprayed the bath and sink taps, along with the bath handles and door handle. Then I used sugar soap on the wall tiles before lightly sanding them all over.
‘Painting came next. I applied three coats of grey paint to the wall tiles over the course of 3 days. I painted the ceiling white and used a white grout pen to freshen up the look of old grout between the tiles.
‘I then painted the radiator black with three coats of Frenchic paint. At this stage I was ready to work on the floor. I prepared it by sugar soaping it, then I applied the adhesive tiles by starting from the centre and working out.
‘After that I measured up and applied the electrical tape to create the crittall effect shower screen.
‘My dad then drilled in the shelves, toilet roll holder and towel holders.
‘Now the project is finished, I’m very happy and proud of it. I’ve saved thousands and the room is a relaxing space now.’
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Rhian has saved a truly impressive amount of money with her makeover. Her bathroom looks relaxing and stylish now. The electrical tape hack for the crittall shower screen effect is particularly impressive!’
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