Savvy Gran Transforms Bland Bathroom Into Dramatic Space For Under £100
- Karen Joy Grey, 54, was fed up of coming home to her dull bathroom
- She used affordable materials to take her space from drab to fab
- Karen used Frenchic paint, B&Q materials and The Range accessories
If you’re fed up of the look of your bathroom but you feel that a renovation will cost thousands of pounds, think again.
This savvy gran managed to overhaul her tired-looking bathroom into a gorgeous, dramatic, dark space for less than £100.
Karen Joy Grey, 54, a mum of three children and a stepson and a grandmother of five, works for the NHS as a senior school nurse support worker, and was feeling fed up of coming home to her dull bathroom after full days in PPE.
Karen, who lives on the Isle of Wight and is married to Darren, decided to use Frenchic paint, The Range and Home Bargains accessories and B&Q materials to transform her bathroom from a bland room into a stunning space worthy of a five-star hotel.
Karen told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: "I came up with the idea after seeing that people painted their UPVC front doors on a Facebook DIY site.
“We couldn't afford to replace the door so I did a bit of research, found a type of paint recommended by people, Frenchic, and then realised that as it was lockdown the shops were all closed!
"I Googled and luckily there is a local stockist - as I live on the Isle of Wight that isn't always the case - and she delivered.
"I knew from trying to buy from the company that there was a national shortage of the paint due to people spending time in lockdown upcycling and decorating, and was relieved to find that she had some of the types of paint and colour I wanted.
"It's Frenchic's Al Fresco range and the colour is a dark grey called Smudge, and with our surname it had to be a grey!
"I watched YouTube instructions made by Craig Phillips of Big Brother fame and decided to order a tin.
“The lady who is the local stockist (Butterfly Blue interiors in Cowes) even delivered observing social distancing!
“I bought a tin of paint for £17.95, some sugar soap, a brush, some fine sandpaper and a bucket of soapy water.
“It was all I needed to change the door, it went so well that we decided to paint the garage, all from the same little tin.
"Then I was lying in the bath scrolling through the Facebook fan page and saw that people paint kitchen tiles.
“I thought ‘hmmm, I could paint the outdated and frankly grim bathroom tiles'. I still had a bit of the original tin of paint left too.
"So at the weekend, I washed down the tiles with sugar soap. My husband had taken the bath panel off and replaced it with tongue and groove from B&Q, and using a cheap foam roller from Home Bargains I set to work.
“The first coat was a bit scary, but I knew that from doing the UPVC front door so I only panicked a teeny bit!
"Later on that day I did a second coat before running out of paint, from the same original tin.
“I ordered a second tin and had to wait until it was available, so there was a week of looking at my rather patchy efforts and doubting myself.
"When the second tin arrived, I set to work. I applied four thin coats of the paint and it was done.
"I made my first trip to a shop during lockdown after looking online for something to put on the wall and found the mirror I thought would be perfect at The Range for £54.99.
“It was slightly damaged so we got a 10% discount, but I was able to use some unused eyeshadow to cover up the damage perfectly - makeup is not just for your face!
"My super budget-friendly makeover cost under £100!
“I spent £17.95 for the paint, I already had the sugar soap, but it is cheap, and the mini foam rollers from Home Bargains are a couple of pounds.
"The mirror cost us £49.50 and the tongue and groove was from B&Q and cost under £10. I painted the tongue and groove and painted my floating shelves too.
“The laminate flooring was left over from decorating the conservatory, the coat hook was from Home Bargains and was £5 and I even painted the bathrack which is from IKEA.
"All in my bleak to chic budget bathroom makeover cost under £100!”
Karen was delighted with her budget makeover, and found it to be a positive project to undertake during the lockdown.
"I work for the NHS and was redeployed to work with the army at a Covid test site which was certainly different to my normal job which involves teaching children how to wash their hands and supporting families with various issues,” she adds.
"It was a real challenge at first but actually it turned out to be a positive time. I've made new friends and felt like I was able to do something to help, no matter how small, at a very difficult time.
"Coming home to my dismal dated bathroom after hours in full PPE made me feel a bit fed up and I just wanted to make it into a little sanctuary.
"There are a lot of us in the house and having a quiet space to gather my thoughts at the end of the day was something that I really wanted.
"My top tip would be to apply thin coats of the paint, and don't panic! It won't look great at first but have faith in yourself: if I can do it, you can.
"Look for pictures of the things you like, no matter how grand or expensive and then you know what you like, then make your own version on a budget. We did the same with the rest of our house.
"I have found that during lockdown, having something that makes me feel like I am able to do myself which makes our home a better place to be, has given me a real sense of happiness and achievement, which is much needed in this time of fast-changing uncertainty.
"I am really proud of my little boutique hotel-style makeover and it's given me the confidence to do more. I'm currently painting my 27-year-old built-in wardrobe!”
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “Bathroom renovations always cost more than you think they will - unless you make like Karen and do it on your own!
“It’s hard to believe this transformation cost under £100. It just goes to show that with creative vision, affordable materials and a little bravery, you really can overhaul your home for a very reasonable price!"
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