Decoration & Inspiration: Problem Room - Bathroom

My new bathroom is the perfect place to relax

Insider info

Who lives here?
Carol Evans lives on her own in this three-bedroom semi-detached house near Glasgow.
What’s your favourite part of the room?
‘I love the whole room, but the panelling was a really great touch. It adds the traditional feel I was after while hiding the walls underneath which were not in great condition.’
Do you have any advice?
‘When doing any renovation work be prepared for a bit of mess – it’ll always look worse before it gets better. But it will all be worth it in the end.’

Carol Evans’ home near Glasgow had always needed a new bathroom. ‘I purchased the property at a good price because it needed completely renovating,’ says Carol. ‘So within the first few months of living there I decided the bathroom was the first area to tackle. I wanted something that was quite classic and wouldn’t date quickly.’

Once the bathroom was gutted and the woodchip removed from the walls she could start planning her new room. To keep costs down the new suite was to go in the same position as the old one, so only a little plumbing was required for the new free-standing bath. Carol chose some simple white tiles with a retro feel to co-ordinate with the panelling. ‘I decided on a pale green colour for the wood which gives a fresh feel to the room,’ says Carol. Once the tiles were on and the panelling was painted it was time for the flooring to be laid and the bathroom to be plumbed in.

After searching the internet Carol found some fabric at a great price which meant she could then afford to have it made into a Roman blind for the bathroom. Some pretty accessories and storage solutions completed this room’s transformation.

What was wrong with the old room?

The tiles were grotty and never scrubbed up clean. While the suite was white and simple, the brass fittings weren’t to Carol’s liking and the dark panelled ceiling just had to go. It made the bathroom feel dark and small – not a nice place to be.

Your Home's solutions

Consider alternative finishes for your room
Keeping with the traditional theme Carol used pine panelling on three walls of the bathroom. It’s a great alternative to tiles and can be less expensive. Wooden panelling can also be painted to the exact shade you want making it easier to co-ordinate with blinds and accessories. It also tied in well with the panel effect on the white storage unit.



Find practical flooring
The old flooring had to go and Carol was keen to recreate the look of wooden flooring to complement her classic theme. This vinyl flooring, from Karndean, is ideal for this room as it easily copes with the moisture and splashes inevitable in a bathroom.




Choose appropriate fittings
Instead of keeping the old radiator Carol splashed out on a Victorian reproduction towel rail. It can be worth paying a bit extra for something like this as it makes a real feature in the room, as well as being extremely efficient for drying towels.




Allow enough storage space
Wicker baskets and a panelled unit provide ideal storage solutions for all of Carol’s bathroom essentials. The wicker and panelling all co-ordinate with the classic, more traditional room scheme, helping to tie this new look together.



Keep your budget in mind
The dark wood panelled ceiling was top of Carol’s list to change, but to take it down and replaster the surface would have blown her budget. The best option was to simply paint it white, this instantly transformed the room and made the space feel much bigger.