Stunning Small Bathroom Remodel: Before & After Transformation!

Disclaimer: This bathroom transformation was part of a social media marketing campaign, but this blog post is an organic account of the renovation.

When my dad moved into his new flat, the bathroom was in dire need of a full renovation. Featuring broken and stained fittings, bad pipework, ugly tiles and a quirky fish toilet seat, this bathroom was also a safety hazard with exposed electrical wires and fire damage. I wanted to transform this space for him into a sophisticated, modern bathroom that was easy to use and keep clean. The small bathroom layout needed addressing and I wanted to focus on bathroom storage within such a compact area. With no natural light in the room, I intended to bring an organic colour palette of white and sage green to the interior, as well as add texture and warmth via wood-effect floor tiles.

*The before! As well as being dirty and not aesthetically pleasing, this bathroom had exposed wires and fire damage.*

*The bath was stained with paint and the only good thing about the fish toilet seat was that it distracted from the bad pipe work!*

We worked with B&Q on this project. I had a clear idea of all the design elements that I wanted to include, such as a wall-hung toilet and a crittall shower screen, but it was the pipework that was our biggest concern. We did not want those ugly pipes exposed behind the toilet and there were no pipes in place for a wall-mounted showerhead.

After picking out our favourite fittings in the DIY store, we used the B&Q bathroom design service. They did a CAD design from the floor plan so we could see how everything might look and what could be fitted into a space which was only 190 cm x 170 cm.

Once our design was decided upon and the products ordered, our small bathroom makeover could begin! The installers gutted the room first, getting rid of the unnecessary boxing where the sink was placed and making sure there were no underlying problems within the room.

*How the room looked gutted. Luckily, we had no underlying issues.*

The builders then installed a framework so that the new shower and toilet pipes were hidden and the wall-hung toilet was supported. This also created an area to allow for recessed alcove shelving with downlighting in both the shower and above the toilet.

A walk-in shower was installed instead of a bathtub to open up the room, giving the illusion of more space and making the washing area more accessible for my dad as he gets older. We also added grab rails and a removable shower seat for independent living.

My dad chose the shower tiles from B&Q. The central tiles have a ribbed surface to add more texture and visual interest to the room. The floor tiles I picked out have a wood grain effect, which instantly warmed up the space. As they are made from porcelain, they are super low maintenance as well as being anti-slip.

The crittall shower screen and leather-strapped mirror add a modern, ‘New York loft style’ touch, while the deep sage green bathroom cabinet that hosts a sunken sink on top takes care of all the storage space required.