🖼️
The project:
When we moved into our home, the bathroom had been neglected for years and it was beyond saving. I wanted to transform it into a beautiful, functional space that my toddler could enjoy and I could be proud of. Starting from making it a complete blank canvas, I took on every challenge myself, learning new skills along the way whilst sticking to a tight budget. The result is a warm, modern bathroom that proves with determination, creativity, and a lot of hard work even the most rundown spaces can become the heart of a home.
- Materials:
Floor levelling:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/dingo-20kg-maxpro-ultimate-floor-leveller_p1022366
Waterproofing:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/crommelin-1l-waterproofing-membrane-surface-primer_p0356877
https://www.bunnings.com.au/crommelin-4l-shower-waterproofing-membrane_p0961670
https://www.bunnings.com.au/crommelin-5m-waterproofing-tape_p0356881
Tiling:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/bastion-20kg-mastic-powder-adhesive-tile_p0273639
https://www.bunnings.com.au/bunnings-20l-pail-bucket-bucket_p0138319
Grouting:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/dunlop-1-5kg-ultra-white-flexible-coloured-grout_p6829751
https://www.bunnings.com.au/betta-tilecare-300g-aerosol-tile-and-grout-sealer_p6820165
Tiles: (look alike from Bunnings I got mine from Beaumont Tiles)
https://www.bunnings.com.au/duratile-75-x-300mm-white-gloss-wall-tile-0-99sqm_p0575350
https://www.bunnings.com.au/duratile-60-x-60cm-1-08m-travertine-ivory-porcelain-floor-and-wall-tile-3-carton_p0409787
VJ panels:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/easycraft-easyvj100-wet-area-9mm-2400-x-1200mm-umr-mdf-e0-primed-white_p0166124
Basin:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/brasshards-white-universal-pop-up-dome-basin-waste_p0571697
https://www.bunnings.com.au/mondella-round-above-counter-basin-matte-white-resonance_p0205462
Tapware:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/mondella-resonance-25mm-brushed-brass-vessel-basin-mixer_p0684069
https://www.bunnings.com.au/forme-110-110mm-brushed-gold-pvd-stainless-steel-tile-insert-floor-waste_p0194216
https://www.bunnings.com.au/mondella-resonance-250mm-brushed-brass-round-shower-head_p0684028
https://www.bunnings.com.au/mondella-resonance-300mm-brushed-brass-gooseneck-shower-arm_p0683957
https://www.bunnings.com.au/mondella-brushed-brass-resonance-curved-bath-spout_p0684042
https://www.bunnings.com.au/mondella-resonance-brushed-brass-1-4-turn-pin-lever-wall-top-assembly_p0684126
Accessories:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/barelli-toscana-double-towel-bar-90cm-brushed-gold_p1080468
https://www.bunnings.com.au/barelli-brushed-gold-toscana-robe-hook_p1080546
Door handle:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ikonic-brushed-brass-sira-privacy-lever-set_p0755225
Mirror:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/attica-900mm-frameless-led-arch-mirror_p1011893
Shower glass:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/rick-mclean-s-900mm-clear-walk-in-curved-shower-panel_p0417460
Bath:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/rick-mclean-s-bathware-1500mm-modern-fb13-left-hand-corner-bath_p0221056
- Tools:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/qep-3mm-cross-tile-spacers-500-pack_p6821868
https://www.bunnings.com.au/qep-lash-flat-tile-1-5mm-levelling-clips-300-pack_p0738419
https://www.bunnings.com.au/qep-lash-tile-levelling-wedge-300-pack_p0738420
https://www.bunnings.com.au/qep-lash-pro-installation-pliers_p0393512
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-18v-one-125mm-angle-grinder-r18ag1-tool-only_p0317153
https://www.bunnings.com.au/dewalt-125mm-turbo-diamond-grinding-cup_p0115732
https://www.bunnings.com.au/craftright-1-8kg-sledge-hammer_p0490019
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-18v-one-drill-driver-starter-kit-r18dd22_p0715241?srsltid=AfmBOooYfuyGSUGusY_D8GUQrYxH5iqROvyGsDwMZMRixCdYP7jfCxxgRRw
https://www.bunnings.com.au/qep-6mm-square-notch-handyman-adhesive-trowel_p6650391
https://www.bunnings.com.au/dta-rubber-pointed-trowel_p6655396
- Step 1:
The first step was planning and designing the space.
I carefully measured the room, created different layout options, and put together mood boards to help bring my vision to life.
I selected fixtures, tiles, and finishes that suited both the style I wanted and my budget. As some items had long lead times, I custom ordered the vanity from Beaumont Tiles (which took six weeks to arrive) and ordered the bath, shower screen, and mirror.
Before any demolition began, I captured before photos, videos and spent time sketching the room to finalise the design.
- Step 2:
The second step of this room redo was to demolish everything back to a blank slate. I started with removing the shower glass, then removed the towel rails, mirror and all the little things hanging on the walls.
Once that was done I started removing all the tiles and cleaned up as I went so it would make it easier at the end of demo. I then had to destroy the cast iron bath with a sledge hammer as I was not able to move it (120kg+ bath) out of the house by myself unfortunately.
I then hired a jackhammer and removed the bricks that I had found under the bath. I also removed the lip of polished concrete that was around the corners of the floor. I grinded the floor for the plumber to add a puddle flange for the shower drain so it would be easy for my tile insert floor waste to slide into.
- Step 3:
The third step was repairing and preparing the room.
I patched the hole in the wall left after removing the old bath, repaired the small lip around the floor created from jackhammering out the concrete, and levelled the area where the new bath would sit. Finally, I smoothed and prepared all the surfaces so everything was ready for the plumber to begin the rough-in.
- Step 4:
Now that everything is ready to go I got the plumbers and electrician in.
A plumber moved the bath taps 200mm to the left to make it center to the bath. They also changed the shower outlet to a male thread instead of female, changed the bath waste pipe to pvc.
An electrician added in two new power points, removed the old power point, and added a new exhaust fan, lights and switch.
- Step 5:
Waterproofing time!
This was definitely the easiest task of the whole bathroom process. I started by adding in a tile trim to the door frame, then sealed the walls and floor with sealer.
Once that dried I added my first coat of waterproof and water proof tape to the edges and corners. Once the first coat had dried I did the second. It did take a few days due to drying time but it gave me a minute to relax.
- Step 6:
The next step was tiling, which was one of the most challenging parts of the renovation.
I started by laying the floor tiles without glue in a flat lay to see where I wanted the tiles to go. I then mixed up a heap of tile adhesive and started in the shower, carefully creating the correct falls so water would drain properly.
I also discovered the room wasn't perfectly square, meaning many of the tiles had to be cut on angles to achieve a neat finish. I used eight levelling clips per tile to ensure the floor was as even as possible. Once the floor tiles had set, I grouted them before installing the VJ wall panels.
After thoroughly cleaning the floor, I installed the bath and moved on to tiling the feature wall. I again used tile levelling clips to keep everything perfectly aligned and checked every tile with a spirit level as I worked.
Halfway through, I realised I was 20 levelling clips short, so I switched to tiling the smaller sections using tile spacers and a level until I could buy more the following day. Once I had more clips, I finished the remaining tiles, allowed everything to set, then grouted and cleaned the entire bathroom.
- Step 7:
Now it was time to fit the vanity, basin, tapware and shower glass. I also had to make the shaving cabinet from scratch and install the mirror. I had to build the frame for the shaving cabinet before I could tile around it. I then built the door the mirror would sit on and built it so that it was strong enough to hold the mirror.
- Step 8:
Everything was nearly done. I finished off a few tasks like painting and siliconing the corners, bath, and vanity. I also added the towel rails, robe hooks and new door handle.
- Step 9:
The final step was giving the bathroom a thorough clean and adding the finishing touches with décor.
Seeing the transformation come together made all the hard work worthwhile, and I could finally enjoy the finished space.
- Help and inspiration:
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How to plan a bathroom renovation
No matter what type of bathroom you have in mind, it all starts with planning and research to discover how you can make maximum use of what is often the smallest room in the house. Get expert advice from experienced renovation Adam in his comprehensive guide How to plan a bathroom renovation.
More inspiration for your bathroom renovation
Experienced Bunnings Workshop community member Renowayoflife completed a bathroom renovation with VJ panels and shower niche.
Community member Annette incorporated ornamental roof beams into her comprehensive bathroom transformation.
Get more inspiration from 10 ways to transform your bathroom and our Top 10 most popular bathroom projects.
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