Our bathroom and toilet were 25 years old and so... BEIGE!
We couldn't afford to get someone in to update it for us, and my husband is not particularly handy. 🚫👐
I have been trying to tackle new challenges lately – and this was so far out of my comfort zone! 😨
Starting the project while my husband was away, it took “a bit” longer than I expected 😉.
Hubby helped install a couple of pipes and some fittings, and we got an electrician for the final lighting - but mostly I researched and did it all myself 😊.
Steps
Step 1
BEIGE BEIGE BEIGE!!! 🙈
Both the bathroom and toilet were badly in need of a makeover.
Everything was so beige and dated - showing its 25 years.
But we couldn't afford a plumber or tiler, or to rip everything out and start again. So I googled stuff, consulted YouTube, and did much research to see what I could do myself.
It turns out that even middle-aged mums with no experience - but plenty of determination - can do an awful lot! 😜😝💪
The existing flooring and tiles were in decent condition, however there was a lot of grout worn away, mould underneath silicone etc. Vinyl was peeling off the vanity unit, old fluoro light fitting.
Here is what I had to start with... 🙄
Mirror already removed in this photo
Beige tiles and dated feature tiling
More beige...
... and the beige continues!
Step 2
REMOVE VANITY, FITTINGS AND FIXTURES
- Remove the old mirror (the builders had kindly left a massive hole behind it for me to fix 😫...)
- Remove vanity
- Remove tapware
- Remove towel rails and shelves
- Remove light and powerpoint cover plates
- Remove pictures and decorations
- Remove curtains and rods
Step 3
REMOVE SILICONE and GROUT
- Cut and scrape away silicone from all edges around bath and shower recess. Clean throughly to remove all traces of silicone.
- Scrape away grout between all wall tiles (around vanity, bathtub and shower recess).
- I used a combination of a grout scraper and a Dremel with grout-removal attachment.
- More care should be taken where re-grouting (as opposed to removing tiles).
- Use a mask, gloves, glasses etc - it gets VERY dusty!
Removing grout in the shower
REMOVE UNWANTED TILES
If replacing tiles, remove the unwanted tiles.
- In my case, I had removed part of the wall behind the tiles near the bath to inspect the plumbing (cartridge sizes etc) inside the wall.
- In this process we discovered that we could not use our desired tapware due to cartridge sizes - and we did not want to call a plumber to re-fit the plumbing behind the wall.
- Instead we chose an alternative flick mixer for the bath and shower (later simply re-painting around where it met the tiles to match).
I then decided that instead of painting these wall tiles and repairing the gap, I would lay new tiles myself - something I had never done before!
It did mean however that I had to re-do the wall behind the bath - installing new noggings and cement board!
(Let's just say my husband was a "little shocked" to come home and discover an entire wall missing?! 😳)
Removing tiles behind the bathtub
Replacing wall behind the bathtub
PREPARE WALLS
In my case, I had green textured paint on one wall in the bathroom. After consulting Dulux for assistance, I was advised to sand the wall down and wipe clean, prior to using their "1 Step Prep" product to help smooth the surface and stop the green from showing through.
I also had to fill some holes in the wall prior to painting.
Step 4
CLEAN and SCRUB
Dust then clean all walls (with sugar soap) ready for painting.
- Sand, clean, scrub all tiles for painting - then clean again. Follow the process outlined on the Dulux Renovation Range website to ensure everything is squeaky clean! This is extremely important.
- Remove peeling vinyl from old vanity unit and sand/prep for painting.
Step 5
PAINTING
- Paint ceiling (if doing)
- Paint walls:
- Protect floor and surfaces with dropcloths
- Use masking tape and cut in where necessary
- Undercoat first where required
- Paint vanity unit (if keeping). (I replaced the top of the unit with a live edge slab, but kept the base and just painted it.)
- Prepare live edge slab for vanity top:
- For a lustrous finish do LOTS of sanding
- Apply a touch of stain if desired
- Use a good quality varnish so it will stand up to bathroom use
Step 6
TILING and RE-GROUTING
For advice on tiling, see the Bunnings tiling information in their DIY Advice area.
- Mark level lines on wall, and calculate/plan spacing and layout
- Glue tiles to wall, cutting tiles where necessary
- Apply grout
- Re-apply grout to tiles in shower recess
- Retouch paint near tiles if required
I decided on white subway tiles with black grout for a nice contrast - and visually anchored the black grout by selecting black fittings and tapware.
Tiling behind the bathtub - white subway tiles with black groutStep 7
PAINT TILES
- Following the Dulux Renovation range instructions, prime/paint/seal wall tiles where desired.
- Note that the existing tiles will likely need to be cleaned and scrubbed again after the previous tasks.
- Paint floor tiles in accordance with Renovation Range instructions.
- Ensure you read the Dulux recommendations before you decide to paint your shower floor - it might make it slippery!
- Do NOT apply Top Coat to floors - Dulux have added a slight grit in their tile-floor paint to ensure it is not slippery when wet, and a Top Coat will negate this safety precaution.
- I like to draw over the grout lines with grout paint - it gives a lovely professional finish and lasts for several years.
PAINT BATHTUB
I wasn't intending on painting my bathtub - but it kinda stood out like a sore thumb being beige in my new white bathroom!
It turned out great and I am sooo pleased I went to the effort. White Knight Tub and Basin paint was the product I used - I have been enjoying my bathtub frequently this winter and it still looks new!
Step 8
INSTALL VANITY, FITTINGS and FIXTURES
- Do a test-fit of your basin and vanity top.
- Because our basin was higher than before, we had to purchase an extension and new trap for the waste water.
- Ensure your tapware is in an appropriate position near the sink.
- Mark hole positions for waste and tapware.
- Drill hole for waste in vanity top, and for basin tapware.
- Install vanity top onto base.
- Install basin into vanity top, along with tapware and waste plumbing.
- Install bath and shower tapware.
- Install additional fittings such as:
- towel rails
- shelving
- robe hooks
- toilet roll holders
- curtain rods
Step 9
FINAL TOUCHES!
Hooray! Finally there!
Now its time for the fun stuff...
Hang curtains - its easy to make your own (I did).
Hang pictures on wall:
- I chose metal prints which look just fantastic!
- Consider purchasing unique digital images online from places such as Shutterstock and send to your favourite online printing store.
Install plant hooks and plant up some greenery in hanging baskets:
- Devils Ivy will thrive in very little soil, and is pretty forgiving if you forget to water it for a while!
Hang a mirror:
- I made my infinity mirror from scratch - it wasn't difficult at all.
- Use a smart LED light strip or plug a standard one into a Smart Plug and it will come on automatically at night!
I made a purpose-built shelf to go around my bathtub:
- I attached a smart lighting strip underneath it.
- It turns on automatically at night, and I can change the colours and mood of the lighting from an app on my phone.
I also made a couple of stacking shelves to fit inside our vanity unit, for storing towels and bath-time goodies.
I also made a pot plant holder to go between the end of the bath and the shower:
- It holds a small metal trellis to support plants twisting their way up the support.
Add funky toilet roll storage to amuse your guests!
What about another matching live edge shelf in the toilet
Have a think about lighting too - I ended up changing out my lights for something a little more modern and industrial:
- In the toilet it was just a bulb and DIY shade that we could do ourselves
- In the bathroom we needed the electrician to install the new lighting above the mirror for us.
Don't forget to personalise your space with decorations and finishing touches (homemade if you are so inclined!).
Step 10
ENJOY!
Spoil yourself ! It's been a long journey to get here.
Go buy some new towels, bath salts, bubble bath and a bottle of wine 🍷🍾.
Add a speaker 🎶 and a diffuser 🌹for some relaxing music and scents.
Program your smart phone 📱to turn everything on for you.
Now simply sit back and relax in your new creation... 🛀😴❤️
