Bathroom reno with bathtub removed

[EuroKiwi]

Removal of a bathtub and a towel cupboard helped transform a tight space into a bright and airy modern bathroom. 

• The project
• Steps
• Tools and materials
• More inspiration for your bathroom renovation

The project

From extremely closed in, to a bright, open and airy bathroom. After removing the bath and corner built-in towel cupboard (was situated behind bath) the possibilities of this room were endless. The shower closed in the single sink vanity and felt claustrophobic. We had a friend staying during demo day and gave him the honours of taking the first sledge hammer to the shower/vanity wall - was a fun way to kick things off!

 

Steps

Step 1

After demolition we removed any old plasterboard that was crumbling away and replaced with Aqualine GIB (best used for wet rooms). We had to cut out the sub floor in line with the shower, as there was originally leak damage, also slightly up the wall. With guidance from a plumber we removed the old shower head and mixer, and the bath taps. The popcorn ceiling had to come down, it didn’t work well for a wet room or the lighting we had planned. It was much easier to replace with new plasterboard and plaster. We also removed the old vanity sink, tap and bench top, but the vanity itself just needed paint (big savings).

Step 2

We got a plasterer in to do his thing. As a first time DIYer, I did quite a patchy job with cutting the plasterboard - I would definitely do full panels in the future - but the plasterer did a fantastic job working with my handiwork.

We had our plumbers relocate the shower to the door where the old corner towel cupboard was. They installed a black shower rain head and mixer, and got a shower installer to put everything together. We finally feel like we have bathroom at this point. The vanity plumbing was altered from one waste pipe to two, same with taps. 

Important note: The legal requirement for shower lining is 2mm, and the one we originally bought elsewhere was 1mm and wouldn’t stick to the wall. We then bought a 3mm liner from Bunnings and it went up perfectly!

Step 3

Pendant lights were installed by an electrician (which was my favourite milestone) and one down light near the shower. We had a quiet extractor fan and electrical outlet ports installed at the same time.

Step 4

Lastly the toilet was installed by our plumbers then the beautiful mosaic vinyl was laid. The vanity was an unusual length (1650mm to be exact). We thought we would need a custom mirror but eventually found one 1600mm long.

 

Original vanity with his/hers sink bowls

Tools and materials

Materials used in the project:

• Plasterboard 2400 x 1200mm
• Vinyl flooring
• MDF
• Plywood
• Plaster
• Screws
• Tape.

Tools used in the project:

• Grinder
• Circular saw 
• Drill.

More inspiration for your bathroom renovation

Experienced member Wayne completed a master bathroom makeover including a large vanity with dual basins, free-standing bathtub and shower.

 

Community member Wendy extended into her tropical garden with her bathroom reno with outdoor clawfoot bath.

 

Get more inspiration from our Top 10 most popular bathroom projects.

[EricL]

Hello @EuroKiwi 

You’ve done an absolutely fantastic job transforming that bathroom, it looks clean, modern, and full of personality. The patterned floor tiles give the space a lot of charm, and the lighting setup really lifts the whole mood. Shifting the shower and opening up the layout made a massive difference. It’s awesome how you balanced DIY effort with knowing when to call in the pros. That attention to detail (like the 3mm liner swap) shows you really cared about getting it right. Well done!

Thank you for sharing such a wonderful project.

Eric

[Caron]

Thank you for the Inspo.  I'm currently looking to buy a new (old character) home and many have bathrooms like this.  Great to see someone DIY. Really appreciate the tips.  Beautiful work - looks amazing.