How would you zazz up this shower room for £500

[MrsKoala]

I don’t want to spend a fortune on it as just had our family bathroom done. But it’s looking so crap (bought the house with lots of work needed). I’m hoping to just make it feel less bitty and more unified really.

We’ve ordered a new window which you can’t feel the wind thru when on the loo. So will get a new blind. I’d like to paint the walls but can’t think of what colour would go with the colour of the sink. Maybe grey? The floor has a greyish/marble tile effect lino - not sure if that’s visible.

The room is an awkward L shape.

i would say grey walls would be cold in a small space like this go for a warmer colour like a blush or a warm lavender a nice big mirror over the sink a bright patterned blind

Do the tiles go behind the sink or are they cut around to them? If they go behind I would get a new white sink, box in the pipes and paint the room a solid but brighter colour.

Put the blind over the window recess instead of inside.

I was thinking that but I didn’t think it get it all in for £500. I’ve got a plumber coming next week to look at something else so I will ask him. I suppose I think if I’m doing that I may as well get the whole room redone. The layout is a pain and really we’d only be replacing the corner shower for another. But it’s the tiles I don’t like.

I was thinking of a warmer grey which veers towards lavender really, as the tiles have a silvery/grey rectangle in the middle so was thinking it might pick that out.

If the plumber can change the sink then I might do it and just live with the tiles.

Put some plants in - maybe a hanging one by your loo to hide the pipes a bit?

Is your window sill tiled? You can easily remove them and replace with some mdf or some white or paler tiles. Might make it a bit more up to date, too

I’ve got a colour from Craig and rose called fresh plaster which might look better. But it might be all a bit overwhelmingly bland and flesh toned.

Window sil is wood.

They put a line of small square tiles underneath which I’d remove. The walls really need replastering as are very uneven.

It’s not a room we use a lot but it’s where visitors would use if they needed the loo as it’s closest to downstairs. So it would be nice if it was better/more pleasant.

The ceiling is rated too. Aaargh. It’s one of those houses where you start doing something small and ended up having to do the lot!

Rated? Sorry. Artex I meant.

New sink, box in the pipes, Lino (link below) and paint.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=black+and+white+patterned+lino&safe=active&client=safari&hl=en-gb&prmd=ivbn&sxsrf=ALeKk00HZuTdikNo61JGWGIB1JxQjcXiw:1609452531442&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjYkK3znfntAhVhQkEAHSohBb4QQ_AUoAXoECA0QAQ&biw=375&bih=635#imgrc=LD6AuNbWlpjtyM

Thanks but I’m not keen on that lino. I actually don’t mind the Lino in the room - it’s everything else! And not sure I could do it all on that budget.

There is a lot of pipe work to box in too.

Other thing I’ve just thought about is it’s the bathroom which goes with our spare room - so ideally they should probably be the same or matching colours. A grey lavender would look nice but a blush or plaster colour not at all.

Agree with @lilylongjohn use your budget for a new sink with built in storage cabinet underneath and professionally box in the pipes. Move the cabinet from above the loo and put mirror above the sink. Paint the pattern tile trim.

I would change the sink - maybe something with storage unit if possible? Then go for a really different colour on the walls? Maybe like a jewel green. Then go for some bright contrasting towels. If you could stretch to it then shutters in the window? It would make it look completely different without major upheaval?

Like the previous posters idea of painting the tile trim - you could tie it in with whatever colour you do the walls and the towels.

Yes I think I’ll have to change the sink.

When you say paint the tile trim do you mean the tile border strip that is in the wall? Not sure about that. I’ve tried tile paint before and it looks awful also the tiles are textured so you’d see the shapes of the rectangles thru.

I might get a quote to do the whole thing too.

Masking tape ON the grout. Paint the strip of pattern tile, leaving the rest as it is. Do it in stages moving the tape on and off the grout. Use good quality tape like Frog.

Paint the whole room white. Including the pipe. It will look clean for a couple of years whilst you save the money to do it properly.

£50. Not £500. It's not worth £500.

You can get lots of self adhesive tile stickers in various sizes so I expect you could disguise your border tiles easily.

Yeah. That’s the thing. I’m not really sure what I’d do if I could do it up completely. The plumber suggested making the door open out into the landing and then you could get a bath in and move the sink to where the rad is. But I think that will be even more right and awkward. Especially at the top of the stairs. So we’d be paying ££££ to replace what is there with just nicer of what is already there. It would still be a weird little room with a shower I keep banging my elbows in and h can’t fit in at all.

I did suggest a wet room to the plumber but he said they were a bad idea upstairs, especially in an old wonky house.

I used Frenchic paint on tiles. Was brilliant. I used a roller.

I agree plants would be good and a unifying colour throughout.

I like that Lino pp posted. I got some similar and it really brightened up my bathroom that also needs an overhaul. A Venetian blind might look good. Some bright towels too.

I hate to be blunt but - do nothing. It’s all horrible. Shower, loo, sink, tiles snd pipework. Whatever you do piecemeal will be a bodge and you still won’t like it! Cheap paint solutions won’t last and you are just throwing good money after bad.

So, change the window as you planned but stop there. Get a better blind and start saving to do it properly. Your plumber is right about a wet room. You have a hugely deep shower tray so a wet room isn’t possible. Your drainage is probably above floor level. So save up and get proper plans done. You then can hide all the pipes and waste pipe by building them in and also get a decent shower, sink and storage, a mirror, tiling where needed, and suitable flooring.

Could you make the space just a bit bigger by moving a wall a tiny bit? But I would leave this en suite alone until you can do it properly. Tinkering won’t make it nice.

I agree with painting it all white to make it look clean and fresh it will make a big difference, see what it looks like after you’ve done that . I don’t think it looks too bad to be honest. Only thing I don’t like like to see is pipework on show , it really lets houses down with surface mounted pipes on show. It’s a lot more work to put them under floors or chase them in but I think it’s worth the extra work. Not keen on boxing’s either . 👍