I'd like to welcome Helen Davies who has written a post especially for DIYbyDesign. Enjoy!
Bathroom Design & Renovation:
Simple and Cheap Tips
Day in, day
out, we put a lot of stress and strain on our bathrooms, especially when you
have a young family like I do, and these spaces can quickly start to feel a
little worn and unloved. Well, without resorting to a full-blown bathroom
renovation, here are a few quick, cheap and easy DIY upgrades, that will have
your bathroom look fresh and revitalised in no time
Planning
& Research
If you are planning to completely renovate
your bathroom, you should research extensively about various options, with so
many different styles out there it can be difficult to choose the best one but
if you pick a style that you will like for years this will reduce the likely
hood of you renovating your bathroom again and thus saving you money in the
long run. Look on various website such as betterbathrooms.com and compare prices for similar products, shopping on line is
often much cheaper than visiting your local bathroom store.
Once you have selected a style you can begin
to renovate your bathroom but with the cost of a bathroom remodel sometimes
being hundreds of pounds it is sensible to do some of the work yourself.
Removing
your old bathroom suite
The prospect of removing your old bathroom
can be daunting but it needn’t be. Firstly you must cut off the water supply to
the bathroom to prevent any bathroom flooding. Then you can just simply rip out
the old suite. All copper, brass, lead can be sold and will
generate some money for your renovation. Paying for a waste disposal company to
take away your old suite can be much cheaper than hiring a skip.
Installing
your new suite
Once you have completely gutted your bathroom you can begin
to install your new suite.
This maybe a job for the professionals but many
suites now come with clear and detailed instructions on installation making it
easy for anyone to attempt the installation themselves
Tiling &
Painting
Now your new suite is installed you can get on with the
tiling and painting. Tiling is much easier than you may think and with lots of
helpful tips and tutorials online you should be able to tile your bathroom
yourself. You will need several tools (Tile cutter, Tile saw,
Grout spreader, Spirit level, Tile nibblers, Adhesive spreader, Tile cutting
jig, Gauge stick). Remember to make sure the floor is flat so
the tiles sit well and the gaps are equal. Using larger tiles will be easier
for a beginner, remember to leave plenty of time for the tiles to set to the
tile adhesive (at least 24 hours). Using paint is a great way to save money as
tiles can be costly. Choose to paint your walls with a neutral colour paint to
enhance the size of your bathroom and to create a sense of light.
Bathroom
furniture
Don’t waste money on buying new furniture you can renovate
your old cupboards and storage units or pick up something cheap from a thrifty
store, yard sale etc. Sand them down and paint them in a vintage style or a
modern design, which ever suits the look of your new bathroom. Pick up some
pretty draw pulls to really finish off the look, these are inexpensive and will
really transform your units.
Final
touches
This is where you can really give your bathroom the wow
factor, bathroom accessories are cheap and really complete the look of any new
bathroom.
Choose matching tooth brush
holders and soap containers, choose some chrome towel rails and hooks, finally
add some brightly coloured towels, candles and a bunch of flowers. Your budget
bathroom renovation is now complete, so go and enjoy it.
This article was written by the
interior designer Helen Davies who is a keen blogger, Pinterest addict and
freelance writer
