• The Shop
    • Shop All
    • The Artists
  • The Blog
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Interiors
    • City Guides
    • Beauty
    • Life
  • The Edit
    • Fashion
    • Beauty
    • Interiors
    • Kids
  • About
0
22nd March 2017

Interiors Update: Bathroom

Interiors - By Alexandra Stedman

Longer Read

Interiors update Bathroom The Frugality
Sink: Burlington at Victorian Plumbing. Wall tiles: Topps Tiles. Mirror: Maisons Du Monde. Paint: Dulux. Toilet roll holder: Ferm Living at Amara. Towel holder: Ferm living at Amara. Photographs: Christopher O’Donnell.

I feel like I’ve been saying our bathroom is ‘done’ for a while now. But what with a few last minute snagging issues (a window where we forgot to buy a handle, a mirror we couldn’t find etc) it has taken a little while to feel ‘complete’.

The Frugality House Interiors update Bathroom
Toilet: £179.95, Victorian Plumbing. Window: SterlingBuild

I want to start by mentioning how difficult it is to actually ‘photograph’ this room. It’s actually quite narrow and most of it is hidden behind corners. The room was originally a separate toilet and bathroom, both quite unusable (the door to the toilet opened onto the staircase, and the ceiling under the toilet actually caved in shortly after we moved in) and there was a large water tank behind the bath deeming a third of the bathroom redundant.

I’m not really one for Before and After photos, I often prefer to be looking forward and show the finished result but thought these pictures might be useful to get an idea…

The first thing to be done was to make better use of the space, without doing any major (and costly) construction work. We knocked through the toilet wall, got rid of the water tank (with a brand new boiler and, in fact, new central heating system throughout the house) and extended the doorway. This larger doorway actually made a huge difference (and one we’d never considered before). The floor and ceilings all needed to be levelled as the rooms were at different heights.

We actually did very little

We were lucky with our builders, who started just after the new year and plumbed, tiled, fitted the bathroom suite and painted the room. So we actually did very little, freeing us up to work on other things.

The Frugality Bathroom black and white tiles
Floor tiles: Topps Tiles.

We knew we wanted these tiles, after seeing them on a few Instagram accounts. They actually come as large tiles, so very cost effective per square metre.

We bought all the tiles from Topps Tiles and most of the fittings from Victorian Plumbing. Originally I was after brass fittings but when it came down to time restraints and money (we had to choose quickly as we couldn’t have a hot shower until the room was sorted!) we went for chrome fittings – especially as I fell in love with the sink, which had chrome legs and taps.

Interiors update Bathroom The Frugality House
Mixer tap: Burlington at Victorian Plumbing.

I have always wanted a Burlington sink, and drooled over them in the Hoxton Hotel’s bathrooms for ages. It’s definitely the priciest thing in our bathroom but I also think it’s the main thing you look at. And the thing about this house is that we’re now buying everything with a long-term plan and this will (hopefully) be our forever home.

Black and white bathroom ideas
modern bathroom inspo
Sink: Burlington at Victorian Plumbing. Hand wash: £3.99, H&M. Towel holder: Ferm living at Amara. Hand towel: Fab India (bought in Mumbai). Bathmat: H&M Home.
Interiors update Bathroom lighting inspiration
Light: BHS (old. You might remember it from our previous loft).

Black Bathrooms

I had pinned loads of black bathrooms on Pinterest and was excited to do something bold in here. This paint is custom-mixed by Dulux, and it’s actually in between a charcoal and navy tone and in the bathroom recommended finish so it has a slight sheen. We tiled up until 2/3 of the wall so it wasn’t too dark and finished off with black hardware in the room such as the towel radiator, towel holders and the window.

Saving on the window

We bought a double glazed UPVC window rather than timber sash or black aluminium to save money as well as ease. It wasn’t a big window space and it’s covered anyway, and in fact the wood effect black window looks quite good.

Bathroom art. Black and white The Frugality
Black and white Bathroom The Frugality House
The Frugality Bathroom
white tiles Interiors update Bathroom
Shower: £159.95, Victorian Plumbing.
Interiors update Bathroom The Frugality
The Frugality Bathroom
Wooden bath caddy: Etsy.
The Frugality Bathroom
The Frugality Bathroom
The Frugality House Interiors update Bathroom

I love basket bags for hiding all manor of sins. A wonky tile (underneath our sink!), bleach, cleaning wipes, spare toilet rolls…I use this Ikea one for all these bits and bobs under the sink.

The Frugality House
The Frugality Bathroom

I know it probably seems silly to have pictures up in a moist room, but I love having a few more personal items in the bathroom. None of these are expensive but I think adds a bit of personality to perhaps an otherwise stark monochrome room.

Needless to say, we love the new room and it is definitely our most appreciated room in the house after going without hot water for so long…

The Frugality House Bathroom
The Frugality House bathroom shelves
The Frugality small bathroom

Thanks to Dulux for providing us with custom-mixed paint to help realise our dream bathroom. Follow me on a video tour below…

For more affordable interior inspiration click here.

By Alexandra Stedman

Fashion Editor, Blogger, Realist

Popular Posts

THE BEST (AND THE MOST STYLISH) AFFORDABLE KITCHENS

HOW TO ACHIEVE YOUR PERFECT STAIR RUNNER

WHY I FEEL WEIRD ANNOUNCING I’M PREGNANT (IN A POST WHERE I TALK ABOUT BEING PREGNANT)

Frugality Shops

You might also like

  • Interiors inspiration: bathroom
    Interiors inspiration: bathroom
  • Living room DIY update
    Living room DIY update
  • Time to Unwind
    Time to Unwind
  • 5 INTERIORS HACKS FOR THOSE ON A BUDGET
    5 INTERIORS HACKS FOR THOSE ON A BUDGET

You May Also Like...

  • HOW TO REUSE YOUR MATCHBOXES

  • HOW TO STYLE SUPERMARKET FLOWERS (using brown paper)

  • INTERIORS EDIT: JOHN LEWIS ANYDAY

« Basket Case
Pleats please »

Comments

  1. Bertie Bowen says

    22nd March 2017 at 8:22 am

    It’s beautiful! Even though I rent and have no intention of buying (probably ever) I still really enjoy your interiors posts. Your home is going to look amazing when it’s all done! I especially love the walls and that sink, wow x

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      22nd March 2017 at 2:25 pm

      Thank you!! Yes we are so lucky to be able to get this house, all lucky circumstances, and although it’s hard sometimes I know it will be worth it! xx

      Reply
  2. Rhi says

    22nd March 2017 at 8:34 am

    Hi Alex, beautiful bathroom! Sounds like it was an enormous relief to have it done quickly.

    I have a spare full size floor sample (in the slate version) if you’d like it to replace the wonky tile? Your builders should come back and sort it for you. I’m just down the road from you, so if you do need it, send Chris down on the bus!

    Rhi x

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      22nd March 2017 at 2:24 pm

      Haha! Do you know what, when we still don’t have a working kitchen and cant take our shoes off until we go to bed, it doesn’t bother me anymore – funny how your worries move on when you have other things going on. A year ago that would’ve driven me insane but now I just cover it with a basket!

      Reply
  3. Sarah says

    22nd March 2017 at 8:43 am

    So lovely, Alex! I love the bold colour and the prints on the wall! We were without hot water for 5 weeks and when we got our bathroom finished, we were so excited! Enjoy it! Looking forward to seeign what you do with the rest of the house.

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      22nd March 2017 at 2:23 pm

      It’s so hard to explain how hard it is, filling up buckets from outside, not being to do any DIY for fear of not being able to wash hands after etc! A bathroom is so, so important and makes me appreciate it all the more now! x

      Reply
  4. Aileen says

    22nd March 2017 at 9:03 am

    I’m following your house renovations with keen interest. We bought our house nearly three years ago…the bathroom is still outstanding (very functional but also very ugly!) Love what you did here! Well done for actually finishing a room – something I find hard to do!

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      22nd March 2017 at 2:22 pm

      Thanks Aileen! The builders including the tiling and painting in the price DEFINITELY helped with finishing a room! x

      Reply
  5. Sophie says

    22nd March 2017 at 10:02 am

    Love the tiles so much!
    http://styledfortheoccasion.com

    Reply
  6. Rosemary says

    22nd March 2017 at 11:15 am

    I love, love, the paint colour. Our bathroom needs doing up and I’d like to see if it would work for us, probably not as our ceilings are a lot lower than yours.

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      22nd March 2017 at 2:21 pm

      I think high ceilings definitely help….seen a few pictures on instagram where they’ve apinted the ceiling too and looks amazing! Tiling up the wall also helps ‘lift’ the colour so it’s not too dark x

      Reply
  7. Laura Feasey says

    22nd March 2017 at 1:20 pm

    It looks absolutely fabulous. And I am super jealous of that black and white diamond H&M bathmat in the first photo as I only found it a few days ago when it was already out of stock! I will keep refreshing the page in hope…

    Little question… do you have your pictures professionally mounted or do you do it yourself? I’ve done a few myself with card and they just don’t look as good! Thanks! 🙂

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      22nd March 2017 at 2:20 pm

      Thank you! So Wilkinson do frames with the mount already inside – genius! xx

      Reply
  8. Natalie says

    22nd March 2017 at 1:28 pm

    I love the bathroom – stunning and very aspirational. With the exposed bulb light fitment did you have to buy a special bulb? Asking for my mum who plans to have two hanging either side of a bed in her house and she’s debating over whether the bulbs will be too bright. Thanks x

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      22nd March 2017 at 2:19 pm

      Very chic interiors from your mum! This came with this bulb so not sure – you can get different types of brightness with bulbs so maybe ask in store x

      Reply
  9. Vicky says

    22nd March 2017 at 1:29 pm

    Gorgeous bathroom ! It did look a bit grim beforehand…..
    Just wondering – how stable is the ladder shelf? I quite fancy one myself but I’m worried it would slide down the wall.

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      22nd March 2017 at 2:18 pm

      Oh it’s very stable!! Not slipped once x

      Reply
  10. Danish Pastry says

    22nd March 2017 at 4:50 pm

    What a lovely space! We’ve had a picture on our bathroom wall for ten years with no signs of moisture damage – we do have a ventilation system though. At the end of the day, if yours do get a bit wrinkly then they’re easy to change.
    I love the way your wall tiles are staggered, it just adds a little something. Not to mention your floor tiles…
    Just a thought, we have a squeegee from Vipp (danish company) for our bathroom that is stylish for keeping our shower as limescale free (how sensible were black tiles?) as possible. You can buy replacement rubber blades for them, ours is at least 5 years old and hasn’t needed to be replaced yet!

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      23rd March 2017 at 4:39 pm

      Oh good to know!! The build up has already started and in no mood to be religiously scrubbing! xx

      Reply
  11. Cristina says

    22nd March 2017 at 9:49 pm

    I absolutely love this! It is beautiful. Well done for getting one room of the house finished. I am SO getting those floor tiles from Topp Tiles…..maybe for my lean to/back entry way to my house. Please keep the renovations posts coming, they are such a delight to read xxx

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      25th March 2017 at 11:58 am

      Thank you so much! Yes those tiles are the best bit, for sure! xx

      Reply
  12. Suzanne says

    23rd March 2017 at 2:40 am

    It’s beautiful, well done! I’m planning to do my bathroom later this year so you’ve given me some ideas, especially around the paint and your fittings. The small details make all the difference and you’ve nailed it!

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      25th March 2017 at 11:57 am

      Thank you! We had to make a lot of decisions pretty quickly but so pleased with it – good luck with yours! x

      Reply
  13. Jill T says

    23rd March 2017 at 4:59 pm

    This looks lovely, where did you get your mirror from?

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      25th March 2017 at 11:41 am

      Thanks! Maisons du Monde – it was around £65 (still cheaper than Habitat etc) – but when I received it, it had a sticker on it saying €49.99 which was a bit gutting!

      Reply
  14. Louise says

    23rd March 2017 at 7:51 pm

    Love it, looks amazing! I have been eyeing exactly the same sink, haha! Great to see the before and after as we have a similar set up in terms of pre bathroom being two separate rooms… Debating whether it’s worth the hassle of knocking through, we’re ex council and I am worried that getting planning permission to change the window will be a headache. Anyway, we’re quite near you (Stroud Green) and I was wondering if you could possibly kindly share your builders’ details please? I always think a personal recommendation is so good when it comes to these things!

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      25th March 2017 at 11:39 am

      The knock through was no hassle – it wasn’t a structural wall (as there would never have been an upstairs bathroom in the original house) so was relatively simple….oh yes planning permissions tricky – we are waiting for 2 party wall answers as I type!). And re: builder i totally would, but we are now back in a waiting list for ours as I’ve already recommended him to about 5 people !! So after we’ve got him back I am happy to! Hoping to start our study in late April if you can wait? Email me alex@the-frugality.com.gridhosted.co.uk xx

      Reply
  15. Becky says

    23rd March 2017 at 8:14 pm

    Love it! We were doing our bathrooms at the same time, and I concur – it’s hideous without one (and ours was only for a few days) x

    Reply
  16. Jacqui says

    23rd March 2017 at 10:05 pm

    This is lovely, Alex. I really want to steal your sink for my bathroom renovation (I live in NZ so don’t worry, you are pretty safe)! I’ll have to see if I can find something similar here.

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      25th March 2017 at 11:36 am

      Aah – good luck with yours! Sure you’ll find something (it will be a pretty expensive trip, otherwise!) x

      Reply
  17. Frances says

    25th March 2017 at 8:16 am

    Looks great! Can I ask where you get your windows from and which ones? Boring question but I need to get some myself!

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      25th March 2017 at 11:16 am

      Not at all! This one was UPVC actually, wood effect from Windowlines. We want sash timber for the rest of the house but as it was small and only looks out to an alleyway, this saved money and looks pretty good! xx

      Reply
  18. Kim says

    25th March 2017 at 9:16 am

    lovely to see it Alex! A really good job to both of you xx

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      25th March 2017 at 11:17 am

      Thank you xxx feels so good to have a shower!

      Reply
  19. Lindsay Reed says

    28th March 2017 at 2:24 pm

    Hi Alex, I’ve been following you for a while, since you bought the same light as us from BHS ??!! The one that now graces your lovely new bathroom. I love the interiors pieces you post. We used to have a lovely home, a mixture of scandi style with antique touches and eclectic finds from our travels, but since our twins were born in October 2015, our beautiful home now resembles more of a soft play place!! Perhaps you could recommend some interiors bloggers who have children that might provide some welcome inspiration? Our house is small and our twinkles have ALOT of stuff!! Thanks Alex. Best wishes for everything you do. Lindsay Reed

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      28th March 2017 at 11:40 pm

      Have you seen Erica Davies’ blog? She has kids…I’m not sure who else, sorry! x

      Reply
  20. Victoria Anderson says

    14th April 2017 at 12:36 am

    Great bathroom!! Thanks for the tour, tips and links, so helpful. I’m doing up our bathroom at the moment (black and white too obviously! but going for hexagon wall tiles and black and white marble look floor) and having the same issue you mentioned in your video – I’m trying to go for ‘antique gold’ brass fittings, but can’t find it all to much! So frustrating, their missing a trick there. Our space is also teeny, may I please ask what exact bath you went for? Are you able to send me a link to it please? Was it Victorian Plumbing also? Thank you so much. ? ?

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      15th April 2017 at 11:27 am

      I found you could get taps, but then what about the sink hole for the bath…?! It was a bit mind boggling! The bath I can’t seem to log in and check, the websites a bit useless – it was just a normal bath and we bought the screen separately. It was quite narrow to fit our space. What I would say is that the square edge one I’m not the happiest with, I wish I’d got one with a curved back more in-keeping with victorian style….it feels like the only modern item in the bathroom…

      Reply
  21. Katy D says

    18th April 2017 at 2:48 pm

    Your bathroom looks amazing, I am going to steal a lot of your ideas! With the tiles on the wall – did you use a black grout or was it dark grey please?

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      18th April 2017 at 3:17 pm

      It was dark grey! Good luck! x

      Reply
  22. Becky Lee says

    21st April 2017 at 11:24 pm

    Thanks Alex. Just watched your video, been meaning to do that ever since you posted it. I mostly did my bathroom on a budget. I’m in a 1940’s house so I left the suite (cast iron bath and typical plain white sink) and updated taps, waste etc. Looking for a bit of a change and because I did as you have and half tiled, its easy.
    A lick of paint is in order. I’m just looking to change my all white theme to a dark ish grey… perhaps a touch lighter than the colour you have but something similar,

    I enjoy your blog, both fashion and home provide inspiration and ideas for any budget. I find it very refreshing. Thanks for everything! Becky

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      23rd April 2017 at 4:26 pm

      Thanks so much becky! Lucky your old tenants left you a nice bath – we’re trying to keep as many original features as we can here, as they’re so rare xx

      Reply
  23. Simone Hardy says

    26th May 2017 at 4:34 pm

    Hi Alexandra

    I love absolutely your blog! Its changed the way I shop, all for the better, and I am constantly inspired by your style as well as travel and interior ideas.

    I am in the process of buying a house which is just like yours, in lovely North London and we will be embarking on a similar (and scary) renovation project. We will also need to knock through our toilet and bathroom as you have done here so I was wondering if you could possibly share the details of your builder as they have done a sterling job, as is clear from above!

    This would be hugely appreciated as I am would always prefer to find trades men or woman via a recommendation. Thanks so much for considering this request and I look forward to seeing your project come together.

    Warmest regards

    Simone

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      26th May 2017 at 5:01 pm

      Hi Simone,
      Of course – how exciting! Whereabouts in North London? My builder is quite busy as I have already recommended him to a few people (!) but happy to – do you mind emailing me @alex@the-frugality.com.gridhosted.co.uk just because I only really have his email and mobile and he may not want that public! Alex xx

      Reply
      • Simone Hardy says

        27th May 2017 at 1:30 pm

        Thank you so much! We will be off Green Lanes if all goes well. I’ll DM you. X

        Reply
        • Alexandra Stedman says

          29th May 2017 at 11:47 am

          Love Green Lanes! xx

          Reply
  24. Thandi says

    27th May 2017 at 3:07 pm

    I’ve been keenly following your renovation works and I just love how you’ve fitted the bathroom! We’re in the process of buying a place which will definitely need some work done to it and at the risk of coming off a bit weird I was wondering if you’d be comfortable sharing your builders details with us? Completely understand if not! Ps you have incredible resilience – I’m terrified of the prospect of not being able to live through such a significant project

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      29th May 2017 at 11:46 am

      Of course! He told me he has 30% more work from my recommendations!! He is a bit busy because of that but happy to recommend – if you email me alex@the-frugality.com.gridhosted.co.uk I’ll pass it on (as I just have his number and email!) xx

      Reply
      • Thandi says

        30th June 2017 at 11:47 pm

        I’m so sorry I didn’t respond to this – thanks so much for coming back to me! For some reason I thought I would get a notification email thingee – just goes to show how terrible I am with this sort of thing! We’ll definitely be emailing you – we’re a few months away from needing someone but always good to know that there’s someone out there that comes highly recommended! Thanks again!

        Reply
  25. Brandonfub says

    21st December 2017 at 5:00 am

    I enjoy all your posts. You have done great job
    http://happywednesday.ro/
    https://cyrusbuffum.com/post/168016642145/custom-essays-writing-service

    Reply
  26. GeraldKip says

    24th December 2017 at 4:49 pm

    I love everything you post. You have done really good job
    https://kittehnoir.com/post/167773509779/essay-services-writing-assignments-have-by-no
    https://michaellazerow.com/post/168575239342/do-your-best-papers-with-our-custom-writing

    Reply
  27. sarah colthorpe says

    3rd January 2018 at 5:38 pm

    Looks really great, a very boring question but what size are your white tiles, we’re about to do our bathroom and can’t decide between 15×15 or 20×20. Thank you in advance. Sarah

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      4th January 2018 at 4:06 pm

      20 x 20 I think, 15 x 15 are quarry tiles…x

      Reply
      • sarah colthorpe says

        5th January 2018 at 10:48 am

        Thank you.

        Reply
  28. Donaldfag says

    6th January 2018 at 2:51 am

    Many thanks for sharing, I always discover something new from your posts.
    http://topsealottawa.com/painless-way-for-you-to-get-experienced-essay/

    Reply
  29. Alice Verney says

    19th January 2018 at 7:11 pm

    Love the paint colour! Is it Dulux? Do you know code/ colour name?

    Reply
  30. BrianViOge says

    31st January 2018 at 3:09 pm

    I enjoy all your posts. You’ve done great job
    http://www.viladelamar.com/cheap-writing-services-for-you-online-writing-144

    Reply
  31. Nathanmic says

    5th May 2018 at 11:38 am

    I love everything you post. You have done great job
    http://www.techbooks.com.au/essays-to-purchase/publishing-tips-to-copy-writers-garage-contributor/

    Reply
  32. Jen says

    26th July 2018 at 9:20 pm

    I really love this bathroom (and your ensuite). Don’t suppose you remember what the bath is?
    Also, how did you manage to tile the sides of the bath (and still have access if necessary?)

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      28th July 2018 at 9:10 pm

      Sorry can’t remember the bath name – but our builders cut a seam in the tiles so you can pull a panel back if needed x

      Reply
  33. Amy says

    6th January 2019 at 8:21 am

    I love your bathroom! Just one question. Is the bath from Victorian Plumbing too? I had wanted a free standing roll top bath but your tiled bath looks fab and is much more budget friendly and practical! X

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      9th January 2019 at 3:21 pm

      Yes it’s Victorian Plumbing but not sure I still have the link sadly xx

      Reply
  34. Rebecca says

    12th February 2019 at 4:12 pm

    Hi – Random question. I love your mirror but on the website it says “Only available in stoe” and the only London store is Debenhams in Westfield which doesn’t appear to have it… Did you have to go somewhere special to collect it??

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      12th February 2019 at 8:46 pm

      The black mirror? It’s from Maison du Monde xx

      Reply
  35. Elvira says

    23rd May 2019 at 11:08 am

    hi Alex

    Can I ask a Q re your toilet. I notice you have a trad one with lever handle flushes in both bathrooms.

    With the close coupled toilet, do you have any issues with the seat getting scratched? We have one and when you lift the lid it hits against the lever which causes enamel to get chipped. We’ve got a refund now but not sure if all trad toilets with levers do this? Does your seat sit flush against the cistern when you raise it? Worried about finding the right replacement!

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      24th May 2019 at 11:00 am

      No, I don’t think ours touches that much, and as it’s soft close it doesn’t tend to bang anything too much – sorry, not much help! x

      Reply
  36. Charlotte says

    27th April 2020 at 10:14 am

    Looks great – which grout colour did you use for the walls and floor?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Alexandra Stedman says

      27th April 2020 at 12:06 pm

      We used’ash’ grout x

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Fashion
  • Life
  • Frugal City Guides
  • Work
  • Beauty
  • Culture & Art
  • Food
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok

The Frugality Newsletter

Copyright © 2023 | All rights reserved | Design by Gatto

Sign up to The Frugality newsletter

For exclusive updates, musings and offers