The word ‘ensuite’ always sounds so wanky…like we have 7 bedrooms and bathrooms or something but basically, this house only had one bathroom, the master bedroom was almost ‘too’ big on its own and there was already a giant cupboard in its place that was screaming out to be turned into an extra, handy bathroom.
And as we’ve already spent a fortune on this house we just thought we might as well do exactly what we wanted before we had a break to recuperate our savings…
So we present to you our ‘ensuite’. Before we started the work, there was a massive cupboard here which led to a door which led to a balcony. It was overbearing and frankly, rather unnecessary and you had to close the door behind you in order to open the door to the cupboard.
What was amazing about this part of the renovation is that even after adding the ensuite, we gained quite a lot of space in our bedroom, as the ensuite was still smaller than that large cupboard! A few houses down the road had already added a bathroom here (including next door) so we decided the switch the door to a window and then found out we needed to add a soil pipe to the outside of the house (we still kept a door to allow access to the balcony from the bedroom but more on that another time). This was a dirty job but better to do it early on than try and add a bathroom once the front of the house was sorted.
All in all, the work took around 5 months. 3 months of building, and 2 months of decorating and finalising (bear in mind we had a baby somewhere in the middle!). The ensuite was part of a bigger job, as we did the hall (which we’re still working on) and bedroom at the same time.
We basically started from scratch, knocking back to the brick and replastering/waterproofing/fitting windows etc. The reason for going back to the brick was because the original plaster was lath plaster which was all coming away and with years of rot, patch jobs and weird ceiling papering it was weirdly almost easier to start again.
When you start from scratch, it is pretty satisfying as everyday there is something new to see and the progress is easy to see. Those that followed on Instagram Stories will know how excited I was to come home every night and see the difference.
And the tiles sure helped make the difference really noticeable.
We knew we wanted encaustic cement tiles but couldn’t really afford to cover the entire bathroom. So after a lot of thought, we decided to ‘stick to what we knew’ and did Metro tiles on the other walls. But to make it a little different, we thought we’d try the ‘herringbone’ style (much to the annoyance of our builders!) – we were a bit worried about it being a bit much with all the different textures but actually, I think it made it even more interesting.
We knew we wanted to go for brass fittings this time around, having missed out last time (too pricey and we didn’t have the time to research into cheaper alternatives) – but be warned, it takes A LOT of time finding all the individual details. Despite Pinterest being all over the brass and black finishes, the UK market just hasn’t quite caught up and the brass items are way more expensive.
Google was my friend, as was a bit of spray paint and eBay.
DO research encaustic tiles properly if you’re considering using them. They need a lot of sealant, careful grouting (we used light grey here as dark can mark the tiles) and a lot of patience (you also have a lot of waste as, due to the pattern, you can’t re-use a tile once cut). They also need resealing every few years. I’m so happy with them but it is worth thinking about if you’re too timepoor to give them too much care.
The wet room was something our builder was unsure of initially but after we had to add the soil pipe in, he said we could have it after all and again, this excited me greatly. We went for a step into the shower to separate it in the room and continued the hexagon flooring to keep the continuity. The shower isn’t as big as it looks, but because of the high ceilings in the room, it looks enormous and the tiles going all the way to the ceiling help give the illusion of space.
The shower door we ended up getting made from a glass manufacturer as the dimension and opening, due to the sink and the small space, again (!) proved tricky. I didn’t want a frame on the door and didn’t really want to compromise so this ended up costing us a lot more than expected meaning we had to save buying it for a few months (the main thing that held us back). But again, we’re doing this up as our forever home and I couldn’t have asked for a better finish.
As it’s such a small space, size of items and storage is something to consider. We initially bought a sink that, although fitted when we looked online, was so cumbersome when we tried it in the space. We went for a small but functional radiator to fit on the bit of wall that was redundant otherwise, a less imposing sink, hooks that can hold toilet roll holders, towels as well as clothes all at once, a slimline toilet and I stocked up baskets to hide all the nasties.
Again, the toilet provided lots of issues. We ended up buying a bog standard (pun totally intended!) version and then bought the wooden seat and gold flush separately. The brass version of this toilet was more than double the price, so instead we bought a brass flush pipe on eBay for £30 (turns out, they’re universal) and then sprayed the hinges gold as couldn’t get hold of gold ones in the right size. We used Rustoleum spray paint but with a primer spray first – we also sprayed the shower grate as it was a tricky size to replace (we tried for weeks and gave up!) – to be honest the hinges don’t look as good as the shower grate as we had to roll on its side to let it dry etc but to the untrained eye it’s fine and you have to pick your battles (especially with a newborn to care for in the background!).
So I *think* that’s pretty much everything! There was a lot to discuss in such a small space, really. To us, this ensuite really has the ‘wow’ factor and it brings joy to me whenever I get the chance to use it (which, to be honest, is not every day with Peggy’s nap schedules in our bedroom!). We have also filmed a video for YouTube (and you can subscribe to my videos here) where you can get a bit more of a feel for the room, and probably answers a few more questions – but anything else, let me know!
Looks beautiful! One of my pet hates has always been tile trim – looks ugly. Never knew there was such a thing as brass tile trim – amazing!! Total game changer – will be using it in my new place. Thanks!!
Really love the look of your bathroom and this post is very, very helpful especially knowing which bits you had to bespoke or spray as too difficult to find reasonably priced brass in the UK. I have taken lots of screenshots.
Really beautiful – ❤️ the encaustics.
Hope you don’t mind me asking if you would recommend your builders and whether you’re happy to share details? I’m really enjoying seeing how your house develops. We won’t start work for a while but have a house to gut and are 10 minutes from Walthamstow.
No of course not! The best thing to do is email kate@the-frugality.com.gridhosted.co.uk and she can give you all the details, he’s not local local so not sure where his cut-off is but he is fab xx
Thank you! Instagram was so helpful too, lots of DIY experts ready to help and offer advice! x
Yes! And I’ve only been offered silver or plastic before….this made such a difference! x
Did you mean swanky not wanky?!
Hi Alex,
What a room! Absolutely stunning.
Would you mind sharing where your chest of drawers outside the Ensuite is from?
Thanks x
Oh Alex, the space looks so gorgeous and SO you! Sadly we can’t re-do the bathroom in our flat without destroying all the walls, but this makes me long for the day when we can have one filled with character (and that feels like the boutique hotels I love) in our next place one day!
Briony xx
Hi Alex,
Would you be able to let me know what glass manufacturer you used for your shower door and how the process looked like? We are doing our bathroom now and want to do something very similar but it proves extremely difficult finding anything half decent online!
Many thanks!
What a beautiful bathroom. You have done such a great job. We are currently doing ours. I struggle to find nice lights in bathroom. For what kind of lights you went for?
Looks fabulous we have used old scaffold boards in our barn – look really nice for shelving etc love your tiles really stunning
This is so lovely, I love all of it but am especially excited by the step up shower. My plumber has just said I can’t have a wet room style so I now have lots of screen shots! I have a tight space also and wondered if you would share room and shower dimensions?
absolute dream bathroom! saving straight to my pinterest!
Laura x
No, I meant wanky!!
In the spirit of doing it yourself as finding a product online is impossible… We have a shower waste in chrome and all our fittings are matt black. Wondering if the primer and spray trick will work on plastic…? Any advice you have time for would be amazing!
Love it and also the fact you used the word wanky!!! Hilarious ?
That’s very kind – thanks a million xx
I love this! ART
xx
https://closettostreet.com
I know you’re intending this to be your ‘forever home’ Alex, but I’m not sure where I’ll get my renovation inspiration from when you are done. Though maybe by then you’ll be on to a holiday home! Hope so. This is lovely, you must be so happy walking into it each morning.
Hi! I love the bathroom, could you share which spray paint you used for your shower drain please?
xxx
Wowza! It’s looking incredible Alex, you guys did SUCH a good job! I’m so stealing your idea of loo roll in a string bag… who knew they could carry more than lemons for insta?! And quick q… sorry if I missed it but where did you get your loo brush? It’s so tricky to find a nice one!
Hi – do you mind me asking where your loo roll holder and brass hook are from? I’ve seen similar in JL, but looking for other options!
Thank you!
lovely !!http://intelligently-fashionable.blogspot.com
Haha! Yes much cuter idea for toilet rolls! Loo brush holder is actually from Wilko ages ago! xx
Rustoleum – there’s a link to it in the last paragraph x
Aaah thank you!! Ha – I always say we’ll stay here forever, but the renovation bug might have taken me over!
I feel like ‘ensuite’ is up there with the word ‘fiance’ !
Possibly…the primer helps it stick – it’s cheap so worth giving it a go? Although I have to say that’s why we went chrome in our last bathroom – at least it kind of goes with black….x
Next! Think it’s linked in first image? So hard to tag it all sometimes x
Thank you love! Yes it really does feel like a hotel….and a long way from peeing in the dungeon and filling up the cistern with a bucket when we first moved in!
It’s such a small room, we just had spotlights but ones with brass edging x
Sorry it’s the one thing we can’t remember – we just searched online for local ones and had to call around a lot of places to see if they could do it x
Oh fab news! We don’t actually have the dimensions as we didn’t have plans…we just taped out the size with masking tape and our builder built the walls! x
Must do more Pinterest! x
They’re Victorian Plumbing x
Thank you! Missed the link! x
The new bathroom looks so awesome!! I love the paint color so much!
Thank you!
This looks absolutely gorgeous! I love the flooring. I like how you’ve really combined practical details with an individual style to get the result. Did you have to make any major changes in terms of plumbing? That’s always the bit that scares me!
Hi, bathroom looks stunning. How are the cement tiles holding up. I know you said they need a lot of sealing but is doing the job? Would they work on a floor do you think? Thanks
Yes – great! Love them – and they’d work probably better on a floor as they’re very thick. You just have to be careful with bleach and cleaning products on them, so do your research (I’ve been a bit scared to clean them yet, tbh!) x
Hi lovely room! Looking to do something similar for a smaller room than yours. We have just bought a new place that has a wet room and a bathroom. Want to get antique brass fittings for wet room and oil rubbed bronze fittings for bathroom. Looks like eBay and Amazon are the only places with these at a reasonable price as you’ve confirmed. I wondered, is the shower thermostatic? Was just about to order when my husband asked me and now I’m unsure whether to get them. If not, is it a problem for you and your family? (We are also having a baby in a couple of months). Have you come across any other issues with the shower? Would appreciate your thoughts on it since you can review it honestly. Thanks soooo much.
I am not sure – I don’t think so! But we had to have all the plumbing done in our house from scratch so our plumber did it so that we could run taps whilst the shower was on, no problem xx
Thank you Alex for getting back to me.
So just to clarify, you’re not sure if it’s thermostatic but due to how your plumbers set everything up, if a tap or flush is being used elsewhere whilst using the shower, it doesn’t effect the temperature of shower? x
No, the temperature stays – the pressure goes slightly but not enough to be bothered xxx
Thank you for all your really helpful and inspiring information. Please could you advise where you sourced flush handle for your loo and toilet roll holder.
( I’m having difficulty with the door link – is it correct?).
So I think the door people closed down after we bought ours – as I had problems finding it recently….
Flush handle and toilet roll holder both victorian plumbing x
Hi Alex, I’m using your bathroom and bedroom as inspiration for a potential change at our home – we never considered an ensuite before but think we can do it. May I ask your dimensions please? I think we have roughly the same dimensions but it’ll be easier to convince my OH!
I’m afraid we don’t have any – we didn’t get plans drew up as we just did it ourselves – I think we even just marked the size out on the floor with masking tape and then our builder suggested a few dimensions for the shower etc to be able to buy off the peg etc x
Do you have approximate dimensions? We’re trying to figure out how small we can make our bathroom (that doesn’t yet exist, like yours) and yours looks like the perfect size.
No, sorry I don’t – hopefully your builder can advise on minimum requirements? The ensuite in our last flat was even smaller and also very do-able! x
Hi there
We’re having a bit of a downpipe disaster in our wardrobes- can I ask, did you use F&B primer? 🙈
Thanks so much
Love this !! Major inspiration – please can you share the dimensions? Would love to know if I could do something similar (aka copy) in our little space. Especially the shower. Our one currently has the concertina door with frame which i detest x
No I didn’t – used homebase own brand for the undercoat x
Hey Alex! My partner and I are house hunting and will be priced out of “finished”‘places that match our taste in London. But having followed your journey I’m not sure I have your patience for a full-on reno. Any recommendations for designer-contractors who could lead the process, who have great taste, and believe in affordability? Any accounts to recommend checking out? Thank you!
Oh sorry, I am not sure. We asked around friends for recommendations for our builders, but we are doing all the designs and a lot of the plans ourselves! x
Hi can I ask where you bought the toilet seat
Thanks Emily
It was via Victorian Plumbing, yes – can’t remember now but it was a wooden seat that fitted the dimensions x