Bathroom makeover

You can create a bathroom high on style that doesn’t blow your whole budget. Quite simply, it’s a case of sticking to your existing floorplan, taking on the labouring jobs yourself and re-using your bath and anything else that’s worth keeping. Be inspired by a standout charcoal and white colour scheme, then add the odd enchanting individual touch – such as plaster corbels – to complete the look.

1. Import budget-friendly decorative elements in keeping with the period style of the rest of your home. These can impart a sense of luxury and, if you wish, a touch of romance. A plaster corbel or two and a chandelier should do the trick!

2. A frameless glass shower looks lovely but, as it’s much pricier than
a framed shower screen, your money can be better spent. If the frame’s made of sleek polished or satin chrome to match tapware, fixtures and fittings, and the glass is clear, you’ll barely notice the difference.

Show your colours

Bathrooms don’t have to be neutral, sterile-looking environments – there are plenty of opportunities to add vibrant colours, such as vivid yellows, reds, greens and blues, even if it’s just the occasional subtle accent courtesy of tiles or accessories

Save

• Tackle demolition and preparatory work yourself. Remove any old tiles, fixtures and fittings that need replacing, and load a skip with the rubbish

• Recycle the bath, basin, mirror and taps if they’re in good condition. If needed, resurface your bath, tiles and basin at a fraction of the cost of buying new ones.

• Slash the cost of your new bathroom by working with the existing layout and arrangement of services.

• Control the cost of materials by shopping for tiles and bathroomware yourself rather than paying someone else to shop for you. Compare prices and double check your measurements first to avoid costly mistakes. Check out big hardware stores, home-reno specialist stores (also online) and auctions (online and in person). Look for discontinued lines or sellouts of excess stock. Salvage yards, classifieds and eBay are a great source of secondhand items.

• Think outside the box. A mobile kitchen island or a secondhand cabinet can be less expensive than a vanity and epitomises eclectic style.

• Patch the walls for tiling, and prep and paint the walls and ceiling to make big savings.

Spend

• Leave the trickier stuff to builders, plumbers, electricians and tilers. If you outlay on fabulous new tiles but the tiling looks dodgy, you may as well not have bothered to renovate.

• Your bathroom must be waterproofed. If it’s upstairs, a shower tray will give extra insurance against structural movement cracks in the waterproofing membrane. In some states the renovation must have a waterproofing certificate issued by a licensed contractor. Check with the Office of Fair Trading.

• Splurge on eye-catching features, such as a sculptural bath, floor-standing bath spout teamed with a basic bath or a striking marble-tiled panel.

Make a soap dish

Finished size: 13.5 x 10cm x 8mm


Gather your supplies

White air-drying clay; rolling pin; wax paper; 20 x 20cm lace vinyl tablecloth material; straight-edge ruler; knife; bamboo stick; fine sanding block; artist’s acrylic paint in black and white; paintbrush; lint-free cloth; Jo Sonja’s Matte Polyurethane Water-based Varnish

Step 1
Using a rolling pin and about half the clay block, roll out an 8.5mm-thick slab on a wax-papered surface. Lay the lace material on top of the slab and roll over a few times to create an imprint. Peel off the vinyl material.

Step 2
Trim the lacy slab of your soap dish to measure about 13.5 x 10cm. Holding the dish in your palm, use a bamboo stick to poke 2 holes, 2cm apart, in centre of dish, for drainage. Dip your finger in water and smooth the edges and back of dish. Lay dish, lace-side up, on your work surface.

Step 3
For soap dish feet, cut 2 clay bars, 9cm long x 1.5cm wide x 1.5cm thick. Use knife to crosshatch one side of each clay bar. Carefully holding dish in your palm, lace-side down, crosshatch just before you position feet, either side of holes, about 5cm apart. To attach feet securely, press knife tip into clay at point where feet meet dish, to mould edges together.

Step 4
Set the soap dish aside to air-dry naturally, placing a wad of plastic wrap (or similar) under each corner to help create a slight curve in the dish and so provide a natural water run-off towards the middle. Air-drying can take several days if cool or humid. Smooth edges with a sanding block.

Step 5
Mix black and white paint to create a grey shade, and paint lacy top of soap dish. Before it dries, wipe surface with cloth to reveal and enhance lacy detail. When dry, apply 2 or more coats of varnish, allowing to dry after each coat. The more coats of varnish, the more durable your soap dish.