Lifestyle BATHROOMS
blues Banish the
Fed up with tired tiles and
saggingshelves?Then it’s time to brighten up your bathroom with a fewideas from FlAt liVing
the other reason formaking somechanges is simply tomake your bathrooma better, brighter placetobe. To do this doesn’tnecessarilymean spending afortune –orcompletelyremodelling your space. According to Phil, the secret is to keep things simple so before you rip out that bathroomsuite, here are a fewneat ideas for making your bathroombetter.
* Don’tchangethe suite,
just change the fittings It’samazingwhatanew leaseoflifeyou can give your bathroomby simplymaking afew smallchanges Give your suiteadeepclean first andthenreplace thoseold taps with bright newchromefittings.Homebase,B&Q, Victoria Plumbandthe Bathstoreall supply inexpensivetapsstartingataround£
20.Make sure youuse thesamestyle andfinish forbath
andhandbasin.Never mix chromeand gold or brassfinishes.Ifnecessary replaceyourtoilet roll andtowel holderstomakesuretheymatch – and don’t forget the toilet flush. Also, itmay soundobvious butdon’tmake themistake of fitting Victorian-styletapstoamodernbasin – or vice versa–ifindoubt askyoursupplierfor advice.
Upgrade your shower There’snothing moredepressing than a shower that’s moreofadribble than acascade. A newpower shower could set you back any- thingfrom £250to£1000 dependingonthe style andmake you choose. But if that busts
12
AccordingtotVpropertyguru Phil Spencer, revamping your bathroomcouldadd nearly 3% to thevalue of your home.Ofcourse,
your budget and your shower is already doing itsjob,why notjustchangeyourshowerhead? Largeshowerheads areveryfashionable and cancost as little as £20. Youmay even be able to extend your existing shower fitting to give youanoverheadshower. If your shower is over thebath, ditchthatstained oldshowercurtain andinvest in ashiny newglassdoororshower screen. There aremasses to choose fromwith prices starting at around £100 plus fitting.
Invest in storage Bathroomsare oftenlitteredwithhalf-used shampoo bottlesand endlesslotions and potions. If youhavespace forabathroom cupboard, either buy one that you can simply screwto the wall or have one built for you. Next,Ikea, andJohnLewis allstock agood rangeofcupboards forsmaller bathrooms or look online
atwww.theholdingcompany.
co.uk,
orwww.housetohome.co.ukfor agood selectionofaffordable bathroomaccessories.If your bathroomis toosmall foracupboardthen open shelvesare an alternative(butkeepthem tidy) or there are plenty of floor standing units that will help youde-clutterwhatshouldbea tranquil space not a dumping ground.
Tidy up your towels If youhaveenoughwallspace,buy aheated towelrail. They comein allshapesand sizes andwillkeepthose damptowels neat andtidy.
Replace the tiles Newtiles canmake your bathroomlook as good as new. Replacing tiles, unless youonly have afew,willbemessy andcould be costly so if you think youmay need to replace your bathroomsuite in a year or two, wait and do
both at thesametime. Youmay be able to get away with painting your tiles but unless you areverygood at DIY, getaprofessionaldecora- tortodoitfor you. Just having agocould leave your bathroomlookingworse thanwhen you started. Neverembarkonpainting tilesinyour shower unless youare sure that thepaintyou areplanning to useisthe rightone forthe job.
A quick coat of paint Interior designers usuallyadviselight,neutral coloursfor bathroomsbut thereisnothing wrongwithasplashofcolour. Plainwhiteor neutralwalls with coloured paintworkworks well even in asmall room.You couldalsouse onebrightcolouronafeature wall –overthe bath or around the window. As Founder of HomeFixDirectand Property Entrepreneur, DeclanCurrantold Flat Living,“Colour canbe your friend... if it’s a home youwanttocreate, with lots of personal touchesthatmakeyou look forwardtogetting in after work,don’t be afraid to useplentyofcolour. Useideas from magazinesorsites
likePinterest.com–if you usecolourproperlyitcanmake your roomlook really unique,and if youplayaroundalittle with blending certain areasofcolourwith someneutralareas youcan really personalise theroomsyouspendmost timein”However,
If youuse colour properlyyou can make your room look really unique
Issue 15 Flat Living
bathroom
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