A Bathroom Compromise

A year or so ago I wrote a post about renovating our bathroom.  I spent many hours researching finding the right fixtures and fittings, designing the small space to how I wanted it to be.  I got in touch with some builders, how hard could it be, easy right?  Well actually no, the dreaded covid didn’t help proceedings but it seems my visions were a bit much for local builders.  I called and emailed but didn’t even manage to get them to give me a quote so I gave up.  We have re evaluated over the last year and have come to the conclusion that we will hopefully/probably move in the next couple of years when Ruby flies the nest so why spend thousands of pounds on a new bathroom.  This argument is quite real, having a new bathroom would bring hours of joy but also we have just witnessed a house sale of a neighbour who updated her entire house then sold it only for the new occupant to rip it all out.   To me this is such a shame on many levels, cost and environment to name but a few.

I know that our bathroom at a glance isn’t so bad, its tiny tiny and has a white suite so no complaints there.  Here comes the rub the tiles albeit white are badly applied if you really look there isn’t a straight line anywhere, add in a sandwiched in dado rail and you start to see the problems.  If I start ripping off tiles then we might as well go the all the way then I’m back at the point at where we first started.  So for now we have come to a compromise, it is clean and bright and I’ve made as many changes as I possibly can without removing tiles or baths.  I really hate the sink 80’s style round basin that just looks wrong, so we have bought a new sink the Burlington Victorian basin and pedestal from Sanctuary Bathrooms (yet to be installed by us) so hopefully this will give me a bit more of a look that I like, more modern rustic and in keeping with my taste.  I spent all weekend painting the woodwork a warm white matt by Ateiler Ellis which has lifted to room and made the internal woodwork disappear more rather than highlight it.  Once we have fitted the sink, we are hoping to add some rustic worn wood, with accessories and shelves made from old scaffold boards.  We are going to attempt to make a window ledge with the worn silvered wood and a shelf below sink and loo level to conceal the pipework more.  I’ve also bought some lovely slubby linen to make a small pelmet to go under the shelf to hide everything completely but to have access to pipes if we need too.

If this all comes to plan and works then I will be happy, its amazing what a few strategically placed accessories like worn washboards as bath caddy’s, lovely amber glass hand soap bottles and hanging linen towels can do to change a space without a great deal of upheaval, time and money.  We have just added the lovely Bilton double towel rail by Rowen and Wren to display our towels rather than trying to hang them on the radiator.   With all these small changes they  should see us through a few more years and if or when we come to sell if folk don’t like the bathroom then our little house just isn’t for them.

 

Images ~ 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10