Before and after: A family bathroom is transformed with a stylish honeycomb motif

The owners of this semi-detached house in North London wanted to turn their dated, separate bathroom and toilet into one practical and spacious modern family bathroom. The cold, cast iron bath was a miserable sight and an impractical airing cupboard was taking up far too much space.

The family brief was to create a modern, white bathroom with walk-in shower, heated towel rail and fun colourful accessories. 'I drew sketches of what I thought was the best layout,' says the owner. 'but the builder suggested a different configuration that made use of the existing pipework, rather than move it. This would save us a lot of money.'

Next, it was time to choose the scheme. 'I love the industrial feel of white walls, metro tiles and dark wood, plus metaIlic accents,' says the owner. 'I had also seen some gorgeous honeycomb mosaic tiles that I had fallen in love with. After visiting several showrooms for inspiration, we found a modern porcelain suite by Twyford and a large acrylic bath. An amazing digital shower by Mira with a huge rainfall head also caught my eye and, along with a glass shower panel and a shallow tray, it was just within our budget.'

More makeovers: Before and after: a showstopping roll-top tub and patterned
 floor tiles add wow factor to a family bathroom

To avoid the room looking cold and clinical, the owner choose stylish honeycomb mosaic tiles and worked on the insect-inspired theme. A natural linen bee-print Roman blind breaks up the bright white metro tiled walls.

'It took me a long time to choose between a laminate or tiled floor,' says the owner. 'I like tiles but they feel cold, and as we didn’t have the budget for underfloor heating we settled on laminate flooring by Quick-Step. It was easy to lay, is a dream to clean and feels warm underfoot.'

Get the look
Buy now: Twyford Rio bath, £275.82, PlumbNation
Buy now: Quick-Step Impressive Ultra Classic Oak Brown IMU1849, £28.95 per sq m, Lifestyle Flooring

The hexagon mosaic tiles were used to make a feature of the fantastic walk-in shower. 'I originally wanted contrasting black or grey grout for the tiles, but my husband talked me out of it,' says the owner. 'He thought it would date quickly and he didn’t plan to decorate the bathroom again for a while!'

A digital shower mixer is paired with a huge rainfall head - 'it's perfect for a refreshing drench,' says the owner. The frameless shower screen helps keep the room sleek and open. A wire copper caddy fits perfectly between the loo and the shower.

Get the look
Buy now: Shapes Hexagon unglazed biscuit mosaic tiles, £83.21 per sq m, Topps Tiles
Buy now: Mira Flight Safe low shower tray, £329, Victoria Plum
Buy now: Mira Platinum Dual digital shower head, £539, Victoria Plum

The honeycomb tiles encouraged the owner to search for all things hexagonal to match. These funky shelves from Flying Tiger look fab on the wall between the towel rail and wall mounted vanity. Underneath the cupboard, an extra copper wire basket makes a quirky storage alternative. 'I couldn’t find a blind I liked, but did pick up some bumble bee fabric from Dunelm and a seamstress friend made a Roman blind. It finishes the room off perfectly.’

Get the look
Buy now: Similar hexagonal Accent shelves, £55.99 for three, Wayfair
Buy now: Natural Bees fabric, £10 per m, Dunelm

'We moved to my mum’s house for about a week to escape the dust and disruption, while the builders removed the loo wall and replastered the entire room,' says the owner. 'The loo was plumbed in first, then the bath, so we finally had a place to wash! The shower tray needed to be positioned on a gradient, so took more time to fit. With the shower screen and towel rail in place, we were ready to tile and paint.'

The finished bathroom has been transformed into a sparkling hive-like haven. It's warmed with copper and yellow accessories, which add a little luxury to the finished look.

We think it's bee-autiful!