A garage playroom was completely transformed into vibrant yet calming ensuite bathroom

When Victoria and Max moved into their house 13 years ago, soon after their wedding, it had just been converted from a stable into a three-bedroom family home. After having their third child eight years later, they realised that they would have to move if they didn’t extend.

Making the kitchen larger to include an open-plan seating area meant that the original living room could be converted into a master bedroom, with the adjoining garage playroom becoming an en suite. Their aim was to create a good-sized bathroom in keeping with the aesthetic of the house but with a practical, modern finish, all within a budget of £10,000.

‘I wanted to include a bath, walk-in shower and separate washbasins,’ says Victoria. ‘I knew I wanted a green colour palette as it’s my “colour for calm” and the tiles were my starting point. I fell in love with two tile choices: a stripe configuration and a chequerboard. I simply couldn’t decide which one to use, so I used both!’

The chequerboard floor tile idea has been used throughout, including inside the shower, to help the space flow. Tiles in a stripe design work well with the tongue-and-groove panelling, and elongate the room.

'The tile designs have married well together – the checks anchor the space, and the stripes are stunning yet practical,’ Victoria adds.

The couple knew they wanted brushed living brassware taps and mixers so sourced those from Claybrook. ‘I loved the utility feel of the taps - they looked like pipework coming out of the walls,’ says Victoria. ‘I went on to choose a simple bath, large enough to bath all the children in at once.'

The reeded glass shower screen allows the light through, keeping the space open, and brings another texture into the space. It was also important to Victoria that they reused materials where possible, so she asked a local carpenter to modify a storage cupboard, which was originally in the kitchen.

‘Throughout the build, I repurposed different elements of the old house into the new renovations,’ she says. ‘One of the most challenging moments of the project was that the walk-in shower had to dip to allow for drainage. The tilers wanted to cut the tiles diagonally, but I insisted on keeping them whole, so that the pattern stayed consistent - and we got there in the end.'

'The vanity unit was a whole other story,' Victoria tells us. 'I wanted it to be classic looking with drawers, and to fit two washbasins in a limited space. I love how the rounded washbasins contrast with the lines of the tiles.’

The couple went for a bespoke vanity unit from Parker Howley & Co, which ticked all of their boxes. 'It could even be finished in the same paint colour I was using on the rest of the woodwork, Skimming Stone by Farrow & Ball,' Victoria adds. 'All the walls were painted in a soft white to allow the green tiles to shine in the space.’

Brass detailing brings in a luxury finish, while living brassware taps and mixers add an organic texture and utility feel. The long niche ensures toiletries are kept easily to hand. Fortunately, the project didn't require any exterior changes, as Victoria insisted on keeping the garage doors. 'This not only saved money, but it also allows easy access to the plumbing,’ she explains.

'Now the project is complete, the bathroom is like a sanctuary tucked away at the far end of the house,' Victoria tells us. 'Not only can we wash all the children in the bath at the same time, but I can enjoy relaxing alone time there too.’

Get the look