The tub takes centre stage in this glamorous bathroom makeover

It was ‘all about the bath’ for the owner of this recently-renovated bathroom. With a statement copper roll-top bath as inspiration, it promised to set the tone for a super-glamorous bathroom makeover. And despite a few hiccups along the way, is now the stunning focal point of the room.

‘A copper roll-top bath had been top of my wish list for years,’ says the owner, ‘and renovating this room in a traditional style was the perfect way to finally realise this dream.’

Before the bathroom transformation

The bathroom had already been updated by the previous owners to help sell the house, but it lacked personality and wasn’t to the new owner’s taste.

‘It was functional, but there were more pressing projects in the house that needed tackling before we could get to this transformation,’ explains the owner. ‘Although we’ll generally give anything a go, the bathroom felt like a major job as I wanted to incorporate the freestanding bath and re-design the room to a style that was more in keeping. We decided to save and get the professionals in, which meant this room went on the back burner for a few years.’

The bathroom afterwards

With the bathroom renovation complete, the glamorous copper roll-top bath now takes centre stage with a re-worked layout and opulently dark decor that showcases the luxe finish beautifully.

‘The wait gave me time to fully consider what I wanted from the room,’ explains the owner. 'Particularly the layout, as the old one didn’t make the most of the area. I wanted to move the shower to the opposite wall to make space for the bath and a large vanity unit, and we decided to remove a false wall hiding some piping to make the room feel bigger.’ 

Get the look: Dark Copper Patina Inside and Outside Double Slipper Bath, £2,499, Metal Hardware

Walk-in shower

‘Once we’d finalised the layout, we started thinking about the fixtures and fittings which was when we chose our gorgeous bath and decided to have a wet-room style shower, so that the beautiful, tiled floor I’d chosen was uninterrupted by a shower tray.’

‘The sleek shower screen is almost invisible, making the space flow and feel a lot bigger.’ 

Get the look: Milano Elizabeth Gold Traditional Triple Exposed Thermostatic Shower with Grand Rigid Riser Rail, £469.99; Matt Gold Milano Auro 800mm Wet Room Shower Screen, £379.99; all Big Bathroom Shop

Statement bath

‘We initially expected the work to take about three weeks, but it ended up taking six because we struggled to get the bath into the room. It’s huge so I initially thought the stairs would be the biggest challenge. I was thrilled when we managed to get the tub up to the first floor, but it wouldn’t go through the bathroom door, which we hadn’t anticipated.’

‘We took it back downstairs and decided to erect scaffolding to take it through the window, but it wouldn’t fit through there either. By this point I was in floods of tears, suspecting that my dream bath was going to have to be returned. Then our builder suggested taking the landing wall out. I was really nervous about the idea but they cut through the newly plastered walls and thankfully this finally worked.’

Get the look: Walls in Dulux Rich Black Matt Emulsion paint, £19 for 2.5L, B&Q

Dark decor

With the bath as the main event, the owner then created a moodboard to help visualise her ideas. 

‘I decided to opt for black bathroom walls to give a dramatic contrast to the copper, and added gold accents to add to the opulent look.’

‘We also added a dado rail ourselves with pine moulding underneath to give the otherwise plain walls a bit of added interest. The animal prints are a fun nod to historical formal portraits.’

Get the look: Savoy Vintage Gold Traditional Heated Towel Rail Radiator, £399.95, Victorian Plumbing

Mood lighting

‘I also thought a lot about the lighting as I wanted a solution to soften the spots in the ceiling,’ says the owner. ‘These wall lights give off a lovely warm glow, and although they can’t be seen, we also added small spotlights on the floor around the bathtub.’

Get the look: Milano Towneley White Traditional Close Coupled Toilet with Cistern, £279.99, Big Bathroom Shop

Tiled floor

‘The black-and-white mosaic bathroom floor tiles was a must-have for me,’ adds the owner. ‘It’s such a classic, timeless look that I knew would complement the rest of my style choices.’

‘The layout of the flooring was quite complicated because I wanted the border, so I laid the tiles out first and decided where the cuts were needed. Then the fitters simply followed my plan and stuck them down.’

‘Although at one point I really thought the bathroom wasn’t going to happen, now it’s everything I dreamed of. And despite a few funny looks when I said I was going to paint the walls black, the dark, moody vibe is exactly what I wanted. I love how we’ve transformed a small boxy bathroom into a luxurious room full of hotel-style luxe.’  

Get the look: Victoria White & Black Chequer Mosaic Floor tiles, £83.40sq m, Tile Mountain

How to upcycle a vanity unit

The bathroom vanity was an upcycle project with the owners buying the unit secondhand, the countertop sink on eBay and the tap from Amazon. The whole project cost just £50. 

• Choose a piece of furniture solid enough to take the weight of a basin full of water.

• Consider the height of the unit as if it’s too low it can affect your water flow. Think about the size of the unit, too – you want the proportions to work well in the space.

• A countertop basin is a good choice as your plumber will only need to cut a small hole in the top for the pipework, though bear in mind that there will also need to be a cut in the back of your vanity for the plumbing.

• If the top is wood, make sure you waterproof it really well with a quality grade varnish.

Additional words by Lisa Moses