Homeowner spent just £124 turning this dull magnolia bathroom into a bright pink and blue haven

Bathrooms aren't always known for being the most colourful of rooms. But one Instagrammer didn't let that stop her, and came up with a bright pink and blue scheme for her drab bathroom that's cheerful and beautifully creative.

Lauren, 29, from Sheffield, was keen to change the plain magnolia decor in her bathroom idea to something more in keeping with the rest of her home, which she documents on Instagram at @the.tiny.colourful.terrace. 'My interior style is a vibrant spin on retro design,' she told UK Radiators, 'and I like to use bright colours and graphic shapes with traditional elements to add a modern touch.'

Pink and blue bathroom makeover

Faced with a room that didn't have anything particularly wrong with it, but wasn't to her taste, Lauren decided to carry out her bathroom makeover on a budget. 'The total cost came to £124 and I mainly used paint,' she says. 'The beauty of it is that I didn’t use all of the paint I bought for this room. I've been able to use what was left over for other projects.'

The bathroom isn't the only room Lauren has made savings on either. Elsewhere she's used her DIY skills to transform items she already owns. 'In other parts of my house, I've upcycled a lot of different things, including bed slats to make wall panelling, scaffolding boards for shelving. Plus an old coffee table to make a bench and painting and wallpapering the back of an old bureau from eBay,' she says.

Before: plain and neutral

Lauren was determined to get rid of the stone-coloured tiles and magnolia walls in the bathroom. As the price was a factor, all the fittings would stay, which helped keep costs down. 'All of my room transformations have been done on a budget,' she says. 'I only have my nursing wage and some money from my interior design business to transform my house – which means I have to get creative.'

After: colour-block bathroom

Looking at this picture it's hard to believe it's the same bathroom! The candy-pink and dark blue colour combination make a striking statement. 'I think it's important to do your research and plan before a makeover,' says Lauren. 'Find inspiration and then look at ways you can create your space on a budget. Re-tiling would have been a lot more expensive than painting my tiles.'

In fact, it was the tiles that were the first thing to be painted. Lauren prepped them using sugar soap, followed by water to clean away any sugar soap residue. 'I wasn't able to get the tiles wet for 24 hours after painting them,' she says.

After leaving the tile paint to settle, the walls were the next part to get the painted treatment. 'I went for a charcoal colour,' says Lauren, 'and when this was done, I came onto the fun part of painting the bath, the arch murals and a large stripe down the wall.'

You'll find perfectly painted arches elsewhere in Lauren's home, too. 'I use a piece of string attached to a pencil at one end and a pin at the other,' she explains. 'Place the pin in the wall at the centre point of where you want the arch to be, then use the pencil to mark out the outline of the top of the arch. Once you have done this, remove the pin from the wall and use a spirit level to mark out the sides of the arch. Apply masking tape to the outside of this line to get a crisp line when painting and paint the arch in your chosen colour.'

For the floor, the existing dark black tiles didn't work with Lauren's new proposed scheme. 'I tiled the floor myself with budget-friendly blue vinyl tiles for £56,' she says. 'When cutting around tricky areas, such as the sink or toilet, it's a good idea to use paper as a stencil to get the shape right first, before transferring it onto the tile and cutting. That way you know you'll have got the perfect fit.'

Pretty accessories complete the scheme. The result is a far cry from the neutral room it was before. 'The bathroom is one of my favourite transformations,' says Lauren. 'Your house is a reflection of you and anything you want to transform, so be creative with it and do what you love. Living in a space that makes you happy improves your quality of life!'

What's your favourite part of this makeover? Is the pink and blue colour combination something you'd go for in your home?