Homeowner saved £1000s on this Scandi-look bathroom makeover

One mum saved thousands by shopping around and putting some easy DIY into practice in this monochrome scandi-look bathroom makeover. All without calling in the professionals.

Julie Pentelow from Swindon was desperate for some new bathroom ideas and dreamt of turning her plain white scheme into a stylish Scandi-look retreat.

Monochrome Scandi-look bathroom makeover

‘I saw people on Facebook groups saving money by revamping their bathrooms to give them a new look, so I decided to give it a go myself,' Julie told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk.

'I browsed the internet and fell in love with Scandinavian design. It has a really relaxing and cosy feel to it that gives you a lovely sense of escapism.’

Most of Julie’s supplies came from budget stores such as B&Q, IKEA, B&M and Matalan. ‘My first stop was B&Q, where I picked up some Dulux Rich Black matt emulsion for £18 and White Satin V33 Wall Tile & Panelling Paint for £25,' she says.

'I also needed to think about the bath, which had a lot of black mould. To tackle this, I used Unibond Re-New White Silicone Sealant, £6 from Amazon, to cover it all up. Another area that needed work was the floor tiles, so I used a black grout pen that cost £3.99 from Amazon.'

Julie also cleaned up her dirty shower screen after seeing a hack on YouTube. 'They used a razor blade in the original video with some white vinegar,' she recalls, 'so I used a paint scraper, white vinegar, Viakal Spray and Elbow Grease Spray, which made it look like a new shower screen!'

Before

The old bathroom was functional but bland, starving of any imaginative small bathroom ideas. Julie couldn't wait to give it a makeover. ‘Having two young children often made it difficult to find time to work on the project without them being near the wet paint or distracting me,' she says.

'Luckily my husband Mike helped keep them out of the way at times, and I also did a lot of the work on my day off during the week when my youngest was napping.'

The bathroom has been given a smart monochrome look, with self-adhesive tiles used on the bath panel, new under-sink vanity and a lick of paint on the old tiles. The self-adhesive tiles were a smart bathroom tile idea that saved Julie a small fortune.

‘The adhesive tiles on the bath panel cost £1 a sheet from One Below and it cost me £15 altogether,' says Julie. 'I also bought some self-adhesive wall caddies off of Amazon for £15.'

'Finding an under-sink console was tricky, as I only have a small space between the sink and the bath,' she continues. 'I eventually found one that fits perfectly – and it only cost £34.99 from The Range. I painted the handles black to match the colour theme.'

After

Self-adhesive tiles are a great way to transform walls or furniture, but how easy were they apply? 'I cut them to size with scissors and also used self-adhesive spray from B&M for extra adhesion,' explains Julie. 'It was simple.'

On the other side of the room, a dramatic dark wall houses a mirror and some homemade artworks. '‘I was able to save money on the decor as I do a bit of graphic design in my spare time and have an Etsy shop selling art prints and wedding stationery,' says Julie.

'I made some of my own prints and enjoyed creating simple designs to add to the Scandinavian picture wall. I also used artificial plants and accessories from Ikea, B&M, Tesco, Dunelm and Matalan to give a natural look to the room and add some colour – and nothing cost more than £15!'

'We’ve saved thousands by decorating ourselves and it now looks like we have got a brand new bathroom!’