Before and after: A dressing room is transformed into a glamorous bathroom

While the rest of this modern, five-bed detached house in Oxfordshire was stylish and spacious, one room was letting the side down down. ‘The en suite to our bedroom was too small,' says the owner. 'However, the dressing room was large, so I decided to swap them around.'

The solution was set to benefit the whole family, not least the owner's husband. 'He’s very tall, so he needs a big bath and shower,' the owner continues. 'I hired Jon Davies of HHC Architectural Services to project-manage the job. He sub-contracted the work, which was more cost-effective than employing a building company.'

'I designed the layout myself, putting the bath under the window and the loo where the soil pipe would be. After that, everything just fell into place. Once the room was gutted, the plumbing was quite straightforward as our en suite is on the other side of the wall.'

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

The work took about a month and the fitting, including the plumbing work, tiling and underfloor heating, came to £6,000. The bath cost a lot, but I made up for it with the rest of the fittings – especially the hexagonal floor tiles from Topps Tiles, which are stunning.’

Get the look
Buy now: Misty Fjord floor tiles, £91.81 per sq m, Topps Tiles
Buy now: Imperial Etoile loo, £568, The Cast Iron Bath Company

‘I love how the bath is a dramatic focal point,’ says the owner. ‘It’s such an impressive piece, made of hammered and polished cast iron. It took five men to get it upstairs, but luckily we didn’t need to reinforce the floor as well.’

Get the look
Enquire here: Tay roll-top bath, £4,650, Drummonds

The washable wall paint will look good for years in this damp environment. 'Don’t be afraid to use a dark colour,' says the owner. 'We put inky grey above the dado – it feels warm and makes the bath look even more striking'

Get the look
Buy now: Perse Grey emulsion, £46.50 for 2.5ltrs, Paint & Paper Library
Buy now: Arezzo wall light, £88, Holloways of Ludlow

‘We had to bring the left-hand wall forward by about a foot to straighten it as it jutted out, but we did leave an indent for the basin and the workmen created inset shelving at the end of the wall facing the door,’ says the owner.

Get the look
Buy now: Imperial Etoile basin and Vergennes basin stand, £1,148, The Cast Iron Bath Company
Buy now: Crosswater Belgravia lever basin mixer, £2o5, Tap Warehouse
Buy now: Imperial Tristan mirror, £368, UK Bathroom Store

The shower area measures 1x2m, which was the biggest the owner could create without having a wet room. The enclosure is tiled in the same tiles that are used below the dado in the rest of the room. ‘We chose the subway-style tiles as they won’t date,’ she adds.

A freestanding towel rail is ideal if you’re short on wall space but have a nook to fill.

Get the look
Buy now: Imperial Pitea towel heater, £1,596, UK Bathroom Store
Buy now: Badaren bath mat, £3.90, Ikea

‘The showerhead had to be a big statement design to look in proportion with the large shower area,’ says the owner. ‘I like the industrial look of the exposed pipe.’

Get the look
Buy now: Similar Crosswater Belgravia Thermostatic Shower Valve with Fixed Head, £640.25 UK Bathroom Store
Buy now: Simple Human tension shower basket, £99.99, John Lewis

‘We couldn’t make the window bigger because of its lintel, but with no curtains or blinds (we’re not overlooked), the room is bright enough, even with the grey walls,’ says the owner.

Get the look
Buy now: Crosswater Belgravia lever wall-mounted bath filler mixer, £327, Iconic Brassware
Buy now: Crackle glaze white gloss vintage wall tiles, £40.89 per sq m, Tons of Tiles