This homeowner saved £1000s using ‘faux’ marble tiles in this luxury Versace-inspired bathroom makeover

A luxury hotel-inspired bathroom was top of the wish list for this homeowner, but with a moderate budget and a very plain white bathroom that was anything but luxurious, some creative thinking (and a new bathroom colour scheme) was required before tackling the bathroom makeover.

‘My husband and I moved from our previous terraced house as we wanted more space for our visiting family from India, who often stay for a month at a time,’ says the homeowner. ‘On the surface, the semi looked fine as all the rooms had been decorated white, but after we moved in, we discovered it wasn’t in such great condition. We’d lived in a new build before and had no renovation experience, so didn’t know the warning signs to look out for.’

Before

‘The previous owners had given the bathroom a cosmetic refresh and although everything was white and clean, it lacked character, with outdated fittings and poor water pressure.’

‘Top of my wish list to add more luxe was more storage, a large mirror and I absolutely love the look of gold finishes with marble. I’m a fashion influencer and stylist (@pinklondonhome) and bright colours and bold patterns are very ‘me’, but I didn’t want to go too crazy with the bathroom as the space needed to feel calm and serene.’

After

Glam gold-effect fittings

‘We discovered both bathrooms had poor water pressure – something we hadn’t noticed when doing the viewings as we hadn’t thought to turn on the taps. The problem was down to narrow pipes and the water tank in the loft and although we decided to make do at first (while we tackled other rooms), when the bath began to leak, we were forced to make the bathroom our priority.’

‘First, we replaced the pipes and installed a powerful Megaflo heating system to improve the water pressure. Then we had a DIY shop design our floorplan, as we wanted to work with a company who could manage the installation, too. We were keen to have a separate shower and although the DIY shop fitted everything into the bathroom layout, the room looked like it would be cramped and their quote was expensive.’

Wall-hung vanity unit

‘I knew that I wanted the bathroom to be a luxurious space. We had been to Dubai and treated ourselves by staying at the Versace Hotel where we had a beautiful marble and gold bathroom.’ 

‘I loved the combination – I grew up with a marble bathroom, which is popular in India – and I was adamant I wanted gold or brass fittings. However, to buy and fit marble was out of our budget.’

Luxe marble-look tiles

‘Thankfully, when I’d been looking for bathroom tiles for our en-suite, I came across this striking marble-effect porcelain tile in a local bathroom shop. I knew instantly the gold vein would look perfect with gold fittings. As we looked around, we were surprised to find the shop competitively priced compared to bathrooms online – and they gave us a 15-30 per cent discount.’

For similar tiles, the Nesta Carrara marble effect tile, £49.93 per sq m from Victorian Plumbing, are a close match.

Space-saving layout

‘A neighbour recommended a tradesperson who could fit the whole bathroom. I’d been a little nervous about the tiling, but he proved himself in the en-suite so we felt confident he’d do a great job. The work on the bathroom took about three weeks and included moving the shower head higher up, as we’d forgotten to measure the height properly and my husband, who’s tall, couldn’t fit underneath. ‘

‘Then, a few days after everything was finished, a faulty pipe connection caused water to come through the hallway ceiling under the bathroom. It was an unfortunate mistake and we took it in our stride. Luckily, the leak was able to be repaired from below, so we didn’t disturb the new tiled floor.’

Flush folding shower screen

‘Since the bath ran up to the window, there was nowhere to install a rigid glass shower screen. My solution was a folding design that we fixed to the wall, but I was disappointed I couldn’t find one with a gold trim. In fact, they were mainly chrome and it took a while to find one in white. I also considered a gold basin but online reviews said they’re not easy to maintain and don’t last long.’

Neat hanging mirror

‘I saw the gold tile trim on Instagram and loved it. The polished gold with a box square edge by Vroma Trims brings the room to life. The combined mirror shelf became the perfect way to display my pretty perfume bottles and add detail to the blank wall.’

Supersized wall mirror

‘I’m really pleased with the mirror above the vanity, which runs all the way up to the ceiling, as it adds a touch of glamour. The glass chandelier that’s IP-rated for bathrooms also adds a luxe touch.’

‘I’ve also got my eye on the Versace Medusa Head wallpaper in gold, which I might put up next. Marble and gold together have such a lovely luxurious, relaxing feel, the bathroom is my own little sanctuary.’

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Additional words Zoe Bishop