This dull magnolia bathroom was given a bold terracotta transformation for £175

Taking on a bathroom makeover with a limited budget can sometimes give you the motivation to get creative and take on some of the DIY yourself – which is exactly what happened to this homeowner.  

Faced with a dated bathroom scheme that wasn't at all to her taste, she set about transforming it for less than £175! That meant learning how to paint bathroom tiles and even making a bath panel from a sheet of MDF.

Budget bathroom makeover

Before

When Jess and Connor from Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, took on their first home, this was the bathroom they inherited. Dated, bland and not at all to their taste, it was crying out for some TLC.

'When we moved in we knew we wanted to rip the bathroom out and start again,' Jess told My Local Toolbox. 'It was so dull and hadn't been updated for 10-15 years. We didn't have the money to rip it out right away, though, so we decided to do a really budget upgrade on it. We spent less than £175 in total and it's made such a huge difference to the room.' 

After

Would you believe it's the same room? We love the terracotta-coloured wall and statement floor tiles, which give the space a bold, modern look.

'I wouldn’t say I have one particular interior style,' says Jess. 'Our home is more of a mix of a few different styles and full of colour. I'm really inspired by 70's interiors and look to bring that into my home, whether it's through colours, furniture or finishings.' 

The original beige wall tiles were given a makeover with some tile paint, while the floor was treated to some stick-on tiles. But what's Jess's favourite part of the transformation? 'Creating a new bath panel out of just a sheet of MDF and some paint is the best part,' she says. 

'It's changed how the bathroom looks so much and is such an upgrade on the yellowed plastic panel that was there before.'

Even the old shower cubicle was given a refresh using some all-surface spray in matt black. 'We kept all the existing fixings, such as the taps, towel radiator, shower screen and showerhead,etc, and just upcycled them with some spray paint,' says Jess. 'It was a relatively easy process and has given them a new lease of life.'

'My advice for anyone thinking of doing some DIY themselves is just to try it – at the end of the day if you don't like it you can just change it,' Jess continues. 'I always like to create moodboards, either physical or digital ones to help with my vision.'