See how homeowner saved thousands on this jaw-dropping Scandi-style bathroom

There's before and afters and then there's before and afters – the extra-special transformations that make you look twice and question if it really is the same room. This is scandi bathroom makeover one of those, where a dated bathroom has been turned into a resort-feel hygge sanctuary that looks like it cost an arm and a leg, but actually came in at much less.

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Adele Armstrong, from Fife in Scotland, has a beautiful home that she shows off regularly on her Instagram account @hallie_and_harrisons_house – and when you see the rest of her home it will be no surprise that this bathroom makeover is equally stunning.

'I would definitely describe my interior style as Scandinavian,' Adele says, 'but also warm and modern. My favourite room is this new bathroom, as it’s the room we waited for the longest to do. We lived with the old bathroom for four years, so it's felt amazing to finally get it done.'

Scandi bathroom makeover

Before

As you can see, the previous bathroom wasn't anything special. Its corner shower had a long and rather unattractive shower hose that connected to the bath filler. The plain white wall tiles (aside from a tiny mosaic trim) and black floor tiles kept the scheme feeling plain and uninspiring. Luckily, the bathroom has a fair amount of space, which meant Adele could install a large wall-mounted vanity, walk-in shower and a freestanding bath.

'The main thing we do to keep to a budget is carry out most of the work ourselves,' she says. 'My husband is a joiner and can turn his hand to most things, and I’m always happy to get involved and do all the painting, etc.'

After

The finished result is a calm, soothing space that couldn't be more different. Natural materials, new fittings and tiles ensure the newly refitted bathroom is anything but boring. You almost don't know what to look at first – the timber wall that flows overhead onto the ceiling, that statement light fitting, or the shower enclosure complete with brass showerhead and a small recessed niche for toiletries.

'I completely stripped back the bricks to ensure that everything was done properly, which included laying a new subfloor, adding new insulation and reframing the walls,' says Adele. 'From there, fitting the bathroom suite started, and it was finished off with tiling and wood cladding.'

We love the mix of light wood, earthy accessories and luxe brass with small pops of black in the form of the wall lights and statement globe chandelier overhead. It's this combination of textures and tones that give this bathroom next-level style, along with considered choices for the fittings and fixtures.

'Before decorating a room, I usually save tons of pictures and ideas and then look to see what the common theme is,' Adele says. 'From there, I shop around and always recommend creating mood boards to pull everything together.'

Another inspiration for Adele was images of bathrooms abroad, and she wanted her bathroom to have a kind of 'resort feel' in the form of a natural, warm space. We love the row of hooks with leather straps for bags and towels, while a box planter on the windowsill adds life to the scheme.

Again, here you'll see brass bath taps from online bathroom retailer Drench, as part of its Just Taps VOS brushed brass collection. 'It can be hard to find modern bathroom pieces, especially in finishes like brass or black, that don’t come with giant price tags,' says Adele. The VOS brushed brass look adds warmth, but still has that modern, clean look that she wanted

A large wall-hung double vanity provides plenty of storage space for extra toiletries and cleaning products and a neat little tray keeps soap, toothbrushes and everyday essentials neat and tidy on the countertop.

If you are looking for bathroom tile ideas these hexagonal floor tiles in a rustic finish provide the perfect flooring for this room, while a wall-hung loo sits neatly out of sight at the back of the room. Both the bath and loo have a beautifully curved shape that keeps the look feeling soft and modern.

It's this modern look that takes top priority during renovations, according to research by Drench which shows that 47% of us Brits are going for a more up-to-date bathroom scheme.

Renovating a bathroom doesn't come cheap though, and can cost up to £7.5k. Amazingly, Adele’s bathroom renovation cost a total of £5,000, saving her thousands – and it was all down to her and her husband taking on work themselves, as well as shopping smart.

'We're about to start another bathroom project,' she says, 'and we got a massive quote to add some micro cement. Instead, I’ve sourced the materials myself and I'm going to give it a go! I spend a lot of time scouring the internet and comparing prices or trying to find similar looks for less.'

Related: Bathroom trends – 22 best new looks for bathrooms, shower rooms and en suites

What do you think of Adele's new bathroom? Has it got you thinking about a bathroom revamp?