Before and after: from cramped and dingy to an Italian marble bathroom

(Image credit: Future PLC/Stephanie Smith)

published 22 August 2017

Inspired by a trip to Italy, the owners of this 1970s detached house in Surrey wanted to redo their bathroom and include elegant grey marble in the new space. They also wanted to redesign the layout to create a more airy feel.

First on the to-do list was removing the enormous, impractical corner spa bath that took up the majority of the bathroom. 'We completely redesigned the space on paper, and found there was enough room to put a conventional bath on the right-hand side, which would instantly make the space seem bigger,' says the owner.

'The bath would be against the wall, which would enable us to put in an overhead shower, which we really needed.'

bathroom tiles with windows bathtub and flower pot

Grey natural stone tiles were chosen to add understated luxury. 'The large ones suited the walls, and although many people put mosaics inside the shower, we decided to be different and put them on the floor.'

TOP TIP: To keep within their budget, the owners used tiles on two of the walls and opted to paint the other walls in a soft grey to match the tiling.

bathroom wall and floor tiles with towel

A conventional bath was fitted, along with an overhead rain shower that the owners had been dreaming of. 'The large shower head is great for a major drenching, but I also wanted a hand-held one for hair washing and cleaning.'

bathroom with grey tiles and shower area

They installed a compact vanity unit for much-needed storage, choosing one in a shade that matched the darker grey of the veins in the marble. Its glossy texture contrasts with the marble walls and floor, and they purposely chose a unit that didn't take up too much space.

The one thing the owners kept from their old bathroom was the heated towel rail, which they polished to make it look as good as new.

'I wanted to add another shot of colour and I was thinking of teal blue, so I was really happy to find some towels in the sales in the exact colour and with a herringbone design long the bottom, which exactly matched the floor tiles.'