Before and after: a layout rejig creates a bigger, brighter bathroom

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The owners stole space from the spare room to create their ultimate rest room

Things had to change in this couple’s three-bed Victorian house in the Cotswolds when their daughter came along. ‘The bathroom was very small and gloomy as it 
didn’t get any natural light,’ says the owner. ‘All it had was a shower, but we needed a bath for our baby girl.’

For more makeovers, see our collection of bathroom ideas

‘We decided to gain extra floor space by knocking down a wall into our spare bedroom and incorporating its window,’ she adds. ‘This would give us the space we needed for the essential bath. Then the rest of the layout was determined by where we could position the bath, as there was only one place it could go.

We wanted the room to be light and relaxing and feel spacious, so we stuck to a simple palette of white walls complemented with natural materials.

Get the look
Request a quote: Abbey Honed limestone floor tiles, £62.40 per sq m, Indigenous
Buy now: Similar Aluna bath, £679.99, Better Bathrooms

The owner didn’t want the loo to be the first thing people saw when they opened the door.

Flush-fitted drawers and shelving were custom-made by Naomi’s dad. The limestone floor tiles were also used on the worktop for consistency and wall-mounted taps were chosen to save surface space.

Get the look
Buy now: Godmorgon mirror, from £20, Ikea

Image credit: Colin Poole

A tiled panel
 adds texture, colour and ‘wow’ factor. ‘I wanted to add some texture to the room, so put stone mosaics behind the bath. I used them sparingly, for maximum effect within my budget.’

Get the look
Buy now: Oyster Split Face mosaic wall tiles, £66.44 per sq m, Topps Tiles

Modular cube shelves can be displayed with 
or without doors 
to create a bespoke look.

Get the look
Buy now: Eket cabinets, from £15 each, Ikea

‘Be sure to double-check your measurements,’ says the owner. ‘I miscalculated the dimensions for the basins. But I was fortunately able to make them 
fit by installing them lengthways 
and now I actually prefer the look!’

Not bothered about a bath? Before and after: ditching the bath made all the difference in this now spacious bathroom

Knocking down the wall into the spare bedroom gave us extra space and the light made such a difference,’ says the owner. ‘We spent around £5,000 on the plumbing, electrical work, plastering and tiling, but it was all so worth it.’

‘The room has such a calming atmosphere now and is the perfect place for us to unwind. Our daughter enjoys splashing around at bath time, too!’