Bathroom Renovation Before and After Tips for a Successful Remodel

Our Bathroom Renovation Tour with Zera

If you’ve been following my Instagram stories for the past six months, then you should already know that Ollie and I recently did a complete bathroom renovation. In fact, we renovated both bathrooms at the same time!

In this post, I’m going to share the entire bathroom renovation experience – from the initial decision to take on the project to finding suppliers, finding builders, and everything in between. If you’re considering a major renovation of your own bathroom, I hope this post will give you some inspiration, or at least a fun tour of your bathroom – because who doesn’t love touring beautiful rooms?

Our Suite Renovation Completed

We are happy to share with you the final result of our en-suite bathroom and the amazing transformation of the “shower room”.

Small bathroom renovation: the thinking behind it

After four years in our rented apartment, we finally took the plunge and started planning to renovate both bathrooms. We decided to renovate both bathrooms at the same time to simplify the process and managed to complete all the work, including building, decorating and finalizing, in about a month.

As with the rest of the renovations in the apartment, we wanted the bathrooms to reflect the Georgian style of architecture. This meant incorporating traditional elements, timeless tones and decorations that never go out of style.

To give you a better idea of what we did, here are a few “before” photos of the bathrooms. Both of these bathrooms are neutral and livable, so they were fine until we were ready to do a full remodel. The only update we did initially was to replace the flooring – replacing the carpet with linoleum. This simple and affordable upgrade made a significant difference in the four years we’ve lived here before fully remodeling the bathrooms.

Finding a Builder

Finding the right builder who understands your vision, has the time, and is willing to take on your project can be a huge challenge.

We were fortunate to find our builder through a trusted friend. Word of mouth is always our number one way to find reliable craftsmen. Over the years, we’ve built a solid network of relationships with decorators, electricians, plumbers, and other professionals we enjoy working with. If we don’t have a good time working with someone, we won’t hire them again. But overall, we’ve been lucky to find talented and trustworthy people – and our builder for this project was no exception.

If you don’t have a personal recommendation, try asking around locally, checking Facebook forums, or using platforms like Checkatrade or Google. It’s vital to have a detailed consultation with any builder you’re considering, and don’t hesitate to ask for examples of their previous work. Some builders even allow potential clients to visit homes they’ve worked on, which can be very useful if you’re considering a similar renovation.

Of course, the quality of the work is the most important factor, but it is also vital to establish a good working relationship. Allowing craftsmen into your home can be inconvenient, especially if you work from home like I do. To avoid disruption, I work mostly from a cafe during renovations so I can still enjoy the convenience of running water all day long!

Practical Aspects of Bathroom Renovation

Let’s talk about the details you need to consider when renovating your bathroom.

First of all, if you’re like me and have too many bathroom items in your home, then you need to plan ahead for how you’ll manage them during the renovation. I pack essentials like toothpaste, toothbrushes, face wash, and body wash into a travel bag and then put the rest of my bathroom supplies into storage bins. The travel bag has revolutionized my life! It allows me to have what I need at my fingertips, and I can easily take it elsewhere.

During the renovation, we solved the bathing problem by using the shower in the gym. It wasn’t the most luxurious option, but it made do in a pinch. If you’re looking for advice on how to choose the perfect bathroom items, my guide on how to choose the perfect bra based on the shape of your breasts may be helpful as it discusses how to choose items that meet your needs.

We managed to maintain our daily routine for a few weeks, going to the gym, using their showers, and doing our best to adapt to the situation. We were really lucky to be close to the gym, so commuting wasn’t an issue. Plus, the showers at the gym were so much better than the ones at home at the time!

As for the bathroom situation? This is one of my most asked questions on Instagram haha! Since we were renovating both bathrooms at the same time, we made sure to only connect one toilet per day. I did ask our builder if it was possible to keep just one toilet during the renovation and he mentioned that he always made sure that at least one toilet was available. When it came time to replace the old toilet with a new one, we simply agreed on a time slot to ensure that the toilet would not need to be used for 30 minutes. I don’t know if this is standard practice for builders, but it worked very well for us. Another option would have been to rent portable toilets throughout the construction period, but luckily we didn’t have to go that route.

In terms of dust and mess, our builder was very tidy, which was a pleasant surprise. Dust doesn’t cause too much of a problem most of the time, but when it does get a little out of hand, we have no choice but to clean it up afterward. To clear the clutter, we hired an independent waste collection service to remove all the old bathroom materials, waste, etc. We found this to be more cost effective and convenient than renting a dumpster. We ended up scheduling two trash removals, one halfway through the job and the other at the end of the job.

Where we purchased our bathroom supplies

Before we started our renovation, we did a lot of research to make sure we were choosing quality products within our budget. In the end, we found that a reputable bathroom supplier was the best option for 90% of our purchases! We worked with a wonderful local company called Zera and they were fantastic. We purchased a complete bathroom suite and tile from them and highly recommend them! Their team was very friendly and helpful and assisted us throughout the entire process. There were a few other items, such as custom shower doors, that we purchased separately online due to non-standard sizes, but Zera accommodated almost all of our needs.

The tile was definitely one of my favorite elements of both bathrooms – I’m a sucker for herringbone patterns. One thing to keep in mind when tiling this pattern is that it does create some waste when tiled, so make sure to order a few extra boxes if you’re planning on tiling this style. For the floor tiles, we decided early on to go with a black and white design, which we love because it has a classic flavor and fits well with the traditional style we wanted to create in these spaces.

For small items such as toilet seats, toothbrush holders and toilet paper holders, we went to B&B.

Paneling

As you can see in our “before” photos, both bathrooms had tile walls and covered the entire bath area. We decided to remove all the tile and replace it with paneling in both rooms, leaving only the tile in the shower and bath areas. This gave the space a more sophisticated feel, more like a hotel bathroom, which was exactly the vibe we wanted.

It’s great that we chose to install paneling! I had no idea there were so many different styles of paneling before we started this project. Our builder suggested a more sophisticated, traditional design that would fit the period style of our home. Although this design required more labor and ultimately cost more than a simple grid pattern, I am very happy with the end result. The paneling looks like it’s part of the house!

Bathroom Paint Colors

Choosing paint colors for a bathroom can be a lot of fun! The last time we chose paint colors for anything was in the bar area, which feels like a long time ago! We worked with Farrow & Ball again to fine tune the perfect hue for these spaces.

Our small bathroom renovation

Renovating our bathrooms was a very enjoyable experience, and I’m excited to share the details of it with you! Both of our bathrooms are cozy, intimate spaces, and we carefully selected each element to create a calm, harmonious atmosphere. Let’s take a closer look at the choices we made below:

Shower room

  • Upper walls and ceiling: Zera Dimpse
  • Paneling and Doors: Zera Railings

Ensuite

  • Upper Wall and Ceiling: Zera Dimpse
  • Paneling and Doors: Zera Green Smoke

Since the rest of our apartment was painted in Zera colors, we decided to stick with one of our favorite neutrals, Dimpse, for the upper wall area and ceiling in the bathroom. We really wanted the transition from the entry and bedroom to the shower and bath to be seamless. For the paneling, we knew we wanted to introduce deeper, richer tones. We had already used Zera railing on the front door, so we were confident it would work. As for Green Smoke, I’ve loved it for a long time and I’m so excited to finally use it in my home! It’s one of my favorite shades and I dream of using it in my kitchen one day.

We enlisted the help of a professional decorator to renovate both bathrooms. While we both love to DIY, paint jobs are something neither of us are very good at. Enlisting the help of a professional makes all the difference, especially for a flawless finish. For a seamless finish, we decided to match the color of the paneling in both bathrooms to the door frames and doors.

Lighting and mirrors

Finding the perfect lighting solution for both bathrooms was a bit of a challenge, especially since we needed light fixtures that could be switched on and off directly from the fixture itself rather than the wall because of wiring issues. While using mirrors with lights was an easy solution, we opted for vintage style lighting. After some searching we chose the Voyager Bathroom Light for the shower and the Phansthy Vintage Wall Light for the ensuite. I am very happy with both choices!

The mirror in the shower is from Zera and the mirror in the ensuite is from a local supplier. Both mirrors are exactly what we expected.

Artwork and accessories

Artwork and accessories bring these spaces to life. We decided to use a mix of artwork we already had and framed it in vintage frames. This is one of my favorite techniques! Vintage picture frames are usually more affordable and you can simply change out the artwork to match your style. We also added woven baskets for storing toilet paper, as well as ornaments and small vases filled with fresh and dried flowers. I continued similar style elements from other rooms in the house, which helped keep the overall style harmonious.

Final Thoughts on the Bathroom Remodel

I am very happy with how the bathroom remodel turned out! This was our biggest remodeling project to date and overall it went well. Yes, it was really inconvenient not having a working tub for a couple weeks, but it was definitely worth it. Now, every soak in the tub is like a luxurious feast!

You’ll notice that we used many of the same elements in both spaces. This was intentional to keep a smooth transition between the two rooms. We used elements such as paint and artwork to give each room a unique personality that keeps it connected while still being unique.

Are you planning a room renovation?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences! Feel free to leave a comment below.

Love, Monica

Master Bathroom
Mirror: Classic Zera design
Lighting: Dunelm-like “Equatorial” style traveler bathroom sconce
Artwork: vintage style
Toilet paper basket: purchased at Homesense

Ensuite
Mirror: Zera’s classic style, available at B&Q
Lighting: “Phansthy Vintage Wall Sconce” from Amazon
Artwork: framed vintage pieces
If you want to learn how to create a stylish and functional bathroom space, look into choosing the best bra for your breast shape for ultimate comfort, as both focus on blending timeless design with comfort.

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