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Make-Over: A Dated Bathroom Becomes a Tranquil, Moody Oasis



Are you a shower or a bath person? I love a soak in the evenings - the hotter and more bubbles the better! We lived in an apartment for one year without a bath and I missed it so much. To me, the bathroom has always been a place to escape, and unwind after a long day (preferably with a great book and a glass of wine!).  It seems Jeska Hearne, creator of the beautiful blog Lobster & Swan (and owner of beauty and lifestyle shop the future kept) and husband Dean feel the same. The pair recently stripped out their dated bathroom in East Sussex, England to create a tranquil oasis in which "to inhale, exhale and let the peacefulness soothe the senses" and the result is a-ma-zing! 

Before


The bathroom had been in a semi-ripped out state for a while, and the couple longed for somewhere they could relax surrounded by plants and incense!

Inspiration
The pair took inspiration from rustic bathrooms filled with reclaimed treasures and were looking to find "as many beautiful textures and finishes" as possible.



I was thrilled to see one of their sources of inspiration was Nadia Dole's bathroom which James Gardiner and I captured for my first book Modern Pastoral! I'll never forget the peaceful spot, high up on a hill in Vermont which felt entirely private, save for the odd deer and bear wandering passed the window! Check out more bathrooms that inspired their renovation here.

After

Due to a busy schedule, the bathroom was a year and a half in the making (without a shower or sink - yikes!), and now their haven is finally complete. The space is a delightful patchwork of of items they've bought, salvaged or made by hand against a deep, rich Off Black hue.

"We love the mood and darkness in here, at night we can sink into the bath with the windows open and feel at one with the night air. In the day the sun filters in through the frosted glass and reflects the gold and white highlights of the vases, pots, frames and decorations."

The bath caddy was "made in minutes" from driftwood, this rustic bath tray* is similar,  antique wall mounted brass candle holder.


"The colour throughout is Farrow and Ball Off Black, we used Modern Emulsion for the walls and ceiling and Estate Eggshell for the wooden panelling – (made from upcycled doors that we rescued from a house that was being knocked down in our village)!"

"The handmade curtains around the sink hide a multitude of cleaning products and other bathroom paraphernalia that is uneasy on the eye!" 

Curtain from Green Fibre, the bath and sink taps are by Bristan Renaissance (found on ebay) 

 "Black walls also make a great background for plants, each frond and leaf is visible and highlighted."






Rectangular Shower Tray from Victoria Plum, tiles from Mandarin Stone. 




Be still my beating heart!

Could you imagine going for a look like this in your bathroom? Just in case you're feeling super inspired - there are a load more pictures and a complete write-up of all the items in this beautiful space over on Lobster & Swan here.

Before you get out the sledge hammer - you might also like to scroll through this bathroom archive (loving this traditional Swedish bathroom with a modern twist - one of my all time favourites!).

What does your dream bathroom look like?

Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend -  see you Monday!

Niki

Photography: Lobster & Swan shared with kind permission.

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Our DIY Budget Powder Room Makeover

Not your standard opening picture. But I thought I'd show an honest 'before' picture of our downstairs bathroom - swimsuits and all. 

We've been putting off renovating this room ever since we moved in fifteen years ago and it's still sporting the same red ceiling and blank walls. There was nothing wrong with it per se, it was just very plain and a little dated. Nothing that warrants ripping the entire room out and starting from scratch at least. Even so, it had become unloved and a dumping ground - there were even some skis in the shower! 

Renovating a bathroom, no matter how small, can be hugely expensive. But having painted the tiles in our laundry room, I felt optimistic that something could be done to our downstairs loo on a budget too!

Here is what we did. 

The first step was to paint the ceiling (I can't tell you how satisfying it was!). We used a white from the Jotun Lady Aqua range. The floor also got a makeover with 3V3 tile paint in Tarmac

And then came the rest:

Ta daaaa! 

There's quite a lot at play here. We removed the glass shower door and hung up an L-shaped shower rod (we bought a simple white one and then painted it in the same paint as the floor). The shower curtain (light stone from Humdakin) and rattan matt add a softness to the room and help to dampen the sound - always good in a guest bathroom!  

We kept the wall tiles (one of the biggest costs when renovating bathrooms is the work that goes into replacing tiles) - but since the walls were so vast and blank, we decided to put up a glass cabinet (Hastrup from Jysk). It was no easy feat; we had to use a special sensor to detect what was behind the wall. The last thing we wanted to do was drill through a pipe or electric cable. This is a major danger when drilling into bathroom walls, I'd highly recommend calling in an expert to avoid any accidents! 

When it comes to budget makeovers, I am a firm believer that the devil is in the details. Picking out smart pieces really help to elevate a room. The brushed brass toilet brush and toilet roll holder are both from Danish brand D-line

I've had the little rustic stool for years (pick up a similar antique stool here*). And the art is by Swedish painter Carola Kastman

The next step was to give this corner an overhaul:  


Here is the result, drum roll please....

We tried to keep the existing bathroom cabinet and sink but it simply wasn't practical for numerous reasons, so in the end we swapped it out for this very reasonably priced cabinet, sink and tap from Hornbach

I updated the colour on the cabinet using Mohair from Jotun Lady (thinking about it now, I probably should have used a specific bathroom paint, so let's see how it fairs!) and added knobs and a towel rail from D-line


I have never liked the plastic silver lights that were here when we moved in. The problem was we didn't want the faff and expense of changing the mirror so we had to find a light that exactly fitted the holes! I was very relieved to finally stumble across this bathroom light in Bauhaus! 


The final corner to get a simple makeover was this one: 




We swapped out the existing aluminium towel hooks for pretty handcrafted ones from D-Line (which match the other details). 

I'm a big fan of baskets (these are from Granit and IKEA) - they make each hook go a lot further and now we have a lot more space for bits and bobs like swimwear, slippers (from Humdakin), hair stuff etc. 

This is how this corner looks now: 


Right folks. That covers everything I think!

I hope you have enjoyed reading about our budget DIY bathroom makeover! If you have any questions just give me a shout below and I'll do my best to help. 

By the way, have you noticed how tidy it looks? I'd love for it to stay this way. But will I still find empty loo roll cartridges on the side when I go in? Definitely (does this drive anyone else nuts?). Will it be filled with drying swimwear and ten thousand towels within 24 hours? No doubt! 

But for today at least, I will be enjoying it in all its neat and tidy glory!

I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing weekend! 

Niki

A big thank you to Per for helping with so much of the DIY - I'm so lucky to have a handyman and physicist in the house! So much appreciation for the brainstorming and advice from Helen Sturesson too! 

Also, thank you for the press gifts D-line, Humdakin and IKEA.  

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A romantic old school bathroom with a modern twist

Last week I had a lovely comment from one of you asking to see more bathrooms and your wish is my command! This beautiful black and white bathroom was recently photographed by Skåne based Daniella Witte. It's the perfect mix of old school and modern day industrial with a hint of romantic. I love the retro black square pattern boarder used to break up the white. Such a lovely bathroom.





Daniella Witte (with kind permission) for Residence Via Cocozy
Your kind of bathroom? As I write this the snow is falling silently outside so I could definitely see myself lighting a few candles and having a soak with delicious smelling bubble bath in this tub (with the door closed naturally!).

I spy L:a Bruket products - trending in bathrooms across Scandinavia right now (wonderful products with beautiful packaging).

For more bathroom inspiration check out this calming all white bathroom, free-standing bath inspiration or even alfresco showers?! You might also want to check out my bathroom Pinterest board.

Are you a shower or a bath person? Oh and wet room or dry room?

Have a wonderful day!

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Our Little Cabin Bathroom Reveal + Get The Look


GSI Ceramica and CRISTINA Rubinetterie kindly partnered on our project. 

Hej kompisar! We've been spending some days up out our little cabin and I finally had a chance to snap some pictures of the bathroom! You might remember, back in December I shared the plans. With a room measuring 3.66 m2 / 38 f2, we didn't have a lot to play with. Even so, I was keen to create a beautiful and serene, spa-like space that also worked well with the main cabin living space. It was exciting to see it all come together little by little. And today, I'm excited to share the final result with you! But first let me provide a quick recap of the floorplan and design. 

Floorplan


The bathroom is located in the corner of the cabin underneath the sleep loft. It has a door out to the garden and one into the main living area. 
 
Design



GSI Ceramica helped draw up this plan / design which felt perfect for the space! 


Entrance
When we first announced that the main cabin entrance is through the bathroom everyone looked at us like we were completely nuts - and even we had a few doubts! However, it's actually worked out brilliantly for three reasons: the bathroom has tiled floors, making it a perfect entrance in all weather, the hooks can double up for towels and coats, and finally, the shower is ideal for washing off sandy feet! 

Once in the cabin you can then open up all the other doors and windows and use those to enter and exit.

The reveal! 


I was eager to create a timeless bathroom with high quality fittings. I have to say, the calm tones, matt surfaces and stone floor create such a wonderful sense of serenity and it feels way more airy than the 3.66 m2! 

Here's the low down on all the details in case you're interested: 


Sink and cabinet



The floating Kube X Washbasin (60 x 47) and Prisma Unit cabinet are both from GSI Ceramica (available through Cosani in Scandinavia) who offer really high quality, well thought out units. I love that the sink has plenty of space at the back for soap / toothbrushes etc and the cabinet is really spacious (perfect when you have teenagers at home!). 

Loo



The wall-hung loo (WC Kube) is also from GSI Ceramica. At first, we were concerned about eating into the wall space - you need to move the wall out by around 20 cm to create space for a cistern (in this case we went with Geberit). But actually, it created a wonderful shelf which has proven to be invaluable! 

The best thing about the loo is the soft closing lid and Swirlflush technology - known for being the quietest flushing system in the world - which is absolutely ideal when you live in close quarters! I love the matt finish on the ceramic (inside the bowl it's glossy to guarantee maximum hygiene). 

Taps

As you know from the various kitchens I've designed (including our cabin kitchen and cottage kitchen), I am a firm believer that a high quality tap can add SO MUCH to the overall experience. We chose a wall mounted tap (CRIT257) and shower (CRIT486) from the Tricolore Verde collection by CRISTINA Rubinetterie - in brushed old brass which has a raw look and lovely rich patina and feel beautiful to use! 


I especially like the addition of the hand shower, it's so well, handy! 

Shower door

 Thank you to everyone who offered tips and advice on the shower door, it was so helpful. Based on your input, I went with one glass shower wall which is 800 mm (the shower measures 800 mm deep and 700 mm wide) with bronze fittings and no door (it works great without a door). It's very sleek and barely noticeable. I'll need to add a cross bar across the top to secure it (it came with one so it's just to put it up). 

The mirror


For years at the cottage we've been using a mirror that's so mottled you can barely see your face. This time, we went for a modern Four Season Mirror with LED (60 cm) which is really practical!  

The walls 

The walls have been painted in Kalk from the Jotun Lady Aqua range which is certified specifically for use in bathrooms. 

The matt white tiles are from Stone Factory and have a beautiful hand cut feel. We used white grouting for a more minimalist feel. 

We really splashed (sorry!) out on the Tumbled Turtle tiles from Stiltje. I fell in love with the matt natural stone with its rich patina - it brings a sense of the rugged coastline into the bathroom. We used leftover floor tiles for the shelf above the sink and a corner shelf in the shower.

The hooks


I bought the simple wooden peg rail from Norrgavel. I might add another row at some point but for now, this will do nicely! 


Blinds



And finally, another great discussion was what to do about the glass door since there's no way you'd feel comfortable showering and worst still, sitting on the loo if people can see in! Thank you so much for all your input, in the end we chose this special Plissé blind that fixes to the door and moves with it when you open and close it. It can be pulled up from the bottom of the window and also pulled down from the top so you can basically move the blind to wherever you need it and still see the lovely nature outside!  

I hope you like tour bathroom as much as we do! I have to say, it's an absolute joy to use and well worth all the extra effort! 

I hope it may have given you some ideas if you're also planning a small bathroom renovation. If you have any questions, please do give me a shout below! 

Would you like to see more of our little cabin? Check out the kitchen, dining area and bedroom

Have a wonderful weekend friends. See you Monday! 

Niki

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