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Real Reno: stylish inner city bathroom reno

March 3, 2017 3 Comments

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Tackling a bathroom on your first ever home reno job may seem an intimidating prospect but not for first time renovators Alyce and husband Nick who were super keen to jump straight in, with a bit of expert help. “This was our very first interior renovation,” says Alyce. “The only other work we had done was building the deck outside. We had never done a bathroom which is why we hired a bathroom builder to help us through the project.”

stylish inner city bathroomWith a background in design, a super handy husband and a can-do attitude, Alyce and Nick were able to get stuck into plenty of aspects of the project. “We ripped out the old bathroom and pulled up all of the tiles,” Says Alyce. “We then re-sheeted half of the room, built a cavity door and did all the window and door trims.” The couple also ended up doing all of the painting and even laid the under floor heating. Being able to do all this themselves helped the couple save some money and ultimately come in on budget.

stylish inner city bathroomAfter – shower recess

Alyce and Nick had planned on spending between $15,000 and $20,000 on the reno and ended up coming in slightly above their upper estimate at $23,000, largely thanks to a few unexpected suprises. “We had hoped to spend $15-$20k through the process a few extra things came up,” says Alyce. “We were hoping to lay the tiles on the existing screed, but the floor was in such a bad condition we had to put a whole new screed down. We also decided to move the toilet position to make the room flow a lot better, but of course, that added to the cost.”

Alyce managed the budget for the project by working out where best to spend the funds and where she could save. The original encaustic tiles that caught her eye ended up coming in way above budget at $165 per square metre plus shipping from Byron Bay. They also required a specially qualified tiler, and a complicated installation process. Alyce instead found a porcelain tile she loved that cost just $30 per square metre and was more hard wearing and easier to work with than her original choice. Alyce also chose an Aussie tapware brand, Broware instead of the more expensiveย Nicolazi fixtures. Focusing on products that would last the distance meant the selection of a metal bath and Carrara marble vanity top as the feature product of the room.

stylish inner city bathroomBefore – bathroom vanity

stylish inner city bathroomAfter – bathroom vanity

It was a steep learning curve for the couple but they are ecstatic with the results. The biggest suprise? Just how tricky measurements can be and how you might not be able to grasp and envision the finished product until the very end. “Deciding on the combination of colours and finishes and not really knowing how it will all come together [was tough],” says Alyce. “I was worried I had added too much, then maybe not enough. Itโ€™s hard to know if you are doing it right and could you have done something differently. I guess the more practice you have, the better you get.”

The couples best advice for those embarking upon a bathroom reno of their own? “Trust your gut and back the decisions you make,” says Alyce. “Itโ€™s really easy to doubt your style when you look at magazines and online. Pick things that you love as every oneโ€™s style is so different.” Alyce also assures us that bathrooms aren’t as hard to renovate as they look with the right tradies, planning and enthusiasm!

stylish inner city bathroomBefore – shower

stylish inner city bathroomAfter – shower

For more real renos, check out our archives

 

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Before & after: Renovating a kitchen while keeping Before & after: Renovating a kitchen while keeping ALL the character!

What a great example this is by @huntingforgeorge 

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Letterbox kinder egg deliveries from a friend, dressing changes without a flinch and refusing to nap despite all the bribes (check the face on him in pic 3!).

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It's not just the award winning designer houses that get us excited here. It's also the beloved family homes which are renovated and extended to make them fit for purpose so people can continue to live where they love ๐Ÿค—

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Charlie doesn't recommend running head first into Charlie doesn't recommend running head first into tiled steps ๐Ÿค•

Oh what a night. Thankfully Hornsby Hospital were as amazing as always and we avoided stitches. All taped and glued  back together and now to keep him calm for the next few days (๐Ÿคช) and watch for signs of concussion. 

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Funny how we go into super organised mama mode in times like these. Grabbed dinosaurs, textas and scrapbook on the way out in case we had a long wait!

UPDATE: thanks for all the love! Charlie is so well this morning after a big sleep!
Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressi Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressive!

The new @studio.xox ONLY sells Australian brands. Like @nood_co coloured basins, lead-free eco brass from @faucetstrommen and @lindseywherrett's  ceramic basins made by hand in Tassie.

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Do I recommend a timber vanity top? A big fat NOP Do I recommend a timber vanity top?

A big fat NOPE! ๐Ÿ’ง 

Which is why we have recently covered ours with a Caesarstone top (thanks to @justinplace_sydney for the advice and supply) and the sweet RELIEF of not having to worry about this high traffic area anymore, I'm telling you!๐Ÿค—

Doesn't matter what they tell you or how many times it's sealed, I'm not sure it's a great idea in a room which is so, well, wet!

I love having the warmth of timber in the bathroom and it's a beautiful piece, but timber on the top? Never again.

Ours probably lasted a year (if that) before it started to go downhill (and we want a good decade out of a bathroom, right?!). 2.5 years on, everything else in this bathroom looks virtually brand new and the water marked vanity top was really letting the side down and making me sad!

But I'm so pleased with this solution, I have to say! Took the plumber less than an hour to remove the sink, install the top and connect the sink back up. We didn't need to move the tap and it isn't too close to the basin.

The kids are allowed to brush their teeth and wash their hands (liquid soap ๐Ÿฅด) in here again and I can leave my hair straightener on there with gay abandon ๐Ÿ˜†

The reflective surface (which I can clean with whatever I like!๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป) brightens the room up too!

Next week I'll tell you what I really think of my brass tile trim too ๐Ÿ˜‰

#interiorsaddictbathroomreno2 #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #timbervanity
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About Naomi Foxall

Naomi Foxall is a freelance writer, content and social media manager, living on the NSW South Coast.

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Comments

  1. AvatarWendy says

    March 3, 2017 at 12:25 pm

    Love this! Can you tell us what the floor tiles are in the reno? Looking for something similar in our reno…

    Reply
    • AvatarAlyce says

      March 7, 2017 at 6:22 pm

      The floor tiles are from Beaumont Tiles ๐Ÿ™‚ they come in a light option also.

      Reply
  2. AvatarToni says

    March 6, 2017 at 2:25 pm

    Hi, I wanted to know where you sourced those beautiful tiles from. Thank you

    Reply

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