I was stood in our downstairs toilet last Tuesday morning. You know… the mini toilet under the stairs with about enough room for a toilet, sink and yoiur fabulous glam self. We were getting ready for work/school – Amara throwing a strop about her favourite cup being in the dishwasher, me lugging round my hefty preggo self into the bathroom to do my makeup when I stopped, mid-mouthwash and had a brainwave.
Why does our downstairs toilet feel sooo much better than our *much nicer* bathroom upstairs? They toilet isn’t lavish. Painted sage when we moved in, one small IKEA floating shelf, one Etsy framed print I bought for £8.
But it all works. Paint matches the tiles and walls and bin bag lean too matches the room!
Whereas our upstairs bathroom – on which we have spent HUNDREDS of pounds more – still looks mismatched.
Like we bought bits separately over the past two years with no cohesive plan. THAT was when I realised I’d been approaching decorating… OUR BATHROOMS in particular… ALL WRONG. I’d been looking at individual pieces that I liked.
Oh, look nice taps. Cool mirror. Love those tiles.
Without thinking about how they would all look together. Worst. Life.
Hack. Ever. Also expensive.
We’ve spent probably £300 buying things then realising they didn’t work and replacing them OR trying to live with them. Flashback about 18 months ago. Saw these fabulous Metro tiles on Pinterest.
Dark leafy green. GORGEOUS. Statement tiles, THE ones featured in beautifully curated Instagram feeds.
Cost £45 a square metre so clearly jetsons money but I justified it by telling myself they were an investment… Paired them with chrome taps – cos thats what Wickes had cheapest – and a wooden mirror ‘because it’ll bring a natural vibe to warm things up.’ WELL they didn’t. The tiles were too dark making our tiny bathroom look even smaller. The chrome clashed and looked cheap next to them.
The wooden mirror looked… random. We lived with it for SIX MONTHS. SIX MONTHS of ugly bathroom before I caved and painted over the tiles with emulsion.
Ruined £ sauce left them there but at least I wouldn’t have to look at them everyday. It took me a while but the lesson I learned is that having a theme isn’t about hunting down one amazing piece then trying to match everything to it. It’s about deciding on vibe you want for a room, then picking everything else to complement it.
Sounds so obvious doesn’t it? Bloody should’ve realised that ages ago but guess what? I needed to learn the hard (& expensive) way.
These days before I redecorate – or even BUY something for – our bathroom I start with how I want it to make me feel. Calm and spa-like? Warm and cosy?
Bright and energising? Cleaning the house feel good. Whatevs.
Once I’ve decided that, picking fixtures and fittings becomes way easier. Our main bathroom now has very much a – if I had to describe it – ‘Budget coastal spa’ theme. Doesn’t sound very budget friendly when you say it like that does it?
I promise. What I mean is; I wanted it to feel spa-like but in a calm and relaxing kind of way. I didn’t want white walls and sharp edges though.
Painted the walls this bluey-grey colour – Dulux ‘Coastal Blue’. Nothing too trendy/fancy as it’ll probably date badly. Also £18 instead of the Farrow & Ball extortion.
You Might Also Like
White subway tiles – classic and not too pricey. Brass-effect taps and shower mixer from Screwfix that actually look expensive. Leather hook by the door from Asos.
The trick was sticking to similar tones (whites, soft blues, warm metals) and trying to go with natural textures where I could. Cotton shower curtain instead of plastic. Wooden soap dispenser from IKEA.
Plants that will survive being in a bathroom. We even got new towels – cream and pale blue to match our colour scheme instead of random colours that don’t go together. Of course it took me aaaages to get there.
Firstly by trying to do too much. Bought a flowery floor mat that clashed with everything. Some stupid shells that looked ‘nice but odd’ tbh.
Wall art that was too busy. Had to pare right back down. Hard when you’re excited you finally have a plan for a room.
My second revelation? You don’t have to spend a fortune or even really think of something inventive to have a theme. Guest toilet – which is teeny and gets no natural light – I went for what I guess would officially be termed ‘modern farmhouse’ vibes.
But honestly just black & white with wooden accessories. Painted it white. Black soap dispenser/hook from Dunelm.
Wooden shelf Liam’s dad made us out of some spare wood. Cost about £40 total. But looks like I spent hours trying to find the ‘perfect’ things when I actually just got white paint and filled it with random black and wood stuff.
Having a theme also makes shopping SO much easier. I used to walk into B&Q or Dunelm and be SO overwhelmed by the amount of choices. Now I know that if it doesn’t fit with spa/coastal/beginner DIYer fancy I’m not interested.
Lets me narrow down soooo many departments before I even start! I even keep Pinterest pics on my phone of each bathroom when it ‘passes’ for being clean.. Lit well and empty of kids toys.
I now refer back to them when I’m thinking about buying something new to see if it would fit the theme. Saves me buying oodles of stuff that then don’t work. Trust me, they don’t all have to match flush.
Our main bathroom has white tiles, blue walls, brass taps AND cream towels. None of those are precisely the same colour scheme but together they fit with the spa/nautical/calming vibe I was going for. I think the mistake people (& I!) make is trying to do too many things.
Like you can’t really have a bathroom that’s industrial, vintage AND tropical themed. Coastal Spa was my main theme, yes I added wood elements but nothing that screamed farmhouse decor. Add a touch of something that compliments your main vibe MAX.
You don’t need to spend a fortune or redo the whole bathroom to have a ‘theme’. Paint goes a long way.
Changes the mood of a room instantly.
New shower curtain, towels, perhaps plants if you’ve got the light are all good ones to start with. It cost about £60 to redo our downstairs bathroom including paint. Never looked like a standard dull ‘renters have lived here’ toilet before.
Now it feels like I put some thought into it. And that feels AMAZING. You know when you walk into a room and just feel amazing?
Liked how you’ve decorated it? Yeah. That vs the days when you walk into a room you decorated and think FML what was I thinking. is definitely worth the effort (& or money! ).
Trust me. You’ll know you’ve nailed your theme when you use your bathroom everyday and despite obviousl being a domestic goblin toilets being left over sprayed with toothpaste and baby spoons being shoved in the bath… It STILL feels like a cohesive room and not just a random collection of bathroom accessories. #Blessed 😂😂 Xx
