Before & After: A Dated Bathroom Becomes a Serene, Plant-Filled Oasis for £2,000

Often, rooms can come with bizarre decorative choices. While some might just be cosmetic—say, a color that’s not your favorite or a tile choice that you’re not wild about—others can impact the function of the space as a whole. For instance, a bathroom might come with wall-to-wall carpeting or an oddly shaped, not-super-useful bath. Heidi Ford’s (@TheNotSoBigHouse‘s) bathroom came with both of those things.

“When we first moved in, the original bathroom wasn’t very functional for us. It had no shower, just a bath, and the floor was carpet,” she says. Heidi and her husband wanted to actually take advantage of the available space—and they wanted to get rid of that gross carpet.

“So the first thing we did was rip it all out and marked out on the floor all the things we wanted until the space worked well,” Heidi says. This was a key move—doing so helped them ensure that they could in fact fit a walk-in shower, but that they’d have to go with a slightly smaller tub.

Then the pair got to work creating a bathroom of “natural tones and textures.” They laid ornate black-and-white floor tiles (much more bathroom-friendly flooring!) and added white subway tiles and new soothing green-painted paneling to the walls. Then, they installed that glass-encased walk-in shower and smaller-but-still-dramatic clawfoot tub. Finally, they swapped out the pedestal sink for a small gray vanity, and they brought in many, many houseplants.

The couple did encounter a few plumbing setbacks during the project and ended up having to replace the ceiling, as well—but they were able to handle all of the work themselves, and spent roughly £2,000 for the whole reno. “We did watch a lot of DIY YouTube videos!” Heidi says.

Now the room is filled with peaceful and depth-creating greenery and texture (and not by way of carpeting!). “I love my new bathroom,” Heidi says. “I find it a really calm and tranquil place to relax.”

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