Pepping up bathroom - under sink cabinet, wood & paint/paper ideas pls
I've recently moved into a rather outdated 'granny bungalow'. Though I'm not a granny, my Gran did live here. The bathroom was renovated for her with some council support, before she passed away many years ago.
I'm trying to update the bathroom, and add some storage solutions on a limited budget. I would love some ideas on resolving a few hiccups.
1. The sink. Eep.
Ideally, I'd replace it but beneath the tiles, the walls are chipboard and I believe this sink was the only one they could find enough purchase for. (It's not screwed on through the normal holes - they've had to use some clip arrangement.) That's also an expense I'd like to avoid.
I'd prefer to hide the pipes with an under sink/basin cabinet. However, I've looked at IKEA, Argos, B&M, etc, and nothing pre-made fits - mostly too short (600mm) and finish before the waste (650). I'd also need to cut away the sides because of the boxed-in pipework (150mm). A taller unit with longer legs (to cut the rear off) may work though.
Measurements (if you are interested):
My other idea was to get hold of a couple of narrow (H720xW300xD290) kitchen wall units and turn them on their sides (making H600xW720xD290), cut out for the sink as best I could then add a worktop or tile the 'top' and sides to hide any errors/joins and to create some extra depth. The rear would rest on the boxed in bit, the front supported by base unit legs.
A friend has also suggested forgetting about a cabinet (there's room for a cupboard elsewhere) and just covering the pipes with a piece of flexible plastic. He hasn't said what plastic would do this though.
Any ideas?
2. As you can see in the above pic, the window frame is mahogany.
The door surround is light oak, but there is no other wood in the bathroom. The two woods look a bit odd. I can't do anything about the window.
The rest of the woodwork has been painted with either satin or gloss. Some white has spilled over onto the oak.
Should I paint the oak white?
Or should I rub the white off then stain it to match the window? What stain would do this?
3. The wallpaper. Definite old-lady vibes?
Stripping it off would be a nightmare, as this usually damages the chipboard underneath (I vaguely remember this happening years ago - most of the wallpaper in the house is textured to hide bumps).
My choices seem to be:
a) paint over it. It seems to be normal paper, not vinyl, so I'm hoping paint would take to it. Any recommendations of what to use please? The roses could need a few coats.
b) paper over it.
4. Colour scheme: the floor tiles are a moss/teal mix with grey grout. I was thinking of picking the teal out, but going lighter. The rest of the bathroom is tiled and the suite is white. Maybe picking out some of the moss elsewhere. I'm planning on painting the (currently rose) hallway a soft grey, and adding a green patterned rug on the oak flooring.
(Btw, I have the missing bit of tile - using it as a reference before I replace it.)
Really appreciate any thoughts you may have. Sorry if there's too much info!
Comments (10)
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Make my bathroom beautiful....!
Comments (12)So, a few thoughts on the bathroom. Sorry, it's a bit of a read, but I have tried to keep it as short as possible ;) 1. I would not choose to spray paint the fixings/armatures, mainly as it would not work (or if, be costly), but also because spraying them gold would make your bathroom even more yellow-y; the cool silver tone of the fixings actually sets off the beige somewhat. So what I think you'd want to do is counterbalance the yellow with another colour, as someone else pointed out. This could be in the realm of blue, as it's complimentary to yellow and will balance it. But I think you could also balance the beige-y-ness with more white (or cream), as found in the ceiling. Which leads to the 2nd question. You could have some paneling put round the bath, there are aqua panels and suchlike, but I would advise make sure a really good tradesperson does the job, so you get it expertly done. It does not hurt to get some estimates and opinions in, to get an idea of what it would cost you. This also leads onto - 3. as it really depends on your budget, how much you change in the bathroom. If you are planning long-term, I'd say it's better to spend a bit more and do a proper makeover, but if the expense would not be justified, stick to a few amendmends to make it comfortable for the time being. You could think about changing the bath for a walk-in shower, for instance and have the floor re-tiled, or finished with another material in a light colour, which would free up space and also balance out the surrounding beige. This way you could also have more storage beside the sink area. If you don't want to loose the bath, you could just have the floor done, I'd say that tiling would be prefereable to painting it - or you could lay vinyl or some other flooring; either of the flooring choices should not be massively expensive, as it is only a small area. 4. Handles can be changed, but I could also suggest changing the whole unit. You could also swap the mirror cabinet for a wall-hung mirror, which would alleviate the awkwardness at the sink (I've seen that so many times!) and instead hang a bathroom cupboard next to it - possibly also open shelving. 5. As to 5. that depends what you'd want to use it for and would require a bit more in-depth analysis. 6. See 1. I would recommend very light, neutral colours, accented by some lush green plants - they always make everything look nicer! But it also depends on your personal taste and what colours you like. As mentioned before, blues and teals would work well, look for something cool in tone to counterbalance the warm beige, but also trust your gut feeling if you see something you like the look/feel of, as it will probably be right for you! So much for now, I hope this helps a bit. Good luck and feel free to get back to me if you have further questions :)...See MoreCheap bathroom makeover ideas !
Comments (12)I think painting the walls grey as suggested will help immensely with bringing the tiles into the scheme. The suite apart from the sink looks alright though, I would change the sink to a more modern shape and then you could include storage underneath. I had to replace a sink in my bathroom but I matched the dimensions of the original and there was no damage or repair work needed. An alternative sink could be rectangular in shape and this could cover any gaps in tiling etc. Left by your existing sink. Duravit do a good quality cheap one. I would change the window though as it is unattractive but I guess that might be a longer term job!...See MoreBathroom colour scheme advice
Comments (155)It looks great Sam! I love the cabinet, and the flooring choice too, you’d never know it was lino. We have Lino in our utility room, its so easy to keep clean...lovely and warm and soft under bare feet too! You must be so pleased with it, everything works together really well....See MoreHELP- I’ve made my new bathroom look dated. what can I do?
Comments (60)If space is your priority, perhaps the second toilet would be better? What brand is it, btw? I will eventually be redoing a bathroom (had planned to do it this year, but gas price rises have made me decide to install a wood burner instead). Really like the shape of this second toilet and it looks like it would be so easy to clean....See MoreToria J
6 years ago
Jonathan
6 years agoJonathan
6 years agoToria J
6 years agoJonathan
6 years agoIf you can’t afford a professional to fit a cavity or build one around your existing basin there are lots of cabinets designed to sit under your current basin.
Toria J
6 years ago
Carolina
6 years ago
honeypoppet