[Advertisement – this is a paid partnership with White Black Grey, but as always all words and opinions are my own]
I very rarely show photos of our bathroom, as it’s not particularly pretty. We inherited it with the house and although it’s by no means awful – a plain white suite with white tiles and slate-effect laminate flooring – it’s definitely a little tired and dull-looking. One day we’d love to give it a full makeover, but until funds allow we’ll have to make do with a few minor updates. Luckily, there are all sorts of ways to spruce up a faded, boring bathroom without investing lots of time or money.
To show you how, I’ve teamed up with online lifestyle store White Black Grey for a mini bathroom makeover. As the name suggests, White Black Grey has a beautifully curated range of monochrome homeware, stationery and gifts, including stylish bathroom accessories. All are ethically made and have a timeless aesthetic, and many come from small-scale producers or independent designers. So, read on for my easy bathroom-update tips, plus details of how you could win a selection of White Black Grey goodies for yourself…
Change the bath panel
When we bought our house, the bath panel was a fake wooden affair with faux Victorian panelling – certainly not a great fit with the understated, minimalist decor that we’re drawn to! Replacing it with a plain white version cost less than £100 and instantly transformed the whole bathroom. It now looks brighter, larger and more contemporary, and it’s given us a blank canvass to create a look that reflects our style.
Replace tired fixtures and fittings
We also had to contend with faux-Victorian taps, shower fittings, towel rails and the like, so these have all been replaced too. The bathroom of my dreams would probably have sleek matte-black fixtures, but for now we’ve gone with simple chrome versions – cheap to buy (we got taps, a shower head, towel hooks, a shelf and a toilet-roll holder for under £150), and much more minimalist than the previous ones.
Spruce up the tiles
It’s surprisingly easy to give old bathroom tiles a new lease of life with tile paint – just make sure you clean them thoroughly first and follow the instructions carefully, or you might end up with very patchy results. We wanted to keep our tiles white but we did use a grout pen to cover up mouldy and chipped sections of grout. You can also buy coloured pens so I toyed with the idea of dark grey grout (a look I love), but in the end I decided to stick with white rather than risk clashing with the slate-effect flooring.
Accessorise
Once you’ve sorted out the basics, it’s time to dress your bathroom with a few well-chosen accessories. White Black Grey’s selection is perfect for the minimalist look I wanted to achieve, and I opted for a black rectangular tray and soap dish to offset the white walls and tiles. Both are made from rubber so they’re easy to clean and impossible to break – ideal for a bathroom! For the toothbrush holder, I chose a raw ceramic mug that was handmade by an artisan studio in northern Vietnam.
Incorporate plants and flowers
Plants and flowers are another great way to jazz up bathrooms – just make sure you select varieties that cope well with humidity. For these images, I used dry grasses in a beautiful black bottle vase. It’s small enough to perch on the shelf above the sink and it also looks wonderful on the vintage milking stool that sits by our bath.
Invest in pretty towels
New towels can also make a big difference to the look and feel of a bathroom. I chose organic cotton waffle-weave versions from The Organic Company, also available via White Black Grey. They come in white and dark grey, and they’re wonderfully soft and absorbent; they also wash brilliantly and don’t turn rough and scratchy over time like traditional towels.
Add a few pampering touches
Finally, you can make any bathroom feel like a little spa with luxurious lotions and potions. White Black Grey has a tempting range of skin and body care sourced from independent brands such as Sevin London and The Soap Co. They not only look beautiful on the bathroom shelf, they also smell wonderful and come in recycled, reusable packaging – a win-win situation! And why not display favouirite bath salts in a pretty jar or pot? I used a grey geometric pot, which now sits by the bath ready for those times when I need a long, pampering soak.
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW CLOSED. To help one reader pretty up their own bathroom, White Black Grey is kindly giving away a selection of goodies worth £50. There’s a black bottle vase by Zakkia, a cotton wash cloth from The Organic Company, and black poppy and wild fig hand wash, hand lotion and soap from The Soap Co – that’s everything shown in the photo below. To be in with a chance of winning, just click below and enter via one or more of the options listed. Each option gives one entry into the prize draw. The giveaway is open to readers based in the UK and Europe only and closes at midnight on Sunday 7th October. The winner will be picked at random after the closing date and announced on Monday 8th October. Good luck!
Please note that the prize is non-transferable and no alternatives or cash equivalent can be offered. The giveaway is open to entrants in the UK and Europe only and closes at midnight on 7th October 2018.
I love that old wooden stool Abi, what a great idea – it’s so simple and gives the bathroom a real Wabi Sabi look !
Thanks! I love the contrast between gnarled old wood and sleeker bathroom pieces.
Organic cotton towels look so cozy. I need them.
They’re so soft! And a lovely texture too
I think your bathroom looks great Abi and you’ve done a wonderful job of sprucing it up with carefully chosen accessories. I really like the look of those waffle towels and the Soap Co stuff.
Thanks Stacey! It’s amazing what a big difference small changes can make. And the towels are wonderful!
The bathroom is looking lovely and that is a great giveaway too.
Thanks – much better than before! And good luck in the giveaway if you’ve entered
Oh wow these are so stunning, what a great company thank you for introducing me to them! X
Thanks so much – and a pleasure! x
What lovely things, they look so great in your bathroom. I have a monochrome bathroom so they would go perfectly, and I’m also passionate about living a more sustainable life x
Good luck…!
What a lovely bathroom! Very minimalistic but I’m a fan of this aesthetic and you have injected life and personality into it with the chosen accessories! Huge fan!
Thanks so much for the kind words! Really glad you like it x
Loved this post Abi. I always find the bathroom a little tricky to accessorise but these pieces are stunning. You’ve done a great job. x
Thanks so much Mackenzie! It’s definitely one of the trickiest rooms to style – not least because of the humid environment and the need to have so much practical stuff in there.
Wonderfully minimal and gorgeous Abi.
Fingers and toes crossed for the giveaway ??
Thanks so much! And good luck!
Ahh would love to win this! We’ve just re-done the bathroom in our first house together. The style of the products would suit it so well and be the best house warming present! As always, love your posts Abi! xxx
Thanks so much for the kind words, and congratulations on your first house together! Good luck in the giveaway…
We are in a new house but not quite ready to tackle our bathroom renovation (imagine avocado tub and retro mirror tiles.. ) but these small tips really help. I love those towels, and am sick of scratchy fabric. Might need to invest for my sanity!
Thanks! So glad you find them useful. Hopefully they will help make your bathroom nicer to use, even if you can’t change the old suite yet.
I just moved into a new house and am struggling to really get started on bathroom decor as I have so much else to do! I absolutely love the look of these products – they’re so so beautiful and love that some are reusable and recyclable!
Congrats on the new house! Bathrooms always seem to get left until last don’t they? But I think even small things can make a big difference. So glad you like the products here!
Really beautiful photography! And I love those waffly towels. Gorgeous
Thanks so much! And the towels are wonderful – so soft! I just love them.
Such great advice as ever Abi and a fantastic giveaway too. I’m keeping everything crossed!
Thanks so much Nicola! Good luck in the giveaway
What a great looking bathroom Abi and what a great giveaway from White Black Grey! I’ve entered!! 😀 xx
Aww thanks so much – definitely looking better than it was. And good luck in the giveaway!
OH YUM! If you have recently caught up with my bathroom renovations, black and white is what we went for, so this is a great new shop to know and visit as I will inevitably be buying more ridiculously cool products!
You can’t beat black and white in a bathroom – such a timeless combination. It sounds like this shop will be right up your street!