Transforming our small bathroom | The reveal

[Advertisement – this is a collaborative post with Crosswater, who offered me a press discount, but all words and opinions are my own]

After a lot of dust, noise and chaos, it’s time to reveal the results of our bathroom makeover!

Of all the rooms we’ve done in the house so far, this is perhaps the one I’m most excited to share – not only because I love the way it’s turned out, but because it’s proof that you can transform small spaces into beautiful, functional bathrooms. And ours really is small: 1.80m by 1.75m, with no window and one corner cut off by an awkward diagonal wall. It required some careful planning and a few clever design tricks, but I think we’ve managed to make the most of the compact dimensions.

You can see the ‘before’ photos, mood board and floorplans here, but the project essentially involved turning our old ensuite into the main bathroom (the only other one is downstairs) by blocking up the door from the master bedroom and knocking through a new one from the landing. We then replaced the outdated, poorly installed suite and tatty tiles with something a lot more stylish and useable. Our builders made very quick work of everything and, while we still have bare-plaster walls to paint in the bedroom and on the landing, the bathroom itself is finished.

The space is as tiny as it was before – the door has just moved from one side of the room to the other – and there’s still no natural light. So, to avoid overwhelming it we opted for simple, timeless finishes: white walls, matte white metro tiles with white grout, grey stone floor tiles and clean-lined white sanitaryware. As a result it looks much brighter and more inviting, and I swear it feels bigger than the dingy old bathroom did!

The sink used to sit where the door now is, so it’s been moved to the adjacent wall. Having a vanity unit beneath it has made a huge difference, as we previously had no storage in this room at all. We chose an oak one from Crosswater’s modular ‘Infinity’ range, which has all sorts of different configurations to help you maximise whatever space you have. The deep drawer is ideal for hiding away ugly bottles and toiletries, while the shelves and worktop let us keep prettier things out on display. I also like the way the floating design creates the illusion of more floor space, and the way the angular shape contrasts with the oval basin (Crosswater’s ‘Pearl’ design).

The shower hasn’t moved, but we’ve replaced the rusting quadrant-shaped enclosure with a square one. In an ideal world I would have loved a sleek frameless design, but sliding doors were a must as there would be no space to swing open a hinged door. Crosswater’s ‘Edge’ model proved the perfect solution: it opens from the corner, meaning there’s no contorting yourself around the loo to get in, and it’s one of the most minimalist sliding-door designs I’ve come across to date.

The taps and shower system are also from Crosswater and form part of its ‘MPRO’ collection (we opted for classic chrome, but they also come in matte black, matte white, brushed brass and brushed stainless steel). I love the understated design and the fact they’re wall-mounted – it’s another way to create the illusion of space, and Bristol’s very hard water meant we were keen to minimise visible fixtures that could accumulate limescale over time.

The old toilet has been replaced, too – a huge relief, as the cistern leaked into the hallway below and numerous plumbers had failed to fix it over the years! Boxing in the new one has helped to keep the bathroom looking neat and clutter-free, and the shelf on top provides a handy place for plants and the like.

We’ve kept accessories to a minimum, but there are few marble elements to offset the grained oak, along with minimalist ‘MPRO’ hooks (the room gets too warm for a heated towel rail). Grey waffle towels, a bit of greenery and an uplifting scented candle add a bit of spa-like luxury to the space and make morning drenches under the rain shower a real treat.

So, there you have it: our small bathroom makeover! We’ve been using it for a week now and it really has made a difference to our day-to-day lives; it’s also great to know that guests won’t have to trek up and down the stairs anymore. And I hope it provides a bit of inspiration for anyone else wondering how to tackle a tiny space. Stylish bathrooms really don’t have to be the preserve of those with big homes and big budgets!

If you’re interested in buying any Crosswater products for your own home, there’s up to 50% off in its sale until 8th November 2020 – browse the full range here.

All photography by Abi Dare