Okay, this is sort of a sponsored post. UK tile company Walls & Floors are running a competition to design a room and do a post and Pinterest board on it. The prizes are many lots of tile vouchers and I covet.
So, our bathroom is rather small – but quite light thanks to windows across two walls – and features the original aquamarine suite from when the house was built around 1980. And no, we haven’t run screaming for a wrecking ball. Yes, I know everyone’s all about white these days. The thing is, though, that it’s actually a nice colour (if it were avocado it would be a different story. I’d have put in the perfectly good suite the people over the road skipped last year). It’s also a good quality suite that is still in good condition after the best part of four decades. And it means we don’t have to tear the bathroom to pieces and fork out lots of money. We’re keeping it. So there. Hey, wait another couple of decades and it’ll probably be in style again!
The tiling, however, has to go. The green, vaguely-marble-effect might just about be tolerable if it weren’t for that awful border. Peek under the sink and there’s still a few of the original square aqua tiles clinging on for dear life. The ceiling is covered in polystyrene tiles and there was carpet on the floor. I’m surprised it didn’t sit up and object when we removed it.
Now, it’s quite common to combine a white suite with blue/green tiling, so I figure it’ll work the other way around as well. I am quite keen on the whole metro tile trend (I’ve no objection to following fashion so long as I like it), and I came across a truly brilliant idea on Pinterest – coloured grout!
White metro tiles with turquoise grout.
I’m not quite sure on the pattern yet. I’ll be re-reading 10 Really Interesting Things You Can Do With Plain White Tile.
I’m also going with plain white walls. I picked up a large bathroom cabinet and matching mirror at a charity shop (thrift store to US readers) for £20, which is great because we really need the space. The amount of lotions, potions and medicines we have in there is astonishing. Right now I think they’re limed light wood, but I’m thinking I might paint them a nice slate grey and make that the third colour of the bathroom. I adore these tiles and they’re ceramic so I think they could work as a basin backsplash.
Carrying on the grey to the floor, right now we have vinyl which is a sort of slate tile pattern. If money was no object (i.e. if I won the competition – hint, hint), I’ve got my eye on these anti-slip grey wood effect tiles. I love wood effect – I had vinyl like that in my old house – and anti-slip tiles sound like a really great idea when you combine splashing water and running small persons.
If I get really creative, I’m toying with the idea of turning this little cabinet (picked up on eBay for 99p) into a vanity unit around the sink. I don’t really like it as it is, but it’s very sturdy so it seems a shame to get rid of it. Blame Pinterest again for that idea. I’m thinking I’ll paint it white, change out the handles (I’ve got some pewter ones left over from our old kitchen), take out the drawers and make them into false fronts and either paint the top grey or use some slate-effect sticky back plastic wrap on it. Admittedly there is quite a list of other projects in front of that one, but if I ever get around to it I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Have you got any home improvement projects planned? Share Pinterest links below.