Showerline: Upgrade Your Bathroom On A Budget

Andrew Mackenzie, of Andrew Mackenzie Interiors, has a talent for rescuing rooms from bleak obscurity into warm and inviting spaces. “The bathroom,” says Andrew, “is vital to the comfort of any home and needs loving treatment.”“A bathroom can be successfully transformed, for very little, by restyling rather than renovating,” Andrew explains. “You don’t need to start over to upgrade your bathroom. Just go forward from where you are.” There are more people renting now and it may not necessarily be in the tenant’s best interests to spend money on renovations.The contemporary, slick, tile-and-marble look on display in expensive bathrooms can look a little sterile and generic and sometimes feel downright tomb-like,” Andrew says. “Using personal pieces can add charm and individuality. Furniture lends character. Make it multi-functional by piling soft white towels onto an old chair, or an ottoman which can also be used as a practical seat.”Instead of re-tiling, create a quick and eye-catching effect by ‘gallerising’ a wall with glass-framed pictures or prints, and mirrors. Personalise the display by focusing on a favourite hobby or sport, or a special interest. Vintage motor cars, landscapes, black and white photographs of Hollywood stars, old steam engines, magazine covers, cartoons and botanical prints are some examples. There may be suitable pictures in your house but, failing that, most second-hand shops sell framed prints at knockdown prices. Nails, a hammer, a spirit level and a helpful partner will help to get the wall covered in a morning. “Don’t be afraid to cover the wall all the way from the floor to the ceiling,” Andrew says, “one little print has never cracked it. Easy to clean, glass framed prints are also hygienic.Here’s a tip that will add to the cost but will certainly pay off in terms of the look, especially if your partner does not have a good eye, hire professionals to hang the pictures.Take everyday items out of their literal context and use them in a decorative way. Old cut-glass booze decanters look wonderful filled with bubble bath and silver ice buckets paired with a big silver spoon are perfect for bath salts. Instead of a generic toilet roll holder use a lovely old basket; roll up face cloths or hand towels and use table napkin rings as holders. If you have the space, an old Persian rug on the bathroom floor always looks fabulous.While you cannot hide from something like a blue bath, you can play into it by using that colour and turning it into a feature, linking it to something like a print collection of blue wildflowers or repeating the colour in the frames.If you want to go a little deeper into restyling, paint a wall. Painting is often seen as the cheapest way to redecorate. Stay away from bland and beige and go for gorgeous, bold colour. Freshen up the look with some beautiful white frames. A stunning and dramatic look could be achieved by painting a wall deep charcoal and hanging black and white prints in white frames. Bathrooms are not usually big rooms so a little paint can go a long way.Frameless showers are trendy and practical and they create a lovely illusion of space. If you can’t afford a frameless shower right now and your old walled shower is falling apart consider ripping out the walls and having an open shower.The great essential in a bathroom is ventilation. Free circulation of air is critical.Restyling gives you an opportunity to create a unique and personal look.”