When Nicky Hartwell, 51, a lettings associate, bought her flat in the spring of 2016, she knew she was taking on a project. ‘Everything needed doing and that attracted me to the property in the first place,’ she smiles. ‘I didn’t want a pristine home where someone else had made all the design decisions – I really wanted to put my stamp on it making it exactly what I wanted it to be.’
The builder began work by taking out the old sanitaryware and removing the tiles leaving Nicky with a bare space. The bathroom and adjacent separate WC were asking to be knocked into one room and this was a simple task. ‘It was a badly constructed stud wall and my builder removed it in no time – as soon as it was down the bathroom felt huge!’ smiles Nicky. ‘I then started considering my options for the layout which was easier as the room was empty and I could mark out on the floorboards where everything would fit. I knew I had to keep the WC on the same wall to make the pipework more straightforward, but other than that I could do what I liked!’ Nicky soon came up with a design that she liked with the basin in front of you as you walk in the room and a heated towel rail neatly behind the door. By moving the bath to where the WC had been, Nicky would be left with some space at the end of the bath that she could use for a slim storage unit. ‘I’d seen tall storage cupboards that would fit so thought this was a good option until my builder suggested putting a stud wall up at the end of the bath and using the rest of the space as a cupboard accessed from the hallway. This was such a brilliant idea because I’d gain much more storage than with a piece of furniture and still keep a really neat look in the bathroom.’
Nicky gathered together all the sanitaryware she needed, choosing a wall-hung basin unit with generous drawer beneath that would keep her bathroom neat and tidy with a mirrored cabinet above to give more everyday storage. A bath was fitted into the new space with shower above and glass screen for practicality. ‘I chose some beautiful water-green tiles that would be laid in a brick pattern with paint a shade lighter on the walls that would be soft and gentle for a light and airy finish,’ says Nicky. Having had vinyl flooring in her previous home, Nicky chose the same again as she knew that it looked great and was easy to maintain. ‘The grey washed wood on the floor works well as it is a similar depth of colour to the tiles, and the timber pattern is an attractive contrast to the glossy surfaces elsewhere,’ she explains. With bright accessories chosen to complement a cheerful framed print, Nicky’s bathroom was complete. ‘The bathroom has changed from a bad, clunky design to looking sleek and beautiful. Showering is a luxury and the style is smart yet cosy – it couldn’t be any better!’