Ensuite facelift

[DIYMum]

Have finished a cosmetic overhaul of my ensuite! This one threw up a lot of challenges (eg. when replacing the toilet cistern discovered they hadn't bothered to grout the tiles - and the same behind the vanity! Not a big issue and easy to fix with pre-mixed grout, just added more time to the job waiting for grout to dry). I'm thrilled with the end result 😀 

The original tiles, while very outdated, were still in great condition and given they are floor to ceiling I opted to paint them rather than rip off and retile. I used White Knight Tile & Laminate paint (gloss) in Lexicon for the tiles and White Knight Tile & Laminate (matte) paint for the vanity and mirror (sorry, can't remember the colour off the top of my head!). I used White Knight as I've previously used it on the kitchen tiles and it has performed exceptionally well. For the ceiling, door and trims, I used Lexicon half in a semi-gloss.

 Old shower recess

 Before - dated tiles, mirror & vanity

The old tiles were very high gloss, and despite every effort to sand them back before applying the undercoat, nothing worked, so I opted for using ESP which worked a treat! First pic is undercoat, second is after one coat of paint ... already a huge improvement!

Vanity area during. This added extra work to the job as the tiles behind broke when removing the old vanity top (reckon they'd used about 4 tubes of silicon 😧) As the old tiles are not a standard size I had to come up with a Plan B ... sheets of mosaic tiles for the backsplash.

Repainted the vanity and lined shelves and draws with nice bright contact

Finished shower with new black tapware & shower head. 

Upcycled the mirror with same paint used on vanity

Upcycled vanity - the vanity top is a merbau laminated panel with several coats of a sealer.

Tapware and basin not from Bunnings.

Cabinet knobs from Bunnings - I liked the combination of the black, wood and gold, and bought towels that had some gold in them as well.

I'm waiting on a black-framed shower screen to complete the room, so in the interim am using an aluminium extenda rail and a shower curtain.

Got lots of inspiration for this project from what others on here have done, so I hope this inspires someone too!

[MitchellMc]

Absolutely stunning @DIYMum! You must be so excited about how this has turned out, as it looks amazing.

I love the black hardware you've chosen, and I had to double-check your upcycled vanity. I really can't believe it's the same unit. 

You've done incredibly well and should be really proud of your efforts.

Many thanks for sharing this brilliant transformation with us.

Mitchell

[redracer01]

Hello @DIYMum 

This is an excellent make over! With very well thought out upgrades. I totally agree with @MitchellMc on that up cycled vanity, what an amazing transformation. Those black fittings definitely modernize the look and feel of the bathroom. I think the mosaic tiles were an excellent idea and provides excellent contrast to the whole room. Plus that nice touch on the mirror frame just ties it all together. Now that the project has finished I always ask the hindsight questions. Was there a process you would have done differently? If you had to give a piece of advice to community members wanting to attempt this what would it be? Thank you so much for sharing your diy journey with us and we look forward to your projects. If there's anything we can assist with in the future please post it here on workshop. 

Cheers, 

Red

[Ari]

Wow the difference in that vanity is amazing!

[Marija49]

Love the cupboard face life!

[StevieB]

Hi @DIYMum,

Thanks again for sharing this amazing project with us.

Has the new shower screen arrived? We'd love to see updated photos of your ensuite makeover.

Stevie