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This was my first DIY project. The idea was to replace the old tiles and shower screen to have a feeling of cleanness. While removing the tiles I punched so many holes into the walls that I've decided to remove them completely. This opened new possibilities such as adding water pipe for bidet, recess in the shower and recessed shaving cabinet. Ultimately, I ended up redoing the entire bathroom which took me several months but we ended up being quiet happy with the result.
Lessons learnt I'd like to share with people starting their first bathroom reno:
1/ Take down the entire walls and put new rather than trying to carefully remove the old tiles while preserving the old walls
2/ Take advantage of plenty YouTube videos - you can really find every help you need; find a channel that suits you and take your time to watch multiple videos
3/ Don't buy tile cutter if your tiles are not large. I bought one but ended up only using my Ozito Grinder with diamond blade.
4/ Buy 360 degree vertical and horizontal laser level - it's a priceless tool for tiling the walls. I've got Ozito which I found best value for money.
5/ Manage your wife's expectation in regards to the duration of the reno :). Based on videos, I thought it would be much simpler and faster than it turned out to be.
Budget: $10,6k out of which:
- Water - pipes and work of a plumber: $750
- Walls and floor (excl. tiles): $700
- Tiles: $1,500
- Cabinet, toilet, shower screen, shower head: $5,800
- Tools: $1,700 (I had nothing when I started so needed to buy everything)
- Rubbish tip: $200
Plumbing was the only paid work. Everything else was DIY.
Hi @Peter13,
First, let me extend a warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It is wonderful you have decided to join and share your bathroom reno with us. You'll find many of our members are inspired by projects like yours and even make it into our Top 10 most popular bathroom projects article.
Haha your tip about expectations made me have a little chuckle, that is just it though isn't it? Under-promise and over-deliver. I really like your tile choices! They all compliment each other beautifully. What part was the most challenging?
Katie
Hello @Peter13
Allow me to welcome you as well to the Bunnings Workshop community. That tiling combination is just fantastic, I totally agree with my colleague that it looks beautiful. Those grey subway tiles act like a feature wall in the room and the pattern on the floor tiles adds an excellent contrast.
Your choice of the angled semi-frameless shower is great. It doesn't look as visually imposing as your original shower and keeps the room looking big. The changes you've put in have made the bathroom look bigger and brighter.
Thank you so much for sharing your ensuite renovation.
Eric
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