I am always looking for inspiration on how to make a change to my home style. I like to challenge myself on making a change without costing the earth. So, with my glossy magazine in hand, no end of boards created on Pinterest and my head full of inspiring ideas I begin my journey to make a change without breaking the bank. My latest project was the family bathroom which was given a makeover during the Covid-19 lockdown. Well what else was there to do?
The bathroom was pretty boring, very white and lacked any form of style. I love the large freestanding bath and I wanted a design that would give the feeling of being in a tropical spa.
I wasn’t planning to change the floor but had a plan to change the colour of the vanity so as to bring a third colour into the room. I put together some mood boards to help me focus on the colour scheme, textures, accessories and lighting to achieve my scheme.
I am always on the lookout for décor in the sales and just before COVID I was in Bunnings and saw 3 rolls of wallpaper in the bargain bin. They were exactly what I had in mind to bring the tropics into my bathroom, so I bought just one roll. I always find that starting with one large item like a rug or in this case wallpaper really helps to decide on the wall colour. The wallpaper has a dark grey background, so I chose this as a paint colour for the wall which tied in with the floor. Being a dark colour also gives the room a cosier feel.
I was planning to re-paint the vanity but on Buy, Swap, Sell I came across a drawer unit that would fit perfectly in the bathroom. So, I decided to spend money on painting this rather than the vanity unit. I wanted a worn look to the furniture and chose RUST-OLEUM chalk paint tinted to Patina which tied in with the colour of the leaf on the wallpaper.
I removed the drawers and added MDF shelving to store towels and baskets. I also covered the front of the shelves with beading just to neaten the finish and then I set about painting.
Chalk paint is a decorative paint that doesn’t require any prior preparation and can give a great aging effect to furniture, so it was pretty quick and easy giving an old drawer unit a new lease of life. I already had the handles found on one of my other bargain hunts which tied in really well with the overall look.
Accessories brought the whole scheme together and you will be surprised what items you may already have around your house that you can use to accessorise a room. You may even use one of these as inspiration for your new colour scheme. I created a vignette of items for the top of the unit all of which I already had. The only thing I bought was the tray and faux leaves both of which were from Dollars and Sense.
I added some candles to the scheme which when lit gives a relaxing, chilled feel to the room and a great scent. I am really pleased with the result and overall objective of turning my bathroom into a sumptuous and chilled place to relax.
The key to re-styling on a budget is to start with one large item, in this case the wallpaper, but it could be a rug, cushion, bedding or wall colour. Focus on this colour and bring items into the room that will work well together, a colour wheel can help with deciding on colour schemes or take inspiration from magazines or Pinterest.
The total cost of this makeover was:
| Store | Item | Cost |
| Bunnings | Wallpaper Wall Paint Chalk Paint MDF & Beading for shelving | $63 $56 $45 $25 |
| Buy Swap Sell | Drawer Unit | $20 |
| Dollars & Sense | Faux Leaves Tray | $10 $6 |
| Big W | Soap Dispenser Toothbrush holder | $7 $7 |
| GRAND TOTAL: | $239 |
So, what room will you make over on a budget?
Styling the Whitsundays 