Creative mum transforms her tired-looking bathroom for £112

A savvy mother-of-two has made the most of lockdown by transforming her tired-looking bathroom into a chic and stylish space – while on a budget.  

Yianoula Griffiths, 36, from Berkshire, who is a marketing executive, managed to keep the cost of the impressive transformation down to just £112 – by shopping in the likes of Homebase and Argos.

‘I was inspired to do the project after seeing a few home renovations on Instagram,’ she said, speaking to money-saving community

‘I then joined the fan page on Facebook and saw people painting cupboards and decided to give it a go. We moved into our house last summer. It’s a lovely house in a lovely quiet cul-de-sac in a beautiful village but I have to say the finish of the house was awful. 

Yianoula Griffiths, 36, from Berkshire, transformed her bathroom on a budget amid lockdown. Pictured, before the impressive overhaul

Yianoula bought the flooring from Homebase, which came to the bargain price of £30 for the amount needed. Pictured, after the transformation

The mother-of-two (pictured with her son) said she was inspired to do the project after seeing a few home renovations on Instagram

‘I really wasn’t convinced that I wanted to buy it but, in the end, we decided to go for it for the location. It was so old fashioned and very dark.

Yianoula went on to say that after the move last year and with the current pandemic, there was no chance financially that she could do any major renovations. 

‘Being on lockdown gave me the time to tackle the parts of the house that needed the most help, and the 50 shades of brown bathroom seemed like a good place to start,’ she explained.

‘I discovered that you could get stick on tiles and just decided to do it. The whole lockdown thing can be really bad for my mental state – I often get anxiety and currently I am struggling to not overthink things and I worry all the time.

‘I already had the Frenchic paint, which costs £20 per tin, from other jobs. I painted my front door pink and the bannister.

‘The flooring is Floorpops from Homebase and the total cost was about £30 for the amount needed. The mirror from Studio was £22 and a new blind from Argos was £20. 

‘I already had the plants since before we moved in – they are a mix from Ikea and The Range.

She continued: ‘I painted the bath first as I was desperate to inject some pink! Then I took the cabinet doors off and painted them. The last bit to paint was the back of the door pink and I finished it off with the flooring.

‘I did the tiles while waiting for the cupboards to dry between coats.’

Yianoula says the project gave her the perfect opportunity to get stuck into something positive and creative.

‘Having a project to do and something to focus on other than all the doom and gloom we are reading about had been so positive for me,’ she added. 

‘I’d really encourage anyone who is struggling with anxiety to find a project and get started; it doesn’t have to cost a lot.

‘I’m so proud of myself. I love the end result and have no need at all now to rip the bathroom out, I’ve saved us a fortune!

‘I hadn’t had a bath in the new house since moving in (we have a separate shower) – it was only the kids that used the bathroom. It was so depressing I didn’t think a bath would be relaxing, but now I love my bathroom and having a bath. 

The creative mother-of-two went on to offer her top tips for anyone hoping to follow in her footsteps.

‘Look online for ideas and colour schemes,’ she said. ‘When you’ve decided what you want, go for it. 

‘Don’t compromise, wait for the right paint colour to come into stock, get a tester pot and make sure you’re totally happy with what you’re using before you start. It’s a lot of work to later not be happy with the result.

‘Also if you want to do something a bit different, for example, if you want to paint your bathtub pink like I did, just do it! 

‘Don’t ask lots of people for their opinion, people will leave a seed of doubt in your head and you won’t do it. If you want something different just do it!’

Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, commented: ‘Many of us are indulging in creative projects during the lockdown and it’s a great way to keep anxious thoughts at bay.

‘Yianoula’s bathroom looks unrecognisable and it’s amazing to see how she did the renovation on such a strict budget!

‘If you’re keen to follow in her footsteps, buy stick-on tiles too as a great alternative to real tiles, and seek out budget brands such as The Range and B&M for gorgeous accessories.’