A first-time buyer has revealed how she transformed a drab extra bedroom into a spacious bathroom decked out with Instagram-worthy touches

A first-time buyer has revealed how she transformed a drab extra bedroom into a spacious bathroom decked out with Instagram-worthy touches. 

Vlogger Madeleine Olivia and boyfriend Alex, both 27, bought a £230,000 four-bedroom cottage in a west Cornwall village in December last year with plans to make it their own.

‘It was a fixer-upper and was exactly the sort of thing we were looking for in our budget,’ Madeleine said.

‘I loved the idea of renovating a period property back to its former glory.’

After trawling Pinterest for inspiration, Madeleine and Alex set about turning one of the small bedrooms into a large bathroom to replace a small en-suite they wanted to remove from their master.

It comes as research from Skipton Building Society found first-time buyers budget an average of £11,263 on styling their new pad, taking inspiration from social media. 

Madeleine and Alex spent £6,388 on the project, which covered the cost of everything from re-plumbing (£2,750) to trendy tiles (£314) and a shelf made from reclaimed wood (£15.99).

Speaking to FEMAIL, Madeleine – whose book, Minimal: How to simplify your life and live sustainably, will be released in January – explained how she was able to create a calm, yet trendy space without spending a fortune by shopping second-hand and searching for bargains on online marketplaces. 

Among Madeleine’s favourite finds was an old school desk that she picked up for £52 and re-purposed as a unit for the sink.

She said: ‘We made so many changes to the design of the room until we found the perfect fit and from there I sourced as many pieces and fittings secondhand. 

‘I want all of our renovations to be as sustainable as possible, so finding bathroom fixtures and fittings secondhand was a great budget and eco-friendly start.

‘I looked on places like Gumtree, eBay and my favourite, Facebook Marketplace for items every day. 

‘It was fun and also rewarding to find most of the parts needed for a fraction of the price and to put them to good use rather than ending up down the dump.