When Laura Sexton, aka “One Chick Reno” decided to freshen up her bathroom and laundry room, it quickly spiralled into a full-blown renovation.
Despite several setbacks and fitting the work around her three kids’ schedules, she successfully upgraded the space, transforming it into sleek space with warm timber tones. Better Homes and Gardens Online caught up with Laura to get all the details.
What inspired your project?
I’m used to being really busy, so I found that during lockdown, renovating was really just a way to keep myself occupied.
Have you made many things before?
I’ve made bits and pieces and completed minor DIYs, but nothing to the scale of the laundry and bathroom before.
What kind of look were you after?
I was aiming for a modern barn house style. Something that isn’t going to date quickly, and I can freshen up with styling.
Biggest challenges?
There were so many! The room tested my patience because it was one giant puzzle that I was constantly trying to find solutions for.
My initial plan was just to remove the lino so I could continue laying the hybrid floorboards throughout the whole downstairs (130m of flooring). I didn’t realise that the trough was tucked under the tiles and when I tried to pull it out to remove the last part of the lino, the tiles broke. So, that forced me to renovate the whole room.
I also fractured part of my hand when I hit it with the hammer trying to remove the tiles, and I’m just going blame that on being distracted by the kids talking to me!
Renovation process
- Removed the lino, vanity, toilet and skirting boards.
- Removed all the tiles on the laundry wall, smashed big holes in the plaster.
- Removed the grey feature tile on bath wall as well as all the old grey grout.
- Taught myself how to plaster a wall.
- Painted the ceiling, walls and old cupboard doors white.
- Waterproofed wall, floor and feature tile area.
- Laid new tiles on the laundry side that matched the height of the bath wall.
- Grouted both sides with new white grout and sealed it.
- Installed the new black tapwear throughout the room.
- Laid the hybrid flooring, following the additional waterproofing instructions.
- Put the freshly painted skirting boards back on.
- Built the three Bunnings cupboards, installed the new benchtop, sink and plumbing.
How much did you spend?
This room was about $3,000, not including the new front loader washing machine.
Budget breakdown
Paint — Dulux Bathroom Vivid white (walls and ceiling)
All tiling — Bunnings, $465 total
Washing machine taps — Mondella Resonance Black Pin Lever Washing machine taps from Bunnings, $79.57
Basin and shower taps — Mondella Resonance Black Pin Lever wall taps, from Bunnings, $79.57
Basin Tap — ABI interiors, $109.90
Shower — from Bunnings, $142
Bath taps — Homary, $150
Flat Pax Cabinets – from Bunnings, $531
Acacia Bench top and sides – from Bunnings, $198 (2 pieces)
Mondella toilet roll holder — from Bunnings, $36.62
Toilet — from Bunnings, $289 (discontinued)
Flooring — Godfrey Hirst Hybrid flooring Apollo Ash
Favourite part of the renovation?
The whole room was one big puzzle and I guess that’s why I’m so proud of the full result!
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