New South Wales couple Aleasha and Ben Mawhinnew had no need for their son’s nursery anymore, so they decided to convert it into a luxurious ensuite bathroom. The end result, which features a double shower, niche, and stunning black and white tiles came to under $4,000.
WATCH: Take a look around Aleasha and Ben’s bathroom reno
Better Homes and Gardens Online caught up with Aleasha to find out more about the incredible transformation.
Tell us about your bathroom renovation?
The bathroom was originally our son’s nursery which we converted into our ensuite. The bathroom is everything we dreamed it would be and is something my husband and I worked so hard to come up with together, which he really brought to life.
What inspired your renovation?
When we first bought our house, I was seven months pregnant with our first child. The house was a small but cosy, two-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage. We have since doubled the floor size of the house and added two more bedrooms. We will eventually have two more bathrooms, this being the first of the two.
What kind of look were you after?
We love most styles and nothing too specific. American fixer-upper, country, southern farmhouse, Hamptons, and New York-style are some of our favourites. We have such similar taste and feel as long as it has some sentiment to it then it works for us.
What were the biggest challenges of the renovation?
Time! With two kids, work, and life in general, it definitely made it tricky to complete. The other challenge would be the cost, we managed to get everything we wanted and at the best price by shopping around and upcycling items. I’m very lucky to have Ben and his father Mark doing the majority of the renovations. They’re both so handy.
The Renovation Process
- Marked out the area, framed up, and installed a new window.
- Sheeted the walls and ceiling.
- Concreted the hob and niche/shower seat.
- Waterproofed.
- Tiled/grouted the floor and two walls.
- Installed marble stone.
- Painted and installed skirting.
- Wired up lighting and fan.
- Re-vamped and installed the vanity.
- Plumbed the entire area.
- Added finishing touches eg. shelves, hooks, mirror & light etc.
- Installed the shower screen.
How long did it take you?
Feels like years but about six months, give or take.
How much did you roughly spend on the renovation?
Around $3,500-$4,000 in total.
Budget Breakdown
Hexagon tiles, grout, shower head and tapware, toilet: $2500 from Bunnings
Colour tile Port Macquarie on matte white rectangle wall tiles: $300
Various décor items: $50
Fan: $550 from eBay
Wall light, hook, shower screen: eBay
Linen and décor: $200 accessories from Spotlight
Bathroom accessories and toiletries: $50 from Woolworths
Laundry basket: $50 from Target
Favourite part of your renovation?
The double shower and niche ($300) are just amazing! And the floor tiles ($500) although they were very time consuming, they are a major feature!
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