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Before and after: A luxe bathroom makeover for under $4,000

From a nursery to a stylish ensuite. - by Olivia Hart
  • 21 Aug 2020

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. 

bathroom reno

Before: Early stages of marking out the area for a complete change

Aleasha Mawhinnew
before bathroom renovation

Before: An empty, colourless room in need of a makeover

Aleasha Mawhinnew
luxe bathroom renovation with black and white tiles

After: A stylish, luxe bathroom with a niche and gorgeous tiles

Aleasha Mawhinnew

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.

sheet walls

Before: Sheeting the walls

Aleasha Mawhinnew
tiling floor

Laying down the black and white tiles of the new bathroom

Aleasha Mawhinnew

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.

tiling bathroom

During the renovation process

Aleasha Mawhinnew
middle of bathroom renovation

Almost finished!

Aleasha Mawhinnew
tiling wall

Tiling the bathroom

Aleasha Mawhinnew

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.
Bathroom sink before renovating

Before: An empty and ordinary cabinet

Aleasha Mawhinnew
after renovating bathroom sink

After: A revamped vanity

Aleasha Mawhinnew

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.

Royal gree vanity and sink in bathroom

After: Royal green sink and vanity

Aleasha Mawhinnew

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

Luxe mirror and sink in bathroom

After: Luxe bathroom vanity

Aleasha Mawhinnew

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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