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"Unfurnished, 1 bedroom flat on the first floor"
What was the catch? It had already been on Rightmove for 2 weeks. In early October 2019 I felt like a seasoned competitor in the rental market, and had seen my fair share of mouldy, damp, windowless properties. But this one was different. By the end of the month I'd signed the contract, hired a moving van and started a new chapter in my own little flat. Of course, the key word to remember here is unfurnished... , AKA unloved. But that was about to change. Armed with a plethora of Pinterest boards and a basic knowledge of the colour wheel, I stepped into the realm of interior design for the very first time.
Fast forward 7 months... and it's still pretty bare. There's just so much choice, so many things inspire me all at once it's overwhelming... and when I say 'choice', I mean the possibilities that exist within the glorious realms of rented living. But since I'm still in decorating mode, I thought why not document it on here? Of course from a financial perspective my dream flat won't come into creation over night, but I'll get there - one small potted plant at a time. Today I'm focusing on the bathroom...
*It's worth noting here that I've been living in Northampton with my boyfriend for the entire duration of lock down, and haven't actually been in my flat since the middle of March. Of course, all actual decorating and designing is on hold, and will continue after Government restrictions have been lifted*
Also let's pray my Landlord never reads this, 'cos I have PLANS.
The Anatomy:
- I wish I was living the stand-alone-bath and infinity shower dream, but alas, the reality is that I'm working with a small space, and a small budget, but it's still doable!
- There's a built-in shower with fixed glass screen. A large bath unit. Toilet (obvs) and sink area. There's one window which I think is east-facing, so it gets a decent amount of natural light during the day.
- I wish I was living the stand-alone-bath and infinity shower dream, but alas, the reality is that I'm working with a small space, and a small budget, but it's still doable!
- There's a built-in shower with fixed glass screen. A large bath unit. Toilet (obvs) and sink area. There's one window which I think is east-facing, so it gets a decent amount of natural light during the day.
Current Design:
- Luckily my Landlord knows the worth of modern units - and has his own sense of style - so the shell of what I'm hoping to transform is actually already in pretty good nick.
- Luckily my Landlord knows the worth of modern units - and has his own sense of style - so the shell of what I'm hoping to transform is actually already in pretty good nick.
- The focus wall which the bath unit sits in front of is a black faux-marble tile; floors are a similar dark hue, with the other three walls painted white and finished with a minimal white tile design.
Aspirations (AKA The Exciting Stuff)
The Main Vibe: It'll go one of three extremes...
1. I keep the moody vibe of the black marble and just roll with it, making it very luxe by finishing it off with dark wooden accessories and maybe a subtle pop of colour through a bath mat or plant pot.
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2. I make it light, bright and airy. To do so, I'll be going straight to Jess Rose Vinyl to cover up the black marble wall with something like this. Then finishing off with light wooden accessories, and keeping it more on the Scandi-minimal side.
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3. I go all-out funky, covering the black marble with a bright coloured tile - similar to this - and throwing all caution to the wind. I'm talking retro vibes with quirky, mismatching accessories.
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(Think this ^ but more contrasting colour and less grey and black)
Plants: I'm an absolute bitch for a potted plant. Big, small, chunky, funky, hanging low or growing high - I'll take them all. Have they always been this popular? Plants and flowers of any kind are an absolute essential in any home these days, and with good reason. They're a natural beauty, known to reduce stress levels and boost your mood as well as helping to regulate air-flow.
- I'm thinking of going for a 'jungle vibe', which is very much the 'in' way to showcase your flora and fauna. This basically means putting all your plants in one particular section of your room, be it a corner, a shelf or floor space, and concentrating all its energy there. My top tip is to change up the sizes and species of plants just to add that extra bit of 'depth'. There's a handy little surface underneath my towel rail that could easily house several..... dozen.
- The majority of my living plants will be coming from Flourish, which is a gorgeous Flouristry not too far from where I live. If you're in Manchester definitely check them out; they're an independent business with the most beautiful store. Don't be shy to ask for recommendations either, they're the experts after all!
- For fake plants, you can't go wrong with IKEA, TK Maxx or Homesense.
Soft Furnishings: The little things that truly elevate a room. Easily missed, but easily achievable.
- A bath mat can be a piece of art in itself these days - Sage and Clare definitely have the right idea with their latest collection. You can always rely on Urban Outfitters Home to deliver the kitschy goodness too. For something more subtle, I'd go for a block colour that has already been brought into the room, say for example through towels or picture frames.
- I'm admittingly more of a shower girl, but I've been blessed with a huge tub in this flat. I actually haven't used it yet - water bills yano - but I do want to make it more of a feature. I love the idea of having a wooden bath tray... if anything it's another surface to decorate; perfect in a small bathroom! And of course, no bath is complete without candles. In an ideal world they'd all be Joe Malone, but maybe for now I'll have some dupes from Homesense.
- Functionality is key in such a small space, especially since I only have one tiny cupboard under the bath unit and very little enclosed shelf space under the sink. The likelihood is that the majority of my products will have to be displayed - enter the ever-trusty floating IKEA shelf (this will have to be a Landlord approved activity though, drilling holes into the wall is risky business). If not, a surface unit will have to do.
- Artwork is something I have been so naive to. You buy the painting and the frame... separately? Absolute bullshit. One of my tricks is to get second hand frames from the charity shop and put magazine cuttings in them; not necessarily collages, but more like if you've seen a campaign that's been shot beautifully. Otherwise, my current favourites for artwork inspiration is King and McGaw, or Fy. I'll also be stalking independent business on Instagram too, because that's where the best creativity lies.
- A bath mat can be a piece of art in itself these days - Sage and Clare definitely have the right idea with their latest collection. You can always rely on Urban Outfitters Home to deliver the kitschy goodness too. For something more subtle, I'd go for a block colour that has already been brought into the room, say for example through towels or picture frames.
- I'm admittingly more of a shower girl, but I've been blessed with a huge tub in this flat. I actually haven't used it yet - water bills yano - but I do want to make it more of a feature. I love the idea of having a wooden bath tray... if anything it's another surface to decorate; perfect in a small bathroom! And of course, no bath is complete without candles. In an ideal world they'd all be Joe Malone, but maybe for now I'll have some dupes from Homesense.
- Functionality is key in such a small space, especially since I only have one tiny cupboard under the bath unit and very little enclosed shelf space under the sink. The likelihood is that the majority of my products will have to be displayed - enter the ever-trusty floating IKEA shelf (this will have to be a Landlord approved activity though, drilling holes into the wall is risky business). If not, a surface unit will have to do.
- Artwork is something I have been so naive to. You buy the painting and the frame... separately? Absolute bullshit. One of my tricks is to get second hand frames from the charity shop and put magazine cuttings in them; not necessarily collages, but more like if you've seen a campaign that's been shot beautifully. Otherwise, my current favourites for artwork inspiration is King and McGaw, or Fy. I'll also be stalking independent business on Instagram too, because that's where the best creativity lies.
- Little odd bits like ceramics, pots and glassware will be primarily sourced from charity shops, because my GOD can you find absolute gems in there. We all know it, I don't need to ramble on too much about the joy of thrifting. But my go-to's are The British Heart Foundation and Oxfam, purely because they're the ones closest to me.
Final Thoughts:I'm so excited to get stuck in! Research is key, and it's important for me to try and save money where ever possible. But when you see the finished result and realise there's a bath mat worth £50 lying on the floor... just know that I tried my best.
* All images marked with an asterisk have been taken from Pinterest. You can follow my account by clicking here *
I'd love to know your thoughts, tips and tricks for interiors so feel free to leave a comment below!
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