DIY fan turns bland bathroom into pastel paradise using cheap Dulux paint and tiles

Many of us have been getting stuck into DIY projects during lockdown.

You may not think you’ll achieve amazing results on your own, but some amateur interior designers are proof you don’t always need to call in the professionals.

Emily Barratt, 36, revamped her bathroom without breaking the bank.

She drew inspiration from her nickname, “Drama Llama”, to create a pretty pastel space with an animal picture on the wall.

The DIY fan told LatestDeals.co.uk : “Friends have me saved in their phones as ‘Drama Llama’, because drama seems to follow me.

“So the revamped bathroom, with its framed poster of an alpaca unicorn, was a source of amusement for them.”

So how did Emily pull off the transformation?

The Manchester-based lass, who shares pictures of her renovation journey on Instagram page @our_big_renovation, decided to inject plenty of colour into the room.

She said: “It was definitely time for a new downstairs loo.

“The old suite had a non-changeable toilet seat and I think it had been there for 20 years. Plus, it had a huge ceramic shower tray with no shower, which was a waste of space. It simply had to go.

“I knew that I wanted a colourful, crazy loo because it’s the one room in the house that can be a little bit wacky.

“I like the colour combination of pink and green. I’d seen a few bathrooms and toilets decorated in these shades so I decided to follow this style.”

Emily continued: “I usually find that Pinterest has some good colour palettes for inspiration, but I could only find examples of bathrooms incorporating darker shades of pink and green.

“I wanted the loo to feel light and airy, however, so I took a bit of a risk and winged it.”

The DIY enthusiast opted for Dulux Mint Macaroon paint for the walls combined with soft pink floor tiles and accessories.

She watched YouTube tutorials before rolling up her sleeves and getting stuck in.

And in total, she spent around £1,500 completing the project over the course of four weeks.

Emily said: “I’ve been renovating our home for a year now so I’ve picked up quite a few new skills.

“I’d tiled our guest ensuite a few months back, which was a steep learning curve, so this was my second ever tiling project.

“I needed to pay a plumber to move the sink, change the loo and plaster the walls once I’d removed the old wall tiles, but I did everything else myself, including laying the hexagonal ceramic mosaic floor tiles.

“I thought they’d be easier to lay than large tiles, but it was actually harder.

“Plus, I had to level the floor first with self-leveller.”

The renovation aficionado snapped up the under-sink cabinet from Wayfair.

She said: “It was supposed to be white but when it arrived it was cream, so I painted it.

“It was easy to turn into a sink unit. I just drilled a hole in the top and side for the pipes using a circle drill.

“The pink basin wasn’t cheap. It was £100 from Victoria Plum, but it matches the tiles perfectly.”

Emily also added a ladder shelf she already owned, made her own , macramé plant hanger and purchased a chandelier for £45 from Iconic Lights.

The DIYer is chuffed with the finished results.

She said: “I’m super pleased with how it turned out.

“If you are looking to do a similar budget bathroom renovation, just give it a go.

“Do your research, and have a look around your house to see if there is anything you could reuse or upcycle to help keep costs down.”