A lifelong Disney fan has managed to create her very own under-the-sea kingdom in her bathroom, and it cost her less than £200 to complete.
Mel Hamblett, 34, has transformed her bathroom into a room fit for Princess Ariel, with every detail inspired by the beloved Disney classic, The Little Mermaid.
The talented interior DIY lover has always loved all things Disney, and, after a visit to Walt Disney World at the age of 23, she decided she wanted her own home to reflect that special sense of magic and escapism.
The creative mum has a particular place in her heart for Ariel, and just knew she had to have a mermaid-themed bathroom.
Speaking to home brand Ruggable, Mel, from Gloucester, said: "I've always loved Ariel. Her curiosity and passion made her such an admirable character, while the colour palette and music from the movie are so joyful, it's always been my favourite.
"I even have a half-sleeve tattoo dedicated to different scenes in the movie, I love it so much!"
Despite working full-time in communications alongside parenting duties and being an interior influencer, Mel was able to transform her bathroom in just two weeks, for less than £200.
Mel, who shares interior inspiration on her Instagram account A Whole New Build, explained: "The biggest cost was the custom vinyl flooring which was around £80. The rest was paint, primer, vinyl, and my own time.
"What really helped to keep the cost down was using what we already had, sprucing them up with paint to make them look new. For example, I painted our tiles with primer and paint, then sealed them to protect them, finishing with a grout pen to ensure a fresh, clean look!
"I also spray-painted our taps using primer, gold brake calliper spray, and glitter spray which saved us hundreds compared to buying brand-new taps and fittings.
"I upcycled mirrors, an old shelf, and the bathroom sink unit with paint and seashell vinyl, and also installed a vinyl around the window to add a pop of mermaid pattern, too."
This Disney theme isn't just confined to the bathroom, however, and Mel has managed to incorporate plenty of her nods to her favourite movies throughout her house.
Mel continued: "While the mermaid bathroom is very explicitly a homage to Ariel, I like to try and incorporate Disney in more subtle ways around my home.
"We have a neon sign above our bed which says 'who disturbs my slumber' - a nod to the cave of wonders from Aladdin, as well as an expression of our lives with a young child!
"My son's bedroom has a rainbow theme, but also includes a gallery wall of Pixar movie posters - he's a huge Cars and Toy Story fan, so it was a way of adding colour to the walls with a nod to his favourite movies.
"Our living room has custom art on the wall which says 'look at this stuff isn't it neat', the opening lyrics from 'Part Of Your World' and photos from our trips to Disney Parks.
"We have a Ruggable rug in the kitchen with hidden Mickey Mouses on it, whilst the home office has a neon sign saying 'to infinity and beyond'.
"And it's not just the inside interior we have made Disney-themed. Our garden has a lot of tropical plants and coloured lights, which takes inspiration from Pandora and Adventureland."
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