A DIY-savvy mum has unveiled her bathroom transformation after she spent just £30 bringing the "boring and dated" room up to her stylish standards.
Abi Hugo, from Essex, turned her bathroom into her own slice of paradise using upcycled furnishings from other DIY projects she'd taken on and managed to complete the entire renovation in just 24 hours.
The 32-year-old mum described her property as “modern chic”, but said it was important to give her bathroom some “serious TLC” to bring it up to the high standard of finish in the rest of her house.
Speaking exclusively to Leader Doors, Abi said: “This transformation was definitely up there as it made a massive difference to the room that I felt was very boring and not very pleasant to start with.
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“The whole transformation only took 24 hours, because when I get hooked on an idea and I see it in my head I just have to get it done. It just started with me painting the radiator, and seeing how it went, and then one thing led to another and I kinda didn’t go to bed till like 2 am."
Abi, who has over 111,000 followers on her Instagram account @thewhitethistle, completed most of the renovation for free, and only splurged £30 on some easy peel and stick floor tiles from Dunelm, which she used to cover up her bare bathroom floor.
She then painted the walls using leftover paint and used spare wood to replace the bathroom worktop, as well as utilising more upcycling tips to create a stylish wood panel wall behind the bathroom mirror.
She added: “The reno was basically free! I used leftover stuff from the other rooms that I upcycled in my house, so that includes leftover wood and paint.
“The only thing I bought was the peel and stick floor tiles from Dunelm which were £14 a pack and I brought two, so just under £30. I am all about the budget renovation!”
Although Abi loves the luxury look, she says there’s nothing like getting a bargain, and said she is always thinking of ways to give old things new life.
And when it comes to finding inspiration for her DIY projects, Abi says most of her ideas come from browsing Pinterest, as she says research "is key" to finding the best deals.
She explained: “Within interior design, I really appreciate organic styles and fibres by adding natural elements within your space to create texture within your home. I love to add a modern twist on classic style with my love of neutrals but adding contrast with black accents really elevates the space.
“Use Pinterest for a mood board because it will really help you solidify what look you are going for, and help you plan before you dive in.
"Also, I would say research is key, look into your interior style, and if you come across a product you love like a lamp or something, one of my top tips is to use Google Reverse Image Search, where Google will reveal all the places the product is found, and you might be able to find the product cheaper somewhere else.”
The mum also offered her tips to others looking to commit to a DIY project themselves - as she suggested sticking to a theme and utilising what you already have available to you.
She said: “If you can find a theme for your house, and find a colour palette you love and want to run with, then your house will flow and rather than going out and buying a new tin, you can just reuse paint, wood and decor from all over the house to pull it all together so it flows really nicely.
"I made sure I kept soft, neutrals in my paint colours throughout. I chose to use wood as accents to make my wall a feature, so when doing this, I added leftover wood around my mirror which was very quick to do.
"Just have fun with it! Paint can always be painted over so don’t overthink things.
"With DIY, as it's such a step-by-step process, you can’t really go wrong, because if it were to go that way you'll notice before you get to the next step, so just have fun with it and try things!”
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