A SAVVY renovator has turned a run-down, tired bathroom into a luxury retreat, without the designer price tag.
Ellie Munt and her partner moved into their new home after an exchange, only to find the bathroom in awful condition.
The original bathroom was in a sorry state — tired walls covered in old paint, mismatched linoleum flooring, and dated fixtures that had seen better days.
Determined to give it a serious glow-up, Ellie and her partner pulled off an incredible makeover for just £815, proving that a high-end look doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag.
Now, the space is completely unrecognisable, featuring a striking tropical feature wall from Debenhams, sleek wood panelling, and modern subway tiles, all tied together with a luxurious rainfall showerhead.
Having previously been a council tenant, Ellie and her family moved to this property under the housing association.
Speaking about when they received the keys to their new house, Ellie said:
“The house was so dirty when we moved in [that] we couldn’t move in straight away as it had to be cleaned. There were holes in walls, the carpets [were] filthy.
“The house was extremely smelly and dirty but we looked beyond that and at the potential of our forever family home with our three children, and we are so glad we did as we are making a house a quirky little home that we are proud of.”
“Boujee on a budget”
Speaking to Fabulous Ellie shared: “This is our new home. We [did] an exchange and it was in an awful condition.
“We wanted a boujee bathroom on a budget, so for a whole new bathroom renovation it cost £815 from top to bottom.”
Even more impressively, the whole transformation took Ellie and her fiancee just two days to complete.
Ellie credits their DIY success to their strong teamwork, with her designing the space while her fiancé brought the vision to life:
“I designed it, and my partner did all the work himself on his weekend off.”
And despite the professional-looking finish, she insists anyone can do it.
“My partner isn’t a builder or anything, so anyone could do this easily. He’s actually a gas engineer and learnt along the way,” she said.
And while the results speak for themselves, she joked: “I think he dreads it when I have an idea…”
“Our own topical paradise”
Ellie and her fiancé aren’t afraid to think outside the box when it comes to home decor, and their bathroom makeover is no exception.
“We like to be a bit different and quirky with our decor, and the rooms we have done so far are very much that,” Ellie explained.
The sleek black finishes and warm wooden accents make the space feel much more like a luxury retreat than a budget DIY project.
“This bathroom is our own little tropical paradise, and we’ve had lots of comments saying how it looks like a beautiful hotel bathroom, which is a lovely compliment,” she said.
All the products Ellie used
Ellie sourced budget-friendly yet stylish materials from high-street stores and online bargains:
- Feature wall – Tropical wall from Debenhams (£150)
- Flooring – B&M (£50)
- Taps – Victoria Plumbing (£50)
- Mirror – The Range (£15)
- Back wood panelling – B&Q panel sheets (£45 each)
- Shelves – Temu (£25) and Amazon
- Toilet seat – Dunelm (£25)
- Plants, pots & jars – B&M (plants no more than £12, jars £3)
- Oak shelves – B&Q (£60 each)
- Wood panel behind toilet & sink – £12 per pack, stained and painted
- Black paint – B&Q Black Sand furniture paint
- Bath mats & wood bath stand – B&M (£10 for mats, £8 for bath rack)
- Toothbrush & soap holders – B&M (£4)
- Shower – Screwfix (£52)
- Bath wall panels & trims – DBs Bathrooms (£130)
- Shower screen – Argos (£82)
- LED strip light – Amazon (£10)
Social media reacts
Ellie shared the jaw-dropping transformation to Facebook group DIY On A Budget Official, leaving fellow bargain hunters seriously impressed:
“Wow, what a difference, looks fantastic,” one commenter said.
Another chimed in to praise the pair, saying, “stunning, well done”.
Another simply added, “beautiful x”.
From a run-down disaster to a boujee bathroom, all for under £1,000—this DIY transformation proves that a stunning home makeover is possible on a realistic budget.
