‘It was our dream to have a spacious attic ensuite’
A dark, unusable attic space has been extended to create a stylish ensuite bathroom with bold emerald green tiling and clever space-saving niches. Find out more about how this makeover was achieved…
Who lives here
Lily Bell works in interiors PR and lives in a two-bedroom Edwardian top-floor flat in Wanstead, east London, with her partner Henry.
Before
'The need for more space prompted us to extend into the loft and create an extra bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. It was a dark, unusable space – there was no electricity up there and it hadn’t been boarded out.'
How did you get started?
LB: My partner Henry lived in the flat originally and had always planned to extend into the loft. When I moved in during lockdown, we were so tight on space and storage that it prompted us to start the conversion to create an extra bedroom and ensuite bathroom.
Did you have any priorities?
LB: From the start I wanted to make sure we had plenty of space and that the ensuite didn’t feel like an afterthought. From a practical and style perspective, we opted for a pocket door to avoid anything swinging into the bedroom or bathroom. Storage was another priority: we kept the room feeling spacious and airy by incorporating wall-hung sanitaryware and built-in niches for toiletries.
Tell us about the striking colour scheme...
LB: We wanted a look that combined traditional and modern style, and loved the idea of a bold green shower area as a pop of colour within a neutral room. Despite initially planning to go for Victorian-style flooring, once we saw a sample of the terrazzo tile we knew it was the one! It adds interest without being too busy and, like the brushed-gold brassware, works with our modern-yet-period look.
Were there any challenges along the way?
LB: As the build took place during lockdown, we had to contend with builders occasionally having to isolate, and visits from electricians and tilers being brought forward or pushed back. This often meant we had to make big decisions without much time to think. As it was our first renovation project, we had no idea what we were doing, so it was very much a case of learning on the job. For example, we didn’t decide where to place the towel hooks on the wall until very late in the process, which meant we had to cut into walls that had just been plastered in order to accommodate them.
What do you like most about the room now?
LB: It has to be the contrast of the traditional green wall tiles with the modern terrazzo flooring. The lights were a great find, as they add a boutique hotel feel. Now the room feels very luxurious and it’s a real treat to spend time in here.
Sourcebook
Walls in Skimming Stone modern emulsion, farrow-ball.com.
Poitiers wall tiles, ctdtiles.co.uk.
Terrazzo floor tiles, tiles-direct.com.
Basin, vanity unit, towel rail, brassware and shower; all drench.co.uk.
Hardware, plankhardware.com.
Mirror, bathroommountain.co.uk.
Wall lights, next.co.uk
Costs
Paint & labour (builder, decorator, tiler, plumber & electrician) £10,000
Tiles £500
Sanitaryware & hardware £1,500
Accessories £100
Total = £12,100
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