five top tips for a small bathroom makeover

As renters, we have a bit of a ‘choose-your-battles’
approach to DIY; there are some things we can live with, like the grey marbled
tiles in the bathroom (not my taste, but fairly inoffensive), and some we
really couldn’t, like the green kitchen worktops and frayed bedroom carpets.
The bathroom was one of the most challenging spaces as it really is teeny tiny –
I can touch both of the opposite walls at the same time, and you really can’t
fit more than one person in there at once. Styling a small area is always
difficult, as it’s so hard to get the balance between it looking finished and it looking overcrowded – so I thought today I’d share my top tips for making the best of a small bathroom, in collaboration with the One World Trading Company.

1. Choose great
storage

I’ve drooled over so many Pinterest pictures of bathrooms
with vintage cupboards, or plant-filled cabinets, but as there’s literally zero
floor space in our bathroom (like, not even enough room for a pot plant!), we
decided to make good use of the wall behind the sink. The mirror was one of my
favourite ever interior finds – not only is it nice and long, it also has a
shelf built into it which is great for holding things like toothbrushes,
candles and of course, my beloved plants.

2. Accessorise
practically

If you’ve got a small space, you’re not going to be able to
add much in the way of accessories, so they need to earn their keep. I chose to
keep it simple with plants and flowers – they’re practical, they clean the air
and they look great – but you could opt for one nice print, a jar filled with
seashells or a vintage style lantern. The Belmot Lidded Jar is perfect for
bathrooms; I used one as a candle holder, and one as a miniature vase for a
small bunch of Gysophila – but you could do pretty much anything with it. Also, try looking at things differently – I used the Goodwood Rope Holder as a small basket for my Chain of Hearts plant, and love how it looks hung on the shelf bracket. 

3. Add some baskets

Baskets are perfect for bathroom storage, as they’re easy to
clean and they look great; we use them for everything from storing toilet roll
and cleaning supplies to holding makeup and even housing plants – if you’ve got
a little floor space, a Swiss Cheese plant in a wicker basket looks amazing!
They’re the perfect solution for anyone who doesn’t have space for cupboards,
and has to keep storage on display.

4. Find a good
bathmat

I had a real struggle finding a bathmat that wasn’t fluffy,
and wasn’t over £20 – I wanted a flatwoven style that would dry quickly and
blend in with the rest of the bathroom. In the end we found ours from IKEA for
the princely sum of £1.25. So obviously, we bought ten, in case they stop
selling them!

5. Treat yourself to
some luxury bath products

Every Christmas or birthday, I ask for bathroom products
that I’d otherwise never buy; luxury candles like the Newport Cloche wild fig,
organic handwashes and pricey soap – I always think that if it’s going to be on
display, it needs to look nice! Obviously, we can’t afford to spend a lot all
year round, so my secret trick is to keep the packaging and then fill it up
with our regular stuff from the supermarket!

To see more of the One World Trading Company, head to the website to get shopping, or pop over to the blog for inspiration and ideas. 

Many thanks to the One World Trading Company for collaborating on this makeover and post. I was sent the products free-of-charge, but as usual, all words and opinions are my own.