Bathroom makeover: ‘We turned a cupboard into a Scandi-inspired shower room’

Take a look inside Sylwia's amazing Scandi inspired bathroom...

Published: August 16, 2022 at 8:22 am

Leaving the bustle of the city of Exeter and moving to the Devon countryside was a major change for Sylwia and Ben Jacob, but one they were thrilled to make.

‘We bought a Victorian house with a big garden that needed tons of work, but we knew it was the right thing for us. Ben has a real interest in plants and is writing a book on British orchids, so we’ve now got all sorts of vegetation propagating.’

Sylwia and Ben both love plants, so found types that will thrive in a small bathroom, as well as a few artificial ones, so the space has plenty of greenery
Sylwia and Ben both love plants, so found types that will thrive in a small bathroom, as well as a few artificial ones, so the space has plenty of greenery

When it came to the house, the couple decided to focus on renovating the existing bathroom and creating an en suite out of a large airing cupboard.

Welcome to my home...

The homeowner I’m Sylwia Jacob, 42, and I’m a Communications Manager for a tile company, originalstyle.com. I live with my husband, Ben, 46, an author and academic, our daughter, Nela, 16, and son, Nathaniel, three.

The house A four- bedroom Victorian semi in Crediton, Devon. We moved here in March 2021.

The problem We wanted to future-proof our home for when our son, Nathaniel, is older by adding an extra shower room in between our bedroom and his.

The solution We decided to transform a cupboard in between Nathaniel and our bedrooms into a shower room, as well as taking some space from the corridor to give us a larger room. We also added a roof light.

Sylwia Jacob

‘We were desperate for a shower room for us. Our bedroom is next to our son, Nathaniel’s, and the cupboard was in between. We saw we could create a shower room by taking a bit of the corridor and adding a rooflight, so it wasn’t just a dark cubby hole.

‘Nathaniel’s bedroom is a good size and although he’s only three we wanted to future-proof the house for when he’s older as we won’t be moving anytime soon, if ever.’

A compact bathroom needs savvy storage and Sylwia found a stylish solution in this two- tiered caddy, which fits neatly into the corner of the shower
A compact bathroom needs savvy storage and Sylwia found a stylish solution in this two- tiered caddy, which fits neatly into the corner of the shower

They had planned to work on the en suite and bathroom at the same time after finding builders they were happy with, but the project was hampered by the Covid-19 lockdowns and delivery delays.

‘Given the problems, we decided to focus on the en suite so we would have a working shower for when we came to do the big bathroom,’ says Sylwia.

Sylwia added a rooflight window, which works with the awkward sloped ceiling, to bring much- needed natural light into the space
Sylwia added a rooflight window, which works with the awkward sloped ceiling, to bring much- needed natural light into the space

‘Ben did some of the preparation work himself, which made sense as we were working from home and we couldn’t go out anyway. But he had to carefully remove all the lath and plaster, and take the walls right back. It took a month just to do that.’

A contemporary mono mixer in a matt black finish complements the grey veining in the marble-effect tiles
A contemporary mono mixer in a matt black finish complements the grey veining in the marble-effect tiles

Things were complicated further when their plumber caught Covid-19 and had to halt work while he recovered, but it gave Sylwia a chance to find some lovely fixtures and get everything exactly as she wanted it.

Add art to make a bathroom feel more homely. Sylwia chose a pair of prints that tie in with the navy blue sink and toilet unit
Add art to make a bathroom feel more homely. Sylwia chose a pair of prints that tie in with the navy blue sink and toilet unit

‘I wanted a simple Scandi vibe, so I broke down the elements,’ she says. ‘I looked for sharp black framing and taps rather than chrome, and I went for marble-effect tiles with veining that tied in.

‘But I didn’t want to make the whole scheme monochrome, so I added in navy blue with the units and toilet surround. Plus there are wood-effect planks on the floor to add warmth. Even though the renovation of both bathrooms ended up taking five months, it was worth it. We rush to the shower in the mornings.’

Photos Colin Poole.

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