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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.

Bathroom under renovation with painted tiles and toilet.
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Ellie's bathroom was tired and covered in blue paint before the transformation
Bathroom with bathtub undergoing renovation.
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The bath and shower had seen better days and was in desperate need of a spruce-up
Bathroom with bathtub, shower, and tiled walls.
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With her partner's help, Ellie was able to transform this tired bathroom into her dream

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 the property under the housing association.

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Speaking about when they received the keys to their new house, Ellie said: "The house was so dirty when we moved in, we couldn't move in straight away as it had to be cleaned.

"There were holes in walls, the carpets 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 the 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 fiancé just two days to complete.

I’m a mum-of-12, I swear by £1.15 bathroom cleaner and £3.25 mould cleaner in our busy house

Ellie credits their DIY success to their strong teamwork, with her designing the space while her partner brought the vision to life:

She said: "I designed it, and my partner did all the work himself on his weekend off."

Budget bathroom renovation with wood paneling, white subway tile, and a black vanity.
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The new bathroom is unrecognisable and now looks more like a fancy hotel
Bathroom renovation in progress, showing new shower and sink.
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The beautiful transformation includes a black retractable shower screen and a large rainfall shower-head
Bathroom with a green wall and a bathtub.
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The tropical jungle wall is the star of the show
Bathroom shelves with toiletries and decor.
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Ellie added oak shelving for a stylish, sophisticated finish

And despite the professional-looking finish, she insists anyone can do it.

Ellie said: "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."

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.

Ellie explained: “We like to be a bit different and quirky with our decor, and the rooms we have done so far are very much that.”

The sleek black finishes and warm wooden accents make the space feel much more like a luxury retreat than a budget DIY project.

She said: “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."

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 , 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".

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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.

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