BATHROOM PROBLEM ROOM
‘I’ve proven that small bathrooms can still feel luxurious’
INSIDER INFO THE HOMEOWNER I’m Mel Sinclair, 38, a hairdresser and owner of a business making dried flower arrangements (@the.naturalstylist). I live here with my husband, Greig, 40, a gas technician, and our children Abbey, 11, and Mila, nine.
THE HOME A threebedroom, detached house, built in 1997, in Fife, Scotland. We bought it in November 2021 and I share my renovation story on Instagram @its_all_ about_the_house.
Careful planning, a plethora of space-saving tricks, a neutral palette and textured details have made Mel Sinclair’s compact bathroom feel like a spa hotel
H
aving bought a bigger house with scope for a future garage conversion, Mel and Greig Sinclair hired a team of tradespeople to tackle the bedrooms and bathroom first. They’d been living with Greig’s parents for eight months, having sold their previous home to be in a good buying position, and stayed another month while the bathroom was taken back to brick and given
a false ceiling to cover Artex. ‘You couldn’t get two people in the cramped bathroom,’ says Mel. ‘We needed to make the best possible use of the space.’ The couple considered converting the neighbouring cupboard into a shower cubicle, but instead it became a wardrobe in their bedroom. This meant they could block up the old entrance on the landing
THE PROBLEM It was a small, narrow space and felt difficult to move around in. A large radiator made it feel even narrower and when you opened the door it would hit the side of the bath.
THE SOLUTION The aim was to make it feel more spacious with clever design and layout tricks. Adding a sliding door, moving a radiator, and opting for a wall-hung basin and curved bath has given the
TIMELESS TILES Hexagonal floor tiles were the starting point for the neutral scheme. ‘I think tiles are what makes a bathroom,’ says Mel. ‘If you choose something classic and timeless, you can always change accessories around it’
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