HOMES: SPA THERAPY

WHEN Imogen Carter moved into her flat, the bathroom was in desperate need of an overhaul. Dark green tiles, a stained wooden floor and lack of storage space left it looking small, cluttered and shabby.

Imogen, 29, knew what she wanted - the clean, spacious feel of the spa- style bathrooms she had seen in glossy magazines - but thought she could never afford one.

Yet for under pounds 3,000 she has achieved a look which usually comes with a pounds 15,000 price tag.

"The bathroom was badly in need of a makeover when I moved into my flat in Clapham in South London," says Imogen, a physiotherapist. "It was stuck in a time-warp and messy. The only thing going for it was that it had a white bathroom suite. What I reallly loved were those spa-style bathrooms, although I hated how much they cost.

"Now by cutting a few corners I've got what I wanted and it has not cost the earth."

Here's how she did it...

REPLACE THE BATH

THE old bath was cracked and chipped and the shower screen had also split. Imogen chose a showerbath which gave a modern feel to the room. The power shower was in perfect working order so she did not need to replace it.

LOO AND SINK

AFTER a good scrub the loo came up as good as new so Imogen felt there was no need to waste cash on a new one. But as the sink had a crack she swapped it for a semi-pedestal model which took up less space and gave the bathroom a more open plan feel. Clever tiling underneath made it even more of a feature.

NEW TAPS

THE bath and sink taps were rusty and one didn't work properly - definitely time for them to be replaced. Imogen also decided to make them stand out. "Once I'd stayed at an upmarket hotel and a thing which struck me were the huge taps in the bathroom. I wanted the same effect."

TILING

"I hated the dark green tiles and patterned border as they made the bathroom seem tiny," says Imogen. These were updated with white brick- style tiles and the impact was immediate - the room seemed instantly clean and pristine.

MIRROR

"THERE is only one small window in the bathroom above the loo so there is very little natural light," says Imogen. "I wanted a cheap, easy way to make the room seem larger - a large flat mirror seemed the obvious answer. The MFI fitter Julian picked one up and installed it for pounds 100."

PAINTWORK

CONDENSATION in the bathroom had caused the white paint to crack and turn grey. Imogen decided to freshen up the walls with specially- designed white bathroom paint which helps to absorb moisture. At first she planned to paint the bathroom blue but decided white was a brighter option, providing colour with her choice of accessories.

FLOORING

THE wooden floor boards had begun to soften and disintegrate so they had to go. To give the room a contemporary feel Imogen chose black slate. "At first I thought about just replacing the wood but I knew I'd be back to square one in a few months time once it had started to absorb moisture," says Imogen. "I felt black tiles on the floor would make it look too much like a dance floor. I loved the feel of slate and I thought it was a great contrast to the stark white tiles."

ACCESSORIES & TOWEL RAIL

"I LOVED the clean feel of my newly white bathroom but I knew it needed a splash of colour to warm it up," says Imogen. "I'm a big fan of red but I thought it might make the room look too oriental. I decided to plump for dark purple instead as it looks a bit more sumptuous and also a bit classier." Candles and an orchid in matching colours helped create the right soothing atmosphere to help Imogen soak away any cares at the end of the day. The old towel rail was replaced by a heated one.

IMOGEN'S TOP TIPS

SPACE SAVING: In a small bathroom it's more important than ever to try to make the most of every centimetre. Many stores do slimmer versions of their products. Imogen chose a spacesaver shower bath and a wall-mounted basin to give the bathroom a much-needed space boost.

BE FUSS-FREE: Busy patterns and strong colours can be overwhelming in small spaces. To avoid this and make the room look bigger, opt for pale colours, preferably white, and keep accessories to a minimum.

UPDATE ACCESSORIES: Simply updating your taps or shower screen can make a huge difference to a room. A new heated towel rail holder (right) will give it a modern feel and positioned in the correct spot it will also be a real feature.

MIRROR: A large mirror hung at the right angle opens up a room and makes it look bigger. Imogen hung her mirror so it's the first thing you can see when you walk into the bathroom It automatically gives the impression of space.

WHAT IT COST

Showerbath and screen from MFI (0800 028 0937). pounds 549.60

Bath/shower mixer tap from MFI Chrome 620 range pounds 149.60

Sink tap from MFI Chrome 620 range pounds 79.20 Orinoco white basin, MFI pounds 99.20 Semi-pedestal, MFI pounds 69.60

White/chrome heated towel rail, MFI pounds 299.20

Matrix diamond white wall tiles (20x10cm), 50p per tile, Topps Tiles (0800 138 1673) .pounds 225.00

Mirror .pounds 100.00

Black slate floor tiles (30x 30cm, pounds 7.98 for five, B&Q (0845 222 1000) pounds 87.78

Dulux (02753 550 555) bathroom paint pounds 14.99

Fitting costs pounds 1296.00

TOTAL: pounds 2970.17

Pink potted orchids, pounds 18.99 each, M&S (0845 603 1603); Egyptian cotton purple bath mat, pounds 9, towels pounds 9 each, Louie toothbrush holder, pounds 13, tumbler, pounds 11, soap dish, pounds 13, white waffle slippers, pounds 6, Salter white bathroom scales, pounds 30 all John Lewis (08456 049 049); Lucien Heather single glass votive, pounds 9 each, Blossom soap, pounds 3.95, all Heal's (020 7636 1666); Akim scented candle pounds 4 Habitat (0845 601 0740 www. habitat.net)

Accessories

GET THE LOOK

YOU don't have to spend a fortune to give your bathroom a spa makeover. Here's how...

Lilly storage accessories, pounds 19, Habitat (0845 601 0740)

Oak Bath bridge, pounds 35, John Lewis (08456 049 049)

Silver Spiral & Black & White Squares Tile transfer packs, pounds 9.99, Argos (0870 600 2020)

Jasper Conran's 'J' chrome bathroom accessories, from pounds 8, Debenhams (08445 616 161)

Fresh flower votive candle set, pounds 5 Debenhams (08445 616 161)

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International tile paint available in a selection of colours, pounds 9.99 750ml, Focus DIY (0800 436 436)

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