Carlene Duffy’s top tips for saving or splurging on a bathroom renovation

She’s renovated everything from converted office blocks to vintage caravans, so it’s fair to say Carlene Duffy has an eye for both style and savings.

We spoke to the serial renovator – who’s renovated numerous properties with husband Michael, including two seasons on The Block – about where she splurged and where she saved on renovations in her own bathroom.

Featuring a blend of tile choices, upcycled lighting fixtures and a fusion of vintage and contemporary looks, Duffy says she’s thrilled with the result.

“I still love this bathroom – six years on. It’s just got a timelessness about it,” she says.

Duffy says the biggest expense was in her tiling choices, but the finish it gives the room made it totally worth it.

Find out where to save and where to splurge in your bathroom renovation.

Splurge

Tiling

Duffy went with mosaic tiling on the floor over large format tiles. She also added a porcelain nib wall behind the bath to create additional shelf space.

While mosaic tiles are more expensive than large format tiles, the most significant expense is in the labour.

“So, the Carrara marble mosaics were definitely a splurge,” she says

“They’re more expensive to purchase, but to me, it was just one of those things that gives you a big impact – it’s 100 per cent worth it.

“A bit of a bonus with using a mosaic on the floor is it’s got excellent slip factor because there are so many grout lines, which people don’t love to clean but it’s totally worth it for me.”

Duffy says when choosing tiles for a bathroom, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to tile every surface in the room. This can also be a cost saver.

“You have to tile the shower cubicle and the floor and the splashback, but the rest of the walls can be a softer surface.

“I tend to love a VJ panelling in the bathroom over just a flat plasterboard. It just gives it more character; it adds a little bit more interest. It is more expensive than a plasterboard, but to me is 100 per cent worth it.”

Tip: If you’re installing panelling in the bathroom, make sure it’s wet area appropriate.

Save

Shower screens

Big-impact shower screens can change the feel of a bathroom, but some styles may break the budget.

Duffy says there are many budget-friendly alternatives out there, so do your research and understand what might be possible in the space.

“With the shower doors we really wanted a black steel-framed shower glass, but it was just way out of budget,” she says.

“We ended up working around it by designing a black powder-coated aluminium version. It ended up being exactly what we wanted and at a fraction of the price.”

Cabinets

Joinery can be one of the biggest outlays in any renovation and can put a significant dent in your budget if you’re not careful.

Getting back to basics for bathroom joinery means you can spend more in other areas of the house where cabinets have a bigger impact – like the kitchen.

“We were able to save on the joinery by doing just a flat front cabinet, which is significantly more cost effective than anything with any sort of detailed profile,” Duffy says.

“But we were able to elevate it by doing a really nice aged brass handle and we actually sourced our own feet [for the vanity] which was also a cost saver.”

Tip: Don’t be afraid to mix metals in the bathroom to avoid a stale aesthetic.

Upcycle fixtures

There are plenty of great bargains at antique and second-hand stores, with a lot of life left in them.

Save money on your renovation by scouring local sales for unique pieces that work with your overall design.

“In the powder room we’ve used this really cool pendant light which I sort of just stumbled across at an antique store,” Duffy says.

Duffy says powder rooms are typically low-light spaces, so there’s a great opportunity to bring in colour and patterns to liven up the space.

“This is an opportunity to elevate the space and add some spunk with something like a really graphic wallpaper, a really strong awesome colour in there, and don’t forget something like a really cool light,” she says.

“Whether it’s a pendant light or a wall light, this is an opportunity to add a bit of vintage, which I think adds character and is a nod to history.”

Tip: Think carefully about your lighting plan to ensure you allow for functional and decorative lighting in the bathroom.

Duffy says a successful bathroom renovation comes down to ensuring the space functions properly for your daily needs and doesn’t blow the budget with unnecessary additions.

“I think the success of this bathroom is that it has this feeling of timelessness but it’s not stale,” she says.

“It’s got a really good mix of styles – a little bit contemporary, a little bit vintage. It’s got personality and it feels like us.”

Led by a passion for interior design, Carlene runs Cedar and Suede, a full-service interior design studio based on the Gold Coast.