“How a trip to Marrakech inspired my hand-painted pink bathroom mural”

Hannah Drakeford, who runs a colourful interior and homeware design studio, lets us in on how she transformed her dated bathroom in her one-bed flat in Deptford with a hand-painted mural and DIY panelling.

When Hannah Drakeford set out to transform the bathroom in her Deptford flat, she didn’t intend for the process to take four months.

“I started at the beginning of January this year and it took four months to complete. I know this sounds like an age for such a small space, but trying to carve out time while running a business really wasn’t easy,” she tells Stylist.

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Couple this with painstakingly hand-painting her own faux terrazzo worktop and installing DIY panelling, and you can see how the process was time-consuming. But take a quick look at her Instagram account, and it’s clear that the hours spent were more than worthwhile.

Like many of us, Hannah took her design cues from her travels (and a little bit of Pinterest) to make her pink bathroom dreams a reality. Here, she talks us through exactly how she achieved the stunning result, while keeping budget in mind. 

What was your biggest décor inspiration when starting your renovation?

“My initial source of inspiration came from a trip to Marrakech. The bathroom of the riad we stayed in had these amazing circle motif tiles on the floor and walls. The photos I took became the basis of the Pinterest board I used to curate my ideas and also featured tons of pictures of mid-century inspired bathrooms with stunning terrazzo worktops and tiles.”

Which DIY hack are you most proud of?

“I love the pink wooden panelling above and below the mirrored cabinets. It was such a straightforward hack, only requiring a saw, some grab adhesive and a couple of coats of paint and the end result looks so premium. Tip: You can buy wooden battens from B&Q pre-sanded, primed and ready for painting.

“The three globe lights on the wall were also an Ebay steal (three for £25!). They’re actually really basic bathroom ceiling lights that I mounted to the wall instead and painted their white plastic bases black.”

What is your favourite part of the room and why?

“The faux terrazzo worktop was a labour of love. If I’d have had a bigger budget, I definitely would’ve ripped out the old dark wood-effect laminate worktop and replaced it with an actual stone terrazzo version, but instead I chose to paint over the laminate in black and then paint all the individual white stones on top using watered down emulsion. Obviously it was extremely time-consuming, but I’m so happy with how it looks and I saved a ton of money.” 

What has been your biggest renovation challenge?

“Finding paints and coatings that would cover all the surfaces I needed them to. I had to keep costs to a minimum and not spend loads of money buying a specific radiator paint, another for the floor and another for the bath tiles. I took my time looking up recommendations and reading reviews before I made any purchases and calculated the surface areas I planned to cover to avoid buying greater quantities than I needed.

“For the floor and bath tiles, laminate bath panel and radiator, I used V33 Renovation Floor and Stair Paint, then I went for Zinsser Bullseye 123 as a primer for tiles and laminate; Lick Pink 03 for the ceiling, tile shapes and panelling; Ronseal Exterior Crystal Clear as varnish for the pink tile shapes, worktop and panelling; and Hypnotize wallpaper by Lust Home.”

What do you wish you’d known before starting your renovation?

“That painting the worktop would take two full days. Actually no, if I knew that beforehand, I wouldn’t have done it!”

Hannah’s favourite home Instagram accounts

• House of Harnasz

  “Emily is right at the start of her renovation journey, having just bought a gorgeous old Victorian house in the Scottish borders. It has some incredible original features, including working servant’s bells in all rooms! She’s a really talented colour consultant and I’m excited to see her transform the place with colour.” 

• 1968 MCM

  “I’m a sucker for all things mid-century and watching Linda lovingly restore this stunning home in America is an absolute delight.” 

• The Pajaama Hub

  “Less of a renovation account and more of a masterclass in budget DIY hacks, Amara shares so many creative and ingenious ways to make a rental property feel like a home and a true expression of personal style. So inspiring.” 

Photography: courtesy of Hannah Drakeford     

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