Bathing in perfection

In a tree-lined street overlooking Saltwell Park in Gateshead, I did not expect to find this amazing upcycled home.
Every inch of space and every feature has been carefully designed, recycled and styled to perfection. Leanne Pearce is the creator behind this home, and lives here with her partner and two young daughters.

In 2012, after peering through the letterbox, they knew it was the project they were looking for. It took 13 skips to clear the house before they could start on the renovations and after four days of clearing they found a piano! They were fortunate enough to find original features and bags of upcycling potential in the furniture the previous owners left behind.

With 2 receptions, 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a large kitchen diner, an office and a sun room in the making, I’m going to concentrate on one of the bathrooms and leave you wanting more.

After knocking through a small toilet and large bathroom, Leanne has created a warm and relaxing space. The exposed brick feature wall was added with storage shelves behind one side, while a walk in shower was created on the other. The ornate Victorian toilet cistern was salvaged and now sits perfectly with the existing roll top bath.

With painted vintage chairs, upcycled ceiling light made from a glass plate, school radiator and sage green walls that complement the exposed brick and beautiful stone floor, it’s the small details that make this bathroom so different to your typical stark white bathroom.

My favourite feature in the room has to be the ladder shelves. Painted and fixed to the walls, they not only provide some great storage but they are a great inspiration to any of you who want to upcycle but don’t know where to start.

If you want to start upcycling, think about the space you have and the style you’d like and just go for it. It might take a while to find what you’re looking for, but I think rooms should evolve over time to reflect your personality. Search places like charity shops, second-hand stores, ebay, freegle, freecycle and preloved for one-off pieces you can paint, recover or even change the use of an object. Keep the measurements for your rooms handy so when you find something you’ll know if it will fit as you have to act fast when you find the perfect piece and always carry a tape measure!