Ours did cost a bit over a loooong period of time, but we did have the luxury of time and did want some really nice finishes.

One thing we did that cut the cost a little while still keeping the look was to use big tiles. We visited a *fancy* tile shop and found the look we really liked then shopped around at some cheaper tile places to get the look at about 1/2 the price. We chose tiles which were about 300x150mm (White) then tiled from floor to ceiling with them. Our bathroom is pretty small, but with the bigger tiles it actually looks much bigger. I think going floor to ceiling also helps. With the bigger tiles it meant less grout, less work and less $$.

I think good tapware can make a room look great but it is so pricy... I shuddered when I found the receipt for our shower head recently, 3 years after the reno and 5 years after we paid for it! One other way to cut costs could be to go for cheaper tapware now and save up for more exxy ones later. Also keep in mind tapware can really date so its a good idea to go for classic pieces.

And a final word of advice - Auctions! We bought heaps of bits and pieces for our renovation including our toilet for really reasonable prices at Auction houses... Try Grays online dot com dot au