Paint is easily changed, so go with whatever wall color strikes your fancy now! It's fine to be trendy or whatever with paint, but it's a good rule of thumb to stay more classic/neutral with those items that are difficult or expensive to change, such as tile and plumbing fixtures. Every few years I repaint my bath a new color, swap out the shower curtain, rugs, and towels, and voila, instant update. botox for the bath.

Check out the current issue of Old House Journal for articles on how bathrooms have evolved during the 20th century. It will give you some good ideas about what to do with yours.

Wonderful bath, love those tiles. I notice the grout seems dark, is it dirty, or is it faded and cracking? Regrouting is necessary if it's faded and cracking, if dirty clean properly, it will make the bath sparkle. It looks like a few tiles are missing in the corner of the photo, replace those.

The tiny mirror above the toilet need to go. Proper window covering should be put in, consider that it's a bath, something that isn't going to retain moisture. Don't, however, block the natural light. A great wall color on the walls will bring the room to life. Good Luck!!!

Such an awesome room to start with! Love the idea of a grey shade on the walls. I would use green as an accent color, maybe in some prints on the wall and a vase, along with some cool green bath product bottles.

Like this...

Or this...

This is what I am thinking . Replace the sink with a antique dress and dropping the sink into that. Making sure the dresser is either wood to match the original trim or painting one black. I like the black dresser set than I could put a small one beside the tub with jars of bath bombs in them. I like the long dresser it the single mirror and I could paint that black or go with the double mirror and add two sinks in it. The window is frosted and I an looking at maybe doing shutters on the bottom half only. I am keeping the tiled floor. It needs major cleaning but I want to keep as much as I can that is original to the home.

You can add a fixture like this to your sink. Don't recall what they call it, but it mixes your hot & cold into one & looks amazing doing it!

One book I highly suggest for ideas...
Jane Powell died a couple years ago, but her Bungalow books truly set the standard in classic design!

http://www.amazon.com/Bungalow-Bathrooms-Jane-Powell/dp/1423606736

I would do robin egg blue on the walls or a funky wallpaper appropriate for the age period of the home.

@refurbish....Wow...never had anyone refer to me as a "Sister Goddess"!!! Thanks! :0)

Hi Anna I think the style of antique dresser you're suggesting isn't right for the era of the bathroom. Look at the art deco or craftsman styles and go from there. If you add Rococco/georgian into the mix it's going to look a little odd.

i agree with sally...adding "french provincial" to the mix could be a mistake.

I would love to see a dark charcoal gray on the walls. Also a Roman shade to create interest.

I'd go with a color you love, whether it's yellow, green, blue, etc. There's not that much of it so you can really have fun without overwhelming the room. Then put the same color accents such as towels (different tones of the same color.) If it's your style to go period, fine, but personally I'm a more modern person and I'd add some bright abstract art. It really depends on what you like and the style of the rest of your house.

You may want to consider using a mend to light wood to bring some warmth into the room also look at some pastels for the walls and tropical plants if nothing else have fun make it your place

I do not think art deco or craftsman style would work. This house was built in 1836

WOW!! 1836!!!

Sweet old Gal! Can we peep in the windows & see more pics??? :0)

LOVE old houses & all the charm that comes along with them!
Mine is a baby @ 1916

Keep it clean and simple. Have tile professionally cleaned, and re-grouted. Replace toilet with a Toto High Efficiency Residential One-Piece Toilet - 1.6 GPF. Paint the walls with a warm Benjamin Moore, Gray Owl. Replace the mirror above the sink with either an antique mirror, or something new that looks like an antique. Replace pedestal sink hardware with something contemporary from Kohler's Purist collection to play up the concept between old and new. Replace towel rack, tissue carriage with something new but similar to the bathtub ... leave the hardware on the bathtub.

1836? Oh please share some more house pix with us!! Pretty please?
I doubt your bath is circa 1836 (probably has had at least one remodel since then?)
I envision something like this "dresser" (it is actually a sideboard, those can work great too as with a sink drop in, you may lose the drawers in a dresser, while a sideboard with doors, you can keep a lot of the storage space). Love the dark wood on this. Ignore the rest of the decor.
However, unless you need the storage, I'm totally happy with your pedestal sink as is!
[houzz=]

I agree about this not being an 1836 bathroom (um, there were outhouses in 1836). This is a teens-era bathroom. I've lived in so many old houses, I know. And that said, I agree with the folks who say add color to the walls, clean the tiles, add a few accessories, and leave it alone! It's gorgeous, and NOT tiny!

I would go with a nice medium kind of romantic greyish color. It's great because there's a lot that goes with it! Yellows, teals, purples, pinks...very easy to change out any other accessories you end up using. That looks like a great room for some beautiful old sconces on either side of the mirror above the sink, depending on what's already there. Maybe find a nice old stained cabinet for storage, just to bring in some extra texture and vibrancy to the space. That way you have a great place to place some accessories on - like flowers. I would also definitely clean up and keep the floor tile if at all possible. If there is any place near the tub for towel hooks (something that matches the era of the rest of the room) to put on the walls you could even use the hanging up towels as another place to bring in some color.

@ Lessismoore, what style is that sideboard? I love it and that is what I have been looking for. The bathroom was redone the last time from what I have been told in the late 50's but not absolutely sure of the date. I did find a toilet that I fell in love with and has the tank mounted high on the wall with a pull chain for flushing!! Thinking the lightest shade of blue possible to go with our royal blue towels.

I wish I knew, I hope someone here will recognize the style/era? A friend did there bath in BM Quiet Moments, this is a lovely blue that will look almost gray in certain lights but does read blue. Might work great for you. [houzz=]

It's ok to mix eras, too. It can be eclectic. Especially with vintage or retro style. Unless you're trying for an accurate reproduction of a certain era. Back in the day, most people had furniture and fixtures handed down from a range of eras, with a few new items here and there. Not so much like a snapshot in time. I think any of those dressers would work in your bathroom, as long as it is painted tastefully to blend in.

I agree with the rest of the class, we need some more pics! I'm captivated by this bathroom. That curved tub is beautiful, and does give a sort of 1920s - 1930s feel, so you COULD play off that with a little Art Deco if you wanted. Worth a lot of $$$ at the architectural salvage yard. Keep us posted on which ways you are leaning...thanks!!!

Ok more pics.I have not started to redo any of the rooms yet, so any ideas would be great. Wait until you see some of the wallpaper the previous owner did. Here is some pice of the diningroom living room and the kitchen

Exterior shots

OH wow, it's amazing!!! (and someone really liked wallpaper. ;) )

Look at those beams, most of the house is just a skeleton. Believe me I can see the Grand Lady of what see was and see what see can be again

The pic with the tall windows there is plumbing in there so that would be a bathroom and I can picture a claw foot tub in front of those. Round wall staircase is the same room with those windows. Found that old cast iron stove hidden in a corner under a stack of wood

Hollyfee, yes someone really like wallpaper. The flowered paper I can live with, white furniture and silver accents I believe would look great. But have no idea what in the world to do with that red white and black in the living room. Fireplace is double sided so there is also one out in the sunroom

Wow. Were they, like, wallpaper salesmen or something?? There are some seriously good features and bones in there though that I would be really excited about updating if it were me!

I hate how they started replacing the windows I would have kept them all original

Anna!! OMG...your place is beautiful!

I've seen enough old places to totally see beyond the cosmetics (paint, paper, etc..)

I can't recall if I mentioned this yet, so forgive if I'm repeating... There are 2 forums I'd like to send you. Both are for old house owners. The oldest is a place from approx 1650! These folks collectively know absolutely everything about the bones of your place. Plaster, plumbing, window restoration...you name it, they've done it! Been a member on both sites for years.

One is: http://www.oldhouseweb.com/forums/

another is https://www.wavyglass.org/

Both are amazing when it comes to old house issues!

Bungalowmo thank you so very much for these links. I will go join them now.

Bungalowmo you should see the old USMC outpost we just looked at. I would love to get that one also

WOW! She's grand! Looks a bit like a french chateau. Looks massive. Is that the underside of a circular staircase? What a great adventure. And I thought I had a too much to do, restoring my current project (1940, under 1000 sq. ft.)!!!!

Yes she is a massive beauty! That is the underbelly of winding staircase and those windows are 12ft high

This place is incredible. More jealous than ever (but, on the other hand, better you than me! I'll be happy to just watch.) Was it owner occupied when you got it? Any history on the house/past occupants? The wall paper is a hoot.

I love your bathroom and am so glad you're going to keep the original tile and fixtures (except the toilet--those have come a long way since yours was installed). I live in Los Angeles, where the majority of the housing stock is 40-80 years old, and it's sad that the vast majority of bathrooms have been gutted and replaced with bland modern versions. My previous house was built in 1925 and had similar tiles, grey and white, but the white had discolored with age and looked dingy. The trick is to find a paint color that will make them look white again. For me that was a sunflower yellow, but grey might work too. (Pink, green or blue won't, in my experience.)

As for the history...I ran a deed search on my place & dated it back to a build date between 1914 & 1918, so I went with the middle of the road...1916.

Go to your county courthouse. That's where I found all my info. If the courthouse doesn't have it, they will know where you should go.

I also checked our local Historical Society & they found a few articles about my "Peeps"! I have copies of everything in a heavy binder along with photos I've taken as well.

Lastly...I found all my Peeps up in the old Cemetery about 2 miles away. It was a lot of fun finding their info. Did some digging on the Ancestry site too.

Just found this on Joss&Main: [houzz=]

Wow, what a terrific house! It's going to keep you busy for years to come! I would save anything in that bathroom that can be saved - and the floor, if you actually needed to replace it, can be replicated. It's wonderful. I picture the bathroom in black and white with bright yellow or turquoise accents (towels and whatnot), but there is little to paint so you can try anything you want! The robins-egg blue was also a lovely alternative.

The rest of the house is going to be amazing. 12-foot windows! I swoon! If it were me, I'd attack those gray brick-things in the kitchen first, but of course, all in due time. And the suicide-inspiring living room. But hey! You are going to love it!

Beautiful house, where is it located?

I had similar situation (except I'm putting the subway tile in now). Spent $400 on a dresser. Put two sinks in, custom ceasarstone countertop, two medicine cabinets and had wall faucets put in to maximize the counter space. Painted the dresser "seal skin" which is very close to black. Painted the INSIDE window only, not the trim. Same seal skin paint. Then the lower window has a really cool privacy film on it that I found on Houzz. No need for window dressings. Now we've just started the subway tile and it's gonna be beautiful.

I think you should pick up on the tiny trim colour in tiles and do walls black ( off black farrow and ball) or keep the 1930s theme going with farrow and balls Arsenic - a beautiful turquoise. Don't change any figments or magic would be lost.

@mureen: Wonderful selections! Love the wall facets. Are the floors new?

I really appreciate it. Just to illustrate, I have refurbished a 20's apartment where the client asked for a new version of the bathroom, but maintaining the old style. Just a simple stuff.

Replace the towel holder. I would keep the tub, sink, and toilet. Have them refinished. Replace the sink hardware. Have the tile cleaned and sealed professionally. Have the window professionally refinished. Paint is your best friend--hire a professional decorator to kick it up a notch in color.

You are incredibly lucky to have this big bathroom with authentic tile and fixtures; I hope it's mostly usable and restorable. It looks about 1925-'30 to me, and since there wasn't indoor plumbing in 1836 you can certainly use the room's Art Deco roots in restoring it. You could probably even determine the original wall color by checking the paint layers. Colors were often pretty vivid then, but you could choose almost any color you like with the black and white. I'd avoid dreary neutrals; color was the big thing back then. Good luck!

Fun post- just a little old! May we see an update? --- Tub wall appears plumbed for a shower, but we see no head! Original porcelain faucet sconces. Not that I'm into keeping original toilets unless they work well, but this is likely a replacement; looks like original tank would have been hung from the 2 holes on the wall. It's likely that faucet handles needed replacing after many decades. If it were my mine, I'd try to lighten up the wall grout color-- unless my monitor is just emphasizing it. From this angle, the floor doesn't look so good, but if it's in great condition , you are LUK-EE! My 1924 bathroom floor is unfortunately shot. You could certainly go to an Art Deco styling , but that would likely have come just a few years later, when colored tile became available and the field tile shape typically became square.