I'm no expert (I just come for the pictures LoL) but I do spend a lot of time with my grandma and friends at her apartment.
Your moms looks like a nice place, I like it, but it does seem dark. As my grandma's vision has decreased the brightness of her apt. has really been a bonus. I would be careful with darker, light absorbing colors. It's obviously wheelchair accessible but if your mom doesn't need the space under the sinks, a curtain would be nice. Maybe in a print that goes with your paint.
I'd go with sunny colors over black and blue, but that's just me. What does your mom like?

Personalize it and brighten it up and your mom will have a great little place. I hope she enjoys it :)

Make sure that whatever you put on the bathroom floor is non-skid and easy to keep clean.

As for the 70's look, why not embrace it and use Marimekko fabric, like this one, for a curtain under the sink:
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Were you thinking of hanging a tied back courtain as a visual-but-not-actual barrier between sink area and shower/toilet area? I think that would be cute, provided it wouldn't be an obstacle. You wouldn't want it to get wet, either. A Merrimekko print or stripe there with a coordinating skirt below the sink in the lime and tuquoise theme with a wide black grosgrain border would be fun. Is the shower spray contained somehow?

For the floor, I'd try to think of things that are washable and wettable, like a couple of large, thick bath mats that can be refreshed often.

It appears that the bathroom cabinets are almost the same color as the tile. If they are not broken down and can still be cleaned fairly easily, I'd be tempted to just leave them alone and let them fade into the background.
If they are crumbly, I'd call a kitchen resurfacer. Having to deal with the dirt of former tenants in crevices is no way to live.

All in all it looks like it's going to be a nice place after you cheer it up.

We did a wheelchair accessible bathroom remodel from a 1929 house in 2005. I've linked to pics below. We still miss that bathroom!

I don't know that I would use dark brown on those bathroom walls as I think it would really make the room even darker given the limited natural light. I agree with danihoney about going with "sunnier" colors. But it doesn't necessarily have to be yellow. :)

You can take some cues from this Marimekko fabric which I think would work with the existing tile in the bathroom because of the brown branches & orange:

Light gray walls, splashes of orange and turquoise in accessories and maybe that fabric as a skirt for the sink.

( from Making it Lovely )

While maybe not exactly your mother's style, you could do something cheery like this for the living areas which carries the turquoise & orange again:

Is your mother wheelchair bound? My husband is so if you have any questions about accessibility, let me know. He's been in his wheelchair for almost 8 yrs now so we've got a lot of experience tackling accessibility issues around the house.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wheelchair accessible bathroom reno

Oh - wanted to mention that IF your mother is using a wheelchair or walker, creating a fabric barrier between the toilet/shower area from the sink area can be a hindrance (& dangerous one at that. I know that for DH, when he was still able to walk with his walker, it was difficult for him to maintain balance and move curtains out of the way. A clear path is always best despite what our aesthetic sensibilities might say. Believe me, it's hard when I want to do something design-wise but doesn't work for safety & accessibility.

Another thing you might consider if the barrier isn't too much of an issue, is hanging your Marimekko fabric of choice and securing it to one side with coordinating hardware (sorry - I can't think of the proper words to explain this!):

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You still get a bit of a barrier, plus a splash of color without completely blocking off accessibility.

For a 70s institutional kitchen, the cabinetry is actually kind of spare and neat looking. Turquoise (and teal) are apparently colors that the elderly find attractive, I've read. because of something to do with their eyesight. It could certainly work as an accent. I think the all off white and biege is making it "look" dark or a little dreary.

I agree with making sure the walls aren't dark. I'd be very careful about rugs; they're a slipping hazard. Easy to clean is very important, especially in the bathroom and kitchen. This cottage is going to be very attractive, and your mother is going to love it.

I'll add another vote for turquoise, since your mother says she loves it and it's such a happy color. I would not use brown or black, but would stick to light, reflective colors for the walls - maybe a soft, buttery yellow to contrast with the turquoise or a very pale aqua to blend with it. Whatever you decide, please consider creating a high contrast between surfaces for safety's sake.

Also, I can't tell from the photo, but it appears that the bathroom light creates a lot of glare. Aging eyes need far more light than those That kitchen would be a great backdrop for some colorful retro dishes, kitchen storage items and fabrics.

Here are a few sites to check out:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/consumer/10242.html

http://www.seniorresource.com/ageinpl.htm

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/search.aspx?query=marimekko

http://www.finnstyle.com/makafa.html

http://www.finnstyle.com/marimekko.html

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/185-5998766-8449811?asin=B000QTW44A&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=:B000QTW44A&CPNG=home%20decor&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B000QTW44A&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001

http://www.lampsplus.com/products/Retro-Turquoise-12-inch-Wide-Wall-Clock__M8094.html

oh - just thought of this - you may want to install a motion sensor for at least one light fixture so your mother won't stumble in the dark:
http://www.lightinguniverse.com/sensors_3146.html

Here is a link that might be useful: marimekko fabrics

Think KIS......Keep It Simple!
I have a 80 plus old FIL who lives by himself. The most important thing to him about his surroundings has been to have things out where he can get to them and to have them easy to use.
This has meant finding the easiest microwave on the planet for him to use, no more than two buttons. Phones with large numbers and a phone sheet that has pics on it as well as names so he can find who he's calling easily.......one of the great grand kids made that for him, lamps that are easy to turn on and off and a tv big enough for him to see clearly with his bad eyesight, oh and HIS chair. Apparently as you age getting in an out of a chair is hard, so finding a good comfortable chair that is also easy to get out of is VERY IMPORTANT.
We just had his bathroom redone with a toilet that was higher than his old one, so he could get up and down easier.
There is only one area rug in the whole house. In the bathroom for when he steps out of the shower and it has a no slip grip on the back and is very easy to wash and dry. I see in your bath it has a shower curtain....if it is at all possible I'd replace the rod with one of the newer hotel types that bow out. That extra space it creates in the shower is a real plus for seniors.
Be careful on bed heights too. They need to be able to get out of bed easily.
Given how drab the basic apartment is I'd go for colorful things to cheer it up BUT only after the basic needs of function are meant.
It's more important at 80 something that things function well and easily than it is that they be pretty.
You also need to take into account what she already has. You maybe surprised at what she won't part with because it has an emotional tie to her past.

I really don't think it's that bad...nothing that some color and accessories won't perk up! I like the ideas for light, bright colors like the pear green or/and soft aqua. Those hues would be soothing and cheerful at the same time. Forget the brown!

I think it could be fun to dress this place up. It's an asset that things are so neutral and bare. You can easily personalize it. Good luck & have fun!

Finally, I can thank all of you! For some reason I haven't been able to log in for the last couple of days -- very frustrating.

I appreciate the specific ideas and the support. I am embarking on the project now and will take into account all of your suggestions.

Carol

I thought of the bathroom this weekend when I was in the tile aisle of Lowes. They have snap rubber-look together tiles that I like a lot. They're very durable, and I think about 19 X 21 inches or so. There are a couple of lines, one of which is strictly for garage floors, but there are some for living areas, too.

I've always really liked this look, which could be Ikeaesque or 1960's modern.

I just went to Lowes' site to try to find the name, and I can't. But I found ceramic snap togethers, too, which can supposedly be installed directly over existing flooring.

Continued good luck on this project.

There are a lot of cute bathroom accessories out there in chocolate brown/turquoise/lime green. Check Target, they've got some really nice things, especially in a fun polka dot pattern. Look for the "home lots o dots" pattern. It's a good way to bring in your colors without having dark walls, and some cheery accessories will do a LOT to give it a homey ambiance.

Have you looked in our Gallery threads? There are hundreds of gorgeous inspiration pictures in each room folder.

You can read all the thread titles on this page (copy/paste it):
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/decor/

If you lose your way, there is a link to the Gallery at the bottom of every page.

You might also want to look at the Cottage Decor thread, as they do some wonderful things with color while leaving walls white. They have some cute beach cottage decor that would bring in the turquoise your mom loves so much. Is she a fan of the beach? Might be very pleasant for her. Sometimes "updated" is not what older people really want.

Examples:

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Another thought -- there is a gal out there who runs a blog on Turquoise:

http://www.houseofturquoise.com/

Lots of fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: Bathrooms