It's not so bad at all! I think a chocolate brown would scream 1970s, and the green would probably clash. What about going with a pale, sophisticated grey? Something like BM's "Gray Owl" or "Gray Cashmere"?

For the shower curtain, keep the one you have or get a plain, off-white matelasse?

Here is a link that might be useful: BM Colors

That shower curtain is very pretty and I think you should leave it, unless it's all raggedy or something. It really improves the whole aspect right there.

I feel your pain. We moved three times last year, sold two houses and bought one. Finally we are feeling a little peaceful.

First of all I totally hear you about not being able to see color in one's own home..
With my monitor showing the colors as it does and your descriptive passages, I think a nice warm beige or tan could look fine. I think probably the shower curtain you have would work fine, or something more plain. but I could definitely see a warm beige working very nicely on the walls.

I think grey might be a good, safe choice if it's a true, light and soft grey. I recently made sample boards of BM Revere Pewter and Silver Fox and RH Stone. Stone was my favorite because it had a airy quality about it and didn't show any green, blue or purple. A soft, pale yellow might work well with your trim; not sure about how with the tile. RH buttermilk and buttercream are beautiful yellows.

I would lose the paisley curtain. I find it distracting; it clashes with the tile. I would go with a solid white or off white for fresh, clean look.

I think the curtain dates the bathroom more than anything, and it is very busy. I agree, get a plain shower curtain, perhaps a waffle weave for a spa feeling? Remove the towel rack -- it looks old, and if it is drilled, replace it with something nicer. Or, at least put a nice towel on it, and the shelf can go, or host nicer looking product. Those types of things can go with you :-).

And, then maybe use the EK paint, or a matched color, in the bathroom. A few cute accessories should draw the eye away from the bath -- though what I noticed first was the chipping on door.

Good luck!

Have you thought of a deep terra cotta on the walls? Deeper than anything else in the room-just a thought-it might ground and tone down the "pastel" look of the peach-at least that is how it is looking on my monitor. If that did work the shower curtain may still be good-maybe you could look at the deepest color on the shower curtain for inspiration. My thought is that if you stay with the same depth in the paint as the tiles that it is just making it look more peachy....

I agree with Noodles (must be a Portland thing!) that a terra cotta or other deeper color would be the best bet. It would make the cream wood pop and draw your eye away from TWMHT. I worry with a grey to compliment the bath tile you would clash with the beige floor tile, and that set of colors (floor/wall/ fixtures) will be the first impression of the bath. I would then go with a simple (closed!) cream shower curtain-like the waffle idea-and cream and beige towels and such. I love oil rubbed bronze accents with terra cotta if new towel bars are an option.

Good luck - I know how draining this is!!

I like the idea of a light grey with a white or cream shower curtain. The EK Sky is pretty grey here although it may be blue in much warmer FLA!

Wow, what a lot of different answers!

First, get rid of the wire thingy over the towel rack.

The shower curtain MUST go.

Go buy the most luxurious showercurtain you can find... you're going to take it with you, right? LOL...

Something in a waffle fabric would be good. Nothing foofy or pastel; make the beige an asset and go with the geometry of the tile.

Make this a masculine room. My first instinct is, yes, a deep chocolate brown. Get matching towels and hang them in the bath. Get a nice piece of geometric art to hang on the wall... something sleek, with brown in it...

{{!gwi}}

I would do a medium shade of grey on the walls, which will also help the trim look whiter. Change the shower curtain to a deep terra cotta solid. Deeper grey for the rugs on the floor. Get towels in both deep terra cotta and deeper grey.

I would not do chocolate brown or terra cotta on the bathroom walls. Tho I love both colors, those might be a hard sell for a lot of people. Grey can work with lots of colors for accents, and will feel more 'workable' for a future owner.

Hm...EK cognac? I keep feeling it in there.

Hmmmmm.... since you are selling, maybe staying away from stronger colors might be a good idea. What about painting the trim a nice white and doing the walls a creamy off-white to coordinate with the tiles and the floor? You could get a simple white shower curtain with fluffy white towels. Done. Freshly painted, spotless, SOLD. :)

I also vote for a medium or light gray on the walls. I spied nickel towel rods...is the rest of the hardware some sort of nickel? I also could see either an ivory or white shower curtain with coordinating towels, depending on what makes the trim look the cleanest. PS: In the eternal search for towels I purchased two Thomas o Brien towels from Target (as an alternative to RH's 38 on sale towels which seem to be the best according to the FORUM). They are fluffy, soft and $10/pc. I will buy more when they go on sale.

I wouldn't change the shower curtain - I actually think it works well with your bathroom! Check out BM Edgecomb gray - it is a pale, warm gray that may work nicely with your tile. It's in the BM Historical Collection.

Nothing to add except I just wanted to add that WE have the most hideous tile. It is a horrible greenish yellow. Looks like someone threw up all over the bathroom. Does that make you feel better about yours? :)

Well my friends, you sure don't make the decisions easier, what with all the differing opinions. But I feel a lot better about being all over the place myself!

I never really thought of gray. It is a different form of surrender to the tiles. I think it is a great idea! The Gray Owl, suggested first by OSH, has a lot of green in it and isn't far from the "pale green" I had in mind. But I think I may lean even further toward gray and go a bit deeper with Gray Horse.

I saw a terra cotta bath rug in the Frontgate catalog last week and thought it was really pretty. Figures they don't have all the towels to coordinate. And Garnet Hill has terra cotta but the natural towels I'd need to coordinate are back ordered until May. (Please tell me my house will be under contract by then!!!)

So, I think I will look for terra cotta rug and towels locally, probably go with an off-white waffle weave shower curtain, and then settle on a medium gray. Maybe I'll put in a few touches of a deep steely blue as well. I am hopeful again!! Thank you!!!

As for the chipped door, crappy wire gizmo, cheezy products, etc....yes, that will all be rectified. I will stage and accessorize with useless but beautiful things to entice the lookers. ;-) I'm finishing up DD's bathroom this weekend and will move on to the guest bath on Monday.

Thank you again for helping me uncross my eyes on this one. I'll post pics when I'm done.

Monitors often don't show color accurately but based on what I see, I'd go for a black, cream, tan, brown look in there, which is very sharp. I'd try to pick up color from the floor and from the tile you hate -- making it look intentional and as good as possible. I'd change the shower curtain which is pretty but doesn't look like it's doing you any favors there. I'd try to go for a two-toned shower curtain or a solid, something classic, but not busy. I'm in a rainy grey climate and I personally hate grey more than any other color. But you may live where it's sunny year 'round.

I think your choices are good. There's not much of your floor tile showing in the picture, but I think the grey would look right with the tile. The fact that there are different strong feelings among the posters about the shower curtain is a clue that it's the kind of thing some buyers would love and others will be turned off by. Better to go with something simpler and more classic. Good luck with your sale and move!

Here's what I thought up. : )

Rather than fight the colors in the room, just run with them, simplify the sight lines and take out one of the towel bars on the door. Terracotta-ish colored shower curtains, towels and some neutral/linen hand towels to tie in with the neutrals in the tiles. The trim work should match the tub to keep it looking fresh. I also changed the shower curtain rod to a brass finish to match the towel bar.

Thanks Catbird and Chicory! (hey, Chic, how are ya feeling?)

I did actually paint the room a medium gray (BM Gray Horse) and went with Russet and Ivory towels. As you suggested Cat, I chose an ivory waffle shower curtain.

Funny you should change the shower rod Chicory. It was an off white piece o' garbage. I got a "fancy" chrome one and put brass shower rings on it, to echo the chrome/brass fixtures in that room. Certainly not my first choice (or my second, third or fourth...) but at least it all goes together.

So far, we've had about 10 realtors in here and no one has said "poo-poo" on the bathroom. So, I think we'll sneak it by!

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's a link to a follow-up thread with pics...

It sounds great, Amy!

I'm doing pretty good... can't complain too much. : )

OK, as a realtor of 15 yrs, this is what I suggest.... NO GRAY: 99% of buyers hate it. If the tub is beige make it beige. There is a tile paint also. I suggest to buy 2 shower curtains, cut one off as a valance and have the long one to the side. Put the plastic liner on the inside side and only pull it out when in use. Looks so much more finished.

Hi Phyllis, thanks for the input. The gray is a done deal and actually the bathroom looks pretty great. If you look a few posts up from here, there is a link to the finished room thread. If you have time, take a peek and see what you think. In any case, I am done. The house is ready, photographs taken and so far the feedback is good. The only complaints we've had are due to things I can't change...older windows and popcorn ceilings. That will have to be for the next person... :-)