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lori_billy

Need help with bathroom disaster

17 years ago

Ok, disaster might seem like a strong word. However, I am building a house and it's almost done. Up to this point I've been so pleased with all my choices. Then my master bathroom tile and marble got installed. I am very unhappy to say the least. The marble and tile do not match at all. So here are the pics. Please advise what I can do to make the best of the situation. I will not pay to replace either. My only choice is to chose the best paint colors for the walls and cabinets. I think the walls need to be some shade of khaki/cream/beige... what do you think? Should I have the painters paint the cabinets? Or glaze them?

Here is a link that might be useful: Master Bathroom

Comments (47)

  • 17 years ago

    What color blue is on the walls?? In some pictures it looks blue, some green. It might be a little strong, but it could be my monitor. Do you mean the tile and marble do not match each other or the other elements in the room?

  • 17 years ago

    I think the countertops, cabinets, floor, and lovely blue wall color look great. I would not paint the cabinets - the color is very nice. I really like the blue wall color. What brand and color is it? What does not match? I am confused.

  • 17 years ago

    What is the problem as you see it?

  • 17 years ago

    oops - I just posted this in the bath forum. The gray, white and black really tone down the peach, IMO. And your peach is much less strong, too.

  • 17 years ago

    There's a BM color, not current, but they have the formula, OW-7. It's a creamy off-white with a hint of yellow and gray that goes wonderfully with just about every color that you can think of.

  • 17 years ago

    Another confused person. I don't see where the flooring doesn't compliment the vanity and the shower. or where the wall color doesn't work with the countertop. Can you clarify what your concerns are specifically?

  • 17 years ago

    Fancy...I really like the blue! On my monitor it looks like the tile & marble look really good together. I think it would be a mistake to paint the walls or cabinets with a beige or cream color. IMHO a lighter color would only draw more attention to the mismatch and possibly cause more of a problem.

  • 17 years ago

    BTW...the kitchen is turning out GAWGEOUS!!!

  • 17 years ago

    I would live with it a while before you decide that you really don't like it. Once you've added the finishing touches with accessories, window coverings, etc., I think you'll be surprised at how well everything comes together. Take a deep breath and don't panic just yet...BTDT and I'm certain I'm not the only one ;o)

  • 17 years ago

    I think I am seeing what Fancy is seeing. Correct me if I am wrong, but the medium blue is too close in tone to the countertops for me to be comfortable. I don't know what it is, but the blue is throwing it for me. Everything else, your tile and granite, look lovely. It is just that blue.

    I played around with some other colors, all darker. Just my opinion, but a very rich gray purple is my favorite. No particular color names, just a couple other colors so you can see if blue is really what you want to do.

    No neutral. That would make your counter look more pinky in my opinion.

    Hope it helps.

    {{!gwi}}

  • 17 years ago

    Oh my goodness...I just got online and saw such a great response. Thank you! I've been upset all day. It cheers me up to have your encouragement! I don't like the combo of the tile with the marble tops. It looks ... like I tried to match but missed the mark. The paint is SW Quietude. It is a beautiful color. It is in my bedroom and I love it. It is also in my boy's bathroom and looks great with the black/white tile. I loved it in my bathroom too until my marble was installed.
    My very kind FIL, who saw the marble today, said 'There's no paint color that will fix this problem.' Gasp!!!!! That really sent me into a panic! lol
    Paint Chips- I admire your photo shop savvy. Wish I knew how to do that myself! I am shocked by the improvement a darker paint color makes. Never would have figured that out on my own.
    mrsmary- thank you. that is a very good idea to wait. I hope lighting and textiles will help, as well as all my little trinkets that will be on my vanity top.
    persnickety- thanks for the kitchen compliment. You make me blush! :) I love it too.

    Here is a link that might be useful: hope this works!

  • 17 years ago

    Unless something is seriously wrong with my monitor.... I think it looks great. I think you might be over thinking this a bit. We built our new home 3 years ago and I did the same thing as you. Stressed and second guessed every time something new was added. I think it looks fine. I would not make any decisions right now... Let the room come together with all the finishing touches and then reevaluate. We always want things to be just perfect - I remember even getting upset by the position of the carbon monozide decector locations when first installed - but now I don't even see them.

    It'll be fine!!!

  • 17 years ago

    Also remember men see color in a different way than women do.

  • 17 years ago

    I'm not clear what you dislike, but I think paint chip is on the right track. The blue is very cool and makes the marble very cool, so maybe you are wanting a deep rich warm color, that really brings out the shades in you wood?

  • 17 years ago

    I don't think the marble and the floor tile are mismatched, maybe they look worse in person. But I don't care for the blue. I really like the redthat paint_chips photoshopped though.

  • 17 years ago

    Like ajsmama said, it's the paint color throwing everything off. The elements in the room, the mirror, cabinets, marble, are too sophisticated for that light blue paint color. That paint color is too beachy to play with those elements. Something darker like the grayed out purple that paintchips Photoshopped brings it all more together without making the counters a glaring white sticking out.

    Your FIL will fall over when you present the room with the new paint color and all your accessories. "Surprise him."

  • 17 years ago

    i like the red and dark blue paint chips did. dont do beige-i think it would be too bland and too much of that color

    BTW is this the same bathroom as the first???

    i also think once you put towels,accessories, etc it will all fall together. and yes men dont know colors

  • 17 years ago

    fancypants--love quietude it is a great color. JMO, but I think what is throwing you off is the cabinet color. In my mind I love the warm marble/tile, airy wall color. Just think the cabinets might me too strong in color. I would paint them a warm white. Just a thought

  • 17 years ago

    Unless my monitor colors arw way off, I think it looks good the way it is. You're just seeing the room without towels and accessories. I wouldn't touch it until you've added the "daily living" accessories because I think you'll change your mind about looking at it as a disaster.

  • 17 years ago

    Thank you for all of the positive comments. I too like the idea of painting the walls a rich color, but my bedroom is the Quietude as well. Wouldn't I have to repaint both rooms? I hate to lose it in my bedroom but I don't think I could have two totally different colors. There would be no "flow" or harmony. sigh...
    I also like the idea of painting the cabinets - my white trim color is Roman Column which you can view on my kitchen cabinets.
    Please vote:
    leave it for now____
    repaint walls___
    repaint cabinets___
    other_____

    Here is a link that might be useful: house pics

  • 17 years ago

    paint walls in bath only. i am adding on a masterbr and bath and doing different wall colors for bdrm and bath

  • 17 years ago

    lilbit77-
    paint chip used my pic and photo shopped a mirror...other than that it is my bathroom.
    FYI: I'll have a big mirror over the huge expanse of wall framed in trim to match the cabinets. Just not up there yet. :)

  • 17 years ago

    My vote is to leave it for now --

    Towels and accessories in an unexpected color (deep red, black, espresso, aubergine?) placed in several locations throughout the room can distract the eye and keep the gaze moving.

  • 17 years ago

    I vote for painting the walls. It would be a shame to paint those beautiful cabinets. Select a color from the photo shop....darker and not as bold. Good luck~~

  • 17 years ago

    My granite place just called. They will hone it for me for 300 dollars. Should I do it?

  • 17 years ago

    if you want to stick with blue in the room try maybe some chocolate, with chocolate blue goes nice as an accent color

  • 17 years ago

    I'm still not clear what you're upset about other than something about the counter is not working. The only thing I can see from the photo is that it might be warmer, as in yellow/peachy, than the more white/beige floor? If that's the case, the blue will accentuate that tone. You could go with something that's warmer (like a soft green), so by comparison the counter cools a bit and it connects more with the wall (rather than being sandwiched between two cool fields). An alternate color could still flow with your bedroom and some blue added in towels or other accessories.

    Honing sounds good to me but only because I love honed finishes.

  • 17 years ago

    Please leave it as is!! I looks great - I looked at your other pictures of the bath and I still think it looks great! I love the blue and the dark cabinets together! Just wait until your mirror, towel bars, towels etc. are in. This look is very "in" right now. Quietude is a great color and does not come off as "beachy" in real life. I have used it before. Tile and marble look great too. Give it some time!!

  • 17 years ago

    My vote for leave it for NOW. You may decide to repaint later, but give yourself a breather to choose the rest of your elements together first. Shop around for towels, wall art, soap dispensors, etc. The beauty of this part is that you can purchase and return and try out many different looks without the constrain of wall color affecting your decisions. Only when you start working on your bathroom decor will you find that another color may jump out at you and that is the time to repaint. I love your selections of tile and marble, great neutrals that will last a long time. It will also help to think what type of mood you wish to achieve in your bath--zen, spa, beach, or ??

    Some people just have no vision how paint can affect a room and or influence the other elements around you.

  • 17 years ago

    Maybe before painting the intire room, cut some heavy paper or foam board to sample paint different rich colors to see between the marble and the blue? match cabinet wood to frame the marble? Do you have any floor tiles left over to see right on the marble? All our pc will show slightly different, so you know best how it looks in your changing light. Also, different light bulbs can change colors so that's another experiment. Is there natural light in this room? That will be most telling of the colors and hues.

  • 17 years ago

    Gosh, it looks great to me. Of course, I understand when something doesn't feel "quite right" and know that it can drive you nuts. My vote is for leaving everything as is for right now. Things can be overwhelming when you've looked at bare spaces for months and suddenly, everything's in and it doesn't seem like what you envisioned. Take a little bit of time to try it out before you do anything to change finishes. It'll be very hard to go back once you do. Remember, you picked it all for a reason, you liked it! So give it a chance.

  • 17 years ago

    I'd paint the walls of the master bath (probably deep red but not too pinky). And then use the wall color as an accent color for accessories in your master bedroom.
    Susan

  • 17 years ago

    My master bed and bath have different wall colors and I love it. In fact, my master bedroom is very close to your blue color. My bedding is blue with a warm tan color. I painted my bedroom walls blue, the celing a warm tan and then carried the warm tan onto the masterbath walls. My point is, you can easily have a different color in the masterbath if you corrdinate it with something in the master bedroom. However, I do agree that you may want to live with it for a few months...if I had changed colors each time I started to panic, I would have never finished painting lol!

  • 17 years ago

    Your dilemma caught my attention because I'm working on our master bath now and fear I am am pre-wrong choice (budget-limited). If I end up in your position I hope to: Disguise by distraction and integration. I'll hang a shower curtain that recesses the shower into the bathground (I like shower curtains better than glass doors in a room with mostly hard surfaces). I'll add other elements blending the colors that don't match AND accessories that are much more interesting than shower tile and counters to look at, sinking them into the background where I like them to be. For me, that's a nice piece of art or particularly beautiful mirror. Best wishes, and wish me luck. :)

  • 17 years ago

    I added new pics for you all that will show you what the big problem is---- the tile right on top of the marble counter shouts it loud and clear. They don't match!
    Now many of you might change your opinion... please share your thoughts.

    Here is a link that might be useful: updated pics

  • 17 years ago

    Okay, so the floor tile is a bit more cool taupe, the countertop is a bit warmer. They are different materials, and I believe never used next to one another. Why would they have to match - in fact, why would you want them to match? Various shades of a neutral like that give the room depth and interest. By the time you add in all the fabric, accessories, rugs, etc. plus the difference that the lighting will have on the two areas, I just don't see the issue.

  • 17 years ago

    fancy, your bathroom selections are fine. Put your worries aside. Les is correct. You don't need exact matches for items not right next to one another. Blending various shades are what help make a room more sophisticated. You actually do not have a problem at all.

  • 17 years ago

    Les917 and threedgrad,
    I am shocked! I thought for sure I would see responses that told me I was right to worry. I can't tell you what a relief it is to hear the two of you still like the bathroom. I can't say I agree but I definitely hear you!
    Would you paint the walls that darker color I put on the cardboard, or leave the walls alone too?

  • 17 years ago

    The room is lovely - why change it?

  • 17 years ago

    I'm still wondering about leaving the painted walls and instead adding some matching cabinet wood as a moulding or ledge or shelf just to seperate the marble from the blue. You're loving this room is all that matters. Do you think the wood spacer would let you like it better? I think it would give a very "Finished" look and could be so functional up to the mirror?

  • 17 years ago

    I agree with Les and threedgrad, I don't see a problem. When you use different materials, esp. materials from nature, there will always be some variation. I think your FIL was pulling your leg!

  • 17 years ago

    bodica- Thanks for the great tip!
    The mirrors will be framed with wood trim stained the same as the cabintes, so that will separate the marble from the blue except for the little strip of backsplash on the side wall. There will be a towel ring there so a hand towel will help.
    I think I am finally convinced to leave it alone for now. Thanks everyone. This forum has saved the day!

  • 17 years ago

    Fancy, I have a similar colored bathroom. I considered Quietude for my master bedroom. Wish I had of used it. I chose Rain and ended up repainting. I have Rain on the bathroom ceiling and BM Lenox Tan on the walls. SW (Dover) White trim. Here's my bathroom (if you're still considering a change in paint). Looked at the rest of your new home too....Very nice!!


  • 17 years ago

    Fancy,

    For what it's worth, we just moved in here 1 year ago - the house had been built 1 year before that. After reading your post, I went into our master bathroom and I see the countertops do not match the rest of the tile. They look very similar to yours. I had never noticed before. We haven't painted up there yet; perhaps I would have noticed when we began to paint that room. At any rate, I don't think it's that big of a deal. I think it might be that way in alot of newer bathrooms. I think you should wait and see if it still bothers you after you're all done with the room.

  • 17 years ago

    I still think the quietude is the better color. I hope you are feeling better.... I think it looks great ! Please give it some more time!

  • 17 years ago

    I would leave it and find some beautiful cotton floor rugs in a complimentary color - there are so many beautiful blues available -and put them where you would expect to want to stand on something soft. Less floor jumping out at you when you walk in and since the floor really is neutral the eye will go to the beautiful bath rugs.

    I would not pay to have the counters honed. The color won't change and the upkeep will be greater - the honed surface will absorb spills faster than the polished surface.

    The counter surface is not that great - once you have a few accessories on them as everyone has noted it will be less obvious. RIght now all you are looking at is the floor and counters because nothing else is in yet.

    The rug in Monicakm's picture would be a beautiful color in yours too.

    I am finishing a whole house remodel and I completely understand the stress of discovering something is not turning out quite as expected. My issue is my kitchen cabinets - my cabinet maker is not quite the craftsman I thought he was. I know for a while every time I go in there my eye will go to the less than perfect stain job ;-) My DH said I was being overly picky but then we had friends come over and within minutes she was running her fingers over the bubbles in the finish that were nicely highlighted by the way the light hits the cabinet! She did tell me today what I told you - I have no counters or backsplash or even cabinet doors - there wasn't much for her to look at so she really saw what was there. However - I am going to get the brand and color of the stain and finish and I will probably be touching it up on my own after all is said and done! I can't do much about the filler that doesn't match the solid cherry at all and should not be necessary of the cabinets were built right in the first place!

  • 17 years ago

    Thanks everyone! I can't express how much I appreciate your advice and encouragement. You have truly helped me feel at peace with my situation. I promise to leave it alone and wait until I have moved in and set up all my decor. I will then post pics and ask for your advice! So watch for me in a few weeks!
    BTW, I brought one of my pillow shams to the house today and it goes perfectly with the Quietude wall color. I had not even planned it, just a happy coincidence.:)