The cabinets look ok in the photo. But if you want them darker, many here have had luck with gel stain. There are lots of nice deeper greys. Beekeeperswife could help you with those. Then, maybe another shower curtain?

Definitely yes to a new shower curtain. Just not sure whether to go with a white or a dark cabinet. It's a very small, windowless bathroom.

I forgot: The floor is black narrow tiles.

What? You're getting rid of Snoopy? ;)

How about light grey on the walls and Healing Aloe on the ceiling? I think you could go either grey (if the tile does have grey in it) or white/cream for the vanity, but I would definitely paint it for a calm, sophisticated look.

Definitely white with the calming color you chose plus white turkish toweling shower curtain and same with the towels. I'd do the ceiling the same as the walls. It would look so calm and restful.

I think white too - it's too small and the dark cabinets would look like a big black hole. New, larger mirror to further brighten?

How about a white cabinet & white ceiling, with soft neutral (tint) for walls, nothing too grayed out, which will make the room look darker/duller - maybe BM Hampshire Taupe, if that works with the tile. The white ceiling will make the room seem larger and more spacious and reflect more light. Suspect a warmer taupe is going to be a lot more flattering to skin tones in the mirror than the aloe color.

hi new.bee,
It's me again. I think you should go with your inclinations. You seem to be wanting to update this apt with a more modern, sleek look. And everyone wants you to go neutral, good enough for a rental, blahness. I think you could easily do the vanity in a dark espresso color.. the tub and toilet are white so you needn't worry about too dark. I would love espresso with nickel hardware and shower curtain. Any of the blue spa color tones would look fab with the espresso vanity cabinet. I don't even think you have to choose a light colored wall. The tile is light, nice bright white waffle weave shower curtain with white towels and nickel bath hardware would look stylish, fresh and modern to me.

I would not be worried about the lack of a window. My own house has a small, windowless bathroom off the master bedroom.. it has a brand new white vanity as does the guest bath. The Gb will keep the white, our bath will get a new dark colored vanity and will have dark walls with nickel finish fixtures mixed with chrome. I have a chrome and brushed nickel shower curtain rod. White toilet and tub. Throw in plenty of white (I have white with black versus black and white) towels and shower curtain and lack of a window will not be a concern.

You will find a tenant that will be thrilled that you are doing this.. happy tenants that love the look of their home tend to stay longer. It DOES matter to me what a place looks like. A LOT.

I look forward to watching you redo this apartment!

E

Quick update: I tried BM Healing Aloe and it looked quite depressing, so I ended up with white walls and an espresso cabinet. The shower curtain looks better in real life (blue/cream/beige). I also added glass tiles around the mirror. These pics were taken with the whit/blue light bulbs. There's a heat lamp that casts a yellow light.

Very cute! A few large prints with expresso frames would look great.

What a nice improvement! I like that shower curtain with the espresso cabinet. Well done.