When were the tiles installed? Tiles from the 60's contain lead, please be careful.

I'm not sure when the tiles were installed. They had a very 70's/80's look to them before we painted over them. Possibly could be from the 60's but were pink tiles popular then? If they do contain lead, what is the best way to remove them?

If they contain lead you do not remove them yourselves, you need to call a hazmat company to do it for you. Lead is a poison. You might try calling a company like Miracle Method that can come and coat the tiles for you in whatever color you choose.

Kathleen MK, I worked for many a hazmat remediater and I know I would never take that chance.

We took tile down in 2 bathrooms from 60's lead not a problem. But the wallboard/sheetrock )or whatever you call it) gets damaged even with care, so you may need to replace walls.

hikingrocks - OMG that must have been so much work! Lesson learned!

Zyas, we just recently worked on a space very similar to yours. It was a small powder room similar in color. We did add some beautiful wainscoting to the space which you can do as well. If you are going to remove the tile, I also agree with Dan it will be a lot more work for you later by just removing the tile. I have attached a photo of our recently finished powder room for some inspiration.

yes cut it out re drywall the whole lower space. the whole wall behind the sink and toilet actually, so you can move the power source for the light fixture. but keep the cool med. cab. is this just powder?

that old vanity/ medicide cabinet, is what people die for these days its a total keeper. just move the light source out if you can and re wood around it. love that little drawer.

also lower the other plug and power once you are in there and think about some floating shelves over the toilet.

Hi Zyas: I removed tile from a kitchen backsplash a few years ago and it truly made a mess of the sheetrock. I agree with previous comments about either just cutting it out or wainscotting over top - I tried to just spackle/patch the damage but then ended up just cutting it out. Re the bathroom, my recent reno on our main floor bathroom is along the same theme you're looking for. We used textured paintable wallpaper (looks like grasscloth) from the ceiling down to 36" off the floor (painted a very pale turquoise blue), installed wainscot on the lower half of the walls painted fresh white, and topped the wainscot with a row of 4" tumbled slate border tile in shades of brown, grey and taupe. We completed the look with brushed nickel accessories and a custom window blind with 2" slats that are the colour of faded driftwood. The result was exactly the beachy feel we were looking for. Using wallpaper in a steamy bathroom was my only concern, but has been on for 2 years now and is standing up well, seams aren't peeling. When it's time to reno again, the tiles will just peel off with the wallpaper with no damage to the sheetrock below when I'm ready for my next "look". I did this for about $500.

recently had beadboard put directly on top of a pinky taupe tile as well. painted white and it looks a thousand times better. no mess and easily done.

Add me to the group who suggests going right over it with beadboard. You will need to find a bit heavier molding to make the transition but it can be done. Ply cap molding works for this purpose.

I think the part of the problem is how high the tile goes in that tiny bath and up around the mirror like that. If you want a clean bead board look like H2H, you should remove everything and get new drywall and lower bead board. Unless you want beautiful tile for the look, you really don't need it in a powder room. I'd do just like H2H. It'll look brand new.

Oh - forgot to say that you normally do not have a medicine cabinet in a powder either.

Why not board and batten or beadboard floor to ceiling? Avoid all ripping and tearing.Paint white with a pale blue ceiling?

We didn't like the tile in our bathroom and we googled if it was possible to glue and grout tile over existing tile. We did, and it looks great. It saved us such a mess of ripping old tile and Sheetrock out.

Here's a picture of my powder room with a shelf I picked up at a vintage shop at the beach and painted white. It's simply fence pickets and 5 narrow shelves. I've put some shells and other beachy things on it. We used pink as an accent since the floor is red travertine tiles we got for a bargain at Home Depot (our red travertine is actually pink.) Think they were $2 each. Good luck with your project.

Home and Garden from Virginia Garden Week Tour 2013 · More Info

We had a bath in a old house that we put bead board 3/4 of the way up and put chair rail at the top. I painted the remaining wall and the ceiling the same color.

Hi Zyas,

Congrats on redoing your bathroom! It can be a daunting task but it will most definitely be worth it. Powder rooms can be tricky due to the lack of space. We have a collection for small/condo sized bathrooms that might work for you. See more here: http://blubathworks.com/products/categories/collection/condo/

We agree with many of these comments; beadboard looks great, especially with a beachy theme. Best of luck with the renovation!

Here are a few style ideas you may like... I think beadboard or paneling would look fantastic!
Mandi @ Dura

Luxurious Lakeshore Cottage Powder Room · More Info

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Tiles made in America DO NOT contain asbestos. The thin set or mastik may but in very , very small amounts. Those tile are not hand made or clay so you are probably safe.

I agree that beadboard would be the easiest replacement for the tiles. That's what I have in my guestroom bath, as you can see in the photo. What jumps out at me from your picture is not the tiles but the vanity, which is cheap-looking and can easily be replaced. I recommend Restoration Hardware or Ikea. A good toilet (I just re-did this bathroom and added the Toto) is well worth the money.

Ashdan,

I love the horse picture in your bathroom. Can you tell me where you found it?

Thank you.

If the tile was installed in the 60's it may have been done in the old and best way using metal lath and grout. You can usually tell if this is the case because the tile will stick out from the face of the wall about 3/4" to 1". Removing tile installed using this method can be a back-breaker. If the lath is attached to the studs there is no way to remove the tile without a chisel and pry bar. Wear safety googles and gloves and good luck!

Nlsf-everyone was focusing on the tile because the OP said she hates it. It was pink and her husband spray painted it white and it now has a weird texture. Everyone was trying to give suggestions for an easy way to cover it without ripping it down to studs. There's no sense putting money into fixtures, etc. if the tile doesn't suit the homeowner's needs or taste.

Zyas-It looks to me as though there were just a few tiles put around the built in medicine cabinet. Those shouldn't be too hard to remove and replace. It's hard to tell from the picture, but if that's the case, just some joint compound sanded down should cover any imperfections caused by removing the tiles. If that's not the case, let us know and I'm sure we can come up with something!

I'm a big fan of shiplap walls for a clean coastal look. You don't have to go all the way to the ceiling if you don't want. Just top it off with a chair rail.

When you veneer the veneer is there a problem with the toilet hookups? and the clearance for the sinks? Seems like you would need extra extensions to clear it.

I know that's an antique med cabinet and you may not want to remove it. However it looks too high, small, almost awkward. Perhaps if you can sell it if it comes our in one piece.