70's Tan Bathroom Facelift

10 years ago

My husband and I bought a 1975 foreclosure two years ago. We are planning a total gut and redesign of both of our bathrooms in a few years (other things are taking precedence - AC, Garage Door, secure entry doors, windows, etc). I realized complete embarrassment by this bathroom is preventing me from having people over to our house more often. Suggestions on how to bring this bathroom a bit closer to the current decade on a small budget, and without replacing tub/toilet/vanity?

Not clear in the photo:

The flooring is much more gray than tan, it doesn't work nearly this well with the fixtures in person.

The vanity is dark wood, with a gold marbled Formica counter top and white sink.

Thank you for any suggestions you might have!

Featured Answer

acm

10 years ago

My thoughts were:

1) tile is pretty good, so find a pale shade of gray from it to paint the walls.

2) you don't show the vanity, but maybe it can be cheaply updated at the cost of some time, sandpaper, and a can of paint -- a darker gray, brown, or cream, maybe? a pair of new pulls?

3) toilets are way cheaper than you think. just replace it with a simple white one, so that you don't have to look at that sad beast. white toilet + closed shower curtain gets you most of the way toward hiding the dated fixture issue. even if you need the store to install, you're talking a few hundred bucks total, and that's work you'd have done in X years anyway.

4) a trendy-feeling shower curtain might make the place feel spiffier without great expense.

KESS InHouse Amanda Lane "Gray Moroccan" Grey White Shower Curtain · More Info

Sweet Jojo Designs Grey/ White Chevron Zigzag Shower Curtain · More Info

Then put some art that you really like above and/or facing the toilet. That's what will reflect your personality!

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Comments (6)

acm
10 years ago
did you actually post the photo? if not, maybe try again here in the comments (no new thread!) using the camera icon ...
kebaas thanked acm
kebaas
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks, acm. Trying this again!
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susanalanandwrigley
10 years ago
So someone much more talented with design and color than I am will undoubtedly offer you some great suggestions, but my first reactions to your post and your pictures: First and foremost, just some life wisdom - don't let an older, non-updated bathroom keep you from entertaining! Your guests won't care (as long as it is clean), and time with friends and family is irreplacable.

Now looking at your space, the couple things that stand out to me are the two-toned toiled - can you replace the toilet seat/cover with a matching color? I know the fixture color is horrendous, but the two-tone thing just draws attention to it (for me), and toilet seats are inexpensive and easy to change. Next, maybe perk things up with a colorful shower curtain to draw one's eye? And keep it closed when guests are over. You don't show walls but some interesting art could also draw one's eyes away from the older fixtures.

Depending on how small your budget is, you can consider painting vanity and/or walls, replacing hardware on vanity, and replacing counter top with a granite or quartz remnant (a nice lower-cost way to update counters when the area is small). If your ultimate goal is a larger scale reno (when budget allows), then keep these changes small for now.

Enjoy!
kebaas
Original Author
10 years ago
acm - It never occurred to me to only replace the toilet (duh!). I think that and some paint and new pulls would make a huge difference!

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!
susanalanandwrigley
10 years ago
acm is right, replace the whole toilet not just the seat! Her advice is better than mine. We replaced the toilets in our bathrooms long before the remodel (for functional reasons), and so replaced a mustard yellow one and a baby blue one each with white, and when we finally got around to the remodel, we just kept the same toilets.

You will love your refreshed space!
kebaas thanked susanalanandwrigley