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Brown tile - keep or paint

9 years ago

Just closed on 1961 ranch 2 Bed/2 bath. Updated EXCEPT for the main bathroom which is original to the house. This is not a long term move so we don't want to spend $$$ to demo and update. Plus bathroom is in good shape overall. Vanity is way too short and has to go. Our previous home (now rented out) had a similar dated bathroom but with mismatched tile throughout. We hired a painter who used marine epoxy to paint the tile (including the tiled shower). 2 years later it seems to be holding up well. Thoughts - keep the brown tile (help me with decorating ideas please) or paint the tile and tub white in an epoxy???? Thanks!

Comments (15)

  • 9 years ago

    Keep.

  • 9 years ago

    Keep!!

  • 9 years ago

    aprilneverends - Thank you so much! So much to work with! What are your thoughts on a vanity? Wood base, all white or buy stock white and paint?

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'd do wood..but a color sounds intriguing..question what color..it's just so strongly presents itself, this bathroom, it sort of asks "keep to my colors please"..which leaves us with various light browns or very dark creamy whites(lol!) or pinkish terracotta or..

    and the wood is already a brown..

    I wonder if there are laminates out there that would match both pallette and style

    there should be..whether they are readily availably to buy as a vanity I don't know..need to research a bit probably

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If you get rid of the vanity, at least save the sink and store it somewhere for a later owner, and realize that anything you do to damage an all-original bath like that will have some effect on its value to an increasing number of buyers these days.

    Those original baths are becoming very, very sought after. It's a big change from even five years ago, when an original 1920s bath was a big asset and a later original like that was a tear-out.

  • 9 years ago

    I would keep the tile.

    If you wanted, you could check out Kohler Mexican Sand color would work better with the tile than the bright white toilet. Particularly if you replace the vanity you could do a Mexican Sand sink and toilet even if they weren't a dead match for the bathtub. The sink already looks like it's a different color than the tub, but it could be the lighting.

  • 9 years ago

    Keep the tile. If you really don't like it - don't paint it -rip it out.

  • 9 years ago

    writersblock - so keep the sink AND vanity or just the sink? The vanity is very low and seems to have some water damage/mold to the wood on the back and bottom of the vanity. Afraid the damage and/or mold would be a bigger issue at re-sell than it not being original! I would be totally ok with getting a new vanity and putting the original sink in a custom top.

    Sink and tub are same color, just the lighting. In daylight you can tell they match.

  • 9 years ago

    If you need to do a taller vanity, maybe you could use the same sink as an undermount in a solid surface or stone counter. Definitely check out Kohler's Mexican Sand as a possibility for a color coordinated toilet. If you wanted to place the white soap dish HCP Industries makes colored ceramic accessories. They produce Mexican Sand but unfortunately they do not have a dark brown:

    https://www.hcpindustries.com/colors.html

  • 9 years ago

    Keep. The workmanship is superior to most of the new installs I have seen in quick redone home. I would do as palimpsest suggest and look for a different toilet. If you can stand the shortness of the vanity I would have a handi-person remove the moldy sections of wood and replace with new. But mold is usually easy to remove from wood unless the wood is rotten. One last suggestion is, remove the white calking where the tub and floor meet and replace with a closer color match.

  • 9 years ago

    Definitely keep. You've been given some excellent ideas. I'd also look into putting up a vintage looking wallpaper.

  • 9 years ago

    writersblock - so keep the sink AND vanity or just the sink?

    Well, if the vanity were in decent shape I would probably keep it, but at that age mold may be worse than just superficial so you may not have the option.

  • 9 years ago

    Yes replace the caulking all over in that shower and at the floor with a good quality silicone caulk. That vanity needs replacing imo. I wonder what the tile does behind the existing vanity. Is there other storage in the room, like a closet for linens?