OMG! Please don't change the lovely ceramic tiles!

If you are renting an apartment, are you allowed to change any permanent fixtures, cabinets, vanities or tile treatments?

I would just change towels to spa-white and get an outstanding piece of wall art to add ANY bright color that makes you happy!

Get a big clock and small waste basket that match your faucets and towel bars. Add a matching towel ring to twin the existing one.

Brown walls/towels/rugs shouldn't be paired with these tiles. A greige wall color as a nice backdrop for your mystery wall art.

Add a green shade/moisture loving plant either on the wall or counter top. Hide all your toiletries under the counter or in a new storage cabbie to twin the one over your toilet. You can make the mirrored cabbie work in this bathroom...it also adds much needed storage.

To me the tiles are the bones of this space. Work around the chrome and tiles ... they are great neutrals.

It will be practical and beautiful with just a few changes and some bold art!

Hey guys! appreciate all this wonderful input. One point I want to clarify is that this is NOT a rental. I'm not quite ready to replace the wall or floor tiles, but everything else is free game! Thanks again!!

A-ha ... GO FOR It with gusto!

I love the aqua bathroom pic - that would be really pretty. I would get a wider vanity, which would give you more storage (maybe even fit a second sink if that's within your budget), and remove the cabinet above the toilet. I don't think that you need to banish your toothbrush and mouthwash - it is a home after all. I put my mouthwash in a pretty decanter, and toothbrushes in a pretty tumbler (charge them overnight). and I have coordinated containers for q tips and cotton balls, etc.

Similar to the aqua bath above, I would stick with a basic black/white theme and bring in a fun, vibrant color with paint and accessories. I'd probably replace the mirror and lights, but I would start with the paint to see how you feel about that and the vanity, etc.

First thing that has to go is the wall color. The tile is great, so accent it. To me, it has Parisian Boutique Hotel written all over it.

Change the paint color. A pretty grey paint, spa-like fluffy white towels, and new shower curtain will freshen things up tremendously. Also, do you have room for a small shelving unit next to your sink? A couple of pretty baskets placed on the shelves will clean up your sink area.

I think if you declutter and take out the towels and mats along with the basket hugging the corner of the photo then have another look at what you have to work with you might be surprised. Get some samples of paint that you like and do large patches on the wall - check them out in both day and night light then go from there. To accessorise I would be looking at a heated towel rail (if you can) so that your towels would all fit with out the higgedly look that they have at the moment (towel rail is far too small for that many towels) add some hooks for extra hanging and then look for a freestanding cabinet to use for extra storage - I would be looking for one that you can use to replace the basket in the corner of the photo.

Some art or group of pictures or a couple of really nice shelves with a few items on them would give the place some life too.

Dress it up, what about looking for a couple of wall pendants (with bling) rather than the lights over the mirrored cabinet?

Perhaps you may want to stay fairly neutral and change out the towels and other items to go with the seasons?

Paint the walls a Federalist red, and the bottom of the sink jet black and everything else white (including towels). It will be a show stopper. A cheap redo with pzazz!

if you want to keep it simple-- i thought the idea to paint the the upper wall either lite blue - grey or white with the black detail-- and a bit of decluttering would make a huge difference without spending alot of money-

Keep the black and white scheme and go for a 20's look if that goes with the house. Just a little color will go a long way, so decide on one thing that will have it - walls, towels, artwork, for example. Don't overdo it.

Nothing black or white in this room needs to be changed (you can update them if you like, but they are neutral). If you simply change the wall color to something more attractive against the white (like the aqua/turquoise already suggested, a taupey gray, or even a dark charcoal or navy) the white elements will pop.

I REALLY like the first suggestion for the aqua "spa" look. However, not sure about the hardwood, or any wood, floor for a bathroom, especially around, or near, a bathtub or shower.

Paint. Pewter gray. Remove rugs hang over tub to use when bathing. Hate small rugs look tacky. Paint or stain vanity or just buy new with granite top. Dark expresso wood brush nickel pulls. New light. Brush nickel try Lowes. Grant on vanity a cream ANC gray. All towels. A teal and white accessories.

Typo; granite gray and cream. Towels a teal with white. Sorry.

Can you post another angle too?

Add new mirror with black and silver frame same size. No light bars get a modern smaller light.

Remove cabinet over toilet . Add towel rack place hand towels. Replace shower curtain. Go a design with teal, black and white. Or a black and white diamond print like floors.

Get a longer vanity. Then make mirror as long as vanity. Keep items under sink. TJMaxx has nice decor items for bath
Stay with silver.

Add new more modern faucet brush nickel.

I totally agree with Judygilpin...the artwork would really make a statement. Good Luck! Charlyne

@silverscreenstar If this is bamboo wood flooring I believe it works quite well in the bathroom. Altho, I am not 100% sure :)

@travisinteriors excellent ideas!

I like my bathrooms to be light colored. Light and fresh. Mirror- only above vanity. Sided by vertical lighting. Change out the vanity to one with at least one deep drawer on each side. Choose white if you want. Choose a smallish under- mount sink to maximize work space. Ditch the cabinet above the toilet. Looks like there may be room for a tall cabinet to the left of the sink that could provide storage.
Paint the walls a color that appeals to you. If it is a dark color, choose towels in the same hue. (You might want to get towels first and paint to match.) or white towels. Plenty of room for art on the wall...large scale.

Don't waste your money on changing the vanity completely, unless you need a bigger/smaller one. Just refinish the one you have now. I personally would get a longer vanity, depending on what's in that left corner. Dark brown would be perfectly acceptable, and a lighter, brighter colored wall paint and accessories would open the space up and give it a spa-like feel.

Since it already has that vintage feel with the tile I would include toile where I could along with white milk glass accessories.

A graphic black & white wall paper or a buttercream paint. Black framed mirror with black or chrome light fixture. A black cabinet or free standing chrome vanity. Yellow always looks good with black also.

Paint the back wall black, the wall over the sink white (use satin or high gloss). If you landlord has given you carte blanche paint the cabinet a Weathered Gray and use a Platinum Paint over to give it a shine (Lowes). Black rugs on floor with white towels. Shower curtain should be mix of white/black/silver. Create a valance to put over the current light fixture - can be made with styrofoam and covered with fabric - for very modern look use black but may not give enough light

All you have to do is replace the medicine cabinet and the light fixture and paint. I have a recessed medicine cabinet that looks like a framed mirror. As you see from the pictures, my preference is blue.

Here are two of my favorite blues and blue-grays for a white bathroom. The first is BM Nantucket Fog and the second is BM Sweatshirt Gray.

looooove the first suggestion by anne dee. so perfecttt! also the one by eileenkenah... please do post after pics!

You might consider replacing the sink with a pedestal sink and for storage, place beside it a small bookshelf (or something similar) - painted the color of the bathroom walls. If you don't want to be too daring or are still unsure what you really want, try painting the walls white and go with a periwinkle ceiling and matching towels for a watery, beachy look (or linen colors for a spa look.....you could change the mood by a simple towel and ceiling paint change!) Add a poster print on one wall for a bold but not too permanent (or expensive) addition to compliment your chosen color.

Do not change the floor it is great and the tiles are too. I would paint the wall in bright fushia pink colour. Black towels. You have tochange the mirror and the furniture, maybe black furniture with drawers. A big rainshower would do nice.

Herringbone wood tile, thick horizontal chrome hardware on dark gray stained cabinets, Book match marble slabs in shower.. (Strata Tower)

That wall color looks awful, if you don't mind me saying so. Maybe blue? And a blue striped shower curtain.

Oh PLEASE...Don't do blue. See my previous comments. Everything still stands. Blue seems to be the new "IN THING", but in a bath room, it will make you look sick when you look into the mirror. Stay to neutrals and add color with accessories. You mentioned that this is a rental, so make changes with things you can take with you when you move. Just remember the #1 thing....DO NOT HAVE YOUR PERSONAL ITEMS ON DISPLAY (shampoo, tooth brush/paste, shampoo, shaving stuff, etc.) .

Lets all try not to put someone elses idea down. Instead give what your better idea is without direct insults. Also be descriptive and define why your color would be best without comparing it to a prior post.

tasihagisavas
Hey guys! appreciate all this wonderful input. One point I want to clarify is that this is NOT a rental. I'm not quite ready to replace the wall or floor tiles, but everything else is free game! Thanks again!!

tasihagisavas
Consider what is in the rest of the house. make sure each room feels like it belongs in the same house.
The cabinet above the toilet.. looks to be pretty blah!
Maybe Something a little more bold that goes with your concrete wall.. Fill up that space.. no frilly dainty crown mold.
http://www.colemanstorage.com/store/catalog/coleman-gauge-fully-welded-steel-wall-cabinet-grey-p-281.html?cPath=70_55_63

Thats right! Coleman tool organizer in your bathroom..

Maybe do the same blue that is in the wall tile in mozaic for the upper portion of your walls


Paint the vanity a light gray to match the Coleman wall cabinet

before painting the vanity fill in the knob hole and drill for a long finger pull to match your welded steel wall cabinet


The lighting and mirror could be switched out too

I would go with a medium gray wall color, light gray travertine tiles, and a white granite (White granite does not mean that it will be solid white; there will be some interest). http://www.houzz.com/photos/products/white-granite

I think the dove grey paint tones suggested are bang on. You would be surprised at subtle changes like all matching black knobs and towel holders make. Taking out the medicine cabinet would make the room less busy, but you may need to replace that storage space with something else. The mirror and light fixtures are really the only things that need to be replaced.

I got my mirror at Home Depot, painted the walls dove gray as well, but added white crown moulding,changed the faucet and added back splash, but your tiling is already there.

Christine Walsh, like your bathroom! so nice & simple! specially mirror

tasi, any updates or decisions? looking at your bath again, i feel a deep blue on the walls would be great with a nice mirror in white or silver frame.. may be, paint the vanity top to match the deep blue of the walls (if function/ practicality allows, otherwise try some thing with a warm honey coloured, wood veneer look for vanity top). that'll really make everything pop.. get curtains that match the tile in print and colours.. match the drawer pulls as christine walsh pointed out.
this should give most impact with minimum effort / investment.

INSPIRATIONS for wall colour & mirror :
love the paint / wall paper here and the sconces & orchid:
love the mirror here (round will be an offset for all the squares /rectangles in your bath) :

others, loving the white lights... better than warm sort :

I would go with the comment and recommendation made by Design Inside - Chicago above

I would just change the mirror, lights and wall color and the vanity top to black granite. White towels and white shower curtain with slight black detail on it. Silver accents around the room.

Also remove the wall cabinet above the toilet and put up glass and metal shelves. If you are handy add a tall cabinet to the left for storage and attach it to current vanity to look like it's custom.