Software
Houzz Logo Print
johnny_houston67

What to do with this bathrooom

7 years ago

This is a bathroom located between two bedrooms, not a jack and jill. Was shared by two sons, but they have long since moved out. I would like to update the bathroom and want to do all or most of the work myself.


Ideas would be much appreciated.







Comments (33)

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    It depends on what bothers you the most

    if was mine-unless colors of current tile were really not to my liking-I'd change faucets/whatever needs to be updated in plumbing fixtures, change maybe hardware, picking different shower curtain and bath rug, finding art/storage that make me happy-done.

    Johnny Houston thanked aprilneverends
  • 7 years ago

    Well, it all kind of looks outdated to me but I'm not sure I have a good eye for things. I would like to replace the tile on the floor with some sort of 12 inch square tile as well as the countertop and sinks. I think the cabinets may be ok and that the tile in the shower is ok. Definitely need new light fixtures I think as well as faucets.

  • 7 years ago

    I agree with all of that, but also looking for color suggestions as to tile, counter top, etc.

  • 7 years ago

    I’d probably just start with the countertop. Tiled countertops are the most dated looking thing to me. The floor looks fine.

    Johnny Houston thanked KD
  • 7 years ago

    Have a carpenter raise the height of the existing vanity and put solid quartz, marble or granite on the countertop with new rectangular undermount sinks and single lever faucets. The other stuff doesn't look that bad.

    Johnny Houston thanked susettejk
  • 7 years ago

    Raising the vanity will cost as much in labor as buying a new vanity. Leave that alone unless you want to do the mirror and paint the walls too.

    Or gut the whole thing and start over. Depends on when you want to sell, and who will enjoy it in the mean time.

    Johnny Houston thanked User
  • 7 years ago

    It all seems to be in good condition, and if this is a less-used bath, I would probably change the tiled countertop for one in white quartz or solid surface with undermounted sinks, coordinate the wall color to the gray accent in the shower and call it done.

    It's a bathroom from a particular period, so it is dated, but I think it becomes one of those situations where you do very little intervention or you gut it and start from scratch like Sophie says. And then you have to be good at everything from proper water proofing to tile-setting and all the rest, and it becomes an expensive proposition. And then on top of it if you are redoing it you have to analyze layout and how it might be changed, because I am not sure that I would stick with this exact layout if I were starting over.

    So then you have to ask yourself if it's all worth the time and expense if its just that it's dated. It may be, or it may not, but to me as a dated bathroom, it's not bad except I don't like tile counters.

    Johnny Houston thanked palimpsest
  • 7 years ago
    I would give it a very thorough cleaning, buy a white rug for the sink area, white shower curtain, white towels....or I would gut it to the studs.
    Johnny Houston thanked Jeanne Cardwell
  • 7 years ago

    Are you selling or updating because you want a new look?

    Often changing the faucets or even just replacing the plastic faucet handles with hefty chrome handles will give a bathroom a more solid feel.

    How about wallpapering instead of removing the tile?


    Gourmet Kitchen Renovation, Falls Church, VA · More Info

    Glamour Home · More Info

    Johnny Houston thanked apple_pie_order
  • 7 years ago

    I kind of like it. If the tile is in good condition, I'd leave it alone. If I were considering this house for purchase, I'd find the faucets to be the most off putting of the room as a whole. But it would not be a deal breaker for me.

    Johnny Houston thanked zmith
  • PRO
    7 years ago

    What is your motivation for wanting to update? Because it doesn't seem as though this bath gets used currently, and it is functional. Do you anticipate it becoming more used? Or do you just want it to be more current looking? Or are you looking ahead to resale? Because each of those motivations may have a different course of action.

    Johnny Houston thanked User
  • 7 years ago

    Right now there are only two of us living in a 5 bedroom house so not likely to be used much. We want the bathroom to be updated, both for potential resale as well as we just want to update the entire house but we don't have any specific timeline. We may live here for years but then again, if the right house comes along, we would sell and want to be at the point where we could put the house on the market quickly. I like the suggestion as be to replacing the countertop, sinks and the faucets. Any advice as to light fixtures would also be appreciated.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    i think the shower tiles, if in good condition, should be left alone. but there is just too much of that particular geometry happening.

    i'd change the counter top. if the backsplash isnt damaged, leave it. otherwise remove it, repair the wall, skip a backsplash. let the next owner deal with it, the wall wont get wet if no one is using the bathroom much.

    put a runner on the floor to disguise some of the floor. use a non-geometric shower curtain. call it a day.

    oh, and a clear liner looks nicer than an opaque one, and puts way more light into the shower.

    Johnny Houston thanked Judy Mishkin
  • 7 years ago

    My remnant granite countertop with two undermount sinks was close in size to yours. It cost me just under $1000 for the slab, the sinks, the fabrication and the install. Faucets were about $125 each. I didn't pay for plumbing because my son is a commercial plumber so he installed them. Light quartz is more expensive, even in remnants. A solid Corian with integrated sinks might be worth looking into. If you replace the countertop, I would replace the backsplash in a matching material. Do you have lighting over the mirror? Is there an exhaust fan?

    Johnny Houston thanked katinparadise
  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Remodels lose money. You either do nothing for $0, or tweak this very slightly for a couple of thousand, or redo the whole darn thing for 16K. Because doing a shower ain’t for a first time DIYer.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2018/

    Johnny Houston thanked User
  • 7 years ago

    I think that replacing the countertop, faucets and light fixtures would be about right.

  • 7 years ago

    Johnny I will be joining you on the bathroom adventure, I would leave the shower tile alone it's not that bad and taking it down and replacing it Expensive. Floor,lumber liquidated has water resistant floating floor no glue no nails easy Easy and looks good. Counter top gone mirror well if glued on get picture molding frame it.

    Johnny Houston thanked croebuck1
  • 7 years ago

    I like the room tile. I'd probably leave the counter and just change out the drop in sinks with identical ones, and put in new faucets. You don't have to have 3 hole faucet sink, you can probably get that in a one hole setup for a single hole faucet. They are great and easy to use. They come in many styles too. I like the plaid shower curtain that you were able to find to go with the tile.

    The problem with that counter is that if you take it out, you take the backsplash out, then the mirror. Then repair the wall and buy new mirrors. Is there another room you can tackle first?

    Johnny Houston thanked enduring
  • 7 years ago

    Can you paint the tile on the floor?

    Johnny Houston thanked Roberta Adams
  • 7 years ago

    Have you ever done DIY tile? The tile is the part of the bathroom that I personally dislike the most, but that's hard to DIY and expensive to have done professionally. And I doubt it's worth the effort/cost if it is a rarely used bathroom unless you are really good at tile work (and if you are, then I'd replace all the tile). If I were you, I would just replace the faucets and call it a day.

    Johnny Houston thanked kariyava
  • 7 years ago

    I like the light ceiling light fixture... can't tell if you have other lighting over the sink. As to my original comment regarding raising the height.. my neighbor just did this and it saved her a bundle and it looks great. Plus, you're getting a new countertop anyway so no big deal to jack it up before the sink/countertop install. The height will likely work well with the existing mirror since the backspash will be gone.

    Johnny Houston thanked susettejk
  • 7 years ago

    I don't think I want to paint the floor. I have not done DIY tile work. I had thought I wanted to try it, but not sure this would be a good project to start with. I'm going with the countertop and faucets. Maybe light fixtures.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago



    Here is the update, FINALLY! Painted a grey color, ripped out and replaced the tile countertop. Kept the cabinet. Also replaced light fixtures, faucets and mirror. All together, under 2,000 bucks. I think it looks great!





  • 7 years ago

    Beautiful! Great job :)

    Johnny Houston thanked lafdr
  • 7 years ago

    Love the counter tops and faucets. Great paint color too. Where did you get your shower curtain. I like it.

    Johnny Houston thanked Karenseb
  • 7 years ago

    Very pretty, did you change the floor tile too?

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Did not replace floor tile, replaced tile countertop.. Too much trouble and too much expense to replace floor and shower tile , I decided. Shower curtain came from Target.

  • 7 years ago

    Looks great. Have you considered painting the tile? There are places that will do it professionally. But also there are lots of DIY tutorials like this one. https://www.drivenbydecor.com/how-painting-bathrooms-ceramic-tile-floors-diy/

  • 7 years ago

    I would change out the floor and the counter/vanity top to white or white black.

    Paint bathroom white and go from there.

  • 7 years ago

    Great makeover! Do you mind sharing the model for countertop, lights, faucets and mirror?

  • 7 years ago

    Very nice job

    I especially like how the mirror frame repeats ever so slightly the color of the reddish-brown tile..and I like how shape of lights relates to geometry in the bath/shower tile motive

    Love the wall paint too

    I think you brought old and new together quite successfully. I also think it doesn't happen very often.



  • 7 years ago

    Wow! Those colors really do work well together. Good job.