Do not do #2 or #3.

I'd swap out the waste basket for a black one. I'd add a very cool black and white photography picture. Then stand back and see if you still need to add the darker grout. (etsy.com has a great picture by Leslie Lecoq called "Frost Bite"...take a look.) It's a solid black horse with snow on his muzzle.

staining that grout is huge undertaking. much easier to clean the discolored parts. look for a grout restorer or stain the discolored part back to the white.

yes to new fixture.

if you brought in some natural walnut or teak shelves, it would lend some warmth. put some plants on them.

these are mine. you could do something similar, thinner, near the toilet. put some artwork on the other wall

color options,,,up to you

I love classic bathroom tile like yours. I would paint either mint or muted lilac or rose above the tile. It looks like you need more storage and the clutter is detracting from the look. Can you change out the sink to a vanity? Or add a vintage small chest of drawers on the opposite wall? I think shelves above the toilet would look a little cluttered. I would also change the towel to something that blends better with the rest of the room, maybe white.

paint will brighten the place up right away. I like the mint green idea above.

You can add a beautiful piece of art or a set of shelves above the toilet.

these are two of ours.

I like the idea of black and white. Try an on line search for black and white bathrooms for some ideas. Yes to Beth's light fixture and Crossville's black waste basket and b/w photography. Maybe a pop of color with towels.

Here are some color inspirations. Also, I’m a big fan of old fashioned vanity lights. The teal bathroom is ours- we just got the light fixture from Lowe’s for $10 (ignore everything else about that bathroom including paint... makeover pending)

I would just like to add a slightly different viewpoint angle. Forgive me if this is far off from what you were asking for.

I agree with everyone saying that shelves will make it look more cluttered, since it's a smaller space. I love the idea of putting a plant or a painting on the wall above the toilet. If you do install shelves, install minimalistic shelves with some small plants. You have the right idea when it comes to changing the light fixture. It's a great way to quickly bring some life back into the bathroom. While it may be tempting to paint the top half of the wall, if you want to bring in color, greenery is such a great and underrated way of freshening up a room -- especially a bathroom, because it makes it feel fresher in there. Black and white bathrooms can look very modern, fresh, and nice if you do them right.

I love the idea of hanging plants on towel racks above the toilet. Here's an image for reference. The lower rack can even add some storage with one simple hanging shelf, as long as you keep it looking uncluttered, since your bathroom is small.

Incorporating beige with white and black looks nice to me. Here the beige is in the wallpaper and floor, but it could be easily used with paint and towels.

A pale gray wall color, neutral and fresh. No stain for the grout, it would feel “busy” with the awesome floor. I really like the 3 towel rack idea shown earlier with plants above the toilet. Yes to a great art piece on the the wall to the left (or behind the toilet if you don’t want the plants). The black garbage can, new light fixture, and perhaps a closed black basket or small chest nestled under the sink for a bit of storage.

I like what you have and would simply extend a mirror from wall to wall and replace the light fixture with something more current. Don't stain the grout.

I would change out the toilet (the one you have is a little too modern) and the lights...that's all. Clean the grout (it will involve lots of some kind of bleachy cleaner so make sure to open the windows) and then apply sealer.

Paint is an inexpensive change and the color is up to you (if the tile is black and white??)..

Nice bathroom.

Some other options

Hi everyone, thanks for all the great feedback! It gave me a chance to rethink the grout, and to look into other ways to accentuate the existing space. I like the idea of playing up the black and white, and putting a black frame above the toilet. Also looking to new light fixtures, am drawn to these. They add a little more modernity to the space, but still work with the existing fixtures. I'm still debating whether to paint the walls a light grey, similar to white Irene showed above, but haven't decided yet.

I like the bathroom as is. It is very charming. Changing lights would help to freshen. I like the ones you show. I would paint above tile to freshen and give a little pizazz. I think gray would be a good choice.