Can you post pictures?

Keep what the tile? IMO ole dhouses need modernized bathrooms so I am not much for keeping tiles from the 70s I can’t think of any that would be worth saving. Maybe post some pics of the ones you have.

Don't confuse modernizing old failing systems with you having a media influenced taste for the current design fad. The two are not the same thing. Both cost 50K. But one is for mere cosmetic issues.

if you posted pictures in your opening post, we can't see them..the site has a of lot of glitches lately. Can you try and attach them in the comments' section?

Could you post photos of the bath you are questioning? Two of the baths in this 1955 house are original tile, beautifully done and everything functions flawlessly. The colors aren't quite to my liking but I'm on the fence about remodeling them, almost feels like an insult to the house. The third bath is more recent and that's the one I plan to make changes in although again, well done and fully functioning and I haven't rushed to redesign in the 5 years since moving in. (It has an oversized tub-for-two in the master when a walk in curbless shower would suit us much better - I can't remember the last decade either of us took a tub bath)

I cant even go the page now, nor upload the photo :(

Just add photos in a comment - it takes a while for them to load, but I promise you, it is possible!

Hope this works

You have to wait until the photo turns from kind of faded to full color before you hit submit...

If you like the tiles and they fit into the design vision of your remodel, keep them. However, depending on the extent of the remodel, they may be hard to salvage.

I'm so curious to see these custom tiles!

Are we talking 1990 seafoam green counter tops , hunter green floor tile, white melamine or oak vanity? Get rid of it!

It all depends on your tiles and your tastes. When we moved into our house the bathroom had bad everything including black tiles with five staggered inset tiles that had deer like creatures painted on them. It was all hideous. We have since ripped down the wallpaper, added vintage light fixtures, painted the walls grey, and got a vintage sink. It all looks fantastic with the strange flooring which I now love. Show us your pics. We'd love to suggest.

Finally worked! Thank you for all reply, cant wait for the feedback.

Oh! I wasn't expecting that at all. They don't look like anything that I would imagine to be custom. Who told you they were custom? I wonder if maybe the person meant the tiles were laid in a custom pattern rather than custom made.

Still I maintain, if you love them and they are integral to the design vision for the bath, then they are keepers. I'm curious as to what your vision for the bath is. Can you share that vision and maybe post a few photos that illustrate it?

Pretty much half the contractor that we met with. I wanted to change the shower for sure. I am looking for a simplistic modern look. Initially I wanted a free standing tub but now decide to keep the tub and now not sure how to incorporate everything with possibly keeping the tiles. 50:50 mix reviews from our contractors

Yea i think they meant custom pattern

i would take it out. My bathroom was 1986, and i saved a lot of money by tearing everything out myself. (Tile, sheetrock down to the studs, flooring etc).

Okay, that makes sense.

Based on the couple of images you posted, I don't see your current tiles working very well. Here are a couple of other bathrooms that lean contemporary to consider. They're all configured with shower and tub in tandem like your bath. I think they would work well in a house built in 1989.

Unless, you have a very strong design sense and knowledge of code and materials when it comes to baths, I highly recommend enlisting the services of a professional designer who specializes in kitchens and baths for your remodel. Those two areas are kind of their own special animal in the design world. There's just so much to consider that isn't applicable to other areas of the home.

Some of the contractors said that the tiles are in very good condition and the work is beautifully done. They said it would be a shame to rip it up. So that is when i started to have second thought about keeping it. It was suggested to change the shower and the tub walls to be tiles that are bit more modern, perhaps in the same color schemes to incorporate everything together. Thoughts?

I appreciate the contractors' point of view. It is hard to destroy beautifully done work.

You know, there's really nothing wrong with your tile. It's just that it's not on "trend". I bet if you did away with the gold shower door casings and wall tiling you'd like it more. I think a large format tile in the bisque color of the main tile would work well for the walls.

Kind of like this, only in reverse. See how the large format tile is on the floor and the small tile is on the wall? You could go opposite: small tile on the floor and large format on the walls - all the way to the ceiling.

Also look at these shower doors. You could keep the tiling on your tub sides but have the tub top in the the same tile as the wall. Note, also how they've used the same tile in different sizes and patterns.

I really do think you should consult with a professional bath designer at the very least. A consultation won't be cost prohibitive.

@manon that's what i was thinking. Thanks for your input. @jennifer i have a baby and would like major work done before moving in, otherwise, yes, i would prob live there first.

Do it right and remove the tile when budget and time affords vs 1/2 way fix that never seems to work . The tiles are too small and very busy - almost impossible to design around.

When you pull tile off walls it takes the drywall with it. This is why you often see floor tiles replaced and not the shower surround.

The installation work on that tile is extremely good. You can see the thought in the layout, the wrapped corners, the perfect half tiles in the diagonal corners, a real craftsman job. By the look of how the shower tiles meet the wall, I'm guessing its a mud job, with a thick layer of cement behind the tile to make it perfectly flat. But the tile itself is not a current style. I feel pain for your dilemma.

Yes, it's very well done but that's heck of a lot of grout. I clean my own bathrooms so that would give me great pause. Do you have a sizeable budget for this? That would be the deciding factor, I think.

So many helpful comments here

(Grout would make me happy-less slippery..lol)

I'd do what Jennifer Hogan suggested-change the glass surround to frameless, take off the crown molding(or maybe painting it the same color as the walls)

(well I'm lying..I wouldn't do even that..but say I'd want to make it somewhat sleeker..)

I'd paint the walls darker dramatic color that would work with the tile..something like velvet-y milk chocolate..

I'd find modern art..something cool or whimsical or whatever makes me happy

I'd find towels that I love.

A rug..

I'd think "what a cool tub color" because I do really think it's cool

all that while very mildly disliking that particular tile

Now you'll live there,and only you know, or will know, how much you dislike it, how much it has a potential to irritate you, how well it goes wit the rest of the house, how well you can put this bathroom -as-is-inside the context you're creating, or whether chances to do so are slim..how far it is from your preffered color pallette and style, and last but not least-how much budget you have for this particular reno.

Unless you change flooring only(which won't have great effect on the overall look but will have some..also it'll have to corellate with the current tile of course) -you're looking at a very expensive reno here. Granted I don't know where you live-but here the labor would start with 30K..I think..without taking new finishes into account.

It's really a matter of your preferences and other things that are or might become your preferences.

I don't hear from you that you hate the tile..to me it sounds that while it's definitely not your preference-but you don't hate it. Correct me if I'm wrong. You also don't mention vanity, tub, fixtures..is the tile the main thing that bothers you, or you're going to change the rest anyway?

You'd prefer a different concept of this bathroom, generally speaking-and that's a big reno.

Should you go into it?

Well I don't know, When there's no safety issues, and you have a good craftsmanship, and allover cohesive space-there is no general "should". It can be only yours, very personal "should".

April makes a good point about more grout being less slippery and that makes sense on a floor but that wall! Ugh :) (Seriously, we can put a man or two on the moon but we can’t make self-cleaning bathrooms?!?)

It would easily be around 35k to reno it in my part of the world too. If you don’t like the look of the tile and want to minimize it without a gut, I think it can be done with a tub surround and tile paint (floor only, not shower and tub). (We all know there are worse things in the world than a bathroom that doesn’t meet our aesthetic preferences. :))

Another cleaning thought: do you have a strong effective fan in this bathroom? That makes a huge difference in minimizing mold issues and dust. (On phone and don’t see post edit option.)

Really the issue is one of economics - renovating the bathroom with something that is a significant cosmetic and/or functional upgrade would be at least $35,000 - if not more by the time you have installed every last cabinet pull and towel hook :-). Add in some luxury features and the price escalates - and then you have the trauma of dealing with a remodel.

The bathroom now is a fairly innocuous style and can serve as a backdrop for less expensive cosmetic changes.

I have no idea of what the contractors mean by custom because theoretically every remodel is "custom" as someone selected specific finishes and style.

It all depends on your budget. Either replace everything in the bath to get the look you want, or keep all the tiles. At least it looks neutral and clean. I think you'll be sorry if you start spending money to replace parts of the bath, trying to coordinate with what is there, and still can't get the look you really want.

I think I would find out what allllll the options are for the needs, and the wants, and also what the costs are for everything. If you can spend $100K on that bathroom, get all the needs and all the wants! But if you can only spend $10K on it, then some of the decisions get easier.

Thanks everyone for all the great responds. I will think about it and see what i will do.

Well, the golden hardware is definately aging the place, but I don't see an easy way to replace the tub hardware...and that a/c and/or heat vent in the tub surround is a little peculiar. The removed shower glass trim would reveal the screw holes, but would likely be coverable with the mounting saddles for the glass...and with the door hinges on the corner, it likely has enough support.

The tile work is beautifully executed, and has held up well so far. However, you seem to not be absolutely sold on either keeping or replacing it. I don't see a really viable break point to just change "some" of it, so it's adapt or destroy.

The best advise so far is live with it for six months, and start noting the pros and cons of the current bathroom, along with how many times you use the tub. Then sit down and decide how long you are in this house for, if it's less than 5-10 years, it's tossing away money to redo a perfectly function bathroom that's in that good a condition.

I didn't see the question asked, is this the master bathroom, or a guest bathroom, or the only bathroom in the house? If it's the master, in a renovation, if you aren't using the tub, that's a nice start to a beautiful walk in shower, or a doored shower with a separate plumbed handheld next to a nice seat at the bath tub controls end and a nice rainhead setup at the shower end.

This a masterbath. We planned to live the house for a very long time. Both my husband and I love bath so will be using it quite a bit. My first intially thought was to redo everything but now is reconsidering after looking at the craftsmanship.

This is really a balacing act. No one here knows your situation. The only thing I know is that you have a baby and a new home. These are two huge financial responsibilities. If you were my daughter I would say, if

- you had a minimum of 20% down payment on your home, have a 20 year mortgage or a 30 year mortgage and the ability to pay one extra payment a year to reduce the length of your mortgage,

- are saving a minimum of 10% of your income toward retirement and

- saving a minimum of $100 per month toward your child's education and

- you have no student loan debt and

- no other large debt

- and have saved enough spare cash to pay for the renovation

- and have 3 months income saved for a rainy day

go for it. If not, you have higher priority uses for your money.

We are ok on money. We brought the house knowing we are remodeling but just stuck on either keeping the tiles are not. Thanks everyone.