White would be a good choice. I don't necessarily think you need an accent. I'd keep the tilework basic, and use art and textiles for color and "pizzazz". That way you can switch up the look without a big expense.

Taking notes. Thank you!!!!

queenie,,,,you can paint your vanity (i have a link on how to properly do it if you like) and find a remnant OR pre-fab bathroom countertop. remnant could be $100-200 with another 400 or so to cut your sink cut-outs. Or, look into a 6' pre-fab quartz or granite countertop

also, check craigslist. I've seen 6' vanities w/top and sink for under 1K.

my tile place has a plethora of pre-fabs. average is $500 or so

mirror would be easy enough to do

they painted this one gray, got smaller mirrors framed in same color, and made a little center tower. new hardware, new lighting (and single hole faucets) if you know how to shop, you could do this exact same makeover for under 1K.

https://www.11magnolialane.com/how-to-safely-remove-that-large-builder-bathroom-mirror/

Lighting,,,you can find inexpensive lighting. know how to shop. lampsplusopenbox is one option. I just ordered a few lights from them. they change daily and are limited quantities, so check daily.

you could even do something like this..this was a builder basic makeover where she painted the vanity, got new mirrors and did a wallpaper

this one was also a makeover. she made the mirrors. you can easily find pre fab marble countertops with the sinks.

simple paint, hardware, new top. accessories are your friend here.

lose those things on the window and look into roman blinds. if you can sew or have some crafting skills, you can make them

as for the shower redo, research tile setters (you want an actual tile setter, not a GC who sometimes does tile!) and have a few come out for estimates. to demo that shower (save money and call in some friends to help you demo everything) , buy tiles and have the shower tiled, you're looking at about 5K or so. Go to a tile store (not home depot) and ask the manager who did the tiling in his house. get that guy.

ask about sales on lots of tiles that are leftover or clearance. offer to pay cash for a better price.

The cream-colored sink counter clashes with the gray walls and floor, and with the white tub. If you paint the vanity white OR gray, the counter will clash with the cabinet, too. I would replace the sink counter with a white one if that’s all that fits your budget.

Also, think more about the colors available to paint the cabinets. You already have gray floor, tile, and walls. How about a deep blue? Purple? Aqua? You might want to do a Houzz photo search on different colored vanities, too.

I worry about your countertop. It is not white, more like a cream. When you spruce up everything else, it is going to look funny. Your lighting above the vanity is also not great. The one fixture, above the center of the cabinets instead of the sinks probably gives you uneven lighting when people put on make-up or shave. Ideal lighting for these tasks is to have side lighting, sconces on either side of the sinks. This CAN be done even with a full mirror like yours, but I am not sure it can be done without taking the mirror down to do the electrical work behind it. You could also consider hanging pendants on either side of the sinks.

What color cabinets will work best with the gray floor tiles and potentially gray shower tiles? Also should I go with a plain white countertop?

why gray shower tiles? you can do whites or even a soft blue glass. don't over do it w/the gray.

I posted a grip of pics with all diff colors. any feedback on any of those??

all of us can throw out ideas but nobody knows what it is you're looking for.

as for countertops, go to a tile or slab place that carries pre-fab countertops. you aren't going to buy a slab to have it cut, so look at the pre-fabs or the remnants.

I got this 36" piece for my neighbor. remnant quartz. price for that and the fabrication for the undermount sink came to 400. Double it for yours.

72" pre-fab plain white quartz w/the sparkles, would be pretty cheap

craigslist. everything in this picture, $750

any of these idea workable? what's your budget?

Spend some time looking at photos of painted bathroom cabinets and see what appeals to you.

Hi Beth! I loved all the ideas you put in the post! I am just overwhelmed right now with decisions so I am saving it all to go over carefully later! My counter top is ~111 inches. That is non standard right? does that change your advise on looking for a prefab one?

Also, I was steered towards a gray shower by previous commenters that pointed out that it will be too choppy to do another tile color different than the one on the tub wall.

I do not have a set budget at this point. I am trying to piece together what I need then price it out and save for it. So I am open to suggestions. Thanks!

ETA: Also thanks for pointing out the lighting! I forgot about it! Yeah that's gotta go!

Thanks Nancy! I especially like the first one!

Following

I see what you mean your vanity looks dated. It doesn’t accommodate the flooring. Actually I would change the tub to a soaking tub that would fit the whole area or ad a built in to that little space if you can. Agree to frame the mirror and make the shower glass frameless.

so your countertop is just over 9'. they make 9' pre-fab counters.

Depending on what you want to do, here are some other options.

you could get two new vanities at 48" (or 36, 42) each, span the middle of them w/a step down piece of counter for your make up.

you really don't need 9', so paring it down a bit will look better and give you a make-up hair spot.

you can buy all in one vanity, sink, countertop and sometimes faucet, for 600-1K. that's for one 48" vanity. smaller ones go for about 600 or so.

another option, get the 72" vanity and off to the right (or left), have a spare piece of counter cut for the make up.

even with this, you could keep that same mirror and do all the trim work around it to make it look like this:

it's not as complicated as it looks.

if you want to keep what you have, you'll have to do the 9' prefab with very little overhang (you're at 9' .25)

do you have access to the same gray tile for your shower?

Wow!! I didn't realize I had this many options! Love it! I love the step down option. Where is a good place to shop for vanities if I decide to go with the two new vanity route?

No, I don't. The plan was to go to a few tile stores over the weekend and see if I could find it.

who tiled this? they should have continued the tile to the edge of the wall. put a little teak stool here in the corner. some type of shelving on the wall with some plants would also look nice. maybe a picture on the other one. a simple roman blind looks better than those swags .

or try these for shelving

this would be a nice accent w/your gray. I like the woven woods too

you could remove the door from one side and make it open shelving. add baskets/towels

I am guessing the builder did. The previous owners built the house and we just bought it from them.

That's pretty! I like that.

what big city are you near?

I am in the Chicago area.

Regarding lighting, you can mount sconces directly onto the mirror. That might look nice and increase task lighting for each sink. Here's a link discussing mounting sconces on a mirror.

https://www.danslelakehouse.com/2016/03/bathroom-update-kohler-purist-sconces.html

Sorry Houzz is being finicky about uploading its own urls and photos.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/stegmann-residence-contemporary-bathroom-phoenix-phvw-vp~2487777

Glad I came here. thanks Dawn! I will consider those if I end up keeping the current mirror.

well, just looking at craigslist in chicago, I found these 2-48" vanities for $245. I don't know the quality. then you look for a countertop and you could do the step-down option with these.

https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/mat/d/mundelein-bathroom-vanity-new/6868363823.html

remnant sale

https://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/mat/d/westmont-granite-remnant-sale-table/6873486991.html

you don't have quite the selection we do out here in so cal, but that's just one option. check surrounding cities and visit a tile/stone yard to see what they have. you just have to do the footwork when you're on a budget.

Thank you so much Beth!! At least for now, I kind of have an idea what to look for.

Just one last question, whatever tile I decide to use for the shower, should I update the tub's wall tile with that as well?

I would. It's really not the much to redo (plus, I wouldn't be happy w/how they finished the edge on that left side. it's sloppy tile work).

If you like it, then keep it, and work to find something that goes with it. maybe contact the builder to see what they used or take an extra piece w/you to the store to see if they can match it

another thing you could do is use the countertop as the 'splash' area for the tub.

Or, pick a tile and do that entire wall, even behind your vanity. (that's if you change your mirrors)

I really like the black hardware!!

Beth H., do you have a link to do-it-yourself Roman blinds?

amanda, try Pinterest for links to blogs. some you can do right over mini blinds. no sew.

try searching, 'no-sew roman blind' or 'budget blinds how to'

Thanks, Beth H.!

Just a heads up, my tiled 3x5 shower waterproofing and labor was over 5k add $2500 for my frameless door and a quite a few hundred for tiles. I would consider living with the prefab but changing the door to a frameless or even a curtain for an affordable upgrade.

I agree with roarah...I just had 2 bathrooms done and that's the most expensive part of it...consider taking out the shower door and having a nice curtain for the time being.

Also, I'm thinking that your cabinets might be three pieces? You could simply take out the center drawers and replace them with the vanity section (any carpenter can do that reasonably. Then paint all to match. That will save some...Of course this all depends on if your floor tile goes under the vanity (I doubt it as it looks like a makeover of a 90's bathroom) or if you can go on a hunt for additional floor tile--you might find it as that tile is very common...

Thank you both! I was quoted $4500 for the shower labor cost today if I buy all the materials! I think I am going to start with the vanity then save the shower for last. This way I can get the updates in without compromising on quality.

Please keep us updated! Fingers crossed it will be easy with no surprises :)

I will! thanks

4500 isn't bad. find out how he waterproofs, products used and you need to check his work

Beth. He has pictures to show me. Would that be enough?

Just one thought: tile showers look great, but they're a huge pain to maintain -- lots of grout lines that need scrubbing and bleaching and so forth... I'd consider living there a bit before you commit to several thousand dollars in supplies and labor to have a trendier but less pleasant shower that requires constant fussing...

thanks for the heads up acm!!

For the economy spruce up...

Change the window treatment by ditching the swag and rods, move to a simple blind or translucent cover.

Removing the doors will leave holes to be patched...why not just hang a shower curtain in front of the doors on a tension rod for a little while?

If you can match the wall paint, or are repainting, replace the mirror with two separate mirrors centered over the sinks.

If you can do that, an electrican can open a few spots in the wall and give you better lighting positioning.

Keeping the vanities and going with a bold color (deep blue, vibrant red, etc) will revitalize the space.

Picking a neutral countertop will allow you to adjust around it in future.

The grey walls seem a tad dark, perhaps a lighter hue?

Beth H!! I’ve saved all of your ideas so far! Pardon my ignorance, but what is this “prefab” you guys keep referring to? And where can I get “cheap” quartz?!?! And when I say cheap, I mean “nicely priced” with good quality :D

queeniesilky 4500 seems about right, however what does that include... A new poured pan, repairing the walls and adding waterproofing, all tiling, sealing, a door? Did he/she provide you a detailed line item bid, I like that the best. Also pictures aren't generally enough when I hire someone, depending upon the size of the job I get references I can speak with and/or I go look at the work. When I did a full kitchen demo, I went and looked at two prior completed jobs by the GC I eventually hired, it made all the difference in the world. With a bathroom or just shower, I would speak to references. Keep us posted!

I would definitely save the shower for last. The type of shower surround you have is so easy to clean. I have tiles and truly dislike it, it’s yucky (granted a bit old).

Painting the vanity cabinets is a cheap and easy way to update the space. I would paint them black and get a pretty quartz countertop that is mostly white. Add some sparkle with your fixtures and a cute stool beside the tub. Demo the shower area and find a tile that complements the floor. Most tile shops offer free decorators to help you with color choices. Take the tile sample home and look at it before you buy. You have great bones in there. Just need a few tweaks.

Andi,,Pre-fabricated countertops are already cut to a 9' (or 8 or 6') foot lengths and widths, ready to install. (edges are finished on 3 sides) the fabricator will cut the sink/stove cutouts and any other modifications. a budget quartz (meaning, just a regular quartz, nothing w/fancy designs)

tart at about 350-500. I did a flip about 7 years ago and used pre-fabs (granite) on the entire kitchen. total cost for a large L shape w/an island was just under 900. fabricator cost was another 1200 or so. Island prefabs come in 4x6 sizes, finished on all 4 sides.

these are examples of pre-fabs and most stone yards should carry them. I think Floor and decor had some too. Now they come in just about every material and type.

usually they just do the pre-fabs in the lower end granite or cheaper quartz, but my stone place had this Taj Majal prefab for 1800. The slab would cost nearly double that amount, and then another 3-4K for fabrication.

this is a 2'x9', perfect for a kitchen countertop (bathroom countertops are usually 22" deep. they make these for bathrooms as well)

queen,,,,what Dawn said. do your homework on the guy before hiring. have him tell you how he waterproofs and what products he uses. pictures aren't references. for all you know he printed photos from the internet! you need to talk to prior customers and see their work. if the people are happy, they will be more than happy to sing his praises. If he hesitates about references, find someone else.

thanks so much everyone!! I am so glad I came here!
So I went to browse at the home improvement store yesterday and I asked about prefab countertops. They said 9' is definitely custom and I will probably not be able to get a stone on that width because it will be too heavy to put on a cabinet.

is there any truth to that?

reading Beth h's comment above, should I be looking at stone places instead?

9' is too heavy?? huh? then how come they put them on kitchen cabinets? that's baloney. if need be you can put down a sheet of plywood to help support. the only issue would be the height and if the edging would cover it.

yes, go to a reputable stone yard (as opposed to F&D which don't know squat about fabrication or tiling).

Check with a local fabricator and see what they recommend. if you cabs are solid oak, holding the weight shouldn't be an issue (w/o plywood under it)

your fabricator may also have some connections to stone yards for remnants.

**remember,,,bathroom countertop depth is 22". kitchens are 24". so make sure if looking at a pre-fab, you get the right depth.

haha! I didn't think of kitchens! good point! okay I will do just that. thanks as always!

I’m so glad I saw this!!! Thank you Beth!!

I just remodeled my master bath. Purchased everything through Lowe's (using Lowe's credit card giving ma an add'l 10% off). Spent about $4k on materials. Love the result.

Old vanity

New vanity

Old tub

New Shower