I would paint with a primer first, because the wood will really soak up the paint. I think you should not go too light. A gray like or It is hard to tell what color the tub is, so these colors might be off. For now paint and bright new red and brown towels, a curtain and bath accessiories should do the trick.

When you gut see if the wood can be salvaged.

Benjamin moore chocolate mousse is a nice neutral. I have this color with a bone colored sink and garden tub and it really looks great, nice and fresh. Possibly a new mirror and light too for above the sink?

Gray would also look great.

You might like the idea of playing up the rustic element. Look at rustic accessories shown in the app. Bunches of dried flowers hanging upside down on the wall, tied with ribbon that picks up the red & black tile. Add a window valance. Use cabin theme towels, soap dispenser & candle. I think replacing the light with a delicate chandelier type fixture over the mirror would look great. PKT

Hi Pattie -- Congrats on your new vacation home, where the rules can be as relaxed as you are. If you're being stuck with the big party in the new (old) digs with one month's notice, no one will be expecting it finished. And with a larger reno in the near future, I wouldn't want you to invest tons in getting this into passable condition for now.

I think white trim will go a loooong way here. White on the trim, vanity, and tub surround, then match the sink color for the countertop. Bring in your choice of indoor outdoor carpet (these are from Lamps Plus) to cover up as much of the tile as possible. White robes and towels will answer the icky black grout to say new, fresh and clean! (Cursor over to enlarge.)

Don't be embarrassed, you own a vacation home! Your guests will already be envious. ;-)

For now, I would leave the paneling as is and use black/dark brown paint (flat, not glossy) on the trim pieces around the door and window, baseboards, mirror and wooden towel bar. This ties in with the black grout and dark grooves in the paneling. Replace the outdated light bar and sink faucet with antique bronze fixtures. I'd leave the tub fixtures as is to save $. Or, leave the sink faucet as is and replace the light bar with a round chandelier that will draw the eye up. Lots of white, fluffy towels and a cool rug and you're good to go. Have fun!


Modern Bathroom by Sacramento Architects & Designers Popp Littrell Architecture + Interiors

Contemporary Pendant Lighting by Other Metro Furniture and Accessories Pottery Barn

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What ever you do, don't get red towels, they are an ordeal to wash as a separate load, it might not look as bad once you add things to distract from the paneling\tub\sink color. I'd go with cream or sage towel\throw rug. I'd change out the "light bar" over the mirror, something with frosted glass shades (that you would keep when you remodel). What about some art for the walls, a silk orchid\flower in a pretty pot in the window or counter top, nice soap dispenser.

The first thing you need to do is colour over the black grout in a colour to match the tub and sink. I would then choose a nice light colour to brighten things up and for the appearance of a larger space, and paint the entire room. The tub and sink appear to be beige or taupe colour so use those tones. You could then accessorise in red, however, in small doses. I do agree that you should stay away from red towels...it would be asking for trouble. If possible, I would replace any towel bars and other fittings with the best chrome you can afford and these could be reused in the renovation. Good luck.

Thanks everyone! I'm liking the dark trim idea, iron hardware, white or chevron towels and a sharp rug. What about big canvas black and white nature or lake inspired photo's? Many of you recommended changing the light fixture. I loved Smalley's chandelier idea, but need a wall mount. What do you guys think about art and lights?

Canvas that is printed will be terrific - ansel adams is classic nature art photography at its finest - art.com will wood mount them and laminate them - i have some in my bath. Want to say that I washed cedar with off-white paint and you get the most gorgeous creams and grays from it - i would use a lighter paint - sw naturel or kilim beige

I'm an artist and I sell a lot of canvas prints. I recommend you use it in bathrooms only if you can guarantee no moisture on the canvas. The prints are imprinted with ink, and they run quickly with moisture. Framed paper prints hold up a little better.

Enjoy the redo. I would just get a couple of buckets of paint and go at it. Others have some good ideas for you.

My licensing partner, Fine Art America sells my prints on acrylic...the image is applied to the inside...PERFECT for a bathroom...will not warp, drip, fade, etc. and you can clean the surface with a soft cloth and cleaner....makes the colors more lively too. :)

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-sharon-cummings.html?tab=artworkgalleries

You may want to repurpose all that cedar paneling (providing it can be removed in usuable lengths when you reno) so painting it might be inadvisable.

.Really like the photo idea. Wish I could find one for you that had mist hanging over a tree-lined lake. I can see it in my mind's eye.....Also, there's a George Kovacs tower vanity light second up in the Houzz bathroom lights section that's only $152. As long as you're going rough hewn meets black/graphic, I think that one might be an interesting add. (And yes, I know you are supposed to be able to embed photos, but apparently I am too dense to do it correctly. Sorry.)

Libradesigneye I would love to hear more about the washing. We aren't feeling optimistic about getting the very strong ciggy butt odor out and paint may be are only option. Do you think washing with paint would help that? Or am I going to need to paint layers onto this very dry rough cedar. Washing sounds beautiful and less time consuming.

Have an idea for you. Up here in the Pacific NW, this sort of interior is not that uncommon, still. I've known people who swear by Murphy's Oil Soap to wash it down. That takes the residual smoke/nicotine off. The finish looks pretty rough, so a soft scrub brush application ought to do it. After giving it a couple days to make sure your washing it has dried out, I'm going to repeat my suggestion for wood stain. Wood stain penetrates and most contain a sealer within the product, so one coat is all it takes. A paint wash is just that, essentially a pale version of paint on the surface. It might take you a lot of Kilz and paint to achieve the same sealing for smell-reduction.

If this is prevalent throughout, you might try a product I googled, but have never used, called Vamoose.

Since your wood is old and washing rough cut to prep to paint is difficult, use an old paint brush first and a clean bucket of water to try and wash the dirt out of the paneling - just brush the wood with a wet brush and you will see the dirt come off on your brush - wash it out and repeat. Use two buckets - clean and dirty, until even the clean bucket isn't staying clean. Just water, nothing else, and then let the wood dry back out for 24 hours (longer for winter) before you begin. Oil soap is great if you are not doing anything else to the wood, but otherwise it adds petroleum oils back into it that will resist stain and paint.

You take the paint and use 2 parts paint to 1 part water. This should still take the ciggy butt odor and seal it back and make the room smell clean. The water helps you deal with the very dry open wood, and move it around a bit with the brush to get it even. You might test colors from the beige I posted to some that are more taupe/gray (for a driftwood feel) on the inside of the vanity or a closet interior made with the same stuff so you know what tone you will get when finished. The naturel is my first pick to test.

It still takes about 3 days to have all the tannins fully "develop" into the new surface so you can see all the grain, but the primary shade won't change much. The read through is really gorgeous with cedar grain. You also don't lose any of its strength properties - you can always use the backside when you tear it out if you need more somewhere.

@libradesigneye... Couple friends with cabins didn't have the issue you mentioned with the Murphy's, but then, they cleaned funky cabins first, stained later (not within a couple days like she needs, however). I do think you need something acid, like vinegar, added to water to react to and clear any nicotine stuck to the surface. :)

If the room smells of cigarettes chances are that cleaning the wood won't be too effective. You might consider using an opaque wood stain which will lighten the room and kill the odor. Any sort of rough stone looks good in a space like yours. How about a stone vessel on the vanity to hold soap and fingertip towels? A stone carving or relic would work too. On the far wall opposite your mirror, a photo print or poster would not be a big investment and the image will be reflected by the mirror. Medium cool colors like Blue and Green add softness. Use a small area rug to break up the darkness of the floor. Use a galvanized steel bucket from the hardware store for a waste basket.........enjoy.

Terrencegallery I love the colourful maps, thanks for the link.

This bath is cool, thanks Inkwitch. http://houzz.com/photos/69514.

Nwduck, I just finally figured out how to include pics...copy the URL and paste it into the comment window. It's a bit of a pain. So, it is sounding like a grey wash, b/w nature prints....I like where this is going. Thanks for helping me think it through. I checked out the vanity light and like it. I'm thinking a nautical one might look cool.

Libra designee thanks for the info. I am definitely going to do the wash technique and I think the sw natural will work with the taupe tub and sink.

This house is filled with tons more cedar. We will save some in the spirit of sustainability and maintaining character by repurposing some of it. I will say cedar has its applications. The drywall has mildew and mold but none of the cedar does. In many ways it saved a lot of this neglected beauty.

See I wasn't kidding. It's every where.

Cedar is a beautiful wood, ideal for bathrooms as it's naturally rot resistant. It's also expensive to buy. I agree with the comment that you should think about preserving the wood if you plan to rip it out later. Someone would love to reuse it. If you need to paint, try painting just the cabinet doors and trim. Use a light color that will stand out against the natural wood. Sanding the coarse wood should release the cedar scent and remove surface nicotine tars. Afterward, you could apply a wood oil to bring out the beauty; orange oil smells wonderful! I wouldn't use a dark stain; the rooms already seem dark. Use a tile cleaner to brighten the floors. You can buy product the change the grout color. I hope you appreciate and enjoy your vacation home. It reminds me of a cottage my father built on a lake. We loved it there!

You are welcome...let me know if you ever wish to buy art from me so I can make you a discount coupon. :) Good luck with this!