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byrtie

Help! How do I modernize this bathroom?!

6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago



I’ve inherited this bathroom which unfortunately can’t be completely gutted - I must work around the tile that’s already there.... everywhere!!!!

my style is modern, industrial, minimalist and I’m not a big fan of earthy tones, browns and beiges.. I feel like I’m stuck because of this tile And countertop! Suggestions on paint colours, colour scheme?



Comments (13)

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I’m not a paint expert, hopefully they’ll chime in, but my first thought was painting the walls the right shade of white, or a light to med gray (which I can see in the tile).

    If possible, replacing hardware (faucet, knobs, towel bars) with sleek, industrial-style pieces.

    Artwork, shower curtain, and a modern rug would finish it up.

    ETA: I can’t find good pics of my ideas, but wanted to show these two for a general idea of mixing brown and gray:



    byrtie thanked Jilly
  • 6 years ago

    Great Ideas Jinx. If you reface your cabinet with a dark stained finish and change the faucets, it will look cohesive. If that isn't in your budget, you might be able to paint the cabinets to hold you over until you can reface or replace the vanity.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    New light paint color for the walls pulled from the tile will make a big difference.

    I would price replacing the counter with a lighter, quieter prefab laminate counter. They aren't terribly expensive and might be within your budget. A six-foot version is around $100 plus install.

    The color choices are limited. Greys and browns are tricky so be sure to bring a sample home to look at in your light to make sure the undertones work together.

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-8-ft-Laminate-Countertop-in-Sea-Salt-with-Tempo-Edge-and-Integrated-Backsplash-011312010819529/305470953

  • 6 years ago

    What colour would you suggest painting the cabinets?

  • 6 years ago

    A color in your counter top. If the cabinets are laminate, it could be more difficult. I don't have experience painting laminate. The darker your surfaces in the bathroom, the more light you will need. Think about adding light with different light bulbs or changing the fixture.

  • 6 years ago

    Brown is essentially a low intensity orange, and the complementary color to that is blue. To balance the brown that you cannot change, you could paint cabinets a light or medium blue, but not an intense blue.

    Even changing the towel bar will help.

  • 6 years ago

    It’s not that bad really; I think if you add the right accessories it will look wonderful! I always use orange with brown - they look great together . Think about adding large vases of flowers; baskets of facial towels, vases of different colour soap bars; vivid art work and a rug- will look great!

  • 6 years ago

    Laminate counters like that are inexpensive to change. It has too much brown in it to work if you go in a gray direction. But a warm gray pulled from the tile will work to pull the rest together. Just that counter won’t work.

  • 6 years ago

    I'm with live-wire oak. You need to stay warm (blue will just make the orange even more orange!) but can go with a warm greige or pale taupe. Lightening things up will improve matters a lot.




  • 6 years ago

    Thanks everyone for your feedback and suggestions!!


    I’m going to go with a warm off white/very light greige wall and change my hardware and vanity lighting to incorporate industrial black finishes. I can’t change the countertop for a number of reasons, unfortunately...

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    If you don't want to replace your mirror, you can just get a custom frame for your existing mirror. That will also help to update your bathroom. You can even get a frame that matches your hardware or your vanity.

  • 6 years ago

    I'm rather at a loss, because the tile is awfully like one that I'm thinking of installing in a bathroom here. As for the countertop: the least-cost way to tone down a pattern or color combination is to use more of one of the colors, so that it become the background instead of the foreground. In this case, it might work to paint the vanity (it is possible to paint laminate using a high-bonding primer, more difficult imo to paint thermofoil) one of the medium colors from the countertop.