I think the bathroom got remodeled in the 80s. It was Dallas glam marble time. The 60s it was probably tile. The marble looks neutral not ugly. I think u could make it work.

Nope — we met the builder’s grandson, who walked through the house with us before we closed and told us some crazy stories about the place. He confirmed it was all original. They were just ahead of their time! 😆

The marble looks classic in the photos. I would investigate if a drop in tub could be retrofitted into your configuration. A new glass shower door would help. Definitely something different with the mirror situation. Fill in the holes where the current cabinets knobs are located and repaint cabinets.

Would I build that bathroom new? No way. Would I rip it out if everything was in good condition? No way. Unless I had just won the lottery, free suitcase of money, had everything else done to the house that I could possibly want to do and was just itching to spend, then I’d rip it out.

I actually think your bathroom is really cool. It has an early James Bond quality to it, which maybe has something to do with your husband's attachment to it (; I do think the beige walls are making the whole thing look kind of blah and directionless. I really like your ideas for the space. A dark moody paint colour with a little gloss, a hint of Persian or Moroccan in the decor, and lots of plants would help to update and tie things together while still staying true the the super unique architectural features of your home. You could have a lot of fun with this.

I think your husband is correct. This bathroom is classic. You will not improve on what they did. And I mean right down to the wall paint color, which is fine. The only thing I 'might' do would be replace the mirrors over vanity. And I would still look for mirrors with a vintage, classic design and feel. It's an outstanding space. I would not touch it.

This is a pivoting bi-fold door that can be swung into or out of the shower area. Lowe's has them.

I think roughly your compromise plan sounds better that ripping high quality items out. I think a frameless shower door and changing out the mirrors and lighting in the vanity would go a long way. Yes to plants. I wouldn’t go through the expense of adding a window, timing above the tub or swapping out the tub. But, yes, to plants and to adding a runner with color. I’m not sure about your merlot wall/ ceiling color idea - I would not do that unless you had it fully mocked up and could see what it would look like.

IMO it is either rip it all out and start over or leave it and please no dark merlot walls . keep all the paint in the same color family as the tile , a new glass door on the shower and IMO the most dated item in the space is the vanity doors and the HD mirrors. I think the glam is okay so new mirrors with a proper frame and those cabinet doors need to be stripped those center holes filled sanded and done in a darker color , other than the white fixtures no more white anywhere except for a lovely stack of fluffy white towels like you see at the spa.Make sure all the lighting is LED 4000K and I would look into adding some more lighting near the vanity. Take all the stuff off the vanity it looks messy and add a couple of plants that don’t mind low light. Then do the rest of the house to your liking and leave this to the end if at all possible.

I really like your bathroom, too. I'd switch out the mirrors for either framed mirrors or medicine cabinets, add sconces - or art in the center (not a popular thing, here to put art between two mirrors - but I love the look - and over-mirror lighting,) add art/decorative shelving, and paint the walls.

Just read all of the horror stories regarding bad tile work here on houzz; then you'll have a better appreciation for the bathroom.

PLEASE have glass shower door professionly installed. The additional installation expense is worth it to be secure in the glass and installation safety. Have done this in each of last two homes.

I like everything about your bath except the vanity and dinky mirrors. That is where I think a fresh start would best be served. I like your wall color but I think a stunning wall mounted walnut vanity would add warmth and subtle color and suit the gold hardware and era of your home perfectly.

New mirrors, new vanities with drawers but save the hardware. Maybe you can use the same cabinet boxes but have drawers put in the middle and new doors.

I would change out the shower door and revamp the long vanity wall somehow. I would start by looking for pictures of long vanity walls and see if any other treatments called to me.

The size of the countertop is kind of ridiculous to me. Are you preparing a full thanksgiving dinner in there?

Better convenient closed storage for all of your toiletries would make more sense to me to replace some of that expanse.

I think the tub is super cool! I would definitely update shower door, vanity mirrors and lighting. If u wanted to get really crazy, replace the vanity top with something less busy and a little visually lighter so it is complimentary but isn’t “matchy matchy” with all the other marble.

I think the bathroom can be saved, but all that marble needs to be cleaned of the stains and refurbished. I'd get some prices on the labor to have that done. Not every marble contractor has the skills to accomplish that. That could be $$$

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFIaU1IvMf8

Listen to this while you relax in your roman spa!

We had a similar dilemma with our last house. Master bath was floor to ceiling calacatta gold marble slabs (12x12's on floor), done in the 50's, $$$$$. There was no way we would tear out those walls even though it was not my "style" (would have preferred a warmer look and feel). We lived with it for years, even the hole in the ceiling where some fixture had been removed. The marble floor tiles were deeply stained from throw rugs and the restoration company couldn't even sand down far enough to refurbish. Sooo, here's what we did: Floors were so solid we could tile over them with mosaics to break up the cold monotony of the stone walls. Replaced the vanity and reused remnants from the old vanity top to make custom base moldings, replaced all lighting and ventilation, redid all closets and storage cabinets with custom inserts and hardware, replaced the old toilet, painted, added a handheld to the tub, replaced shower door and added a small corner seat, and because fabric is your friend when you want to add warmth and texture, I made custom to the floor curtains for the tub surround and the door (there was a door to an outside patio). It helped a lot!

and before:

Other side after:

and before:

I don't think that grade or level of marble is even mined anymore because it has been mined out. Don't remove any of the marble, it's rare and wonderful.

Change out the mirrors and shower door. Maybe add a pretty and soft window treatment. I might want to change the wall color but it is hard to tell in the light your posted photos have. I am not a fan of rugs in a bathroom, and also, your marble floors are spectacular so why cover them. I would not switch out the vanity because then you'd have to remove the marble counter and either dispose of it or hope it does not break upon removal.

I agree 100% with @BeverlyFLADeziner's recommendation to find a marble restoration company. I did this with my foyer marble floors and it was transforming. However, you must find a really good restoration company. Not one that does, say, painting, floors, kitchen cabinets, and oh yeah, stone restoration. You must find one that is a dedicated stone restoration company. Depending on where you live - in some areas these might be hard to find, but in other areas there are companies with this expertise.

I'm definitely in the 'save it' camp. Love your idea to add a window at the tub. Would closing the door from the closet work for you? It would give you more wall space for towel bars, robe hooks, or just floor space for hamper. This might conflict with 'saving it', but you could then have one entire side of the shower with glass - which might brighten it up.

I can envision so many different ways to finish that room, but it should relate to the rest of the house. You mentioned 1964 -- is the house style mid-century modern or a revival style of an older home?

I've seen photos of the type of tub you have, but never experienced one -- do you like it? How does it compare to standard tubs? And I read through comments pretty quickly, so I may have missed, but is the marble stained or in need of refinishing?

A couple of ideas from my Houzz saved photos:

Master Bath · More Info

House in Sonoma · More Info

I don't mind the bathtub. maybe do a diff decking material around the top.

But everything else would have to go. the 12" floor tiles, the countertop, the vanity. you have this huge area, small mirrors, no decent lighting, no decor of any type. The shower is small and dark.

Not everything has to be saved. It's not like it's stone from a venetian palace.

Redo it the way you want.

I'd put the toilet where the shower is, and move the shower where the tub is. find a spot for a free-standing tub.

The vanity could be redone, if you like it, but new countertops and sinks. diff mirrors, sconces, a nice chandelier, new window and new flooring. IN fact, how about shortening the vanity and bringing in a nice linen cabinet?

All sorts of design ideas you could w/this space and all of them would be better than what you have.

Again, it's 60 year old marble tiles, nothing else.

At least a new vanity with a counter cabinet in middle would be nice in there. Plus, more storage. New mirrors & vanity lighting.

photo example of a vanity counter cabinet

This leans more feminine than James Bond-ish, but I could see wrapping the walls around the tub with very large-scale floral wallpaper. Darker colors, so that the marble glows against it.

There are centuries old tiled creations that are “just old marble”. They’re worth keeping and restoring too. Age alone doesn't equal obsolescence. Some things are worth preserving.

I like it so add my vote to the save column. No to light fixture over the tub (against code) and yes to plants. New mirrors with some visual interest and perhaps additional lighting. A new shower door would be a nice upgrade. Then add some artwork or wallpaper and some interesting art piece or large vase or bowl on the countertop between the sink. If you don't have maintenance and repair issues, keep it!

ProSource, really? you're posting centuries old stone bath house creations and comparing it to 1960's store bought marble in an outdated suburban bathroom? wow. maybe you can post a picture Louis the IVX chateau in case she wants to throw out anything in her living room.

we get it. marble is old. all marble is old. Doesn't mean she has to keep it in her bathroom

Mazsola, The question is, "Do you really like the marble so much, that you'll change up everything else around it? " Only you know the answer.

Figure out that first, and then come back if you want to change it.

If you don't, then work around it. redo the vanity color, maybe get a new top. some new mirrors and lighting.

If you do decide to completely redo the bath, I picture this layout - with an impressive shower and a more private toilet area.

Hawley Court Project · More Info

So many good Ideas here — thank you! I agree that it would be hard to match the quality of what’s here, and all your comments are encouraging me to look at my loopy loo in new ways.

A few thoughts:

-- for the vanity, I love the idea of building a countertop storage cabinet. Also, warming things up with natural wood is a wonderful idea. I wonder if it’s possible to use veneers/new doors on top of what’s here? The doors of the middle unit conceal drawers, and it’s really well made.

—ProSourceMemphis, that second picture you posted is the Gellért Bath House in Budapest, one of my favorite places on earth! My cell phone “bathroom inspo” album is PACKED with pictures taken there over many years of visiting family in Hungary ☺️

—mjlb Thank you for so many thoughtful comments! I actually planned to use a giant dark floral wallpaper like that in our powder room, which is big for a half bath and has black soapstone counters and lots of dark wood. But I’ve decided I need something a little brighter in there, so maybe this is the place for flowers. I think my husband won’t mind, if it means he gets to keep the tub 😂 Honestly, it’s not the most comfortable thing in the world, but I’m going to order a bath pillow, which I think should help. And it is awesomely large — I can nearly lie down in it!

— Prettybsure we want to keep both doors. They lead to separate walk-in closets/studies, and we’ve gotten spoiled by them — I don’t want the hubby in my space, and I don’t think he wants me in his. Also, we each have desks, and use the spaces for lots of zoom calls, so having doors that separate your naked partner from the Internet feels important 😆

—I realize the medicine cabinets are ugly, and feel totally dinky in the large space. But they’re actually super functional. I love mine. They do have small frames that were painted over at some point. If I re-gild them with gold leaf, and then add additional trim — maybe frame them out in the same tile we theoretically use above the tub? — I wonder if they could be saved? Or maybe better just to built that countertop cabinets between the sinks to have all the storage we need, and then hang something fresh on either side....

—Marble restoration is a great idea! We live a mile outside of DC (a.k.a. Marble Central), so I’m sure there are people who do that work in our area. I’ll definitely check it out!

So many more good ideas! I’m so grateful — thank you!

People’s taste comes and goes. Not always for the better, if you’ve ever seen a tween’s purple unicorn room change to teenage black goth, and then boho overload, for their first apartment.

Taste is subjective, and we often look at past popular styles through prejudiced lenses of what is the current popular style. Without a sense of design history. Only time gives us the perspective to see what will endure. For instance, the hot topic of if white shaker is the new golden oak.

Almost anything done with high quality has better style endurance than it’s discount bin knockoffs. Something with true style can be forever. This has that timeless style. And it’s retro at the same time. I love it to pieces!

And at the same time, there are smaller details here that can be changed and not downgrade the whole. Like refacing the vanity with plain slab door cabinets. Without the typical odd placement of those pulls that was never very functional.

The first step would be to contact a stone restoration company to see what could be done with the whole. Then try to do those bits that help make it a bit more functional version of what it is currently. The stone guys should let you know in your assessment what is in good shape, or awful shape. Good luck!

If you want a window over the tub but it's not feasible, they now have fake windows that are LED backlit that hang like a picture.

About the vanity. At 1st glance it looks as though those may be unfortunately thermafoil doors by the peeling on the corners, which means it's highly possible MDF construction within.

I would inspect the condition within the vanity to see how well it's holding up before investing into new doors. New doors can be surprisingly costly.

Strange whoever made this bathroom would put so much $ into the other features & not the vanity cabinets themselves. Whatever is done, avoid thermafoil in bathrooms due to moisture in the room. Foil foils in moisture environments.

If it's solid construction, new doors would do & put handles in better placement.

However, if it's not of solid construction, any previous water damage or just not good enough, I suggest new vanity cabinets which are painted or sealed wood stain.

You may be able to salvage the counters, but be prepared it could crack around sink areas. It depends on how well it is attached, sealed, or glued to on top of cabinets.

I would find a reputable countertop specialist & licensed contractor who specializes in this to seek further advice.

The tub itself is neat., but currently it just seems unfinished to me.

It needs something in that area to bring it all togeather.

If there's nothing in the walls above on, then possible recessed shelving.

Maybe some complimentary tiles to go up to ceiling.

A chandelier possibly.

Safety 1st of course.

Here's a good read about chandelier placement options in bathroom.

https://blog.coldwellbankerluxury.com/how-to-choose-the-right-bathroom-chandelier/

If possible, a recess area on the long wall above tub, with art may help balance out the area. This photo is an example to explain. I would do it in elements & materials that match the surrounding decor of course.

I think the best ideas are wallpaper, shower door, storage tower between the sinks, and some Hollywood Glam mirrors or medicine cabinets. And if there's room maybe a bench at the far end so you have someplace to sit and dry off after your long soak in that fabulous tub. And no merlot paint! Choose the wallpaper first and match the paint to it, but don't go too dark. Keep the ceiling white for brightness. Add lighting as needed.

Re-evaluate that word, "dated". Which is so a "dated" concept to begin with.

I would love that bath... but with my aging knees, I would certainly add grab bars there.

I wouldn't mind having that sunken tub. is that one wall exterior by chance?

I'd redesign the whole thing. new tile, maybe some teak. a window if possible.

I wouldn't mind having that sunken tub. is that one wall exterior by chance?

I'd redesign the whole thing. new tile, maybe some teak. a window if possible.