I should add, that these photos are from the former owner, and I plan to take the silver piece to the left of the mirror down. I also don't generally keep many toiletries in the bathroom, so a lot of the odds and ends will be gone as well.

Any ideas for a color? I like light blues and greens, do you think that would help?

I would recommend a light blue color . Also you can add accessories like putting a shelf on top of the wall where the toilet is,or a towel rack made of wood.

Too bad the former owner didn't embrace the older home's charms like you want to!

You are going to have to decorate around the tiles and change up the vanity and mirror to make it appear to fit the style you want. Taking off the shower door set and replacing with a nice traditional shower curtain would help. There appears to be some bluish tones to the tile trim, so that color would work. If you want to embrace something historic, you could get a blue & white toile print for the shower curtain to go with light blue walls.

http://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Toile-Bathroom-Shower-Curtain/dp/B003QCJXH0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377951157&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+and+white+toile+shower+curtain

If you bought 2 of the shower curtains you could cut one to fit the front of the vanity as a sort of curtain to close it off, using a spring rod curtain rod to hold it in place. If you don't sew you could get fusable hem tape sold at craft stores (Michael's, Joann's) to iron hems onto it.

While modern, the vanity sink could also be a farm style with a bit harsher edges, LOL. Maybe replace the modern style faucet with something farmhouse/vintage- looking, with chrome and white porcelain handles?

You could remove the silver things to the left of the vanity. If getting a mirror is within your price range, I agree with the above suggestions to get something with a nice wood frame painted white or painted white by you. I'd recommend an oval to soften the sharpness of the tiles and sink.

Agreed with changing the doors on the vanity to provide a warmer look, also there seems to be too many items in the bathroom from the previous owner.

It looks like the same tile we just selected for our bathroom. We too have an old house (1889), but fell in love with this tile and felt it would be great in the kids bath. We have selected a white painted wood cabinet with a granite counter-top. As you mentioned adding 2 wooden doors will change the entire look of the vanity. Also as others have mention change the medicine cabinet or make it just a mirror. I would definitely remove the glass shower doors and add a shower curtain. If you search Houzz for "metallic tile"" you will see some of the paint colors people have used with this type of tile (mostly soft greys).

Thanks SO MUCH everyone! I am feeling a lot better about how this will turn out. Motown Mom (are you in Detroit area? I am too!) thank you for saying that about the sink being similar to farm style. Love those sinks and now I feel a lot better about transforming this one :) Great idea on changing out the faucet, and I actually have an antique oval mirror I was given as a gift that I think I will use. It is a soft mossy green, so I may go with soft green in the bath then. Love the idea of a curtain under the sink too! Cerberusdog, thank you! I'm so glad you said that you chose this tile for an older home, I feel relieved that I will definitely be able to make this work with the overall style I have in mind for it too. Yours sounds beautiful! Thanks everyone!!!

Yep, live in the suburbs of Detroit. If you ever want to do any work on items in your home to fit the old style, look into this store. I redid my kitchen in a cottagey farmhouse (yet colorful) style, and they have tons of great techniques you can learn, and products to help achieve them. You can transform wood items, I've also done metal to look like verdi gris.

http://fabulousfinishes.wordpress.com/

I am now addicted to "distressing" everything........just ask my husband, LOL. But it happens to go with my decorating style, so he accepts my DIY talents.

This store looks amazing! That textured basecoat idea might be just the thing for the tile in front of my fireplace as well as the brass insert! Thank you!!

The owner, Patty Henning, is amazing. She willingly shares her expertise and techniques so others can do what she does. Look at her videos, she has a couple on youtube. I have found so many great techniques with the products she sells. She also does things of her own that she sells, has a Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/FabulousFinishes?hc_location=stream

She sells fabulous knobs, stencils, other things. Her store is closed on Sundays, and all of this weekend. But take a trip when you can, you'll see so much you can do yourself.

I used their products to re-do my kitchen, click on the link under the pictures:

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/12451092/thumbs/Kitchen-upgrade

I've been a single mom most of my life until recently, so I do everything on a tight budget. My style isn't for everyone, but thankfully my kids and husband like it.

Sorry, not stalking, but saw these adorable items on sale at Pier 1 that would look cute if you changed your faucets to an older style

http://www.pier1.com/Vintage-Knob-Bath-Accessories/PS43188,default,pd.html

It looks like the current vanity and cabinets are Ikea so you might be able to change doors with their stock cabinet doors pretty easily, or, just replace the whole unit.

Motown Mom-- I love your kitchen!!! That is very similar to my style. In this kitchen, I'm thinking about taking all the doors off my upper cabinets too- and I love your countertop! Thanks so much for posting that pier one link- those are so cute!

I took out my door, wife hates brass. Replaced with a curved shower curtain (bed bath & beyond)

Another thing you could consider and I am not sure if you could do it without damaging the floor tile.....is to replace the tile on the wall with a white wainscoting. Maybe you could just put it over the existing wall tile?

Hi I wouldn't change out the door until you've tried other things shower doors are much more convenient than curtains. I personally would loose the vanity totally consider replacing it with a pedestal sink assuming your tile goes behing the vanity also a nice wooden medicine chest and traditional style faucet as far as the wall color consider picking up the color in the quartz accent for the wall

So this is a long time coming but here is the after (so far). I ended up just changing out the vanity altogether. I tried painting the doors on the old vanity and it still looked way too modern. I got a new more rounded (and recessed) mirror like you guys suggested, and took out the doors. I love how it turned out- everyone agrees it feels a lot bigger in there- the vanity was 2 inches shallower depth and every inch in this tiny bathroom helps! Still in need of some pictures or decorations to jazz it up a little, but wanted to thank everyone for their help on this one!!

Really looks great! Did you keep the same sink? It looks similar.

No, I actually ended up changing out the vanity. I couldn't do a pedestal because of the way the plumbing had been run, but this was the best of both worlds really. Very shallow, but just big enough to store a few items. It gave a few extra inches of floorspace too!