i dont understand why you would gut the rest of the room and leave that tub/shower. its going to make the whole room look dated no matter what else you put in there.

Walls the same color as the shower surround. Sink, vanity and toilet - cream to go with the warm color trend. Floor - either cream or the same color as the shower surround.

Just take it ourt when he goes to work or whatever .IMO the tub totally hegates the whole redo it is beyond dated and will be a turn off when ever you decide to sell. Plus it is an awful color to work with and just honestly not that big of a deal to rip and replace with a nice new acrylic tub and surround, Taht also makes sure there are no issues in the walls .

My goal would be to keep fixtures and walls neutral…putting some money in striking …even colorful …flooring..then add color coordinating art and towels

Agree with comments about shower. It truly is unusual and dated looking and not particularly high quality. Frankly, it looks like a builder cost saver-a preformed tub and shower enclosure that can be popped right in. No need to put special wall board in for water containment, no tile work, paint, etc. I imagine it was even cheaper than putting in a standard tub with a tile surround. You will be disappointed if you don’t replace it.

“My goal would be to keep fixtures and walls neutral…putting some money in striking …even colorful …flooring”

What’s the point in putting money into anything if that tub is staying?

What is the resistance from hubby? He's doing all the work? Tell him he's wasting his time. The shower screams "dingy and very old bath" .

There comes a point in older homes, when a cosmetic " lets get a new look" just doesn't work. You want very good ventilation, a waterproof bathing, lighting, and all before the "what color anything" question.

Go to a Loews 48 inch /w left drain

Voltaire 48" X 32" Left-Hand Drain Alcove Bathtub With Apron · More Info

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Swiss-Madison-Voltaire-48-inx32-in-Acrylic-White-Alcove-Left-Hand-Drain-Apron-Bathtub/1003052248

From your written description, I was expecting to see a beige tub and wall tile, and thinking "okay, that could work". Sorry, but what you have is truly awful. You are wasting money to re-do if that stays.

Do you use the tub, shower or both? If only the shower, then get a new shower base and walls. It will make the room feel larger.

Agree shower. There's nothing wrong with creating a very nice shower STALL. No tub, unless you absolutely use it with frequency.

Would be very helpful if you drew the bath, all dimensions, and show exact toilet locale etc,

Tell your husband by keeping that tub/shower mess it’s the equivalent to professionally restoring an 1957 corvette on the outside so it’s gorgeous & gleaming, but leaving the moldy, ripped, peeling interior. Looks amazing at first glance, but as soon as you open the door you realize the car is undrivable.

I agree, the tub/shower should go but if it ends up staying then hang a curtain on the outside, all the way to the top and to the sides and cover it completely. Then you can do whatever you want with the rest.

We did not remove the tub and surround in guest bath when remodeling and I regret it. It is off white and I decided to cover with shower curtain which is fine, however my biggest issue is the tub has no shelf for soaps and shampoo. Command shower shelves don’t work. This is our last home most likely so I will let next owners (probably our kids) deal with it. Sorry, kids.

Husbands can be funny critters. IFF all the other comments don't disuade dear husband, I suppose at some point you will need some responses to your actual questions. I will give it a stab, ok? Just in case…

I'm going to suggest that you paint your walls that butt up against your tub and shower surround the same color. Try to match it as close as possible and choose a semigloss or satin, or eggshell, or whatever term the particular company favors. My thinking here is that any contrast in wall color will draw even more attention to the tub/shower surround, and also possibly make the room maybe feel a little smaller. Though I think small bathrooms are super-efficient and encourage the user to clean up and get out into the more relaxing spaces in the house…nothing to treat like an enemy. Still, no need to show off the smallness ;-)

The color of the surround is mid-tone, and cream in the room would be blah. It's ok to be blah as long as that's what you want. I like blah sometimes too. The surround color is one that is complemented by a moss green. I think also that it and the walls will provide enough "brown" that a wood vanity or floor would not be good. The moss green would balance the brown nicely, but where to put it? I'm thinking the vanity cabinet but you might have other ideas too. With the brown and moss green in the room, both mid-tones, a very light and a very dark color could have good effect. The objects that are left are the floor, vanity top, sink, and toilet. I'm thinking your other two colors are white and/or dark slate grey. I like bathroom floors to blend in with neighboring floors. I'm guessing you don't have white carpet or marble floors nearby and that dear husband isn't very fru-fru, so might I suggest dark slate grey tile floors with a dark grey grout. Bring samples into the room; some slate has just a hint of brown that might sing with your surround, but that's not necessary. Another option is to pick up the surround color in the grout, but I'm not favoring that. However, you should know that is an option to help make the whole thing cohesive. If you find a flat grey tile you might be able to match it with a grey toilet, but I am guessing it will be cheaper and easier to get a white toilet, providing a light bright element to the room. You could repeat the white on grey by having a dark grey counter with a white insert sink.

I'm guessing dear husband wants chrome fixtures as shown in the shower currently. I think that would be ok. Another option might be a flat black that is being marketed a bit. I prefer chrome, good quality, because the shinyness will repeat the inevitable mirror.

You need a mirror and lighting. Side lighting is more flattering than overhead, but you don't have much room. Two solutions are pendant lights and a backlight mirror. Either one does not work well with a medicine cabinet. You may be forced to go with overhead lighting if you feel you MUST have a medicine cabinet. Personally, I love frameless backlight mirrors. I love that they have heating in them so you don't have a foggy mirror. I love that they have touch less controls that can dim them or change the color temperature to just the right balance of gold and blue for the task at hand. They are relatively inexpensive and the lights replace bulbs that have to be changed. A good vent with a light overhead provides additional lighting. I see you have a central overhead light. Hopefully, it also is a good vent or there is one in there somewhere. Stay with a white ceiling.

The best thing about a small bathroom is that no matter where you stand, you can reach the whole bathroom. So, I highly recommend floating shelves over the toilet, painted glossy white or slate grey or moss green to pick up your other colors. A small wicker basket or two helps contain a few small articles like travel supplies for guests. Also, in my tub surround on the wall opposite the showerhead I have three stick-on chrome wire mesh containers for shampoo, soaps, razor, and other items that get used in the shower, including cleaning supplies, because the best time to clean a shower is right after you use it. :-)

You will need a shower curtain and towels. I love white towels that can be bleached and then make the room smell so clean. But moss green or even dark grey would work too. Or a mix. 

What color(s) for the shower curtain? I think that can be determined by the rest of your choices. But you might want to look for a mid-tone rather than contrast with the surround and wall color. Maybe moss green is best here?

Well, those are my thoughts as well as the artistic logic and small-bathroom experience that goes with them, just to get you started…in CASE dear husband is not disuade.

Question…is this room off a hall or bedroom or what? And what colors are in the adjacent space? What colors do you like for decorating?

Thank you, all! Looks like I have some backers.

My mother had an uncanny ability to accidentally drop a sledge hammer or other large, heavy object on things like your shower surround. Oooppps! I dropped my husband in the desert between selling my last home and buying this one. Both solutions work.

You want to replace it for a myriad of reasons- dated color, worn acrylic, low ceiling. If it helps appeal to his practical side, do you want a brand new bathroom with at least forty year old plumbing and valves behind the shower? Doubt it. A basic moen single handle valve will be a giant improvement from what you have now- easier to use, less chance of scalding, easier to repair.

Want to bet me you find old galvanized plumbing behind there? Hows your WATER pressure?

I’d put in everything white with the expectation the tub surround will be changed. Save your dollars and when you have enough for a new shower ( low step to get into the shower or tub) and to have it installed, do it. Meanwhile, your husband will be confronted with how it doesn’t go with the updated fixtures. He won’t have to install it, and you will have taken care of it.

I'm confused, Patricia. With or without the tub surround, mathorne needs to make decisions about everything else, as the room is already gutted. Are you saying that if the tub surround comes out at some later point everything else that was purchased also has to come out and is wasted money? If so, I get it. Otherwise I am confused.

Mathorne, is this your recently purchased rancher? Is this your ensuite, the hall bath? What is the use of this bathroom?

As far as a smart bath re do goes? You gut nothing until all materials are planned , ordered, and on the site.

Clearly, it isn't the ONLY bath, or they don't live in the house at the moment.

In a nutshell, it's a lesson in timing, planning and the works. The time for the tub fight? OOOOPs.

Agreed, Jan. Hopefully it's not an actual fight. Divorce is the most expensive renovation, don't you think? ;-)

Sammy, I answered your question in the other thread, too. After I made the first post, I realized it might be in the wrong place? So, I posted again here. Sorry

KL, this is the hall bath.

As the hall bath, there is less pressure to coordinate color with the adjacent area ( like if it were specific to a bedroom). Is this rancher your home or a property you will rent out? I really like your mountain cabin and the idea book image. It would be great if you could mimic that. Nice to have two homes to work with and enjoy.

I don’t understand gutting and leaving the truly awful thing in the room. This is one of those fights worth having.

KL, this is a remodel in our main home, although we do spend a lot of time away from here in our recently built tiny house. The tiny house is new, on a quiet wooded four acres, and perfect on all levels to me. Thank you for your responses

Sorry sorry sorry. Go the tiny house, and sit in the lovely view with wine. Get him loaded, and tell him when you get home, you're gonna sledge hammer the tub, and if he tries to stop you.....WELL. ya have a hammer, right? : )

JAN MOYER, love that : )

I've had this same problem in the past. It may be worth getting an impartial party to try to persuade your husband. A trusted contractor can outline the downsides of doing the job halfway (old pipes, demoing part of the bathroom can compromise the integrity of the tub, etc.) My contractor would definitely decline this job.

Sometimes husbands discount the opinions of wives thinking that they don't know anything. (I know, it's irritating). Another approach is to say, if we don't do it the right way, then let's wait until we have the funds to do it correctly. Because it probably comes down to money.

This may be a $$$ thing with your husband or is he is doing the work and just does not want to do more? If so, he needs to take a break.

That needs to come down and out!

Do not buy anything for that room till you save up the money to do it right or wait till he is ready to do this.
Walk away, stand your ground and use another bathroom till you come to an agreement.

Mathorne, you are most welcome. My husband drew a line in the sand too. I'd rather have him any day. I'm curious if he ever said why he didn't want to take out the tub surround… If you are ok sharing.

Was already said that removing it would eliminate any possibility of unknown water damage, etc..... could tell him it's like a medical physical - consider it preventative.