It looks very nice--well done and perfectly serviceable.

You can do wonders with color and accessories. Wallpaper or paint above the tile. Fabric roman shade on window. Shower curtain. Rugs. Wall decor. Towels. Lighting fixture. You could even use brass hardware to warm up the space.

Start with a fabric or color palette and then go shopping. Black and yellow could look beautiful.

Here are some examples--you may not like the style, but notice how the yellow really stands out and brightens the room! And you won't have a bathroom that looks like everyone else's!

A Little House by the Big House · More Info

Whole House Update - Chevy Chase Maryland · More Info

Clasen Residence · More Info

Black Modern Bathroom · More Info

Historic District Residence · More Info

The Perfect Master Bathroom · More Info

Duboce Triangle 679 · More Info

Custom Ranch · More Info

Contemporary Bathroom · More Info

Rocking Horse New Construction · More Info

Powder Room · More Info

Patricia - Husband says no on the grout change - he’s upset because I didn’t say anything to him before (I did say early on to him that it was darker than I had envisioned it would be). He thinks the white makes it brighter. That was my thought initially when we were deciding on colours, but when all was said and done it just doesn’t work for me. The contrast is too stark. We need to find a way to make it work for now though. He likes it and feels a darker grout will make the room look even darker.🤷🏻‍♀️ I do like the stark black and white artwork idea. We might change the floor tile - any suggestions in colour if we do change it?

auntthelma - The tile backsplash was a butter yellow when we moved in. The room was so much brighter, but definitely dated. Now it’s dark and moody and not in a way I’m completely happy with. Yellow towels sounds like a happy compromise.

Jan - I LOVE those prints! They would definitely liven the look up. Thank you! I’m a little hesitant about the white runners just because … white. We are not a very careful family lol.

Curtain - good idea for shade
We have a shower/tub combo (original to the house) in that 70s harvest gold (will be replaced).

We are still deciding on the lighting. We have a light above the sink, a light/fan combo (original to the house) and then another flush mount light overhead. A mish mash!

You can color the grout if you'd prefer it darker.

Yes, please change that floor tile. What color is the tile on the wall?

I actually like the color of the dark floor. Your room does not look dark and moody to me. If you are someone who loves the shades of teal and turquoise, you could paint the upper walls in one of those colors as well. (I admit that I am not much into yellows.) Since you obviously struggle with your decisions, I would definitely test out the colors, perhaps by putting paint on posterboard and then holding it up to the wall for a couple days and see what you think about the colors. I would also look on Houzz and Pinterest for pictures of bathrooms with dark tile, and see if you like how any of those are decorated.

White rugs usually clean up well with hot water and bleach in a washer. Better than some colors do.

The floor looks great in my opinion - very modern. the subway tile i would not have chosen with that floor, but if you like it, great.

This is a lot of whine, well after the fact. Spend a couple hundred on three or four rugs, ( have spares ) and wash them. : ) Have a half dozen.... who cares?Add the art, get a white and yellow shower curtain. You don't spend all day in there......right?

So you did all that work, but haven't yet replaced the shower/tub combo? Wow, isn't that doing things out of order?

I have a ton of bathrooms with green tiles saved on Instagram. Just thought I’d share … maybe one or more will inspire. If not, maybe they’ll at least show how fab green tile is. :)

I think your floor tile is fine; it’s probably just such a big change you aren’t used to it yet. Once everything else is done and decor added, it will hopefully grow on you. But sometimes things don’t and there’s nothing wrong with replacing it — it’s your bathroom, not ours.

A moody botanical wallpaper will brighten things up and soften the space. I found ths pattern with teal and black and made a visual.

Thank you for all of the helpful suggestions! Ohhhh, tracefloyd - that is beautiful!!!

What color is your wall tile? Some are reading it as black, others as green, and I thought it was navy blue. I consider your floor a neutral slate…which can go with anything. Is your shower stall also the dark tile? Please answer the question about wall tile color.

I'm so pleased. Here is the paper. It's called 'Calming Fern Forest'.

I would grout over the white grout with black, and add a wallpaper. use an inside mount blind on the window rather than a curtain.

If you miss the yellow, paint the walls and accessorize with yellow and bright white. Add colorful art above the toilet. It's a small bathroom. you can't go wrong.

I think the OP clearly said they missed the old yellow because they didn't hate it as much as the new bathroom.

I agree! But.................you don't spend until you know what you want. She doesn't.: )

You also don't overdo the budget /settle thing, as the "I hate it" that follows makes for do overs and a half ass result.If you waited 12 years? Wait one more and get what you really want.' Even if it isn't in the big box. You don't do it out of order ( tub ) either.

I feel for you, N.S. I have been there! It is a nice bathroom and the window is well placed, and if I were where you are I would darken the grout and add something really different for the top, like a few of these murals from Surface View. A white floor might be pretty if you are replacing tub with a white tub.

You need a little rug to pull the teal and gray together, and it will also break up the solid blocks of color of the floors and walls. Also find some art and a shower curtain and towels that have a bit of color.

I think it looks great. What color will the cabinet be? I’d add a lighter rug to the floor, remove the picture, relace the window curtins with top down/bottom up blinds…all suggestions I think Jan Moyer gave. I’d live with those changes awhile and then start thinking about what sort of wall art I might like. I like how the grout pulls out the marble in the counter. You could mock up a darker grout to see how it looks. I also like floor I think you made good choices.

I would just remove the wall tile. Nobody needs all those walls tiled, especially with something dark! Do the rest and then re-evaluate. Take your husband out for a steak dinner as an apology.

I think this is a pretty special and uncommon combo that is actually really interesting together. It is always terrifying to see a project in the middle. It looks super dark but put a runner down, add the vanity doors, get an interesting shower curtain, and you have a different story, As a matter of fact, go put a white towel down on the floor now and see how much it changes things. The mock up below with the yellow paint and striped rug is just one example of how at the end - BAM it will look lighter and brighter.

Huh. I really like your bath. (We have a bath that's charcoal on top with white wainscot, so the reverse "light/dark" of yours, but still, half dark. It's kind of a shock to suddenly have really dark tiles.

I would try swatches of a brighter white paint and think about repainting your walls and ceiling, even with your pretty, creamier top. I think the tile would look sharp against a white wall color that is closer to that of your current curtain color. Then, I'd find a roman shade in a contemporary pattern or maybe white with a [dark green/black?] band because that curtain seems a bit fussy. Lots of good decorating inspiration in some of the photos. But quit beating yourself up, please, it's very nice looking.

Love your rendering Paul! Very inviting and wonderful way to pull this room together! Winner.

This is one of my favorite threads I think I've seen yet. I see so many wonderful suggestions, and everyone is so positive, and the ideas are really awesome! I'm so glad to see someone get so many constructive, helpful ideas.

I like the bathroom. It was a budget reno with limited choices and your sweet husband worked very hard to make it happen. And it turned out functional and pretty. So many clever ideas above to paint, paper, mural, remove the tile, darken the grout or add yellow or even just live with it.

Make lemonade! If you can't change it, Embrace the space and find ways to focus on the good things about the room. My favorite option of all the above is Paul's it makes no huge money filled changes and instead makes lemonade.

Once upon a time we bought our home built in the 70s, avocado bath fixtures still in tact. Luckily for me I LOVE yellow!! Adding the yellow as recommended is such a cheery idea!! My DH redid our bathroom, out went the avocado acrylic tub/shower combo, toilet/sink. We did white subway tile. I wanted white white and more white so I could change the color of my towels and accessories as we aged, my kids got older, seasonally perhaps. DH wanted to add some pizazz. He chose little square glass tiles to accent here and there in the shower. The niche is all these tiles and a band runs through the large wall. They are several shades of BROWN and rust! He ruined my hopes and dreams of the ever color changeability. It was a ton of work and he did an amazing job and I would still have avocado green fixtures if he wasn't willing and able to do the work himself $$$$$$. So I know your frustration but crying over spilt milk gets us no where so I agree make the lemonade and appreciate the change!! I have to puke on the snotty comment about the shower/tub combo. Most of us live in regular homes on regular streets where 99.9% of them have bathrooms that are not spas and do not take up major sq footage. Shower/Tub combo is the norm, and will continue to be FOREVER.

Thank you all again for the helpful suggestions! After I read the first half of the comments and saw some of the possibilities, I started to get more excited about the room. Do we know what we want? Not really, this is a very low budget fix. More cosmetic than anything.

Jan - I don’t know why things turned sideways so fast, but your first response was SO helpful in me seeing how more colour would help. I went and re-read my own posts and yes, I came across a little wah-wah poor me, but I asked for help in making lemonade out of what I thought were lemons. We are not pros. It took us 12 years to change anything other than taking down the purple floral wallpaper and the frosted glass sliding bathtub doors that were there when we bought the house. We both decided and had a (very) tiny bit of money squirreled away to make some changes. (Was it an unwise decision to buy a house when we couldn’t afford to make changes? I don’t think so.) I think we are not unlike most in Middle America who try to make do with what they have and make little changes along the way because they can’t afford full bathroom renos . We are doing all of the work ourselves so will we make mistakes along the way? Yes.

Thank you to all of the commenters who have helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is so different from what it was (see the attached photo (apparently it was different from what I thought we had, lol! White tile and ) and so I had a moment of buyer’s remorse. I think my husband has done a great - no, FANTASTIC job, I was just beating myself up because of the colour and wasn’t able to see how it might all work in the end so I came here for advice.

The tile is a deep teal.

The cabinet will most likely be stained a light or golden oak.

I included some photos that I found in the big box store’s website showing the tile in other people’s bathrooms.

Thank you again, everyone!

People have come up with some great ideas! I agree to make sure where you’re heading before embarking on anything radical like changing the floor tile. Pick bathroom pictures that you love and see if you can make it work.
I personally like the simplicity of the floor tile.
Painting the grout on the wall tile is relatively easy, I’ve done several times. Has to be touched up on a floor sometimes that gets brush scrubbed, but probably not a wall. I find it actually makes the grout easier to clean - a lot easier.
I really like the darker renderings, esp. tracefloyds, maybe just embrace a dark moody look? Maybe go all the way and paint the ceiling dark too? Will need good lighting for makeup etc.
Otherwise the white rug, bright walls and art to pull it altogether are also great ideas.
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Great comments and suggestions, except for the obnoxious ones. There are some trolls on Houzz who set themselves up as authorities( "PRO") and talk down to people who are just asking for help. They have nothing better to do and they comment on all the questions. Get a life.

Your new tile is 1000% better than the old tile. Your examples all have gray floors and they work beautifully. I would not replace the floors or the wall tile.

I came up with a couple more paint concepts...difficult to adjust exact colors on my screen...but something that also goes with the gray tile..so leaning to bluer side of teal.

That teal tile is pretty!

Yes, your husband did a fantastic job. Dang - I wish my husband was as talented!

You might consider going to like a Target and picking up a yellow and a teal rug to see which you prefer. It would be like ordering online and returning - if you don't like it.

Following

Excited for the minor bathroom changes to embrace the lemonade!!!

Your flooring is great--timeless and classy. It is the glossy black wall tile that is not so great.

Do not paint the walls yellow. You will look like a bumble bee.

Replace the curtain with something less frilly.

Home Depot and Lowes have a ton of inexpensive tile choices. So quit trying to blame them for your choices.

Moreover, there are tile stores out there with inexpensive tile too.

I think the bathroom will come together when it’s done - I’d be tempted to get some of the teals/greens on the floor with a great washable rug - your DH is talented!

Surprised no one brought this up sooner, lol.......

millworkman - haha! 10 points to you!

la_la girl - beautiful runner! It goes with my castle-y vibe, lol. Seriously, that is a gorgeous rug - will check it out. Yes, it helps that his dad was a carpenter and taught him a few things.

HU-910663146 - I don’t think I was blaming anyone except myself, but thanks for the pep talk. The tile is a deep teal, but it looks much greener and darker even in sunlight than the tiles on the website.
Boxerpal - yesss!
Shirlpp - he is! He also built a good-sized chicken coop for 8 chickens himself. Lucky to have him.
tracefloyd - believe it or not, the teal paint is speaking to me. Thank you for the mock-ups!
I’m excited now about the space. I’ll update when it’s done. 😁

I like the tile and I like the floor! If you can tint the grout, I think it'll look better -- I would defintely *not* change the tile. Your husband did a great job. I would not do a patterned wallpaper over the tile -- it looks very disjointed to me in the photoshopped pics above (perhaps that's mostly because of the light grout). I do like the second pic @tracefloyd posted with the darker blue paint -- I think that pulls everything together. It becomes a moody bathroom, but that's fine, right?

@millworkman I did tell her "Have no regerts."

It looks nice. It's just not finished.

Get some color, textiles, and accessories in the room. Add a roman shade on window. Get a larger picture on the wall (the one you have there is the wrong size and the wrong color). Add a LARGE, LONG fluffy white rug, and white towels. Place a green plant on the vanity. Keep the white walls, and make sure your artwork has some black in it to tie in with the floor.

Go to big box store and get grout paint in a light gray and test a small area. It will still provide your husband with the contrast he likes, but it won't look so "prison wall".

So fun seeing you absorb all this input and doing it so gracefully!! I will really enjoy seeing your updates! Be happy!!

Dear N.S.

I've been wasting time - er, discussing decorating with folks and having fun - on Houzz for awhile so I'd like to suggest that instead of "reporting back", you keep us involved. Make a mood board or a list with some schemes and before trying something for real, run the paint choice or wood stain or plumbing fixture by the group. You'll get a ton of conflicting answers in reply, but you'll probably find the feedback from a couple voices to be really helpful to your decisions.

Will you look at your first inspo photo? There's nothing "castle-y vibe" about it. Because you don't like how your room reads now, I'm not convinced leaning into that saturated feeling will change your reaction. Your inspo photo is about contrast. Ahem....that bath has clean white walls and ceiling. It has a 'redder' wood tones that contrast with the teal. It has gold fixtures that contrast with the teal. It has a clean, "unruffly" (curtain cheap shot, lol) uncluttered unflowery feel. If you were hoping for that room, I'd be sticking to it, right down to trying a bright teal runner as shown. (Your piece above the toilet is too small and looks lost, I think but it's the right tone, so you could try leaning it on a shelf.)

I have a handy husband too and we really are lucky.

Grout can be painted. So, instead of removing the grout try painting it so that the starkness is eliminated.

I like what you've done, but I agree with some of what people have said above. Personally, I'd try the easiest thing first: Add good-sized floor mats. They'll brighten things up, and they'll downplay the floor's darkness.

I wouldn't do a thing to the grout.

I would never have considered a dark wallpaper, but I do like those mock-ups. If you go this way, I'd say stick to white or cream-colored floor mats to keep things from being too dark. I'd keep the white curtain and white shower curtain for the same reason.

It's a nice bathroom ... don't beat yourself up that a budget DIY bathroom may not quite match up to magazine standards. It's a whole lot nicer than the average bathroom!

I'd shorten the curtain so the pretty window sill shows. Keep art - the color is good. Remove box on top of toilet. Rplace box with a perfume tray holding 3 tall bottles: one white bottle, one black and one bottle repeating the aqua color in the art. This YP holder would look good too: https://www.amazon.com/hansgrohe-HB7HL-41723000-Universal-Fittings/dp/B07B6DGWL2/ref=pd_ci_mcx_pspc_dp_d_2_i_0?pd_rd_w=WwKuJ&content-id=amzn1.sym.568f3b6b-5aad-4bfd-98ee-d827f03151e4&pf_rd_p=568f3b6b-5aad-4bfd-98ee-d827f03151e4&pf_rd_r=BEC5N8T6M6PS7CGBHEWW&pd_rd_wg=NFU0Y&pd_rd_r=022635ed-c3a1-4f8d-8a86-be7ef47fd8ba&th=1

@Traumdeutung...For more insights on personal growth and self-reflection,,,

Skip Houzz! .........And all other wanna be psychologists!

IT'S TEAL!!! That makes all the difference to me - it looked black on the monitor and I had to struggle to understand why Paul gave you teal accessories. (Maybe edit your first post to say the tile is teal so you won't get so many suggestions for black.)