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heatherlyman

Bathroom with dated tile, triangular jacuzzi tub, 2 diff size vanities

10 months ago

Hi, I would love constructive opinions on how to style or do some inexpensive updates on this dated bathroom.


I got the paint color Divine White suggested to me by a designer and that updated from what before was green paint. That new paint helped brighten the room and coordinated with the cream in the inset tiles in the tub and shower but now makes the frameless mirrors stand out more and look out of style.


I'd love to hide the tub (and matching shower) accent tile and looked at stick-on vinyl tile but heard it doesn't look real (and doesn't do well in moisture).


I'd be up for replacing the vanity mirrors with something framed and floating which is more modern.


I'd also consider replacing the lights but with the two vanities in different sizes, I'm struggling with how to properly size the mirrors, finding matching different-sized mirrors if needed, and how to find coordinating non-dated overhead vanity lights. I don't want to have to hire an electrician to cut new holes next to the mirror-like designers are doing now. You'll see in the pictures below where I am trying out the clear globe vanity lights which also don't do anything for the room.


I like the idea of a neutral rug to tone down the 'business' of the slate. I can fit a 6' round or max out a 5'x7.5' rectangular rug. Neither is great since both feet won't rest on the rug when standing in front of the vanities and the rectangular leaves half the room uncovered.


This is a home in the mountains so Mountain Modern style would work. My husband likes Industrial style and I like Scandinavian style the most but we often settle on Transitional or Mountain Modern.


I've included below a couple of inspirational bathroom photos (like the wood-framed mirror and I like how the seafoam green tile looks with the slate floor). Also included some rugs that look ok but don't seem to really elevate the space and as mentioned are awkward because of the coverage in the space. (Ignore the two different towel colors...I was testing a dusty blue-green and taupe towel vs. the creamy colored ones.)


Current photos:






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INSPIRATIONAL PHOTOS



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MOCK UPS





Wood paneling over tub walls and darker grout and adding ivory towels?






Comments (11)

  • PRO
    10 months ago
    last modified: 10 months ago

    Comes a point where you just admit you hate a bath, save your money for a redo of all the tile. Or the entire bath if you don't use the tub and the shower is tiny.

    No amount of rugs, towels will make you like it. : ) or really disguise it.

    No, to wood over the tile in the tub area, and the granite isn't helping the tile, either.

    heatherlyman thanked JAN MOYER
  • 10 months ago
    last modified: 10 months ago

    @JAN MOYER I totally agree and thought the whole thing was great 18 years ago when we built it but now I think the only redeeming thing in the room is the pretty marble on the countertops and the natural wood cabinets (and the view from the windows overlooking our beautiful Steamboat Springs valley). Do you have a recommendation for tile that would go nicely with the counters and wood?

    In the short run am just looking for something to enhance the space inexpensively while we build another home (rental) and my husband doesn't have time (or interest) to help with a tile/remodel project (he's a GC). He'll get there eventually.

    In the meantime, I realized last night that the towel rack is the focal point of the room right now as we walk in and we can move the towels to hang behind the door and do a pretty plant next to the tub.

    Also, I've seen ErinnV do sheer gauze curtains in bathrooms really well. I think something needs to soften this space whether it's a rug or two, a plant, possibly a bath bar across the tub to break up the large white mass, and maybe a natural linen sheer curtain between the tub and window.



    And with possibly just peel and stick tile over the dark insets (obviously in a more matching color)



  • PRO
    10 months ago

    It's fine, as is. It's a whole piece design. But if you want something else, it needs a personality transplant from wild wild west to city glamor. De-rusticfy it. Get rid of the cow pic and all the barely finished looking stuff, including the knotty wood. Paint the walls a deep chocolate found in the tile, get better shinier metal lighting, and change the knobs and pulls to a gold. Eliminate everything you loved about it, but the tile.


    You'd be better off just keeping it as is. That's a lot of people's dream bath. Still.

    heatherlyman thanked Minardi
  • 10 months ago
    last modified: 10 months ago

    I can appreciate having tile that you’re tired of - I think calming down the contrasts is a good approach, the towels that are the wall color work well , I think a simple sisal mat/rug would help (and remove the light colored bath mats) personally I would do not pattern but that’s me. I would just center it and not try to have it cover every piece of tile (the ones in the photos seem too big to me) - or maybe have sisal mats in front of each vanity and the shower? I’d have to eyeball that (def not a pro)

    Normally I would not paint tile but in this case I would paint the wall tile around the tub the wall color (matte finish), remove the small stool and put a large loose palm plant where you show it above -

    overall I would want to calm/simplify the room and would want to be careful about adding lots of odds and ends to distract -

    heatherlyman thanked la_la Girl
  • 10 months ago
    last modified: 10 months ago

    Given you like Industrial, Scandi and Mountain Modern (best suited for your home and more achievable)…they all have a paired down look and adding lots of distractions will create the opposite feel.


    Not wanting major changes, consider the biggest negative influence which is the tub/wall tile. Decide what is feasible and affordable and be sure all changes are complementary, ideally enclosing the tub with treated wood stained the same as vanities or paint, and replace wall tile or also paint.

    I’d update/coordinate the hardware, lighting and mirrors, as these will have a big impact. Can’t really tell what your wall color is; suggest a soft, earthy neutral.




    https://decorcreek.com/natural-cream-oc-14-paint-color-by-benjamin-moore

    Consider a towel stand under window and light towels that tie your color scheme together and a perhaps a botanical print instead of what you have.






    heatherlyman thanked Maureen
  • PRO
    10 months ago
    last modified: 10 months ago

    IMO there are too many random heights in this room.

    I would order new mirrors that match the height of the doorways in the room.

    Don't frame the mirrors. This room needs to be made more simple, less complicated.

    I'd also select new strip light fixtures. The ones you have are too busy in appearance.




    Maybe taking a color from the slate would help the room.



    heatherlyman thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
  • 10 months ago

    I don’t time to read everyone’s comments. You still have an amazing bathroom, and other than the choice of design around the tub, this bathroom could have been installed yesterday.

    Short of a complete redo, I would see if just the tile around the tub could be removed or perhaps painted over to match a creamier wall color.

    heatherlyman thanked eld6161
  • 10 months ago
    last modified: 10 months ago

    As to your email to me...yes, you can lay it over existing floor. Find a flooring store that carries Marmoleum and discuss what you need. Beside the floor, inquire about covering the spa bath. (what were we thinking in the 80's and 90's? (Just cleaning a spa tub took about two days...saying from experience). Those and the hot tubs which could accommodate all your friends! YUCK.



  • 10 months ago

    Thanks for everyone's input here. Another question for anyone who has dealt with two differently sized single vanities in a bathroom and wants to do framed mirrors, do you have to go custom or is there a source for something like this?


    It seems like you wouldn't make the sizes of the mirrors over each vanity match each other but rather try to do the scale correct for each vanity putting the mirrors at around 3/4 to within of a few inches of the width of the vanity, I think. If custom is needed, I may have to just get custom frames to go over the existing mirrors for cost savings, but I just love the look of all the floating mirrors over vanities out there these days.


    Also, I'm struggling with all the vanity lights with white glass out there against cream walls. Is anyone else? I think alabaster looks dated but I'm having a hard finding an off-white, somewhat modern matte glass. The white glass just seems cheap and makes the bathroom look less cohesive. Thoughts?