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To start the 70s had some of the most awful design choices including that tile . I think saving things thta are refelective of an era can sometimes be important those IMHO are not worth saving and for sure not worth trying to make them work. That shower is a mold heaven behind that drywall this should never have been done without proper waterproofing up to the ceiling ideally . Soorry save $$$$now to do this right if after it is done you want maroon accents buy towels

Really the wall paper will cost more than the redo and honestly do nothing for thta space .

If you can imagine, it’s kind of a grayish lilac. Here are two more pics that might help.

Patricia, thankfully the upper half of the shower is not drywall but a plastic type overlay that just happens to be the same color as the wall color

IMO the flooring is all wrong for the tile. So maybe start there. The mirror overpowers the vanity.

AI suggests:

1970s-style bathrooms featuring maroon, burgundy, or oxblood wall tiles often embrace a bold, moody, and glamorous aesthetic. Key design ideas include pairing deep red tiles with black, white, or brass fixtures, using patterned wallpaper to bridge the color, and incorporating natural materials like wood or slate.

Do you want to embrace the retro look or are you looking for a different style that will incorporate the tile colors?

@katinparadise asks the same question I would.

I love that you want to save your classic tile! Here are some links from Retro Renovation to show you how other have worked with maroon. Even if you don't want to go full retro, you can find more general ideas about balancing a saturated tile color with paint and/or wallpaper, and that might spark other ideas that work for you. @la_la Girl has already posted a really nice one that's very different from the early-mid-20th-c. style that I chose for my own baths.

https://retrorenovation.com/2015/07/22/decorate-burgundy-maroon-pink-bathroom/

https://retrorenovation.com/2015/10/05/five-steps-choose-bathroom-colors-infographic-guide/

https://retrorenovation.com/2012/10/25/a-color-scheme-for-a-pink-maroon-and-white-bathroom/

Don't let naysayers discourage you. You have a vision, and you can do this!

The bathroom flooring is killing any potential retro vibe and it also doesn't look good next to the hallway floor.

I TOTALLY agree chispa this house was owned by the same family for over 50 years a few years ago an investor bought it, very cheaply updated to list on vrbo then sold to us. they put that vinyl plank flooring everywhere! i ripped it up in the bunk room only to find what i feel is beautiful fleur de lis saltillo tile. Took me a long time to scrape paint and glue off of it but i love it. im not sure what is under this flooring in the bathroom but its coming out for sure. my husband and 3sons feel its meant to be since they went to Texas A&M (maroon and white!) so im tdying to play with it before i rip everything out. sorry for so much background.

There may be original tile under there and your problem would be solved as far as tile goes. Otherwise, perhaps a vinyl tile that looks like terrazzo might be fun.

My suggestions are to replace the floor with a 24 x 24 lightly veined marble look tiles. Replace the counter top for a similar marble as the floor tiles and paint the cabinet in same maroon as the tiles. I've replaced the large mirror with several mirrors just for a decorative impact. Replace the faucet, rods, etc. for brass. You can install an apron on the front of the bathtub (lots of videos on internet) and paint the panel and the walls in a creamy white. Paint all the tile lavender trim in the same maroon as the wall tiles. Depending on the use of the bathroom you can also consider having the bathtub painted in white.

I would not do any marble-look in the space, just not the right era, too 2010+.

The right Terrazzo-look tile might work, specially with some maroon flecks in it.

Personally I'm not fond on terrazzo-look tiles but I do like a stone look tiles.

Love your maroon tiles, so glad you are wanting to keep them. Looking forward to seeing the suggestions you get on here.

You might try getting a sample of something like this (link) to see if it will work with your tile trim. I certainly would not paint over the trim. To me, at least, it's part of the glory of the tile!

I'd go with the fabulous wallpaper idea of la_la_girl . Removable wallpaper is easy to apply and easy to remove.

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This one from Spoonflower might work, if the "dark berry" matches your tile. I don't trust comparisons on my monitor.

https://www.spoonflower.com/en/wallpaper/21203049-hand-drawn-art-deco-geometric-scallop-in-dark-berry-cream-white-large-by-oliveandlight?sku=wall-pw-i12-w127

And here are two more, same caveat:

https://www.spoonflower.com/en/wallpaper/14734616-redbrown-geometric-pattern-on-lighter-brown-jumbo-scale-by-nendo?sku=wall-pw-i12-w127

https://www.spoonflower.com/en/wallpaper/18559596-minimal-star-quilt-dark-cherry-by-s__marie?sku=wall-pw-i12-w127

The problem with Spoonflower, IMO, is the overwhelming number of possibilities. I find decision fatigue sets in quickly.

I'd do a simple white 1" hex tile on the floor. It always looks nice with retro ceramic wall tiles. It is fine if there is lilac on the wall accents and white on the floor. They need not match.

Find vanity you like and fits the space and then leave the wall covering for last. Paint or paper. I'd like a faux grasscloth look on the walls. It seems handsome with the maroon tiles and perhaps a bit woodsy and masculine.

+1 in favor of white hex tile. Or even octagon and dot. I've never been much for grasscloth personally, but I do see the virtue of considering it for the reasons Kendrah mentions. Maybe a grasscloth that picks up the beige color of the tub, since you aren't in a hurry to replace that?

I'm way too invested in other people's bathrooms. It's just that I love good tile and wallpaper so much! 🙃

Great ideas. I love your lavender tile idea, too, Amy- brilliant and could be sublime.

A rough view ( courtesy of AI and I :)

^^ Not for everyone... but I love it.

The tile in OP’s bathroom is fabulous. And that tile would not be leaving without a fight. That tile is top quality and was installed for life. Might have to bring in a bulldozer and tear the house down to get that tile out of there.

Would suggest you embrace the tile and go retro in your design including using a vintage look wallpaper on the rest of the wall.

I love your hex tile idea Kendrah. I just can’t see putting more lilac in my boys’ bath! Can anyone help me visualize this with AI?

I like the tile. The color combo and the detailing of the tiling. However. Be prepared for something going on with the wall and possibly the floor behind the vanity. That for sure isn't original, and it's likely "oversized" to hide whatever was left after the original vanity was removed. There might be a fairly neat tile job behind there, or you might find damage from new pipes install or cabinet to wall attachment. Or lacking tile where the original cabinet didn't have it, heh.

I hope you have a nice floor under that floor. That would be lovely. It's kind of hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like the flooring was laid in and then sealed around the edges to the wall tile? Would it be possible to remove a tiny test bit of the flooring behind the door to see what's under it?

The above bathroom reminded me of yours. Just showing for a floor tile idea.

Following to see progress with this fun tile!

You can get octagon-and-dot with white or beige (beige-ish?) octagons and dark red dots at American Unversal Corp. (link). This is not unlike the idea Jilly posted, just a different tile shape. You could also do something similar with the hex tile Kendrah recommended.

And here's a fun tool for figuring out hex tile patterns: https://www.beltile.com/hexagon-tile-designer-and-visualizer

Most big box stores carry Daltile white hex, 1". I'd pick up a little slab of it and play with it in on your floor.

Here are a few more I also did last night. I didn't specify a beige tub (and AI clearly could not get enough of the maroon and lavender, so tiled the tub, too!) Plus, when I did all of these, I didn’t realize this was for your boys. But in any case, you may be able to get the general idea.

If this is for your boys, I would suggest just painting the walls. I scribbled on them with a white marker to just show the general concept ( hopefully, your painters would be neater. :)

I disagree that wallpaper would be a bad idea just because boys and/or men might be using the bathroom. If wallpaper can be designed by men, it can be appreciated and enjoyed by men.

Yes, Amy, I am definitely aware and I do understand that wallpaper is certainly not limited to women/girls. However, just in general- there can be issues with wallpaper in humid bathrooms. And I think for OP’s purposes- plus, with the style of the tile, etc. - paint could be just as fine, if not better. Would also be easier. If they wanted a pattern, they could alternatively use paint with a stencil.

I found this. Perhaps you could order a sample.

https://www.mosaictile.com/products/retro-rosette-pinnacle-hexagon-patterns?

Thought you might get a kick out of this.

If you don’t mind a dark bathroom, color match the paint to the tile. Could be quite impactful.

I’d skip wallpaper and suggest adding a unique floor tile pattern to create interest (I like the look of the floor below.

Suggest a black vanity and smaller mirror.

Lighting, paint choice, window treatment and shower curtain will all be key in pulling the room together. Be sure to test lots of options.

I say tile the floors white, paint the walls white, get a new vanity, and hang some great Texas A&M art like this:

If you are staying with the color because of the A&M spirit, why not go all the way? This is a lake house after all, have some fun.

Great point! I do love all of the suggestions particularly regarding the hex floor with maybe a maroon or black dot, black vanity, more suitable mirror. I'm just not feeling the wallpaper, honestly. Seems too formal for the more-relaxed vibe we have here. Of course, wallpaper totally intimidates me too!

I once put up wallpaper myself, back when I was younger and braver. It helped that it was striped, so it was fairly easy to get the matching right. I don't think I'd have the nerve to do it myself ever again. I had pros in for my recent wallpaper binge, bless their little cotton socks.

Kendrah's art suggestion knocks it out of the park—or do I mean scores a touchdown? Go, Aggies!

And who knows? Maybe there is a great floor tile underneath already.

OMG! That looks like my primary bathroom before I remodeled it. I purchased my home from the builder who sent me to DalTile to choose the ceramic bathroom tiles. I asked a designer to help me with the color choices and she picked the red color on the walls with a dark pink on the floor. Another designer softened the red with a marble-looking wallpaper and a pink curtain. I regretted these color choices for the next 30 years.

Attaching photo before I remodeled, 10 years ago. I wonder if DalTile still carries that tile?

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Another thought- a custom shower curtain mounted very near the ceiling and hitting just above the floor looks super polished imo - there are tons on Etsy and it really is an upgrade for not a lot of money