Photo 2

What are the vanities made of? Wood? Can you paint them?
Also, in what shape is the tub? I'm assuming it also stays.

We had those same sinks! The upstairs hall bath was blue and the master bath was pink-both are gone now in favor of more neutral colors. Hmmmm.... why is the middle section low but with a mirror? Wheelchair maybe?

Either way, rip out the formica, sinks, mirrors and lighting and decide what you want for a counter surface and if you want to keep the current length. You could do double sinks in a smaller space.

Who uses the bathroom and where is it located. I see sloping ceilings, which makes me think of a 2nd floor bath in a Cape.

Edited once I saw the pic of the blue tub. How do you feel about having a tub resurfaced in white?

This post was edited by bonnieann925 on Wed, Jun 18, 14 at 18:10

Hi Nosoccermom,

Everything is in really good shape. The cabinets are wood are are a custom size.

I'm open to taking out the tub; However, I'm not sure if I could salvage the tile if the tub comes out.

The bulbs in one of the light fixtures keeps blowing. I've looked for fixtures but they're all really expensive or really ugly. I'm thinking that we might have to open the wall to move the electrical to the wall rather than the ceiling.

I'm just simply overwhelmed and don't know where to start.

Hi Bonnieann925,

This is the main bathroom on the second floor of a colonial home. There is no slope in the ceiling; I'm guessing my photos are just bad. :-) (We also have a pink master bath...ugh!)

I'm not sure why the middle portion is lower. It was that way when we purchased the house. My husband and son use that bathroom. Our daughter is also home from college and she's using that bathroom as well.

If the tub stays, I'd introduce the light blue either with wall paint or window treatment and/or shower curtain.

I think the lowered space is supposed to be a vanity area where you sit on a stool and apply make-up.

If you want to keep the tile, cabinets and tub, I would consider replacing the sinks with rectangular vessel sinks that could sit on top of a new countertop. I suspect the counters are the lower height traditionally put into houses rather than the newer comfort height so there should be plenty of vertical space for the vessel sinks.

I would paint the cabinets white, add sconces between the mirrors, frame the mirrors and paint the walls and ceilings white. I would have a roman shade and matching shower curtain made of white waffle weave cotton and change out the shower rings for ones made of chrome.

Well, I really like blue, so if the tub has to stay (and it sounds like a major undertaking to remove it), I'd probably keep the blue sinks, too, unless they are really ugly.
I'd get some different mirrors, maybe glass shelves.

Resurface the tub, and ditch those blue sinks. Maybe something will fit the same hole. New paint to brighten it up. Replace the light fixtures. You should get by 'cheap' on this one.

If those are porcelain sinks, you can resurface them white.

I would have the tub reglazed white if you're worried about replacing it and messing with the tile. It looks like you don't use the vanity area for putting on makeup so I would put a shelf in there and add baskets for storage of towels, etc. New counter all the same height (maybe you can build up that center area with plywood?), new sinks and faucets. Paint vanities white. You could mount a tall, shallow cabinet in between the sinks above the "vanity" area to serve as a medicine chest/more storage. Two new framed mirrors with new light fixtures above each one (patch and paint ceiling fixture holes). New shower curtain and rings. Window blind, roman shade or curtain....should not interfere with toilet paper holder. If you find a pretty shower curtain you like you could buy two and make a matching window treatment. Walls a nice white/off white....same as vanities.

The same person who reglazes or resurfaces your tub, if they are good at their craft, can paint your vanity top and your sinks by the reglaze method. I have had that done to mauve lava bowls before and they looked just like they were "born" that way. I also had a reglazer guy paint (epoxy paint) my vanity top once upon a time that was apple green that I wanted to change to navy blue.

I'd keep the tub and see if the sinks could be used as under mounted sinks with new countertops, maybe white quartz. I would eliminate the lower vanity counter and put a storage unit there, replace the mirrors, the lighting and pick a wall color that went with the blue tile, and get a good window treatment.

Your tile is back in style again. I would simply have the tub resurfaced in white. Change the vanities and sinks to glossy white contemporary units from IKEA. Change out the faucets to single lever ones, run the mirror continuously over the vanity, or at least in 3 connecting pieces. Finally change the hanging fixtures to something contemporary. Really an inexpensive update.

How far do you want to go with this ? Refresh it or a more or less compete over haul?

I'd be weary of resurfacing a tub that's in good condition only to have it peel a few years from now. Like pal's suggestion.
I actually like the blue tiles.

I may be alone in this but I LOVE those hanging lights. If you are in northeast Ohio I will take them off your hands for ya. :)

Hi Louislinus,

I think something is the matter with one of the light fixtures. The lighbulbs blow within a day or so when they're replaced.

I'm in southeast Michigan. When I take the fixtures down they're all yours if you want them.

For everyone else, I just LOVE the ideas. We have an Ikea in the area. I never really looked at the sinks but I'll have to go back and take a look.

Deal. :)

louislinus, you are NOT alone! My first thought when I looked at the pic was, at the very least, put those pendants in storage, but hang onto them. They're great, IMO.

I'd leave the tile and the tub and go coastal in inspiration.

I just have to say I love those hanging lights! Maybe not in your bathroom, but imagine them hanging (maybe a bit lower) over 2 nightstands instead of lamps.

(just also happen to love this bed, but that's another story)

I like Pal's ideas. If you keep the tub, it'd be neat to try to undermount the sinks. I'd want to remove the tile on the window wall if possible because it looks institutional with so much dark tile. Ideally I'd just keep it on the floor and in the shower.

My first impression is that it's a very long room, which the striped pattern of the floor tile accentuates. I'd break up that wall with taller vanities and a cabinet centered between them. Put a hamper or pull-out trash in the base cabinet. I'm not sure about white vanities since it's a guy bathroom and I don't think white wood is very guy-like. Maybe some type of light-colored natural wood. I would use a white quartz or Corian countertop. Hang the shower rod higher, and add some hand towel bars near the sinks.

I actually like the globe lights, too. Just not in that bathroom. There was sometimes an uneasy mix of what we now call Hollywood Regency, and Midcentury Modern, and I think this is one of those situations, with the contemporary stacked tile and the French-y looking lights and vanity detail.

I am partial to the blue fixtures. I was planning on doing a bathroom in Kohler Skylight fixtures (powder blue) but they discontinued it at the end of 2012 or so. No body really offers any actual colors in fixtures anymore, where you can get a full suite of fixtures to outfit a bathroom. Kohler now only offers non-color colors except for very specific vanity sinks and the Jonathan Adler kitchen sinks. Very disheartening.