Oh, I forgot - would you paint the ceiling in silver sage too?

Okay, I am probably not the right person to respond, but I will take a shot! First of all, I love combining shades of white. But I can see how that would bother others. I like the idea of doing the ceiling in Silver Sage to add a little more color to it.

Do you have a shower curtain? Or is it glass doors? I think it is a lovely bathroom. I LOVE the ceiling light!

First off, let me say I love love love your bathroom. The fixtures are great. Is your light fixture on the ceiling orginal to the house? I know that you can buy new ones now that look old, but that one looks fabulous. I also like all the chrome you have in your bathroom. I don't know if you have enough room in your bathroom for this. But have you ever seen what they call "Train Racks"? They are very good looking and you place towels on top or whatever you like. You may not have enough room in that bathroom, but it is just a suggestion.
They sell them at Restoration Hardware for a fortune. But I bought one at Bed Bath and Beyond for twenty-five bucks.

I think the medicine cabinet would look good painted black and also the radiators and door trim. It is a little white in there.

How old is your house?

I love your bathroom!!!!

Before you paint the radiator black -- I agree that it would look good, but remember that radiators get dusty. There's no way around it. And the dust will show MUCH more on a black radiator.

How about some artwork? I'm thinking some black and white photos, framed in white mat with black frames...

The Silver Sage is lovely, but it's so subtle, I think it gets lost with all the black and white. It almost reads like another "white."

Would you consider a grey? A darker, more dramatic grey? It would really make all your black and white pop!

I had a black and white vintage bathroom in a previous home and we used a soft creamy yellow as a wall color. It really made the black and white tile pop. We used the black and cream toile for a shower curtain and a black shelf on the wall, and it all came together beautifully.

Susan

I'm sorry...I think that the two different whites are fine mixing as well. Agree painting the radiators black might drive me crazy with the dust on them.

Your bathroom is so beautiful. I love the vintage tile and black and white photos would look lovely in there as well.

Susan

Hi everyone and thanks to those who comments so far. It is very hard to decide what to do so I need more 'votes'. If anyone has those cool paint programs to show how it would look with more black trim that would be amazing. I just can't quite visualize how a black medicine cabinet would look.

To answer some questions:

- The shower door will be frame less clear glass...fixed panels flanking a door that will open without hitting the sink, but require a bumper for the toilet.

- The ceiling shade is vintage from a salvage shop, the chrome part is just inexpensive/generic

- We're considering a train rack, or might not because of the size and location of the room. We may even skip the vintage towel bars we have and instead bring the bath towel in and take it out with us. There's a built in linen closet a few feet away in the adjacent hallway, and our bedroom is next door. This bathroom is the only one on the main floor, so it serves as a powder room for house visitors as well as a master.

- The house was built sometime around 1920.

- I like the silver sage which sometimes reads grey/blue or green...we also used it in the upstairs bathroom where it shows up darker green most of the time. Maybe with the ceiling painted in silver sage it will darken a bit more. We did a test patch of yellow, that was 2nd choice...it really looked very good but felt more 'kitchen' to me, most likely because I've never had a yellow bath. Thought about gray but thought it might feel cold or industrial with all the white tile.

-We were going for calm a spa look with black accent. I think some black framed photos will look wonderful.

- My son wants the inside of the door and door frame/medicine cabinet/cove molding painted like the outside of the door is framed with Navaho white...but I just couldn't bring myself to paint over some of that nice unpainted wood. He thinks the off-white trim would bring in a warmer vintage look...any thoughts on that?

I agree on the radiator - use your black as an accent on things that deserve to be highlighted, not on something utilitarian. It's a great room and you've combined things really well. In person the whites may not look right but they photograph fine. Love mcclarke's idea with the artwork - that could be just the punch you need.

Silver Sage is a beautiful color. I have it in my home too. But, it tends to look very light in bright light. On my monitor I thought the walls were actually painted white. I had to look again when someone posted about the Silver Sage.

I would suggest going down one tone/hue and painting the walls in the Sea Green color from the 'Silver Sage Collection'. You can see the colors on the walls at their website and compare how the two look in the same room with white trim.

I would NOT paint the trim black. Or the radiator. Too harsh. I would paint them a much deeper ivory. This will differentiate the white white wall color between the trim. The BR won't look 'all white' but will have blended tones. The ivory will look better than stark white on around the door and will certainly look better than the black.

Ivory trim will make the wall tile pop. The white trim does nothing except make the room seem too 'all white'.

If you can I would replace the floor radiator with a vintage look chrome one. I think that is what newdawn is suggesting. Get the *towel warmer style*. The other kind may get too hot to have right next to the toilet where someone may bump into it. See here:http://www.screwfix.com/prods/33957/Plumbing/
Towel-Radiators/Curved-Chrome-Towel-Radiator-400-x-700mm

You don't have to hang towels on it (especially right next to the toilet). They look great all on their own in a vintage style bathroom. Chrome is easier to keep clean.

You have a beautiful bathroom already. Just lovely.

Here is a link that might be useful: Silver Sage Collection

Oh, I see you've posted while I was sloooowly typeing.

I would not do a yellow in a small bathroom. The light reflecting on it casts a weird color that is not good for putting on make-up.

I would paint the ceiling the same color in a small bathroom as this makes the room look larger.

I would not paint the nice door. It looks fine as wood even in a bathroom. Painting it would just add more and more white to an already predominately white room. It would be different if it was one of those cheesy hollow core doors, but this door is beautiful.

I would add some sheers to the window to soften the industrial look of the glass block. Something simple and not too noticeable like adding a tiny tension rod with a sheer panel to the interior of the window.

BTW, What is the *ceiling shade*? Is there a skylight in the room? I did not see it.

Goodness, it looks EXACTLY like the bathroom in the house my son sold a year ago. They installed the same fixtures, tiles, lights, etc. you have. Are you in Illinois, near St. Louis? They left the floor original to the house as it was perfect. It looks like yours is, too.

The only difference I can see is their walls were painted Periwinkle Silver, a very pale, cool shade. I think your color is beautiful, and I wouldn't recommend painting the door. As for medicine cab, I like it white. I, too, have lots of shades of white in my bathroom and love it.

I am going to refer my son and DIL to your pictures, it is so uncanny! You did a beautiful job.

The shade refers to the glass globe of the ceiling fixture. It has blue pin-striping on it.

Dilly, I do love your ideas thank you for all!

The window is a big challenge because 1/3 of it extends into the shower area. In fact there will be a custom glass panel as part of the "shower door" system which will be inside attaching to the ledge and top of the window tile to block the water from coming out. So, there really can't be a curtain...too bad because it does add an industrial look I agree. We had to replace the vintage house window and funky 'shell shades' because of the window location...before we had an 'L' shaped shower curtain to block the water from hitting the window. hmmm...how about a 'before' pic?! They've seen this in the bathroom forum...

Oh lordy. I see you've done an incredible job transforming this room.

LOL. I get it about the "ceiling shade". I thought because of the two level ceiling, that there may be a skylight or light tube over the shower area. I couldn't see it but the pic was dark in that area and I thought there was one of those skylight shades installed.

The glass block window can look very cool in this bathroom. It does lend itself to an Art Deco look that would fit the style of the house rather than a cottage look. It just needs a little something to soften the look. I am not an expert on decorating (or anything) so don't feel offended. I'm just tossing out ideas - not being critical. You've put the room together so very well already. Thanks for listening to my ideas.

So, I'm pretty much off of the black radiator idea. Thinking of taking a tile to the paint store and having the white shade of the tile matched so the radiators would blend in better. I'd then also the repaint trim and medicine cabinet with the matched shade of white and paint the ceiling silver sage.

I very much appreciate all your comments and ideas.

Lauren, you know I love your new bath. I think some of the issues are non-issues...I know what a PITA is is to photograph a "space challenged" room that's not flooded in sunlight.

Radiator: paint it chrome with appropriate paint. Did that to my baseboard heater in the bath. Softer than black, but with a little sass.

Don't paint anything else aside from repainting trim a warmer white if you must. Leave the gorgeous doors alone -- they add tons of warmth IMO.

While my almost-done bath isn't white-tiled, I've spent many happy hours overall in bathrooms just like yours -- vintage/vintage-inspired white with black accents. When done like yours, the white isn't boring, it's soothing, and the wall color is in the same vein.

You wanted spa, you got spa -- now go enjoy it!

Chrome paint? Does it really look like Chrome, that would be cool. Maybe these radiators would have to be stripped fist because they are on their 6th coat of paint and look painted, it would not be like applying metallic paint on smooth metal.

Vix, I woke up this morning and (naturally) went to the bathroom and thought it really does look and feel good as it is! The white paint is will easily be toned down (have to plug the nail holes and add another coat on the trim anyways) and the ceiling would look nice silver sage, and I can't wait for the shower doors to put that incredibly loaded shower to use!

My DS22 (at UGA/for MA in Historic Preservation)really likes black/dark accent and dislikes bright white passionately for old houses ~ its reflected in the upstairs bathroom where he painted the trim black. He made his paint suggestions and I couldn't quite imagine it, but respect his opinion enough to go into immediately to '2nd guess mode'. He hit right on the fact that I used the bright white paint we already had even though I meant to, or at least thought to buy a toned down white.

This forum team really helped me dealing with my weak ability with decorating that causes me to ALWAYS 2nd guess color choices. Fortunately, my style and proportion confidence is much better and I'm very happy with the tile and fixtures even though those choices were limited by the size of the room. I do agree the paint color would be sharp in the darker version of silver sage...but probably will leave it soft for now. Here is the shower fixtures I referred to above ~

lauren674 - Just Beautiful. Can't help with paint colors - I'm color impaired!

Your sink with chrome stand is AWESOME!!!! Where do I find one?!!

THANKS A LOT ...Jean

Hi Jean,

Thanks for the compliment, I love our sink. Its Herbeau Monarque with washstand. Its expensive, but we found an unexpected bargain.

Hi Lauren,
What a great bathroom and such great choices you made for fixtures. I agree completely with those who say not to worry about the exact matching of the whites. They never do because porcelain is made of clay and the colors of clay vary from different parts of the country, not to mention all over the world. That's just part of the character of the room. If you're looking for ways to inject some more black or a color into the room I'd suggest adding a small double doored wall cabinet on the window wall just above the tile edge. You can find them ready-made at a Marshall's or HomeGoods /TJ Maxx in white and off white. Inexpensive. I'd paint it a gloss black and use shiny chrome knobs to coordinate with your hardware. Big impact against your soft S.S.walls. This would be a great place to store extra toilet tissue and things that you'd like to have handy but behind closed doors. I had a medicine cabinet exactly like yours in a former house and we considered facing the wide band top and bottom between the moulding with a black and white herringbone patterned mosaic tile or with some deco mantle tiles from an ebay seller called madeineurope 2127. INCREDIBLE tiles for anyone doing a new bath or looking for something wonderful to incorporate into a tiled kitchen back splash. He specializes in deco and art nouveau tiles. Finally found an original black and white French deco patterned fabric that we transferred to the wide bands and it looked wonderful. Lots of compliments. It literally became a piece of period looking artwork above the sink. I wouldn't change the outlet covers and wouldn't stress over the rad.either. Again, all a part of the charm. Great job!

Lovely bathroom. Have you looked in the Ballard Design catelog. They have some pretty things that are for a black and white bathroom that might dress up the room.

Oh, and I wouldn't touch that gorgeous door! The wood is just right!!