Thanks so much everyone. Sorry I wasn't able to respond to this sooner - I didn't realize anyone had posted on this recently. Yes, its the same cap molding used to frame out the niche. The pocket door is fine since this is off my bedroom but its a pain to lock. I think thats because I have an extra thick vintage door rather than a standard one. If this were a bathroom that was more "public" like a guest bath or off a hallway, I'd definitely be looking for a better lock than the cheapo one we found at Home Depot. I did use the basketweave in the shower as well. No issues at all with it being too slippery (I was concerned about that but its a non issue) I love the lighting in here. In addition to the side lights, I have overhead recessed lights as well a skylight. Its great for makeup application, eyebrow plucking, etc. My old bathroom had a single overhead light and now Im totally spoiled! Hope that helps. Thanks so much for your kind words!

I'm not going to use any of them. I talked to a neighbor of mine that has a number of kids and she has a jack & Jill and told me a number of problems with them. One of the biggest being that one child will lock the door on one side and forget to unlock it. Or one won't remember to close the door and wake up or bother the one in the other bedroom. She brought up a couple of very good points. Fighting, bickering, not the same sex. You know kids, they'll drive you crazy. One keeps it clean the other doesn't. I'm really happy to have talked to her. She said if she was purchasing a house it definitely wouldn't be a deal breaker for her. So I've had an attitude adjustment and am accepting this as not as bad as I've previously thought. We're you able to take a look at the other pictures? I think they're working but I don't know how to do what Macy did and enlarge and post them on the site. I'm just going with a regular single sink toilet and bathtub shower combination. As I said before, I'll just pull the tub forward till the headroom is ok. Thanks for asking Marthaelena. Deb

If the accent tiles had been painted in place, the artist would probably have gotten paint on the grout. I don't see any. So although I don't know for sure, I'd guess that those are actual production accent tiles from the 1970s or so, maybe even into the 1980s. That kind of whimsical art was popular back then, kind of like psychedelic motifs were in the 1960s. The flowered tiles look like they were supposed to be used with more tiles below them. The other tiles would have had stems and leaves to complete the flower image. Similarly, maybe the "squiggle" tiles were designed to form a border of sorts when used with similar or identical tiles to the left and right. This is admittedly speculation, as I don't recall ever seeing those particular tiles in anyone else's home. Someday, a future generation will be posting to ask how they can tear out and replace the "dated" design features that are popular in houses today. :)

I agree with others who pointed out your bath pictures show clean, neutral, and functional already. And that it's a great idea to live in the space a little while before investing in any changes. A coat of paint, a new faucet, and a new light will - seriously - work wonders. But you also asked some specific questions, so here goes. :-) 1. For software, personally I liked Homestyler for a while, but then they rebranded it as Planner 5D and started upcharging for just about everything. Then later, a different company started hosting a different Homestyler that I like a lot. But keep in mind, these are free (unless you opt to shell out for the upgraded tools), so be careful how much info you share. If you want to go high tech, Sketchup is a fantastic 3D drawing tool, with lots of plugins for furniture and fixtures... but the learning curve is STEEP. You're smart to invest in tools carefully... but you may not need anything carpentry-related for your baths just yet. Miter saws are great if you have a ton of crown to install, but I don't expect you'll be building your own cabs or doors, right? DH and I bought a hand-held circular saw 20 years ago, and it's still our main saw. There are ways to set up portable workspaces on sawhorses, and use a straightedge with clamps to get clean, straight cuts. But if you have real cutting to do and space for storage, a table saw is great. Don't overlook the value of a great cordless drill, high quality bits, good wrenches, and 2 measuring tapes in good condition. Hardware and lights... the internet is flooded. But there's a fun way to find new sources. Find something you like on Amazon or Lowes, then google that item and see what other stores pop up. They may be design centers, hardware stores, specialty shops, or other major retailers you just never knew of. Bathroom fans are frustrating to buy. The ones that work best look the worst. Go for specs, not looks, and make sure there are nicer things in your bathrooms to look at. 5a. I would not paint or resurface a bathroom counter. But if they're really that bad, you can buy inexpensive pre-formed counters at HD/Lowes for very cheap. You should look at Ikea too, but their sizes often don't work with preexisting cabinets. Another option (but probably isn't worth it) - small counters are easy to replace with a stone remnant from a stone yard. It will still cost something - more than HD/Lowes. But if the full bath redo is years away, this is a nice upgrade. 5b. From your pics, your floors look like they're in good shape and clean, but I couldn't see much of the floor... I will say - if the tile is original, removing it will be a nightmare. You will need a hammer drill, heavy wire cutters, strong backs, and a chiropractor. Tile setters in the 60s took their work very seriously - there is probably 2" of mortar under that tile, with some crazy chicken wire type stuff embedded in it. A hammer and chisel is not going to cut it. We pulled the tile out of our powder room a couple years ago - our house was built in 1989 and clearly, the tile setter was old-school. They didn't mess around. We put down 1000 feet of peel & stick wood look plank in our basement 5 years ago. I actually love it. It was cheap stuff from Lowes, and it looks like we paid much more. BUT. The concrete floor was very flat and smooth, and already sealed. We applied a primer, and that makes all the difference with adhesive floors. We do have a couple areas that have been exposed to water (washer leak and a Bilco door leak), but those were isolated events... I'm not sure P&S is a great idea in a bathroom. But it could be a reasonable solution for a short term replacement of the tile. Note - if you pull up the tile, and put down a skinny layer of P&S - you may have work to do to replace the toilet. The bolts may not fit properly, the wax seal may not seat the same. Questions you didn't ask, but I'll offer some thoughts anyway :-) If you're thinking to replace doors with Shaker style, there are some great companies who sell custom doors for reasonable prices. The kitchen forum is the place to look for the current favorites. And I know the beige fixtures are not so popular, but don't try painting them. The yellow I see in your pics will not work well with that dingy beige I'm imagining. But there are other nice colors that will complement the beige and make it tolerable - Maria Killam is a good source to explore colors and see if you can make that beige work in the short term. Congratulations on your first home! Have fun decorating!