I agree with Sara, its got to go. If the budget doesn't allow, I would wait and save. The pink + wood makes me feel like I'm at my grannies.

It depends on the budget, which you didn't specify...

It could be anywhere from a complete gut, to a simple can of paint...

Help us out here..

That window is pretty fabulous. If it is shower-proof, I would absolutely save it.

I'd try to find another vanity (I'd hunt Craigslist for that..more chances to find smth with a bit more personality for a normal price. involves more hassle of course), see what's the cost/possibility of retiling, since this wall tile was chosen poorly, it doesn't complement the rest.

I'd try to save toilet and bath as I find color nice and flattering..at least for my complexion:) New lighting, (maybe mirror too, but mostly lighting) would have transformative power. Can't see the flooring?

Window is a bit hard for me to understand, I admit. At least from the photos-I can't see the details.. But I'm not sure I'd be touching it until I know for sure my new direction. New window will cost a lot-and I'm not sure will be better. I'd give it much consideration

Now. I don't know where you live, what are your local building codes, and how old the house is-but here windows need to be double pane, gutting anything in properties built until late seventies would probably mean adding the cost of asbestos abatement, plumbing, it wasn't changed-you'd have strong recommendation to change it..you'd have to submit blueprints to the city, obtain permits, pass inspections etc.

(I apologize if that's no new info to you, it's just that it's public forum, some people are reading without commenting, and might benefit from experience shared by others)

For a bathroom this size, you'd be quoted approximately 12 k in labor only-not including blueprints, permits, in short city-related stuff..and not including finishes(materials that one can see and that can vary greatly in price depending on what and where you choose). So, again here where I live-I'd know that I'd have to have around 20 k for a gut and most possible scenarios it entails.

Would I spend it? Well would depend on whether I have it, other things I need to tend to, and on a degree the bathroom makes me very very upset.

The thing that would make me most upset here is the tile..but it's not exactly a small job too, retiling.

The second, vanity.

If you find everything, everything is hideous-sell your bath and toilet(there's a quite big pool of buyers looking for colored retro fixtures), but only after talking to some GC's in your area to understand how much your project will cost, and deciding whether to go with it.

Your budget will not allow for a full gut in most parts of North America that I'm familiar with unless you're doing almost all the work yourselves. We don't know what's going on in the rest of the house, but if it's been "modernized", your best bet would be to save up enough money until you can do the full gut that would be required to obliterate the past.

In the meantime, you may take heart from knowing that there is a whole group of people who are saving/building retro bathrooms similar to yours from scratch to get the look of "granny's house", so perhaps you just need to find a way to embrace it.

I agree that your window is extremely cool. This was a novel feature in the 50s. The one jarring element to my eye is the stained trim around it and the "modern" vanity that in no way relates to the era of the rest of the bathroom. If you could do without the storage, consider replacing that vanity with a pedestal sink more consistent with the original era. Or, a cabinet style more consistent with the era. You could do it in white since the tile has a lot of white in it. Then remove/change the colour of any trim or accessories that are brown and make them white. You may learn to love (or at least not hate) this bathroom.

"I’d love to stay somewhere around $6k max. Can a complete gut be accomplished with that? I assumed upwards of $10k, but it is small."

-no

will vary regionally of course, as I've said already, but my best bet is no.

How much diy can you do?

I would say that the tub and toilet have to stay (also I would want the matching pink sink so I would troll CL to find one)

I would remove the tile myself.

I would pay to have someone come in and prep the walls for re-tiling...but I would diy the tile. You can too, if you're willing to do your homework and practice...I think home depot does a workshop and study youtube vids. If you are not sure...then just don't.

I know how to paint. You do too. So the trim would be white for me.

I would probably paper because I know how to do that, too...

I would change the lights...that's actually easy to do.

So cost, for me, would be sink (I would want a retro looking vanity), wallpaper, paint, plumber, light...

Depending on how things are going, I might consider tiling the floor, but that is a larger cost because the toilet has to come out (yes, you can do that and you can put it back)

I'm ancient and stuff isn't so easy for me, so I would def. need help with some stuff...

If you're not into doing all this, then wait and save a bit more. Sadly, bathrooms aren't the kind of places where you can do stuff in stages...

So...where are you in all this? Hands on?

ETA: the above probably won't even be as much as 6....you're kind of in middle ground there...making a decision even more difficult...

For $6000 you can do some nice cosmetic fixes but you can't do anything significant because labor costs for plumbing and electrical are extremely high for bathrooms even if you save on materials.

Also once you start doing anything other than cosmetic fixes for bathrooms, you run into Code provisions that drive up the cost because you then have to make sure everything is up to current Code standards.

I would play up the fabulous retro charm. As others have posted, get rid of that vanity which isn't particularly attractive and is extremely discordant with the other elements.

A beautiful mirror or retro medicine cabinet

I would opt for some kind of fabulous wallpaper where there is currently paint - or if not wallpaper, definitely change the paint color.

What's on the floors?

The window is nice but perhaps you could change out the window glass to something less busy - hard to tell from the pictures what would be involved.

If feasible, I would also change the fixtures - obviously for the sink since you would be changing the vanity but also the shower might be able to be changed to something more striking.

I saw a fabulous chrome Stream Line sink last week at Snyder Diamond. As others have posted, it would lose storage but it would be striking.

On my monitor the fixtures look beige, rather than pink. It also looks to be in decent condition. I would clean it until it is all spotless, and look at habitat restore for a matching sink, and maybe a cabinet that is in good shape, that would be of the same era as the tub and toilet. I would also replace the mirror with a nicer one, and paint the walls. What is that shelf looking thing on the wall. I think I might want that gone, but, hard to see exactly what it is in the picture, and please post a picture of the floor. I also disagree that it is hideous. It actually could look very nice with just a few things done to it. Old doesnt make hideous, if things are in good condition and were well done to begin with.

So what can you live with? Do you enjoy the retro look (many don't like it and consider it just to be "old"...

It's a smaller bathroom than I originally thought so it might be possible with blind faith, optimism and NO "perfect" bathroom idealism.. ;)

I did my mom's for about 5000...

You guys are all so helpful. I'll try to answer a few of your questions. We have not yet moved in & since we are currently living with my family - we have a flexible move date.

I am an enthusiastic DIY-er, without a whole lot of experience. I'm fairly industrious in the CL/marketplace scene but haven't quite started looking for materials just yet. Habitat for Humanity Restore may be a good first stop. My brother-in-law just redid his 100 yr old bathroom & my uncle is a carpenter with a lot of home improvement experience (though I don't think he is a licensed contractor). Both have offered their services :)

I am SHOCKED that people are actually striving for the retro look! Haha. I am hoping to brighten up the space - with white trim/molding throughout house & a neutral, but maybe not super light wall color. Though I do like the idea of doing a fun wallpaper in there! Given the amount of light coming through the block window, I think I am open to keeping it.

This is a first floor bathroom that will have a lot of traffic from guests/us during the day, but all the bathrooms are located upstairs, so we aren't too worried if this one is out of commission for a while.

Then you will have no problems and probably need no help...

You're my kind of girl!

Obviously, step one is demo. Since you have other bathrooms upstairs, is changing this to a powder room a consideration?

my sister and i had that tile in our bathroom in the early early 70s.... wont say how old i was at the time....