i would wait on the tile until you've gotten the painting and new counter done.

the lighter color on the vanity and the frameless shower door may change how the tile looks.

maybe get some simple patterned valences for the windows and a coordinating rug instead of the small ones that blend into the floor, and see how you feel. it may well be that the tile is neutral enough to look nice with the other updates.

Several questions:

-you say "mainly for resale purposes"..do you think you'll have some time to enjoy it yourselves before you move? or is the resale pretty much a set plan? happenning soon?

-what's the countertop now(material)? is it in good condition?

-is the tile on the bath surround and in the shower in good condition? what drives the change?

-is the frame with the door on the shower working allright, or is it wobbly and needs to be changed?

because I think your instincts are good..it'd be hard to fid a tile that'll work with the existing flooring

and if you paint the vanity white-it will send this message of "new trend on top of the old one". (nevermind that trends are changing meanwhile too as we speak..)

wood works with that tile. white will make it look older and a bit off. of course you can still paint if you dislike the wood, and I'd do very warm white, creamy one. But I wouldn't do it for resale purposes. Only if I'm the one who really wants that painted vanity.

Maybe just frameless shower door, and I agree about diffferent rugs..maybe a runner in front on the vanity, and a towel mat that can be dried in between showers..

Unless something is worn out, or just irritates you and you know you'd rather enjoy it meanwhile-I wouldn't do so much work for resale. It's a normal bath..well it seems to be on the photo. Declutter, style..I can see you have a bench in that shower, right? Big plus in my book..

If you want to channel "updated" look -you need to mind that flooring. At certain point you'll feel it's bossing you around and all, and restricting you too much-and you'll want to replace it. If you're already going through the rest.

It'll be easier to create more cohesive space if you change the flooring.

But it'll be much bigger scale remodel

And I'd decide whether it's for me or for others that I don't know them.

And others might either appreciate it as is, or almost as is (like me for example..I'm your easy buyer)), or want something else altogether, or..

But yes, it's a challenge to find the tile that will work with flooring better than the existing one. Unless youre going for a very similar, stone mimicking tile.

I'll think some more of course.

I hope you get more helpful responses. It'd be interesting to hear other suggestions.

Thank you so much for your response and follow up questions. To answer your questions:

-you say "mainly for resale purposes"..do you think you'll have some time to enjoy it yourselves before you move? or is the resale pretty much a set plan? happenning soon?

We will definitely have time to enjoy it. We won't be moving for a couple of years and have been wanting to update it for awhile now. We don't want to go with anything that's very bold, though, as we do want the updated look to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible.

-what's the countertop now(material)? is it in good condition?

The countertop is actually tile with a wood trim on the front and sides. It's in great shape, but we really don't love it. Plus, the sinks aren't undermount and I really prefer the cleaner look of the undermount sinks.

-is the tile on the bath surround and in the shower in good condition? what drives the change? The tile on the bath surround and the shower is in decent shape; but really has a cheap look to it. Another thing that drives the change is that we would like to expand the shower out a bit - we plan on getting a ready to tile shower pan. We will do away with bench that goes all the way across, but plan on adding a corner bench. We would also like to put in a different shower system with two shower heads. We will also put in a inset on the shower wall for shampoo and such. Of course, this will require the current tile coming out.

-is the frame with the door on the shower working allright, or is it wobbly and needs to be changed?

The current shower door is sturdy, but, as you can see, so dated with that brass. We love the frameless door look. I really think when we do sell, for the price of the homes in the area, and what we hope to get for our home, buyers will expect this type of update.

And great advice about updating the rugs. Will do that asap! Thanks again for the thoughtful response.

Of course, it is always hard to see detail in these pictures, but that wood color looks great to me, It is not a yellowy oak, doofus 2000's stain color, or otherwise at all objectionable. When you get closer, maybe there is wear or other issues that make you want to paint it, but if not, reconsider that idea. It is a lot of work to do paint right (so that it does not start chipping on the edges in a few years. That dark wood would look fantastic with a white or calacatta-look quartz top on it, if it is in good condition. It is easy to lightly sand and add another coat of poly to it if it is getting worn.

One thing you might do is replace the mirror with a pair of med cabs that are deep enough to hold all the bottles on the counter. My new ones even have electrical outlets, so we no longer have the toothbrush out. I think mine are 22" x 34" and the bigger, the better.

Are you going to be DIY? If so, read up on the use of waterproofing methods for shower walls and installing the shower pans you are considering. It is a lot of work to do for a shower that still is in good condition. The tile is blah, I agree. But white subways could very well be the next "blah" look, and anything else is going to also be datable (as in, "that is so late twenty-teens."). I swear if I see one more backsplash with matchstick glass tiles in a random lengths pattern in browns or grays, I am going to explode!

I would change the counter, add med cabs, maybe change out the brass-hardware shower glass, and paint. And get side sconces for next to and between the med cabs. Get rid of the overhead vanity lights. I am no designer, just a homeowner.

We have for sure decided we want to update the space- regardless of if we move or not. We are still up in the air on the extent of the renovation.

Basically, the big decision is do we keep the current floor tile or scrap it.

Could I get everyone's opinion on a tile I found? I don't love the heaviness of travertine, but I'm not sure what else would work with the current flooring. Any other lighter/airy tile suggestions anyone has would be great. Just hard for me to imagine with the current floor tile.

Thanks in advance for weighing in!!

I'm afraid you do really need to lose the floor tile. If you're expanding the footprint of the shower you already have to remove some of the perimeter floor tile to do so, and probably do some patch work to finish it off once the new shower is in. This could be problematic. The floor is not nearly as involved as building a proper shower and the tub deck and sides.

That floor tile, as I can tell you already realize, is going to limit other selections considerably, and it is dated itself. It doesn't lend itself to lighter and airier. You could replace it with all porcelain for a cleaner, easier to maintain, and updated space.

My opinion will be biased because I have very similar tile in my master we redid 12 years ago. 4" squares on the diagonal for the shower floor and 12" squares on main floor and up the shower walls.

Coincidentally we are in process of redoing my kids' bath the past few weeks (it was also redone 12 years ago) because a hard-to-find leak in the tub prompted us to consider replacing it....which then brought about the issue of replacing the tiled tub-surround that would be damaged...and we would also have to try to retile some spots on the floor because a new tub would be a smaller footprint leaving some bare spots once old tub was pulled out.

My point is that we also had to figure out the whole, "do we do an updated 'patch job' to save a lot of money, or do we just gut it and accept the cost as the price of being at peace with it/enjoying a new look and improved function.

Right or wrong...which is always a very subjective thing....we gutted it and I'm thrilled.

I was not interested in painting my cabinets just to have them have peel-issues due to steam, and we also got rid of the tub altogether and opted for a stand-up/walk-in shower for my older kids. Resale was considered on this issue...but by the time we move, someone can either love it as we've made it, or we will price the house with an "allowance" in mind.

The old space had hot-chocolate colored walls and 'slate' porcelain floor and tub surround...an overall warm and cozy feel but also tired and dated. The new space is a porcelain 'marble' hex with white subway walk-in shower that is awaiting glass doors...an overall calming feeling that is also bright and fresh.

I now actually wish SO BADLY that I was able to redo/retile MY whole bathroom (tile similar to yours). And there's nothing wrong with my bathroom, and a planned paint job on the walls will help me like it even more......

In my kids' bathroom, however, even unfinished with the floor and shower tile installed just waiting for the rest to come together (waiting on backordered tile base moulding) ......... I walk in and just smile and breathe deeply because of the way the space now makes me feel :)

So my very biased vote is to gut it ;) ;)

if you want the most bang for your buck, get a new vanity. (why go through the hassle of painting it if you're getting a new top, new sinks, etc? a new vanity would only cost another 500-1000K. an often times you can find the vanity w/a new top AND both sinks for 1K )

But, if you want to keep it because it's in such great shape, then do a grain/wood filler, sand well, prime, sand again, then paint. new hardware.

Find a remnant piece for the top, or do a pre-fab bathroom vanity countertop for about $300.

make a bigger shower. in a few years when you sell, someone will want a bigger shower and a freestanding tub.

or scratch the tile and do a wainscot like this one:

get left over stone from your countertop and have it cut to fit the deck top around the tub.

or do a free standing:

No sense trying to match that floor tile with some other tile. that's going to look ridiculous. If you do the demo work yourself, you'll save over 1K.

What is the budget you can spare to redo this?

things can change and you may find yourself staying in the house. would be a shame to do a half-ass redo, only to end up having to live w/it for another 5 years. Do it right the first time and enjoy it!

Or simply wait and save money until it does not matter what it costs to do a complete gut. This is the most economical path to take. Do nothing and save, save, save!

Hon.......... save your money . Please? Gut or stay HOME as they say : )

Beth H.,

I really love your ideas. Thank you and thanks for including the pictures. That helps so much!! Also, we will definitely make the shower as big as possible.

Robin

I love Beth's ideas too!!. By the time implemented? It's so darn close to the gut word, we may as well call it that. The only point is get a bath YOU love, and one that would consider you are going nowhere soon, but wanted to love it for a long time. Nothing complicated, just as you saw from Beth.

Robin, I can give you more pics if you need ideas. You may even want to remove the tub and just make a larger shower. (windows would need to be rectified if you can't leave them in the shower). For instance, it would look something like this

know where to shop, look for sales, close-outs, returned items (like LampsPlusOpenBox. new lighting, great deal)

otherwise, leave the shower where it is, surround it w/the glass, new tile and redo the deck around the tub.

another way to tile the tub. deck is cut from countertop material

or, keep shower the same size, all glass, and do a freestanding tub against the back wall. all you're omitting is the decking and the step-up. gives the illusion of more space.

I think you have to gut it and start fresh. If you are doing this for you, then do what you want and make it lovely. Don't try to patch things together and be stuck on trying to match or fit things that just don't fit. You'll always look at it and think that you settled for something instead of looking at it and loving what you see. Beth H. is the one you want to listen to here. Go check out her projects on her page and you'll see that she has done beautiful work and has excellent advice to offer on tile choices etc.

Dive into the project, and like others suggest you can do the gut work yourself if you look for deals you can put together a gorgeous new bathroom of which you can be 100% proud.