Reglazing the tile is not an option. We are removing the tiled closet, do not have replacement tiles to apply to the wall there. Same with the floor. We are moving the toilet, do not have ugly replacement tiles leftover from 1958 when the floor was installed. So the floor tile goes, too. We already had the tub reglazed and the guy did a shite job of it. He has to come back and do the tub again to get rid of the drip marks and pits. We are also replacing the baseboard hydronic heating element and cover, the 7 ft long metal backplate behind it needs to be replaced and all of the old blue tile it's bolted to will be removed. I am not going to retile that wall, just going to do drywall there. So the tile, sink, closet, double rusted medicine cabinets and the old towel bars all go. The tile is a goin'.

That old vintage tile is better installed that almost anyone can do today. No way would I spend 20K to wreck it and end up with something not nearly as well done or as with much appeal. Vintage and mid century is a hot look. And valuable. Dont remuddle it to generic "transitional" that doesn't even go with the bones of the house.

Spring for a new tub. A standard white cast iron tub doesn't cost much. The reglazed tub is already having problems. There's no point in not replacing it when you are gutting down to the studs and replacing everything else.

Well, I thought about getting a new tub completely, and yes...cast iron or nothin' because I hate acrylic and fiberglass tubs, they don't stay warm, they flex when you stand on them, crack, they squeak, and they scratch up like crazy. Bums me out, because boyyyyyy would I love a good soaking tub. I did a little math and the cost of removal and getting a new cast iron tub put in was pushing the budget too much: the return on that investment wasn't enough. The visual and functional end result wouldn't be THAT much better than what I'll get when the guy finally gets the tub reglaze right: a nice white 30" cast iron tub. And I should maybe make it clear that I'm gonna get this room demoed, drywalled and retiled for ~5k from a guy with great references, and I've seen his projects first hand. He and his guys will install the vanity and lighting I bought, too. I don't know how it could cost 20k to demo and retile a 5 x 9.5 bathroom.

Here are some inspo photos, they run to "modern" but I've resigned myself to not being able to do color tile since this house has to stay pretty neutral (and I don't like the pebble floor in the first pic, but the color family is fine.) It's not our forever home. Anyway, it's the stacked tile pattern I want to go for, but am not sure if large format tile (12 x 24) will work when the window wall over the tub is only 58" wide x 8 feet high, and the side walls around the tub are 30" wide x 8 feet high. I guess what I'm having is math anxiety.

Like the large format white tile in the one below, don't love the vanity. I'd do something in a warmer wood tone and it wouldn't be wall-mounted. This is a little chilly, but it would be a good blank slate for me or anyone who buys the place in 3 to 5 years.

This is what I want to try not to end up with: builder's grade farmhouse.

What style ARE you looking for? What does the rest of your home look like? I do actually like the cute blue tile, as is, but I understand your concerns about the lack of replacement tiles/reglazing.

@Lisa, sounds like an entire gut minus the tub, correct? Then you can do anything!

I feel like the tile you choose for flooring is nice, so you'd need to find the complementary carerra for the walls/shower surround. Keep it simple and clean.

But I wouldn't do the one you choose. Use a large format carerra on the floor -- so gorgeous. (Lots of grout means lots of cleaning).

Floor - 18x24, 12x24

Then do a 3x6, 6x12 or 4x12 for the walls...

https://tilebar.com/collection-85/subway-tiles/stone-subway-tiles.html

https://www.flooranddecor.com/marble-stone

You obviously love the light blue/glass type colors (me too), so perhaps you can look at Tilebar for inspiration. I don't think blue glass complements the floor you choose, so it's better to get your materials figured out before purchasing as mentioned above. Your guy should be able to tell you exactly the math and how much you'll need for special cuts/waste/breakage etc.

Glass

https://tilebar.com/collection-85/glass-tiles.html

https://tilebar.com/collection-85/subway-tiles/glass-subway-tiles.html

Porcelain (some beautiful blues/greens)

https://tilebar.com/collection-85/subway-tiles/ceramic-porcelain-subway-tiles.html

Also, rethink a pedestal sink. Nowhere to put anything! I'd much prefer a vanity for storage. You can have one custom built by a local cabinet maker to your exact size. Or go to a stone yard to see if they have counters already cut, then build your vanity to that size.

The house is a 1100 sq ft brick rancher, it's basically a series of small basic white boxes. Everything is oooooold but in good shape, clean, etc. no crown moulding or much detailing, has decent wood floors. It has an awful kitchen, too :D It hasn't got a lot of personality. It could easily go straight up MCM if I wanted to do that, but I think that's a look that's getting tired and I don't want it to look like a Madmen set. I'm having a really hard time with the whole place in general because it's such a blank slate and my taste is pretty eclectic. That's why I think going clean and updated is "good"...I can mess around with paint, decor and artwork to inject a bit of myself into the place w/o doing anything permanent that would make it a problem when we eventually sell it. But "clean and updated" can quickly run to modern, and I'm not ready to commit to full modern throughout the house.

Here's the front of the house. Cute. Basic. (Yes, I do love color...)

Before and After · More Info

Here's my livingroom. It's a white box. I painted the fireplace, but that's it. It's "fine" but...not much else I can do in here and most of the other rooms are like this.

Before and After · More Info

Before and After · More Info

Before and After · More Info

Anyway, it's just hard to focus, I guess. I've got 4 x 12 white subway tile for the tile guy as my "if I must, I must" option and maybe that's what I'll have to go with. It will look great, I'm sure. I just wish I could do something a bit more interesting. I obvs like color and pattern.

Laura Mac, yes...yes...yesss...the Tile Bar turquoise is exactly what I loved. My thinking was to maybe meet myself halfway and still do that same tile layout (stacked) but in a more neutral color. A pale taupe or a more trendy/accessible blue (think the glass tile version of everyone's beloved SW Sea Salt, which I make fun of but secretly respect very deeply...)

we redid our bath in our old 1959 house. I'm thinking you might have simliar thoughts for your bath. we did not have any tile to remove. Just to show what we did. DIY on a budget. Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, Costco and thrift stores helped finish it

my house · More Info

my house · More Info

If it were me, I would want to remain true to the house and it's character.. I have no problem updating if things are in bad condition, but best to choose finishes and styles that jive with the home. I like the blue tile too and would have embraced it. Hey-it could have been pink :/

You can add color and pattern with art, towels and a shower curtain. Especially since you know you will be selling in a few years, keep the permanent stuff neutral. When I look at your great-looking living room etc, that`s what you`ve done there with a neutral wall color.

Cheryl, I love your paint color. I know it's hard to show "true" colors in pics, but it looks kind of purple/lilac to me (and I like that, it can look great with black). Yes, you have the same size bathroom, I think. I'm going to go all the way to the ceiling with the tile and also bring it along the wall behind the toilet & vanity (which I haven't purchased, yet. We have a 24" pedestal sink that is useless.) I'm A Splasher so I need to tile that wall. I love your beadboard wainscoting, but it's maybe a bit too traditional to put into my house given the vibe I'm going for. I guess "modern old world eclectic" is a good, completely confusing style I like.

Other inspo bathrooms:

Bathrooms · More Info

Yellow and Turquoise Bathroom · More Info

Bathroom Ideas · More Info

You can do updated MCM and work with your love of color. Start with the floor, and an authentic period type of mosaic. Not marble.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Merola-Tile-Crystalline-Square-Blue-11-3-4-in-x-11-3-4-in-x-5-mm-Porcelain-Mosaic-Tile-FKOSRR24/205941664

You can do white with blue and have that be modern and appealing, as well as a nod to the vintage. A white floating vanity, new tub, and classic 4x4 white tile, maybe on a diagonal, for the tub walls. You can pull out the blue from the floor and order a liner tile as an insert, and bullnose for the edges, in blue. Daltile semi gloss has 3 shades of blue, and Waterfall looks to be a good match. The bullnose will be a special order, and you do need to wait until all materials are on site and the plan is finalized before doing demo.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Daltile-Semi-Gloss-Waterfall-4-1-4-in-x-4-1-4-in-Ceramic-Wall-Tile-12-5-sq-ft-case-0169441P1/202627039

Add some black to add contrast and punch, and you have clean, modern, and retro.

Cook, thanks so much!

Maybe what I really need to do is switch to decaf and call it a day. Thanks everyone for all of the extremely well-received and good advice. I'll be back when we tackle the kitchen (cavelike 8 x 12 galley with old steel cabinets and a Home Depot laminate countertop that is NOT glued down. Someone spray-painted the cabinets brown at one point thinking "hey, they'll never know these aren't wood!")

Here’s a website for you to dive into. There is a huge movement around saving good quality vintage kitchens and baths. Many people only wish they had metal cabinets! They try to buy old ones and refurbish. i think you are lucky to already have a lot of what people really love.

https://retrorenovation.com/ 

Here’s one of their feature stories on a lucky homeowner. https://retrorenovation.com/2019/01/29/mosaic-bathroom-tiles-3-designs-1962-house/

And someone else deliberately recreating a lot of what you already have. https://retrorenovation.com/2014/09/25/aqua-black-tile-bathroom/ 

I think your house is adorable. With the colors you already have going on on the front door and the neutral hardwoods, I feel like you could do something more fun and in keeping with the blue tile, like those ones Laura Mac suggested. Is it at all possible to return the marble? Lots of suggestions that it may be difficult to clean/porous. Keep it white or just have one solid accent wall without a bunch of borders and stilettos.

Palo Alto Eichler Residence · More Info

Okay - NOT the penny floor tile on this one, but even the squares look okay in this application.

Fun Condo · More Info

I know - still sort of hexagon but a little different

Rosenwald House · More Info

One small accent wall in a single color - all else white.

We just redid our powder bath with the Godmorgan floating vanity from IKEA. Reasonably priced, and the faucet kit and sink include all necessary hardware/piping.

A muted blue green tile would be fine for resale if you change your mind about using the marble floor tile. What's likely to be untrendy in a few years is IMHO high contrast grout used with subway tiles. White grout with white tiles is a classic that will go with your marble floor tiles. You can colorize the room with a fantastic wallpaper.

Modern Bedroom · More Info

Guys, she's made clear that the tile has to go. Quit telling her you want her to keep it.

If you love the marble, then build something simple around that. You can't really stay eclectic and "buck the subway tile trend" while still keeping it in good shape for sale in the next few years. Do a white or a pale gray that matches the tones from the marble -- you might even be able to get a large-format gray tile from the ubiquitous cement-look family that would fit the bill. Then you can do the shower walls with the large tile (vertical to make the math work), and put the marble in a niche. (I think I'm getting that you have just a tub/shower combo; otherwise you can use the marble for the shower floor too.

I recently did a kitchen with a great pale-gray tile from a Big Box Store that I really love:

I think that could work beautifully with marble accents (and white, gray, or marble vanity counter) while being both classical and updated enough for near-term buyers...

Red Brick Rehab outtakes · More Info

White is always a classic, of course, but you'll need to be vigilant about the grout.

It is a nice lilac, lavender. I wanted a gray/purple. I can't tell you the color because my husband picked it up and had it mixed. I had picked a darker color but The person that mixed it mixed it lighter and told him if I didn't like it, it could go darker. Just a word of warning. DO NOT go green in a bathroom. Before this remodel I tried doing a vintage green twice.. never again. It made you look sick in the mirror, I hated it. The purple is because I still wanted to use some of the green accessories I had

Very interesting!! I'm curiuos to see how your bathroom works out!!

OP just said "This is what I want to try not to end up with: builder's grade farmhouse"

jpp221 BTW, sealer does nothing to prevent marble from etching from urine. Anything acidic is going to etch. sealer or not. Sealer only buys you time to clean off a stain.

Liza, I like your blue glass tile idea. what if you did your larger format tiles for the side walls, and did your stacked glass tiles on the longer, back wall? use a 4x12 size.

Lol jpp...boys will be boys. I hadn't thought of that, uhhh, aspect of marble floor ownership. We don't have kids, it's just the two of us, but the hubs could definitely do enough damage. Apm, you're spot on and my fallback floor tile plan is exactly what you suggested, 12x24 porcelain tiles in a kind of greige that resembles concrete. Today y tile guy said he has about 35 square feet of leftover glass and marble 1" mosaic in a pretty blue green palette, I can just have it if I like it. It's this:

I think it's kind of pretty, actually. A few folks suggested these colors and they'd certainly work with pale grayish cement-look tile and bright white companion tile. I could do the entire wall where the window is located from tub to ceiling, then do white stacked or vertical subway on the side walls. Schluter trim edges and a frameless hinged (at the wall) shower door. I'm thinking chrome for hardware.

Beth H., I agree with you on 4x12 or larger with white tile in the walls. I'm still wishing I could use 12x24 but it would only work vertically. I'm not a complete fan of that look but maybe I need to expand my design horizons. And I gotta tell ya, Houzzers, that I had no idea marble was such a pain. Why is it so popular and why is it considered to be a primo luxury finish? If it gets that groddy and beat up so easily, why do people oooh and ahhh all over it? I seriously had no clue that marble is actually a terrible idea for a bathroom. I know it's porous, etc. bu t thought some basic caution and cleaning would take care of the drawbacks.

Too bad you're gutting the bathroom. It's beautiful.

why do people oooh and ahhh all over it?

Lisa, because it's so pretty! lol. I have it on my floor. You just deal w/it. at least w/your basketweave you won't see the little defects that occur. If you do honed marble, the etching won't be as noticeable as it would on a polished.

On a shower I did for a client, I went w/a 4x12 white tile in a stacked pattern. It brings in more of modern vibe. I only did it on the side walls. This white would work w/your mosaic.

Or, get a light blue large glass subway and do the same. this looks like it would work w/the glass mosaic you got. You could do the entire back wall around the window w/the mosaic.

you could also get larger format glass tiles

But I'd prob stack those too. use the mosaic in your niche.

Then, I'd find an mcm style walnut dresser and turn it into a vanity. The warm wood tones w/your marble and the blues will look stunning. (paint the walls a crisp white).

or buy a floating vanity in the wood.

find a cabinet like this (below) on craigslist and modify it for plumbing. I've done this on a bathroom in our rental.

this is simple birch plywood made into slab doors/drawer fronts. easy.

Notice your large format glass tiles on the wall. This is probably a regular white glass. once installed, the white takes on a cool blue/green hue, so keep that in mind if you go w/white glass.

you could also do the wall behind the vanity in your mosaic. do the entire wall

Beth H. LOVE. Yes. This. And I'm definitely doing the stacked tile, I don't want offset. But the stacked math is gonna be hard. The bathtub in my gorgeous 60 year old bathroom is 58" long by 29" wide. Yup. Skinny tub. So the side wall space around the tub is 29 inches side, which means I can't do straight up 4x12 w/o cutting any of the tiles. I'll have to do 3 columns stacked of 4 x 10 (he'll have to cut, etc.) That would be fine and no problemo, but I'll be extending the tile from one of the tub walls all the way to the doorway wall (so it extends behind the vanity & sink). So...to keep it consistent...he'd have to cut all the tiles down to 4x10. It's such a waste and what a pain. I could conceivably extend the tile on the side walls to 36" and have a bit of overage, I could use the full width tiles w/o cutting it, but I don't know if an extra 7 inches of tile extending past the tub would look right. Not sure if that makes sense. Anyway, again...great suggestions all. And I had a personal come to jeebus re: the marble floor and I'm still sold on doing it. I really like the way it looks. It is, indeed, purty as hell. And I don't have kids. Wala!

You'll have to cut regardless. better to have larger pieces in the corner than slivers. (if you used a 2x8 or 3x9 tile, you'll only have 2-3" to place cut pieces) if you go w/the 12", you get 2 full at 24" (plus another 1/2" or so for grout joints, leaving you with a healthy 5" tile at the end) You could also do 3x9 tiles, start in the middle and work out both ways. you'll have two full tiles in the middle and 2-5" cut pieces on both ends. That might look better.

In that photo of the shower I did, those are shy of 12". we made the shower 32" but also brought out those end pieces because of the glass surround.

if you're doing a glass panel, you'll need to extend the tile out a little further.

Notice the cuts. they did what I suggested,,,start in the middle and work out both ways so you get equal cuts on the ends.

I am doing a glass panel, but it will be mounted to the wall where the tile will go from the tub surround wall all the way across the room (at 48" high, pretty much a long backsplash). So that's a good thing. And it sounds like my 4x12 tiles will still work. I wish I had more time, I found 12 x 36 tiles but they wouldn't arrive in time for us to use them. It would have been so cool to do it just one tile width stacked. I'll save that idea for the bathroom downstairs.

I don't love this particular tile, but it's kind of what I'm thinking I'll go far (minus the niches) in terms of tile design: mosaic back wall and white side walls, stacked.

yes,,basically these w/your stacked tiles on the shorter walls

I'm feeling better about this by the minute. It's not going to be my ideal forever home bathroom but it will be clean, bright and neutral.

I want to personally take a sledgehammer to the current pedestal sink (I wont! I promise!) I haven't ordered the vanity, yet. We need to see if we'll be able to move the loo or not. It's only 10 inches to center from the side of the tub, moving it over 5 inches to get it to code would put it right over a joist, we may need to move it further away so it's on the other side of the joist completely. Which I don't think I"m gonna like. Anyway...the difference between moving it or not is about 10 to 12" that I either will or will not have for the vanity. So I can't order until we know if the loo can be moved. I'm just going to get a big box store vanity, I looked at a couple and they're just fine, they have perfectly fine white, greige and lighter wood toned vanities.

Nell, my hubs is like "anything but a pedestal, including a horse trough if that's all you can find with our budget." He hates the pedestal and is jonesing for some countertop space. We are actually going to save the current pedestal, it's a nice Kohler in pristine condition somehow, we'll probably put it in the downstairs bathroom...which does not have a decent sink at all. Since we're demoing the overly large closet that's currently taking up too much real estate in the bathroom, my goal is to put in a 36" vanity and a ~21 inch matching linen cabinet. The current set up is a 24" pedestal and 36" closet. You could store coats in there. And small children. It's ridiculous because there is another big 'ol closet right outside the bathroom in the hallway. Anyway, I'm just glad the hubs has an opinion at all.

Lisa, I'd definitely not settle for 'on sale' tiles since your bathroom is fairly small. Love that small mosaic, but I don't consider it a match with the marble basketweave floor you posted in the beginning.... If you do the basketweave, then find the same carerra marble and do 4x12 or 6x12 (you can find 12x12 for cheap now and just have the guys cut in half).

I too have marble in my bathroom as do many, many people. It's gorgeous. It's not that hard to keep clean, etc.... And most marbles are less expensive that the pretty mosaics and glass, etc. And since it's just 2 of you, easy!

This might be neat for the floor with the mosaic. It''s a large format porcelain with a metallic overlay....(new). Kind of cement looking.. (I'd dying over the navy version of this, it's really different and so cool)

https://tilebar.com/angela-harris-inspira-light-silver-24x48-porcelain-tile.html

If you do use that pretty mosaic with. the blue (which I LOVE), and you want a porcelain floor, this one at Tilebar is a very nice matte faux-marble that doesn't have heavy veining, so it looks really natural (to me), and neutral. (not all faux-marble porcelain looks good....)

https://tilebar.com/belvedere-bianco-30x30-marble-look-porcelain-tile.html

And Floor & Decor got. a bunch of new Spa Glass tiles in. Love this in 12x24...and many other sizes.

https://www.flooranddecor.com/search?q=pure%20spa%20glass

Are you thinking of just one feature wall of the mosaic or all around?

Don't settle on hodge-podge, discounted mix and match. The bathroom is not that big. The labor is basically the same and it will be up for most likely another few decades.....

Can't wait to see what you decide!! So many gorgeous tiles it's quite mind-boggling. ;-)

And here's a large format VERSACE porcelain which is pretty, classic, simple...

https://tilebar.com/versace-rivestimenti-bianco-10x30-ceramic-tile.html

And on sale with a little texture...

https://tilebar.com/metropol-sensation-blanco-lappato-12x24-porcelain-tile.html

Sometimes people do something called "retro from scratch". That's when you do a totally new bathroom or kitchen, made with new, non-moldy materials, but meant to look like it came from the house's original era:

Daltile and American Olean still make 4 x 4 tiles in retro colors.

Aqua Glow

Add some glossy black border tiles, also from Daltile

"Retrospect" console sink from American Standard

floor tile in a traditional pattern like Daltile Octagon and Dot

retro lights from rejuvenation

Bradbury + Bradbury 1950s "Atomic Doodle" wallpaper

If you want a vanity that could be retro too.

Ronbow Sophie in Aged Oak

D Lawless midcentury collection beehive knobs

Kelli, I love that light/sconce. Very cool.

Welp, I let my hubs weigh in and we're going with a trendy version of retro tile and the ubiquitous white subway tile. That's what he liked. Fine. It's not expensive and I'll have to have fun with paint. Our tile guy wants us to consider doing the subway tile on a 90 degree angle with light gray grout and that's fine, too. Probably going to paint the ceiling black because why not. Here's the tile, the vanity light, the shower trim, the door, and the subway pattern. I'm looking at black vanities with carrera marble tops.

Here's the tile he picked:

I picked Delta Intrinsic faucets and bath fixtures in champagne bronze. We're getting a 15" wide toilet. Kohler Persuade.

Here's the vanity light we went with. George Kovac(s?)

Here's the (potential) wall tile pattern for the tub/shower surround.

I bought a frameless hinged tub/shower door.

And YES I want to paint the ceiling black (actually, daaaaark charcoal).

Still trying to figure out what I'll do for a mirror. It's a small bathroom, so I may just get a big medicine cabinet and create a frame for it. Not sure. I may also mess around with over the top wallpaper on the wall behind the sink and toilet (Phillip Jefferies vinyl grasscloth in a soft brushed gold or taupe....)

So. That's where we're at for now. It's not my dream bathroom but I can funk it up with artwork and I do love some dramatic black paint.

This is floating my boat a bit ;D Hubs says NOOOOOOoooOoooo!

Thanks everyone for all of your input!!!

excellent choices. love the black ceiling. think about doing a few walnut floating shelves for a little depth/warmth.

Yay! I'm digging the idea of working in some wood. I'm looking at black vanities, but also saw some great wood tones. I may work in some emerald green and taupe/gray as accent colors. Not sure. Here's the color scheme I like...color only. I won't do green tile (sigh...) I like the green/black/taupe/bright white thing.

I may go with super high gloss black, too. Just thinking about it...

I'm not saying you should keep your blue brick tile, but if I was you that's what I would do. I love the blue and it looks fantastic. Replacing the sink with a vanity or just a larger ledge to put things on would be helpful. Other than that staying true to the character of the house is important. I made a mistake with my bathroom model. though I love the way it turned out the style doesn't flow with the rest of the house. I have a modern cape cod and the bathroom looks more like a modern roman bath with marble and travertine.

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