I am sorry to say it is time to put the bath in a dumpster. A new floor, vanity and top, and really .........a new shower with more glass. By the time you do all these things, it is a GUT and replace.

Save money to do it right.

Those shower frames can be removed. We did the same in ours. Replace it with a nice shower curtain. So much easier upkeep. Is your floor vinyl? Hard to advise without knowing what it is. Many materials can be painted though so that could be an option. If you need more storage, consider a medicine cabinet. As for colour, going with blue's complement of orange could add some zing in this room. You can use the colour for towels and artwork. A light grey on the walls could work but greys are tricky. You'll want the lightest ones you can find, I think. I'd probably stick with white walls. Once you add some art, it'll look fine. Good luck and keep us posted!

Not sure the towel bars can be removed without damaging the tile, Kate E. Btw, those tiles are blue, blue, blue on my screen. Not teal at all. More like a strong baby blue, if that makes sense. :)

ETA: You might want to look at the retro renovation website to get inspiration how to decorate with vintage tile. I Googled retro blue and orange bathroom and found this pic which I thought looked cool. (Not keen on rug though.) The blue is lighter than yours though. ((Removable) wallpaper might be fun above the tile.)

Might be an interesting idea. Honestly, they don't offend me as is. I find they fade into the tile.

Here's an orange removable wallpaper that might be fun.

What you do really depends on your budget, time and energy. Also, is this your forever home or will you be selling in less than five years, etc. Lots of options exist for working with the existing tile (which looks to be in great shape!).

Thank you all for the input and wonderful ideas. The floor is terrazzo so the only way to wake them up would be to polish them. Just found that out after being on reddit all night.

I won’t be able to do anything ”fun” since it’s really my mom’s choice even though she doesn’t even use

As for budget wise we definitely can’t afford to remodel it anytime soon.

I will update with photo once done

Get a pro in to polish up the terrazzo and it should look brand new. I grew up in a house with terrazzo floors and once a year or so mom would have the floor guy come in. They always looked great afterwards. That is a super cool bathroom. I wouldn't kill it for the sake of the trend-o'-minute.

Terrazzo floors look fantastic (and cost a fortune)! (And are back to trending.) Yes, polish it up if you can. Will it be too slippery though?

The blue is such a fun lively color and current in decorating. Removing the tile would be a major mistake. But getting a new vanity and sink would really update the whole bath. I love terrazzo floors. Tan and blue I think beach. find a great picture for above the toilet and use it to choose wall, accessories and towel colors in the room. I like to have a different color towel for each person that uses the room.

"Dogs Play" Painting Print on Canvas by Tori Campisi · More Info

Calm Closure, Original, Painting · More Info

Large Abstract Painting on Canvas Modern Acrylic Skyline, 36x36, Blues, Gray · More Info

I love wallpaper and bold colors in a small bath. it wouldn't take much for your bath

Historic Henderson · More Info

Oh, this project looks perfect for a company like ours. If given the opportunity, we would demo the entire bathroom. See if their is room to expand. Then remove all the old school tiles and install modern natural stone ceramic tiles. Large tiles with a free standing shower and simple yet elegant vanity for storage/sink.

Here are a few ideas we found on the web. (do not own rights to the images)

Also, hiring a interior designer to select the accents of the cabinet handles, faucet, lighting, and even a painting in the bathroom would turn your bathroom into the best room in your house.

Its a very well maintained vintage bathroom. I would think twice before removinig that sink, or changing the towel bars. I would paint the vanity white. Make sure you sand it well, clean it well, and use a very good primer, and then cabinet paint. I would however, get the floors polished. They are beautiful. I would only clean the chrome on the shower, not remove it.

Here's a link for restoring those terrazzo floors. Make sure you get a non slip bath mat or rug on that floor once their done. Good luck, what a fun project!

https://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-polish-terrazzo-floors

Embracing the blue and adding fun art, and painting that vanity and the doors white, will go a long way to updating. If you're removing the mirror, try an in wall medicine cabinet if you have space/budget to allow for removing clutter from around the sink. I also like the idea of removing that shower door and adding a curtain. Enjoy and good luck.

Having trouble adding this photo, hope this link works.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/a-charles-goodman-midcentury-design-midcentury-bathroom-dc-metro-phvw-vp~6693503

Haha, Kate. Monitors and screens lie. :P

My Ngo, don't despair with your attempts at updating this space. The blue is not ugly at all and so what if it's vintage? It's in good condition. The important thing in a bathroom is that everything works. Everything else is gravy. With a bit of imagination and a few bucks, you can give this room your (mom's) personal spin. Cheryl Smith's beach vision makes sense with this blue and could easily be done on a small budget. If you need additional storage, add some bleached wood (or white) shelves above the toilet. I could easily see a blue and white striped shower curtain if you go with the beach "theme". Think cabanas. :)

Here's a link from retrorenovation on a late 50s blue and green American Standard bathroom. Green is another colour that pairs well with blue. You'd have to figure out which shade of green works best with your blue. Thinking some type of grass green, not a sage or grey green or anything as dark as forest green.

Btw, if you guys do replace the sink, don't just throw it out. Someone out there will want it. :) Looking forward to seeing pictures.

tartanmeup that 50's bathroom is amazing. So much can be done with this current blue tiled bath, really looking forward to final photos. And yeah Novel Remodeling, come on - the OP said no money for renovation, but guess they simply didn't read it or care.

Really looking forward to see a new look on this retro bath. Very fun, indeed!

Bowser24 the "more info" in green after the picture is a link to buy. I just did a houzz search of beach pictures.

So... I won‘t get to work on this bathroom any time soon. I‘m an adult living at home with my parents, by choice. We all try very hard to make my mother happy. That being said she’s been complaining about this old house. You know those people, the ones where nothing is ever good enough.

I will be working on the common bathroom that if anyone came over, that’s the one they would see. It one has vintage green tiles and green tub with a brown door and frames. I will be refinishing the tub in white. I want to paint the wood frame and door white but my mom thinks that’ll be too hard to maintain. I don’t want to argue with her but she has to choose between livening up the room or keeping it brown and dead.

Wish me luck. I’m getting started on the tub tomorrow. Will post before and after pics in here.

As for the terrazzo that is throughout the entire house and I think it’ll be one of the last things I’ll get done.

Ah, well, you tried to help and we got to use our imagination.

Good luck but what do you mean you'll get started on the tub tomorrow? You're refinishing it yourself? :/ Like any other vintage colour, green can work. Google for palette inspiration.

If you paint your wood trim and door using a semi-gloss finish, it won't be hard to maintain.

I used a cheap kit from Home Depot and painted our pink bathroom tub white many years ago. It's never really used as there's no shower, just a tub, and we don't take baths. It looked ok, sort of, for a few years but now it's turning kind of yellowish/off-white-ish and the white is peeling around the drain, etc.

I think a relative who stayed with us took a bath in it once. And the maid uses the tub faucet to fill buckets of water sometimes or to rinse the tub down because it collects dust. But yeah, looks terrible now. Glad we're finally going to rip and replace everything in that bathroom. (I took the pink wall tile down at the same time I did the tub sometime in the mid-2000s and the pink sink went away when we got a remnant countertop with undermount sink at another point. So it's too late to save the pink now, though everyone in the family to this day still refers to it as "the pink bathroom". I don't miss the pink though. It wasn't as nicely done as I've seen some retro bathrooms.)

Looking forward to getting a 66x32 Kohler Bellwether tub that we waited months and months for put in. Goodbye peeling yellowish-tinged tub.

Getting it done professionally is not in the budget right now. I’ve read the reviews for the diy kit and apparently the most important step is the prep work. The kit is not in stock at the home improvement stores near me so it’ll be about 2 weeks before I will actually get started.

Most of the walls in the common bathroom has green tiles and the tub is green also, but this tub has seen some life. Refinishing it in white would accent the tiles more I think and also gives the tub new life. I am going to try and do this myself.

You know kind of like showing my mom that you don’t need a million bucks for a home you’re proud of. But she doesn‘t have a vision for what she wants I think. We’ll start with the tub and see where it takes us. I’ll check in in a couple of weeks.

Kit comes in on 4/21

Sister visiting til 4/30

Work on tub on 4/31

Tub cured by 5/3

Just one question for you: are you sure your mom wants to do this? It's pretty obvious from the pic in your OP that she has taken great, loving care of her home for many years. It sounds from your post ten hours ago that she isn't sold on this, and it is her house, still. Also, people have warned you that this is always a mess as a DIY unless nobody is going to use that tub ever again.

I would hold off on this and just think it through a bit more before you rush in. A nice removable wallpaper in a tropical leaf pattern might be another, easier way to brighten up the green bathroom. There are plenty to choose from on spoonflower.

Have you tried ROG on the tub? It's expensive for a cleaner, but as a last resort it can do a lot to stave off a refinish. I've used it a few times and when all else fails, ROG and elbow grease can do a lot. Also, I've never done this, but a lot of people use car wax on the tub afterwards and buff it out a lot. They mostly say it helps make the tub shiny again, for a while anyway.

ETA I've lived before with a tub with a failing refinish job and it's not pleasant or pretty, and that was one that had been professionally done.

I'd love to see pics of the green bathroom. I've freshened one with baby blue tiles by scrubbing the tub and tile (tons of time and elbow grease), removed all caulk and most of the grout, re-grouted and caulked. I also replaced the floor, toilet and vanity. I think a good plan for your blue bath, when you are able, is to clean up the tile, add a white fabric shower curtain, have the floor polished, replace the vanity, faucet and light. Here is the one I restored.

I have two more bathrooms to tackle with old tile, one is off-white with gold speckles and the other with pink speckles. I'm thinking of covering the pink tile with wainscoting as it is in a powder room and the tile is part way up 3 walls. The gold speckles are subtle and I'll work with them as the room also has a shower stall I do not want to replace. The tile is in too good of shape to demo.

Sometimes change is hard. Have you tried showing your Mom pictures and getting her involved in the planning? Regarding the door and trim, you really shouldn't paint unless there is a plan for the whole house. Are all the doors and trim wood? Would love to see the green bathroom!

That's gorgeous btrix00! Great job. Btw, I love the idea of off-white tile with gold speckles. Bet it looks really cool. And who wouldn't love pink speckles? Lol Hope you'll share pics of both.

Well-maintained vintage tile need not be demolished. It's usually so well done.

@btrix00 what did you use for your floor? I love it! We have a 7' x 7' bathroom to remodel and I really want to use something like you have. Thank you for any information :)

My NGO, never once have I read of anyone having a good experience with do-it-yourself tub color change or surface refreshing. Most people who spend hundreds on having it professionally reglazed also say it does not last. You are not going to convince your mother about changing things in her house by doing a kit paint job on her classic green tub. It is her house. Do not change anything that she does not want to change. Just set your sights on fixing your own place up sometime in the future.