skip to main content

Flooring Design Dilemma Bathrooms

Help with powder room tile

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Could we ask for opinions on our powder room floor in the basement? It’s a swirly Italian-like brown tile with a taupe grout. Our original plan was tp probably to lighten up Sherwin Williams crushed ice a little bit to paint the walls and then we were going to paint the existing vanity Coastal Blue from general finishes and put a white top on it. We were then thinking of using the venetian bronze faucet and mix it with a couple of satin brass fixtures elsewhere.

Originally, we thought about taking out the tile and putting in a wood like tile. The wife was thinking another shade of gray (I also entertained a traditional brown wood tile to add color outside of white/gray/black). However replacing the 30sq ft floor is not trivial and the question was if the current tile with the crushed ice (possibly 25% lighter) walls and a navy blue vanity with white countertop would work.

The phone really sharpens the contrast of the tile. I think it is a little less contrasty than the phone makes it out to be for what that’s worth. That brown isn’t as dark as the photo appears. Crushed Ice is on the outside walls.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

PRO
CDR Design, LLC
3 years ago
Hi.

-wood look tile is out of date and I cannot recommend it.

You have 2 choices

1) Keep the tile to save costs. If you keep the tile....no to the gray on the other wall. Paint the entire room a creamy white from the tile. No blue cabinet. Keep it very simple.

2) Change the flooring to a lighter tile and again, keep things light and bright.
Scott
Original Author
3 years ago
It seems like 50% of the tile around us in Maryland is wood look tile... What would be wrong with the navy in your scenario?
Related Discussions
Powder room vanity - help us pick our tiles/colour
Q
Comments (5)
We need something behind the wall mounted faucets. So it will be a block of accent tile. Looking at my samples - the right does seem to have some green. The left is a milky white with a few grey specks. DH likes the left but I think the pattern will be too busy with the counter.
...See More
Help choosing floor tile for small powder room
Q
Comments (6)
Even though I love the way the hex tile looks, with kids and durability being an issue, I'd pick a larger scale rectified tile (I think that's what it's called), meant for tiny little grout lines. I'd pick a medium tone tile with matching grout so it wouldn't look dirty, and there would be much less grout. Personally, I wouldn't put wood flooring into a small bathroom with little kids. I'd stick with tile.
...See More
Who says I can't have a shower in my powder room? (+ field tile help!)
Q
Comments (16)
ACM - treasure trove of new ideas. Binging on placement of grab bars and grab bars with double lives now! Many thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Also I have decided on a white subway tile for the shower walls with the handmade whooshy look to the texture. Finally to the silly question that isn’t silly at all - the room in the bottom right of the floor plan which is cut off - we planned it as a bedroom with a wall of reach in closets + a spread of wall between two windows big enough for a queen bed. For now, though, we will use it as a flex room = office den and guest room. We’ll have a built In desk situation in lieu of the closet, a pull out or at least very large couch in lieu of a bed, and a media spot for den life. So A less mobile guest could stay at our house a little more easily as a result of this planning. Not ADA but something. On our urban lot size around here, you would often find the equivalent of this space used for a formal (no doors) living room or an office too small to accommodate a closet or a substantial bed so these trades are significant nods to thinking ahead. Since I added a good 3-4 feet to the typical size of this front room, finding another 5 feet for an en suite bathroom would really push the boundaries of the available configurations. So nothing is perfect but I will have more rather than fewer options if and when the time comes. I’ve heard others complain of the lack of this type of first floor options in typical configurations around here so these small considerations may set us apart for future buyers as well. Thank you all!
...See More
5'x5' Powder Room/Simply White Walls - Pls help Floor Tile Style/Size
Q
Comments (4)
Thanks for pics and comments so far....here are some photos....tile styles and the powder room (current state). I agree re grout not fun to clean. That is one of the reasons I think I should choose something else...any ideas would be appreciated. So far we have looked at hexagon (the one pictured is Calacatta but we would go with oriental white), herringbone (oriental white is pictured) and the last tile pic with squares we kind of liked. Thoughts?
...See More
PRO
CDR Design, LLC
3 years ago
It is trendy in my opinion. I don't think a dark floor and a dark cabinet is a good idea. Also, choices made need to consider the rest of the house.
pricklypearcactus
3 years ago
In my opinion that flooring will not work well with gray, especially if you're also adding blue to the mix. If it were my room, I'd stick with a classic white painted vanity and white top.
Scott
Original Author
3 years ago
I would say in real life the floor is medium in intensity. It does come out darker (more contrasty) in the pictures.
Anna (6B/7A in MD)
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Pick a light color from the tile to use on the walls. As for the vanity, I like the creamy color currently there but navy could be interesting. Don’t do gray, especially not with that floor. I would paint a navy sample and set it in the space to see how it looks but it may be too dark in that room. I think the lighting could use some work. And paint all the walls the same color.

If you do replace the tiles, take the opportunity to install a heated floor. We did that in both bathrooms and I’ll never look back.
Scott
Original Author
3 years ago
The lighting is planned to be changed to 4000k, not 2700k which casts the yellow and is not flattering.
Scott
Original Author
3 years ago
Checking my SW fan, Believable Buff is the closest match to the light color in the tile, but at LRV 59 it isn't really all that light. Napery (LRV 74) is lighter than the tile but in the ballpark of the light tile tone.
Anna (6B/7A in MD)
3 years ago
I’d pick the color with the right lighting available.
Scott
Original Author
3 years ago
Anna, we have the right lighting in the room outside the powder room, so it helps picking colors because the tile is lit enough to see them well. The cast is very yellow in the pics, but when I turn the bathroom lights off, you can see the tile well by the door. I mentioned what matches via the SW color bundle, but I don't think they are light enough and we fear too much yellow because we just painted over yellow everywhere else!

If we choose a light cream for the walls, we are stuck with cabinet color. Unfortunately, we have already buffed the doors for painting, but we haven't painted yet.
Scott
Original Author
3 years ago
To go lighter, the SW card #261 is good fit for lighter colors that don't have a direct matching color. Aged White looks good on the card.

Related Stories

BATHROOM DESIGN Key Measurements to Help You Design a Powder Room

By Steven Corley Randel, Architect

Clearances, codes and coordination are critical in small spaces such as a powder room. Here’s what you should know

POWDER ROOMS Powder Room Patterns: 10 Pretty Looks With Penny Tiles

By Bryan Anthony

Make your powder room as pretty as a penny with these popular small tiles

TRENDING NOW 11 of Our Most Popular New Powder Rooms — From White Tile to Wild

By Gwendolyn Purdom

Houzzers’ most-saved recent powder room photos showcase a spectrum of thoughtful wall treatments

BATHROOM MAKEOVERS Room of the Day: A Fresh Take on Classic Style for a Powder Room

By Jeannie Matteucci

A better floor plan and tiles in a striking chevron pattern help update a California bathroom with timeless appeal

POWDER ROOMS Room of the Day: Drab Toilet Closet Now a Dramatic Powder Room

By Mitchell Parker

Moving a wall, reconfiguring the layout and adding graphic wallpaper help turn a former water closet into a functional space

BATHROOM MAKEOVERS Room of the Day: Pattern-Happy Powder Room With Secret Storage

By Mitchell Parker

An open vanity and recessed storage maximize space in a tiny cottage bathroom

COLOR Color Palette Extravaganza: Room-by-Room Help for Your Paint Picks

By Vanessa Brunner

Take the guesswork out of choosing paint colors with these conveniently collected links to well-considered interior palettes

REMODELING GUIDES Room of the Day: Antiques Help a Dining Room Grow Up

By Becky Harris

Artfully distressed pieces and elegant colors take a formerly child-focused space into sophisticated territory

HOUZZ TV LIVE Peek Inside a Designer’s Eclectic Dining Room and Powder Room

By Mitchell Parker

In this video, Jules Duffy talks about converting a garage into a dining space and creating a powder room ‘experience’

BEFORE AND AFTERS See a DIY Powder Room Transformation for $1,100

By Mitchell Parker

Determination, DIY skill and a stunning tile feature wall helped make this formerly dark and gloomy powder room feel spacious

Sponsored

More Discussions

SOS: need urgently 2 1/4"unfinished red oak with bevel

15

Help with floor colors

4

What should I do with these floors?

4

Covering existing wood floors?

3

Adding porcelain tiles on existing tiled heated floor: yay or nay?

7