Although you didn’t mention it, one of your photos reminded me. I like the idea of glass shower doors in a small bathroom. We just did this in a tiny guest bathroom. It’s smaller than yours.

It feels so much bigger.

I don’t mind shower curtains, but I like to see them closed, not scrunched open to one side.

You certainly can do a niche but it will just be for you. Most people will not notice it if you keep a shower curtain.

I would get white tiles to match the tub. You can decide if you want a pattern, like herringbone, basic subway etc.

I would paint the walls SW Sea Salt or something similar. A spa color. You can use white towels, light gray, for accessories.

I love the ‘all white bathroom’ pic..the third pic you posted (including your present day bath pic) I think with the different colors veining thru you could switch up styles as the years go on, without needing to change tile. If you go with a pop of color, make sure you absolutely LOVE it..,bc style changes, and you don’t want to have to keep re tiling when the color/style looks ‘dated’. Maybe do an iridescent tile in the niches? You’ll get some cool colors, while at the same time remaining ‘neutral’

Thank you for this, I just looked up the SW sea salt and love the color! We typically keep the curtain closed (just opened it for the pic) and I have been back and forth on the glass door as well. If we keep the curtain we will definitely be changing it to a white or something nicer

I like glass shower screens instead of doors. I dislike niches in showers and never understand highlighting shampoo bottles. You do realize all that tile needs to be removed and all new water proofing done which could also mean removing and reinstalling the tub. I like to keep things simple and add the color in accessories that are simple to change . Get a shower caddy that hangs over the door or screen large format 12 x 24 tile in porxelain maybe gray to work with the floor the fewer grout lines the better . A fun piece of art and colors from it for towels and mat .Do the tile in a stacked pattern.

Nessdizzle - I agree with you on the color, we also will probably sell/move in 3-5 years so don't want to do anything to crazy that a buyer would gawk at!

Yeah then stick with neutral, I agree with Patricia on the stacked tile look..the bigger the tile, the less grout to deal with.

Do you have kids or are you planning on having kids in this house? If so, you might want to stick with a shower curtain. Bath time with kiddos would be more difficult with a glass shower door. Also consider the maintenance of a glass door. If you have hard water you'd need to squeegee it to prevent hard water buildup and etching on your glass.

Patricia, I like the idea of niche to add more space in the shower that doesn't pop out and take up room. Our entire place is very small and we are trying to add more spots for storage throughout. I definitely understand the distaste though. We plan on removing the tile but I did not know it could potentially be a bathtub issue so I'll clarify that with our tile guy - thank you!

kmachart - haha great thought- yes, we hope so!

I love tile accents--whether it's a stripe, a nook, or a wall. but I feel like they quickly become dated. I recommend all white, and then you can swap out the paint / accessories whenever you want.

My husband does tile for a living (owns his own busines) and he says your tub should be fine? Your installer will protect the tub, scrape/pop the old tile off, replace the hardy backer, then cement board wall, he will waterproof the seams and the lip to the tub (that’s already under the tile now) And then you’re ready for tile.

Also, maybe look into some recessed lighting in the shower? For added light.

We are going to add recessed lighting, I should have mentioned that! Thank you for asking your husband, that is good to know. Must be handy that he can just do all this for you guys!

Yes it is quite handy lol...except as the old saying goes ‘the cobblers kids have no shoes’ my house has been a never ending project for years! I’ve finally decided I’m done, and we now just bought a house in Florida lol.

Where your bathroom is so small, you could probably get away with redoing the floors very affordably. If you found a nice neutral ceramic tile at Lowe’s/Home Depot on clearance...I can’t see your installer charging too much to replace the floor. I know you said to save money, but tbh your floor is what stands out the most in your pic. Even over the old crappy wall tile.

Definitely do a niche, they are very useful and actually also create an illusion of a little more space in the shower. If you are doing a longer niche they will just re-support the framing in the wall and with a tub I find this is generally more efficient when you are using the shower and is visually pleasing.

I would recommend subway tile and as mentioned above, if you really like a specific accent tile you could place one in the niche but it's also a nice style (depending on the style of your home) to "picture frame" your shower valve and shower head area with the accent tile. Accent tiles in blue and green generally stand the test of time but glass tile can also put a date stamp on your remodel. Subway tile is classic and you can't go wrong with accents in the room instead of tile.

If you really love color, I would paint the vanity one of your favorite accent colors (even a navy would look nice) because it's a significant enough piece in the room to make a statement and you can repaint 5-10 years from now if you wanted to change up the bathroom a little.

The tub has a tile flange so it is fine to not remove the tub (especially if you are keeping the bathroom floor).

Overall, whichever route you choose it will end up looking clean and airy!

Your going to move in 3-5 years. Do simple white tile. Find a shower curtain you love. Paint the walls something that goes well with the shower curtain, get towels and bathmat that goes with the shower curtain. Save any additional money you would have spent on your next house.

I have bought simple wire racks and attached them above the shower rim to provide additional shelf space for shower sundries. It is nice having the things I need across from the shower spray.

Open wire shelves stay clean. - cost $30.00 - can hang your Loofah or back brush or what not from hooks attached to the shelves.

https://www.eastcoasthardware.com/5156193-closetmaid-tiered-storage-rack-802200.html?utm_campaign=google&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7Nj5BRCZARIsABwxDKLDtaE_F8bdRxqK55zZ2lp-BohkaVuXDdmlSNKvndvSHTXEUzt3uU0aAmjCEALw_wcB

We are re-doing our entire kitchen, the bathroom is sort of a 'as budget allows' but we are going to be using these floors for the kitchen (if the link doesn't work its floor&decor Travertini Bianco Porcelain Tile) . I'm guessing this is what you mean by neutral? I am a bit afraid to have our kitchen to similar to our bath if I do another neutral large square flooring in the bath, but I would like to redo them with something if I can find the right flooring for the right price

Here is what you need to think about. Whatever you spend on your renovations expect to get 1/2 of the money back when you sell your home. I am guessing this is a small starter home. Keep a close eye on the other homes in your neighborhood. Go see every open house, look at it as though you were going to buy it. Keep an eye on the list price, length of time it sits on the market and the sale price. You will notice that homes in a neighborhood sell at close to the same price per square foot as long as they are not in dire disrepair.

Since you only plan on being here 3-5 years think about the return on investment and the joy it will bring to you over that time span. If you spend $30,000.00 on your kitchen you will get a little better ROI - about 60% on kitchens so that means you will sell your house for $18,000 more than if you did nothing. The other 12k you have gifted to the next owner. $12 k over 4 years is $3k per year or $250.00 per month. Will the improvement bring you $250.00 worth of joy each month? Could that same money provide you with a bit more of a down payment on the next home or pay off your car and save you interest and make it easier to get a loan for the next house. Could you spend the money on nice furniture or art that you can take with you to your next home or give you the opportunity to travel somewhere together and enjoy some grand experience?

Home ownership costs. You have to make sure your home is well maintained and that things that need replaced get replaced, but don't overspend on a temporary dwelling.