I would cover the red with a gray tinted primer before you make a color choice. All that red is going to skew how the samples look.

Yes Mary, no windows. Unless you count the painted on one that has a view to the meadow 😂

I would jump start your remodel by priming everything white. And then work on paint color selections. Honestly, while there are a lot of people who love Sea Salt...it was incredibly GREEN in my north facing bathroom. And made ME look green. You have nothing but artificial light in your room, so you will have to work hard at finding a color that you like and that works. Lighting will be your most important selection. Small bathrooms can be a lot of fun to renovate/refresh. Have fun! And yes, it is time for a change!

Does anyone have suggestions on light fixtures?

Is the faux window hand painted or is it a mural applied like wallpaper?

Sorry you got caught by the previous owner's need to follow the fads. For some unknown reason there was the idea if you paint a room the size of a closet a super dark color it won' t look like a cave! They were WRONG!! Painting walls is a super easy DIY. The cabinet and sink are fine, taller cabinets are nice but if you start messing you might find the flooring has to be changed....it can be quite a series you get yourself into. Light fixtures are also an easy DIY...screws and a couple of electric wires...BUT I bet the fixture will leave an outline so you might have some wall repair to do if you choose something that is not the same or larger outline. Paint and move on is your easiest/quickest/least stress and will get you what you originally wanted-a room that is not a cave!!

Cori, what is the style of the rest of your home? What kinds of looks do you like? A lot can be accomplished on a budget. In fact, it is sometimes a fun challenged to get a fabulous look at bargain prices. What colors do you like? Do you like wall paper? Who will use the powder room? You can splash out and go really wild in there...in a good way! Or you can make it funky and fun, too. Give us some ideas of your style and I am sure that many will jump in to help with this fun project!

Ptreckel - we have no style!! The rest of the house is basic 1990s development house (orange-ish oak cabinets throughout the house, basic countertops, etc). I posted previously about updating the kitchen but we decided to wait until we are ready to do the big Reno. So we’re looking for little projects to do while we save up for that.

In the past we’ve been paying off debt so our style was scrounge up the cheapest furniture possible and rent. Now that we own a home we’re excited to upgrade and make it our own but we literally have zero style and just cheap furniture everywhere. We also have 4 kids 7 and under so functional storage is best!! I wouldn’t mind painting the cabinets a dark color (maybe navy) and walls a light color but I don’t know if maybe the dark would clash with the tan countertop which I don’t want to replace because I don’t want to spend a ton of money.

I think I love clean lines rather than distressed. I love like a classic look. Two pictures I posted. I don’t like that dark color for the small bath, just wanted to show an idea of style.

I think the blue would be fine with your counter, but pick a warm blue. I spray painted my builder grade vanity and it came out great. I did remove it and do it outside though.

Then again, D'arcy maybe for the previous owners it wasn't a fad, but what they really liked: Sorry you got caught by the previous owner's need to follow the fads. For some unknown reason there was the idea if you paint a room the size of a closet a super dark color it won' t look like a cave! They were WRONG!! Painting walls is a super easy DIY.

At any rate, current owners don't. I do agree prime all the paint areas a white color, leave the wood natural, and then decide.

I’m going to get some primer this weekend, paint all the walls and decide from some samples from there. Then I can decide whether or not the cabinets need to be painted or if I’m okay with them for now. I’ll post some pictures of the samples and see what you guys think. I will DEFINITELY need help with picking a light fixture.

I also would like to stay with the brushed nickel hand towel and toilet paper holders rather than switching everything to brass so I want to pick colors that will match those.

Is the mural above the toilet painted or a stick one?

Run your hand over the mural with out looking at it. If you feel any bumps at all, then priming is not enough. You will need to do additional prep work.

It’s definitely some weird wallpaper thing. I plan to wet and scrape it before painting

A framed mirror would definitely help update your bathroom. But if you don't want to replace your mirror at this point, you can add a frame to your existing mirror instead. Either one would make a big difference!

Since you have small children, having a lower vanity isn’t a problem! The suggestion to frame out your mirror is an excellent one, and won’t cost a lot. It might even cover some of the possible damage left by your lighting bar when you replace it. I could see you doing a fun powder room for use by your children and guests with minimal cost involved. Lights like these might work to update the room. (They come in lots of colors) And a great piece of art over your toilet would add some of your personality to the room.

Can someone tell me if LED lights will make our bathroom look ridiculous? My husband says he voted for LED lighting but I can’t find any cute dome lights. They’re all super industrial looking. I hope that’s the right word for it. Is there somewhere I can get an LED bathroom fixtures that are nice looking?

Cori, dilute some fabric softener with water in a sprayer (you will have to look up the proportions) and spray it on the wallpaper to saturate it. Let it set and scrape it off. It may take a few applications. Be sure to remove any glue and fix anything that feels different from the wall around it. Remember that a smooth spot will give off a different sheen once the paint is on it You want to try for the same texture as the wall.

Thank you, Nancy! I did get it finished and all of the wall texture is consistent. Filled a few holes and putting the primer on after movie night with the kids. 😁 I will definitely remember that suggestion if I ever have a bigger area to do. It was not fun!!

Ok, so I brought home samples and had some dark and light colors. I liked the darker color a lot better but now I’m thinking it’s wayyyyy too dark. Thoughts?

The color is much more modern than the previous one but, it looks a little muddy in the picture. You could try changing out the bulbs to see if that changes the undertones.

Deegw. Here’s another picture. I’m not sure what muddy means and google is not helping. Seems like I need some sort of degree to understand the articles I found haha. Is it something you can explain in layman’s terms?

In the picture the paint is wet on top and dryer on the bottom. What kind of lighting would make it less muddy? The lights are super bright in there now (just left them to paint the majority of the bathroom before we took the fixture out). Would you suggest something softer?

Forgot to attach!

Muddy just means it has a mix of colors and the primary color is muted because of it. Your second photo looks more like a true gray but now your trim looks yellow/cream. Is that how it looks in person?

Yes slightly. Also slightly dirty. I’m painting it white though so that shouldn’t be a problem.

Will you be changing out the vanity top or are you leaving it? It, too, has a cream color to it. Your lighting is probably contributing to the distortion of color.

That’s what I was saying originally - that I thought the countertop would clash. I didn’t really want to change it but I think I might have to 😩

I am probably just going to get something cheap like this and replace it.

Not a bad thought. At least at this point. While at Home Depot, check out their lights, too. You can find reasonably priced, attractive light fixtures there, too.

Do you have a suggestion on lighting? I’m so afraid to pick anything 😂

Are you framing your mirror or leaving it as/is? You currently have a four bulb fixture. I would advise against anything with Edison bulbs or visible filament bulbs. Are you going with chrome or brushed nickel faucets, etc. I had recommended a cute fixture, above, that I think might look good in your room, but I don’t know your style. Modern? Traditional? The choices are amazing. And can be overwhelming.

I am framing it. I think I’m afraid of color!! 😳

My style is very grey. In what I wear, what I buy, etc.

The faucet is chrome, the hand towel and toilet paper holders are brushed nickel. It will remain that way to keep cost to a minimum. They are close enough that I’m not super worried about it. I guess the light figure should be chrome to match the faucet?

I like these but I think this what be what you mean by don’t go with anything with visible filament bulbs.

@ptreckel good to know your experience with Sea Salt, i was considering it in my north-facing small bathroom (single window) but after hearing your experience i'll definitely be critical in my evaluation! What di dyou end up going with?

Looks like a nice sink. Don't forget to add in the cost of the sidesplash, new faucet and drain assembly, plumbers putty, and caulk. Probably also new under sink plumbing depending on the condition of what is there. We always found we also had to replace the shut off valves as they no longer worked (so x2) along with the water lines (x2) and sometimes the p-trap and plumbing pipe. It is amazing how you start to change one thing and it all snowballs.

You'll probably want to put some pull handles on the vanity which will make it look more modern.

It can be alot easier to pick a paint color that goes with the existing sink and faucet if they are in good shape.

Forgot to mention the cost to have the old sink hauled away if you can't put it in your trash (depends on your hauler if they will take it). Bagsters always sound good until it turns out they cost $150 after haulaway is added in. They never show you the cost when you buy one.

I moved more towards a faint blue green gray. I can’t be specific with the color because...my wonderful painter actually custom mixed my color on site after the Sea Salt fail! We started with Sea Salt and added to it. We put it on two white primed walls. The north facing window wall so that we saw the color with light behind it. And then on the wall directly opposite the window, with the light ON it. Since my walls are tiled half way up (white subway), it wasn’t a huge paint job. I have a white ceiling, sconces on either side of my mirror, and a light recessed over my (white tiled) tub. So...all the white helps off set the color, too. I hope this makes sense! But...I don’t have a custom color on my walls! Good luck!

Yeah the problem was that not everything was going to match no matter what. I might finish everything and then see if the counter looks terrible. It probably will but I’ll try everything else first haha.

Cori, the first of the three might work as the bulb is covered with frosted glass...so the filament doesn’t show. (The filaments can make a harsh light, especially in a bathroom.). Note, you can also hang that light the other way, with the glass facing down.

Chrome would look great! And yes, because it is right above your faucet, it will tie it together.

Anything you get face the glass down if you can. Otherwise you will be pulling the glass off to dust it and clean out dead bugs. Here we get moth carcasses and they show through the glass.

Ok. I guess I should also decide on what I’m going to do with the mirror. 🤔 I saw some options but it also intimidates me.

Actually, given your direction with color, etc. you might just leave the mirror alone. It looks contemporary without a frame. Instead, I would think about a large, colorful piece of art that can be hung on the wall between the toilet and sink area. It needn’t be expensive. A fun, colorful poster, framed in either chrome or brushed metal.

I like that idea much better!!! 😂 the less I have to do the better.

I agree on leaving the mirror. If you use adhesive to glue a frame to it over time anything you use to clean the mirror will drip down to the adhesive and dissolve it and create buildup that is visible between the mirror and the frame which you can see but can't clean as it will be down in the crack between the two. A mirror set in a frame has a much closer fit and is usually mechanically attached to the wall and the frame. Also a frame is just one more thing to dust/clean when you clean that bathroom. Your existing mirror is clean and modern.

Seriously.... finish your walls. Consider a new lighting fixture. Wait on the sink, etc. Step back...and assess. A throw rug could add some color. Fresh hand towel in white or a bright fun color? I would have some fun with art. And cue a color off that for your towels, rug, and a footstool for the kids?

Thank you!! I’m a mess trying to figure this all out and making it way more complicated than it has to be even though I’m sure anything would have been better than the red with the fake window to the meadow, haha. I painted the ceiling white just now (which was also red) and that alone made it so much brighter.

It already looks much better! Give yourself credit!

Lighting changed the color completely!! 😳 It looks so much lighter and almost light blue. Painting the trim - can really see the difference. And trying to paint the sink before replacing 😬. We’ll see!! With the red light is the color before.