IMO bathrooms are one space where you either gut or leave and in this case leave it . Better lighting for sure I like LED 4000K . That tub IMO will need to be repaced if you love a tub . That one way too shallow to use for bathing . So wait until you can do it all. It looks fine to me right now I do not understand all the art work hung where you cannot enjoy ist so that IMO needs to go somewhere else .

What you're describing is a complete renovation. Don't do it piecemeal--devise a plan and save up for a gut job done by a professional. A good pro could redo that bathroom in under 2 weeks, assuming all the materials are on site before demo begins, and no unforeseen problems pop up.

Do all the fixtures work? Is the plumbing very old? Any leaks? Is the lighting sufficient? Are there enough electrical outlets? Do you have any other full bathrooms in the house? How long do you plan to stay? Who are the users of this bathroom? What is your goal and budget? All this needs to be considered before you take a hammer to anything.

There is no way to do what you're describing piecemeal, and as the other commenters said, this really isn't a bad bathroom. We see much worse before pictures on this forum regularly. I am happy for Diana if she has experienced two week bathroom remodels. 4-5 weeks is a more realistic time frame in my experience, but in any case, if you have other things to do with your money then just leave it alone except for the vanity top and faucet. I do find the older, lower vanities to be annoying, so I would consider is replacing the vanity if it is below the current standard height and you don't have children using it. A white one would look great in that room.

I never used to be a fan of the acrylic tub surrounds until I bought a house with one. In a secondary bathroom there is nothing wrong with a good quality one and they're easy to clean. The one you have looks nice, not cheap. Does it not look that good up close? While the floor may not be what you would have chosen, it looks relatively new and gray does hide a multitude of sins.

You can "redecorate" a bathroom but once you change the tub/shower and want a tiled shower, you are then essentially dealing with a gut renovation because that would be the most costly and invasive portion of the job and most people wouldn't want to be forced to make design choices based on what they leave.

As others have said there are certain elements that can be changed easily which people do all the time

Change sconces - change over head lighting

Change faucets

Paint vanity which is a bit easier than painting kitchen cabinets because of the scope of the project

Change counter

Change shower curtain to something more decorative

Change toilet

Change flooring

Paint and/or wallpaper

Change artwork - in your bathroom all of those black and white photos are a bit all over the place

Get beautiful new towels

What do you mean be piecemeal here? As in you want to do one thing at a time in succession instead of all at once? Or are you planning on staggering it out as you can afford each project or something?

If the former, maybe do the shower tile first, then your flooring and vanity- you need to plan your flooring for your vanity footprint. Fixtures and mirror if you are replacing that can be installed last. Your painting of the room will likely be easier if you do it before the fixtures are installed rather than painting around them. If you plan on staggering it out, think twice. Sometimes projects can stall out that way.

I agree the flooring should stay. It's a nice slate-look tile that actually works great with the vantiy. I''d replace the counter with a real sink and new top. Then get a black and white patterned tile for the shower/tub surround. Here are a few inspo photo with similar looks:

Kirkland Remodel · More Info

North Haven · More Info

Lanshell Way · More Info

There's a lot to like about this bathroom and I like the artwork.

You're talking about aesthetic updates, no major plumbing or structure, so it's totally possible to replace these items one-by-one. But there could be points where it looks worse before it looks better. Your question was mainly about the order to do things and what to consider.

The vanity could be improved by a good paint job and new hardware. I agree with @Kilroy about just replacing the countertop/sink and faucet. If there are other reasons to get rid of the vanity (like damage we can't see or you really hate it), I would do this before the floors. The footprint of the new vanity will be different, so you need to be able to match that.

For the sink, you need to know what kind of faucet you're using before you have a counter cut (how many holes? what's the placement, etc.).

The light fixture you can replace at any time. But I'd wait until after doing the vanity/counter, etc. With changes in size or style, you might end up wanting a new mirror and that could affect size and placement of the light fixture.

Shower heads are pretty universal, so you can do that anytime. Because changing the surround to tile might change the depth of the bath & shower faucet fittings, I'd wait to do that until the time you do the shower surround.

The shower surround is the biggest job and the one most likely to reveal things you didn't want to know about (old damage, slow leaks) that will also need fixing. Those panels are probably glued to the drywall, so all that has to come out, new water resistant board goes in, water proofing, tile, etc.

I hear you!

Replace bath panels with tile.

I would do this first. Consider glass frameless shower doors as well.

Replace 1997 oak vanity. This next along with the countertop.

Replace all fixtures.

Replace tile flooring. Match the new flooring with the new shower tile.

I agree with what everyone else is saying. I can only add that I would LOOOOOVE to have acrylic walls for a shower. No leaks, easy cleaning, and yours are white. How wonderful! Your flooring is gorgeous, practical and neutral! You have a great backdrop.

With a tub-shower combo, I'm a big fan of shower curtains. They are easy to change out and throw in the washing machine, and they're very practical. Sliding doors over the tub mean you can only access one side of the tub or the other, and you'll have a lifetime of keeping water spots (and worse, if you have hard water) off of the glass. You're never going to get that "gorgeous glass shower" effect when the glass is on top of the tub anyway... (imho). So embrace the shower curtain! Bathtub shower combos are great place to wash a dog or a young kid, and yours is already in place.

A designer I really admire for her practicality and attention to "timeless neutrals" for your hard-finish surfaces, is Maria Killam. You may want to go check out her Top 10 Ways to Screw Up your Remodel, which I think is a series she has on Instagram. It might make you appreciate your floor and tub/shower.

I am not sure that folks know what it is that you want to do. A lot of the answers are assuming you want to take out the tub, which could also fall under the ”replace all fixtures” part of your list. I read it to say you want to replace the solid walls with tile, keeping the tub. Can you clarify?

Did the people who put in the dark gray flooring actually leave the old flooring next to the toilet, under the vanity? When I blow up your first picture, that is what grabs me! I would want to replace the gray anyway, being old, a person who uses powder sometimes, and not appreciating gray like younger folks do. Since the old flooring is under the vanity, it seems to me that your have to do the floor and vanity at the same time. This is how I would do things:

1. Shower walls and glass door. When you buy the shower plumbing fixtures, buy the vanity faucet, too. Who knows if the same model will be available for phase 2? Replace light above shower with a simple puck light. Add an automatic bath fan.
2. Floor and vanity, but if you are moving the lighting, do the electrical work while the vanity is out. Maybe add a plug to the other side of vanity or down low by the toilet for a bidet seat.

The shower walls are much better as a solid wall system. Grout gets mildew easily and solid walls are so much easier to clean. Walls do not have to be fiberglass that dulls and scratches. Look at Swanstone or Transolid walls that come in stone patterns, colors, or even subway tile raised patterns. Almost no cleaning is needed for them and you do not have to do the waterproofing that is needed before you tile. They might even be installed over the walls you have.

You can have the electrician in once and have them do the new electrical plug when they do the bath fan and bath lighting, if you are not moving the vanity lights. If you can find one rated for wet areas, you may be able to put a fan/light combo in the place of the tub light.

Is It a primary or secondary bath? It would be a little odd in 1997 to have a primary suite with a tub/shower ( no separation )

Which means if you're after a shower versus that tub shower combo......I'd call it a gut. No to the piecemeal, and not diy at all.

Is it for kids? Then paint is the easy answer along with any hardware selections, unless the tub shower acrylic is worn, or leaking.

Post an inspo of what you're after.

Much depends whether it is time, money or both that makes you consider "piecemeal"

I agree with others who say the floor is great. What look are you hoping to achieve?