You've most likely painted by now. But if you haven't, just try out your Blonde paint in there, since you probably still have a partial can sitting around. Doesn't cost anything but a little time to try it. I kinda think you'll need something a bit different to go with the light grey. I wanted desperately to go with Restoration Hardware Cappuccino or Flax in my bath. But even though anything with gold tones clashed with my beige/taupe tile, the Cappuccino was too off and the Flax too dark. Take a look at their website to see if one of those types of colors would work for you. I would do a white terry shower curtain with a greyed brown wall color, and towels in the flax or mocha tones in there. Red

I have an update and would love to get some feedback before I order the final accessories. (Demo begins one week from today!) I got a quote for replacing the vanity with white cabinetry complete with a sitting area, plus hardwiring of sconces. The costs all added up to too much for me, so I'm sticking with my vanity and overhead lighting location. I feel great about my choices for tile, bath tub, paint, and fixtures. My worry is that all the little accessory details won't quite work together, diminishing the beauty of the bathroom as a whole. I need to buy the accessories soon; here's what I have in mind. With overhead lighting instead of sconces, I prefer one large mirror. The mirror is by Pottery Barn, a wooden frame with gold gilt, 72" x 36". Perfect size for the space, very very very hard to find. This is technically a floor-length mirror, so I hope it can be mounted horizontally! PB customer service was useless when asked. The lights are also PB, polished nickel. For practical reasons, I ruled out any overhead lights that take type B bulbs (too dim) and have fabric shades (too hard to clean). As a big plus, these are on sale for $170 each. Do they go with the mirror and the rest of the room? Chandelier is PB, 18" diameter, antique brass, UL-listed. This will be over the tub on a dimmer. It was hard to find a chandy that's not too big, ornate, and/or expensive. Knobs and pulls are glass and polished nickel from Restoration Hardware. Towel ring, TP roll, and hook are Ballard Design in polished nickel. Fabric for the roman shade is gray on cream linen. Shower bench is Signature Hardware in teak. I hope this will help tie in the wood of the vanity with the other side of the room. Towel warmer is polished stainless steel (no nickel option) from Signature Hardware. If anything doesn't quite mesh or looks wrong, I would love to hear, as well as any suggestions for alternatives!

OK...first things first. Water based finishes (not oil modified = cheaper) do NOT amber over time. White oak has a history of TANNIN PULL when water based finishes have been used. White Oak tannin pull = light yellow+ green tints. The 'guy' who left his wood 'natural' used an oil based finish. I guarantee it. In the wood flooring industry the word 'natural' means "no stain + oil based finish". That is the 'natural look' of wood that 98.97% of wood professionals BELIEVE to be 'natural'. What you are describing is, in the wood industry, referred to as 'raw'. Which would work PERFECTLY with your wood flooring. Sadly, the words you used (not your fault...just the way you described raw looking wood as natural) are not the words used in the wood industry. The issue is the YELLOW. The 'ambering' is coming from oil based (aka. solvent based finishes that STINK to high-heaven) products. A full-on water based finish will NEVER amber. A WOOD WORKER will know this. A painter will not. Lacquer is a way of saying oil based. Oil based turns orange all by itself. The painter, by saying 'lacquer' is saying 'oil based' will not turn yellow. Which is completely false. Sorry but it is the truth (assuming the lacquer is an oil based finish). In short, you can have this redone by using a wood professional who KNOWS what the look is that you are after. They will need to know you WANT water based finishes (not oil, not oil modified) used. You WANT a sealant used to PREVENT tannin pull on white oak. You will pay for all of these high-end products and the cost of the redo. It is entirely possible to get this done using a wood working or a WOOD flooring professional (flooring guys HATE stairs...as in HATE being to soft a word...). My question becomes: why is a painter refinishing stairs? It is considered WELL outside their job description (despite their protests to the contrary!).

As someone who moved into a home with a bathroom with stark white countertops (thankfully not in our primary bath), I think they aren't used as often because they show every smudge of toothpaste, hair clippings, mascara, etc - and your eye goes right to the mess. It's enough to drive you bonkers. At least with a little veining or movement, it distracts from the normal everyday stuff and prevents you from wiping the countertop multiple times each day. I've put in marble countertops in otherwise neutral or B&W baths before - it's actually a pretty traditional/classic look. I do like where you're going with putting some wood in there - it will add some nice warmth. Also, I think some places (although not Pottery Barn perhaps) allow you to order the vanity with no top. If you find one that is otherwise perfect, check the item options to see if that's a possibility. I'm very anti the afterthought 4 inch backsplash piece that comes with most vanities (I prefer to tile behind the sink), so I have taken that route in the past. That said, I would second the suggestion to consult with a custom cabinet maker (especially if the only thing stopping you is sample sizes - I'd imagine they could give you an entire drawer front if you really needed it!). The price is often negligible, and it provides you with more control over the numerous options that are clearly very important to you (I say that in solidarity as someone who is known for refusal to accept limited options!). The other benefit of going custom is sizing - a custom cabinet maker can build a unit to any width, so you can maximize the storage and counters to your space. They could also give you the two drawer/open shelf combination you're describing (although keep in mind those drawers may be limited to allow for plumbing for the sink). Another random source is Etsy - there are a few sellers who make vanities out of repurposed cabinets that might appeal to you. Check out CuratedHavenDesigns (I've had their "ornate bathroom vanity" listing saved for a while now - if only I had somewhere to put it).