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Need help redesigning a green bathroom

last year

We just moved into a new house and are hoping to make this half bathroom look more modern without doing any major renovations. Looking for any DIY suggestions on how to redesign this space. Pictures would be great if you have them. Thanks in advance!

Comments (28)

  • last year

    Congrats on the new house--and I love your bathroom! I'd deep clean the grout on the floor (and maybe go over it with a grout brightener--Mapei makes one that I've read good things about). Replace the mirror with something like the West Elm Seamless medicine cabinet--modern style, but also fits nicely in a period space (and there are dupes out there for under $100; doesn't need to be WE specifically, just an easy reference point). Recess it if you can. Replace the vent cover if you can find one the right size, and replace the dimmer with a modern switch. All easy DIY. Maybe paint the wall above the tile white if you want to lighten the feel of the space (we did a new bathroom with tile that color and found BM Swiss Coffee was a good fit for it--white with barely noticeable green undertones that works well with minty greens). I'd leave the towel bar, but you could consider replacing the rod with a chrome rod (or whatever metal finish you want to use--would be great to try to match finish on the vent cover too). I'm torn on the lights--the space will always look retro if you leave them, but I kind of love them! If you do swap them out, for sure save the fixture. I think you could leave them if you get the right mirror/medicine cabinet there, too.

    I agree about removing the white cabinet. I think there are better ways to get storage in the space if you need it. I also don't love the sink--it doesn't seem to fit the rest of the room--but if you're on a budget, it looks perfectly functional. If you do replace it, I'd look for a pedestal sink with a rectangular basin with more of a ledge to set things on, and an Art Deco vibe.

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  • PRO
    last year
    last modified: last year

    IMO first change the lighting that is so dated and really offers poor lighting. Get a nice LED bath bar for ease of install over the original electrical . I think white is the logical answer to get some relief from all the green So the walls not tiled painted a nice white some art on a wall above the toilet remove the wall cabinets and then see what is really bugging you. I think a small vanity in white would be better than the pedesatl and is this a pweder room type bathroom or a 1/2 bath used by a bedroom? lease those light fictures have been dead and gone for a very long time just add yours to the pile at the dump nothing retro about it .I think if a PR then have a bit of fun maybe wallpaper with just a bit of the green maybe like this . Hard to advise with no real idea of your style or the use for the bathroom Post some more info here in comments DO NOT start another post .


  • last year
    last modified: last year

    Hey, you bought my old house!

    (Just kidding.)

    Is this a guest bathroom/powder room?

    Are you against peel-and-stick vinyl wallpaper? OK with other wallpaper?

    Replacing the white painted wood with natural wood will bring the bathroom back to earth, or you can do chrome or lucite if you prefer modern pop.

    Investigate LED lighting before installing it. There are people who are very dogmatic about it but it's not popular for a reason.

  • last year

    It's nice! When trying out wall paint colors, be sure to test pale lavender.


    If you replace the mirror, look at a pivot style--since they mount in the middle, they can hang over the tile and short people can use them! :)


    Kohler is now (or about to) sell green toilets and sinks if you feel like changing. I'm sure they won't be cheap.



  • last year
    last modified: last year

    So I might go for Marimekko peel-stick wallpaper and then just navy blue pegs on the wall for towel hooks, and a simple vanity bar light and whatever round or oval mirror looks best, thin frame or unframed. If oval I might bring the lower end down below the tile.



  • last year

    Thank you everyone for the suggestions so far! To answer some of the questions posed here, we are planning to use it as a guest half bath since we only have one full bath for the rest of the house. So this bathroom will hopefully have some functional purpose too for storage to accommodate this.
    Wallpaper isn’t quite my style. I opt for a more simple/minimalist design. I like the ideas of painting the wall white with some different undertones to test out.
    I think a vanity would be a good idea too. Any suggestions on those? There also is a corner that is completely empty right now (near the towel rack) that I don’t know how to decorate… The towel rack is in a weird spot too. So many things to think about!
    Thank you all for the inspiration :)

  • last year

    A quick google put me here, but I'm sure there are better options...glass & chrome bathroom cart (or maybe the etagere) for the corner? https://www.frontgate.com/frontgate-resort-collection-26trade-3b-bath-storage-collection-in-chrome/689864


    The white cabinet/towel bar is kind of bleh. :) You need to be swanky!

  • last year

    Yes, go with white walls if you don’t like wallpaper. Try the colors suggested.

    A small cabinet can be found to fit into this room so you can remove the current wall ones. They will make the room feel more cramped.

    Koehler has a beautiful pedestal sink with space around it - Memoirs is the design. A soap dispenser fits on it well.

    Change the mirror and light fixture. You might stick with white, but the right brass (darker, not too golden) will look pretty with your amazing green tiles.

    Yes, clean the floor grout and if it’s still not great, use grout touch up.

    Congratulations on your house! This is a classic old bathroom and deserves some love.

  • last year

    here are some inspiration photos. You may have seen some of these. I do agree that lavender looks quite nice with mint green but you don't actually have to paint the wall. You could just add lavender accents.

  • last year

    One more:

  • last year

    I think the room lends itself to a scandi feel by incorporating natural wood - or natural textures. A hemp or sea grass basket for towels? The door frame suggests a slighter redder / darker wood, not too blonde, but certainly not too dark. It could be a floating shelf or maybe wooden pegs for towel/clothing hanging. The basics look in good repair. The light fitting doesn’t look worn, so maybe changing the globes to a brighter white will give it a lift in the room illumination. Play with different globes strengths once you have a scheme in place. As suggested, white walls - I haven’t got a suggestion there other than to paint larger color squares on card to help visualise.

    A second to a good deep clean, and seeing if a different vent cover can be located as it is definitely pulling the room down. Once it has a good scrub, it will start to shine!

  • last year

    Combinations of white & wood with a pale green…

  • last year

    Congrats on your new home. I think the green is a really pretty shade.


    I live in NYC so have a lot of experience with small bathrooms. I moved into an apartment with a sink much like yours and hated it but have come to see the wisdom and decided not to swap it out. 1.) Rounded corners give you more walking space in a tight squeeze and can help avoid crashing .your hip into a sink that is right next to the door. 2.) Having empty floor space makes a small bathroom feel much larger and more open.


    If you opt for a vanity make it floating with drawers to keep the floor clear, and you can really fit tons of stuff in those drawers depending on what model you get. Guests can put cosmetics bags in there, an extra roll of TP, blow dryer.


    A great medicine cabinet left empty for guests to fill is another storage bonus. If you can recess, go for it, if not, that is fine too. I just have to make sure to tell my guests that it is empty and they can unpack their belongings into it.


    I had and hated a Kohler memoir sink. Too much trim on the top surface robbed it of being used as "counter space." If you replace your sink, make sure to get one without trim on the top surface.


    While not my tasted, I really wanted each of these console sinks because they are workhorses: Countertop space, glass shelf at bottom for storage baskets (dryer, extra TP), bars that double as towel racks. Alas, they didn't fit in my bathroom due to a radiator. I think they are both American Standard and on a lower to medium price range.


    Transitional Powder Room with Metal Console Table Pedestal Sink · More Info



    Buckhead Kitchen and Powder Bath · More Info



    I'd paint the walls white. If you need more storage in here, make it wall hung shelves rather than furniture that sits on the floor and will feel crowded. Get shelves in metal and powder coat them to match the white wall color.


    Also be sure to put hooks somewhere. A lot of toiletries bags can be hung and to my surprise many friends do that in my bathrooms with hooks. I also find hooks to be a good alternative to towel bars and towels dry shockingly fast on them.



  • last year

    gahhh LOVE that bathroom!

  • last year

    @la_la girl - I’m going to bet that is a Thibaut wallpaper. Quite stunning.

  • last year

    You’ve gotten great advice above - new mirror and lighting, and a deep clean will do wonders for the bath. If you’re up for a new sink, a larger square pedestal sink that fills the space more would give you more ”counter” space on the edges -

  • last year

    Go to RetroRenovation.com for inspiration! You have a wonderful bathroom full of period tile in excellent condition. I would change out your sink, if you need to, with one that is more mid century in lines. Replace that 80s light with a true retro light bar. Lean into the vintage nature of your bathroom. While I would probably wallpaper it, a fresh clean white, with white towels, and some art on the wall over your toilet (a photo of the rest of the room?) would be great. Are your towel bars and toilet paper holder vintage? Keep them, if possible. Keep us posted….

  • last year

    Sorry: I just spotted your integral towel bar! LOVE IT! Priceless….

  • last year

    If you remove the white wall cabinet, some glass shelves (with iron or brass brackets) would definitely look more retro.

  • last year

    I’m not sure but suspect that the OP os not going for a retro vintage look. They said mormodern, which I presume means contemporary?

  • last year

    I am loving all this inspiration, thank you! Contemporary is the style I am hoping for, yes.

    Some people have mentioned replacing the vent cover. To what color? Should I try to get it to match the tile?

  • last year

    They come in metal colors, but you could maybe just sand it and repaint in a color that matches the tile so it disappears.


    You can get storage cabinets to go under/arround pedestal sinks. I think I have one bookmarked... Well, can't find that, but here are some online:

    https://www.amazon.com/kleankin-Under-Sink-Bathroom-Adjustable-Internal/dp/B092V7XWRJ/

    https://www.amazon.com/kleankin-Pedestal-Cabinet-Bathroom-Storage/dp/B0BCJLV191/

  • last year

    For contemporary, I might look for inspiration photos from coastal/beach bathrooms--many use similar shades of green with natural elements. Natural wood would probably work best--the sweet spot might be something like the Room and Board vanities, which are contemporary but also can lean mid-century modern too. For the vent cover, you could either try to match whatever color you use for the wall or (better, IMO) choose a metal that matches whatever metal finish you want to use throughout the room. Caveat is that depending on the size, you may find it hard to get a replacement, so pickings may be slim.

  • last year

    i agree with artemis the sizing on the vent cover might be tough - a linear wood cover could be nice with the green or just paint match it to the tile so it recedes more -


    FWIW A modern facuet on a traditional pedestal sink is a terrific way to blend old and new (we used the Kohler Purist faucets on ours)



  • last year

    I’ve done the grout restoration, tedious, but well worth it. Definitely white walls, new light, and mirror. Charming bath!

  • last year

    I have your same vent covers in my bathrooms. I simply removed them and cleaned them. They work perfectly and allow adjustment (open and shut) for air/heat control in your bathroom. Remove them, clean them thoroughly. And keep them white. Rustoleum metal paint. It is a bathroom vent cover. Don’t sweat it! Keep it. PS: Architectural salvage yards and Habitat for Humanity are your new friends. Scour them on a regular basis for “finds!” Including vent covers, vintage light fixtures, etc.

  • PRO
    last year

    Paint the walls and the door/trim white. That will brighten things up considerably. Then I'd chang out the mirror and the light fixture over the mirror. I'd consider a black framed mirror and maybe changing out the faucets and hardware to matte black, too.