I'd pop up those tiles and go with a slate on the diagonal if you're looking for something dark. Just pick a dark grey/taupe grout because too like or too dark looks weird. You can go with honed or regular (?) with some texture, which helps tremendously with slipperiness (since you have kids). You'd need to seal it, which would give the wet look.

Definitely remove the wainscoting. I'm more into simple vanities with lots of somewhat deep drawers - shaker style is incredibly flexible and can work with MCM.

Maybe grey walls with white trim, keeping the waffle-weave shower curtain. I'm still partial to RH's Silver Sage though, which most people are probably over. But I like it for bathrooms because it's very relaxing and spa-like to me.

Another idea is terrazzo tiles, which can be found in a range of very light to very dark. I found some recently that were 20x20 for $8 each. This is what we're doing in our bathrooms (when the time comes). But the floor would be very slippery. For me, it's no problem because I grew up with terrazzo floors throughout the house.

Again, I'd definitely do them on the diagonal, and use the smallest possible grout line.

I've been considering getting an ikea sink for our similar era house (trying to deal with an all pink bathroom, so I'm envious of your ivory/brown "problems"!) I bet if you painted the sink cabinet an ivory to match the toilet and tub, a white sink would look like it totally fits. Maybe paint your wainscoting an ivory too, and then the walls could be a color of your choice.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60074446

The floor wouldn't seem so bad if the sink/vanity and brown wainscoting and trim weren't there. Whether to remove or just paint the wainscoting probably depends on its close-up quality. Then I'd jettison the vanity and sink, replacing it with a nice simple countertop, sunken sink bowl, and vanity with real storage (doors and drawers).

It's best to make all big changes at once so don't do the floor until you're ready to do the tub and toilet - and really make over the room.

Until then, definately do away with that sink - replace it with a nice sized vanity with lots of storage. You're bathroom is small, so my preference would be to use larger furniture, so as not to have little 'cubbies' of wasted space, but keep the profile narrow so that you don't loose floor space.

Definately paint - try it first with the wainscotting in place. If you don't like it you can take it down. White and Ivory work well together, if you're looking to brighten up the room. Maybe all ivory on the lower part of the wall and white up above?

I think my bathroom has those exact lights. And to make matters worse, they're placed just about level with the top of my head so that I have to bend down to see what I look like properly...

Removing the wainscotting and painting the walls and trim a great white (or perhaps dark grey, as at the Ace Hotel) is a given...

For that industrial modern look you are after, and given that this will be a bathroom used by kids, a trough sink would be ideal. They come in different lengths (1, 2, or 3 or more tap varieties) and widths. Look around in architectural salvage stores for some -- they are frequently torn out of school bathrooms.

http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2006/10/salvager_trough.php

Another option is a utility sink, like the Giford from Kohler (comes in a couple of sizes):

http://www.faucetdirect.com/kohler-k-12784-gilford-scrub-up-plaster-sink-with-single-hole-faucet-drilling-24-x-22/p216895?source=gba_216895&CAWELAID=79526284

Taps (if you don't find a sink with original vintage ones) should be from Chicago Faucet Company:

http://www.chicagofaucet.com/catalog/default.php

For example, this tap:

http://www.chicagofaucet.com/catalog/catalog.php?PartNum=50-317CP&FamilyID=3

I would definitely change the toilet for a white one with a more industrial design. It is not a terribly expensive fix, and will make the world of difference. Plus, it is not all that hard to change the toilet. Changing the tub is more difficult, and with the white waffle curtain drawn, it is effectively hidden.

I'd hang lots of vintage hooks on the walls for towels etc. -- they don't need to match -- in fact, mismatched ones from architectural salvage places would look much better than matched ones.

Which leaves us with the floor... The floor just doesn't go with that look... Instead of taking it up, I'd just cover it with black rubber flooring (e.g., jet gray or jet egg):

http://www.expanko.com/REZTEC/products-REZ-Colors.html

It comes in sheets, is inexpensive and very, very comfortable. And it very industrial modern.

Good luck!

Spend your (limited) $ on the vanity/sink & a really cool light fixture. Just paint the wainscoating for now, and see if you still hate it.

Here are some lighting ideas:

http://www.barnlightelectric.com/wall-sconce-lighting/rustic-wall-sconces/barn-light-atomic-topless-wire-guard-wgu-sconce.html

http://www.barnlightelectric.com/gooseneck-barn-lights/gooseneck-lighting/barn-light-the-artesia-8-to-10-warehouse-shade.html

http://www.barnlightelectric.com/wall-sconce-lighting/barn-wall-sconces/barn-light-austin-sconce.html

http://www.barnlightelectric.com/gooseneck-barn-lights/gooseneck-lighting/barn-light-the-cavy-warehouse-shade-.html

How about painting the walls and the wainscotting a clean white to contrast with the dark floor (this will go back to the style of the rest of your home)?

Think about a slim wall mounted vanity & sink. This will save you a ton of space, make the floor much easier to clean and give a much more open and airy feeling to your bathroom.

Lastly, you might want to think about installing a glass door instead of a shower curtain. That will also help in terms of "lightening" up the space and make it seem a bit bigger and let the light into the shower.

Good luck!

http://www.donkeehouse.com

Agree with bitdot that glass door on tub might open things up.... but glass doors can be tough with young children, depending on how you bathe them. Nothing more uncomfortable than having to lean your arms on a glass-door's metal runner as you reach in to bath a squirmy kid! If you're at that stage, might be worth putting your glass-door dreams on hold for a year or two.

For a nice change on the cheap, I would sell the sink / vanity / faucet on craigslist to earn a little money, I would get a pedastal sink in a similar color to the tub and toilet. I would paint the wainscotting and window trim a creamy white color and then the upper wall in a warmish tone, but not dark....I'm thinking a neuatral gray-green shade to go with the floor and warm-white fixtures. Replacing the light is easy enough and a big white rug should lighten up the floor. This will make for a bright, open, space.

Certainly you can paint the wainscot and wall above it white. You might want to choose a creamy white, not bright white though. For a touch of whimsy, you could replace that molding around the window with picture framing, in a style that picks up on the theme you wish to impart. Sometimes you just have to ignore the floor, and go with accent colors that make you happy. To save money on the the new vanity and sink, maybe you can salvage the water faucet---it would complement your theme. If you can afford it---buy all new bath linens. Nothing freshens a space better than new linens and paint. Be sure to some back and show us what you did, and best wishes.

Check the Design Inc. web page by Sarah Richardson. She has some good ideas and also provides a list of sources. Good luck.

http://www.designinc.ca/tr/tr.php?id=37&season=02

http://www.designinc.ca/home/

I'd paint the wainscot and trim and replace the vanity/sink w/ a custom built-in vanity w/ an undermount sink - in this vanity I'd include a base-kick pullout on runners that when pulled out is a built-in footstool so that the kids can step up and reach the sink.

mschatelaine,

Thanks for posting those light fixture suggestions. I'm going to order one for my bathroom!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, everyone! I'm on my way out the door so just skimmed everyone's ideas for now, but I'm already inspired. I love the trough sink idea and am a Sarah Richardson fan but I haven't visited her site in a while so thanks for the reminder.
Keep the ideas coming!

i have a galvanized gooseneck light fixture above my bathroom vanity, very similar to those suggested from barnlightelectric.com... it looks great, but the bare bulb positioned directly above your head provides very harsh lighting

Definitely spend your money on a double sink, perhaps looking for one that doesn't jut out as much. That's going to be a pretty penny right there already. If you don't like ivory, then don't get an ivory sink just to match. A tub and toilet will prob be less expensive then the above mentioned cost, and can be replaced in the future if you dislike ivory. Rather than make the wainscoting disappear, check out these pictures. It can look pretty with the right color choices. http://inspiredkara.blogspot.com/2009/01/house-that-caleb-builtbathroom.html

I have a friend who had very similar bathroom, but with avocado green bath and toilet. She put in a glass sink in coke bottle green glass, and used a very very pale pink sponged on the walls. The combination of dark wood, green and pale pink, is stunning. She changed the floor tiles to be coke bottle green/pink and green marbled tile, also.

If you are going for clean lines and minimal but practical design I'd also recommend the IKEA Höllviken sink. It is a real space saver in our 5 x 7' bathroom, which is used by our family of four, and the sink itself is really deep and wide. We have the 24 inch sink and the 2-door Lillangen cabinet with Lansa handles. I am not a fan of the ubiquitous wall sconces in bath rooms, so we installed a light bar above our recessed mirror cabinet. Good luck!

http://bathroomlightingoutlet.com/tech-lighting-luna-bath-vanity-light.html

My favourite sink so far:

http://www.us.kohler.com/onlinecatalog/detail.jsp?prod_num=3200