That is a lot of marble. Maybe you could have someone come in and lightly sand the surfaces for a matte 'honed' finish then have it resealed with a matte finish? I think that would certainly look a little less tacky. I would also hang a thick framed mirror over that odd mosaic on the wall. Good luck!

Oh, I know what happened. A salesgirl at a stone shop did very well at her job! While the mirror and the vanity are indeed horrible, I don't think it's really all that bad. I think using very dark, richly colored towels and rugs would help break up all the tan color.

Yikes! That is a lot of marble. I would start by painting the vanity out (probably white) and replace the toilet seat with a white one. Then replace the mirror with something more basic. Maybe one with a nice frame but a little more simple than the current one. Then I'd hang a extra long shower curtain in front of those doors and pull them to the side as decoration. Get a fun print that you love and use that to pull an accent color for towels. Good luck!

katelyn
bessantdesigns.com

I think this bathroom is pretty sleek. You can replace the mirror with something more modern, paint the cabinet white, and put in a white toilet seat. Other than that, white towels? You can't change much about the actual bathroom, so focus on the details. Be glad it's easy to clean and well maintained.

De-Clutter - and perhaps paint the vanity a nice solid taupe color.

Other than that - Keep plain white towels and bathmats in there and accessorize with glass and chrome: Nothing cheap or plastic. Use deluxe hotel bathrooms as your inspiration.

dont sign that lease!

As a landlord, I advise you to check with your landlord before painting the vanity (as recommended by a few commenters). He or she may not see it as a lovely cosmetic improvement.

just replace the toilet with something that doesn't look like you're on a sailboat, and you're of to a good start....

overall, I have to say, marble is alright by me, you could do a lot worse...

It really could be a lot worse. I like the suggestion to play up the 'spa' feel.

I am so very sorry they did this to your lovely new home! I love all the suggestions hunted made and encourage you to hold a bake sale and garage sale to raise money for a new sin k as soon as possible. Sign me up for a dozen cupcakes, lemon with white frosting, and two dozen chocolate chip cookies.

hunted nailed it

I'll tell you what I've done about my horrible bathroom, your mileage may vary...ignore it! /Spend as little time as possible in there and and save your money to make the rest of the house exactly what you want. Trying to focus on making that into something you'll love without major financial investment seems like too tall an order. Just keep the door closed.

I'd say get rid of anything that ain't plastered down. The toilet seat, the shower doors, the mirror, the vanity and that god-awful sink. Replace it all with something much more stream-lined, more organic (pick up on dark tones in the marble). If possible, rip the "ornamental" tiles off that one wall and replace them with something that just blends in with the other tile. Then go with the suggestion to use darker accessories (don't try to go white-and-bright -- it will just draw attention to the tile). But not too dark! Above all, don't put too much contrast in there.

Yikes! I really hope the rest of the place makes up for this!!

This just is more proof that $$$ does not equal taste!

Pretty much what other people said. Fluffy white towels, white mat, white toilet seat, simple mirror (maybe even this simple: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40047883). If, for some reason, you can't replace the mirror, find or make a simple frame that you could stick over the flowery pattern. And if a bamboo plant will live there, I would put one on the counter to add more texture and distract from the sink.

Keep the door closed.

Are all the people suggesting painting and ripping out this and that aware this is a rental not an owned property. Big difference here folks.

I agree with above people who said to replace the toiletseat with a white one, paint the wooden vanity white, replace the plastic trashbin with something stylish, and replace that mirror. I'm thinking a large round mirror to match the round sink, with no frame or decorations.

Definitely change out the mirror and toilet seat. Huge step right there. You might also consider using removable hooks to hang some prints in the bathroom that would a) cover up some of the marble and b) add color and a sense of personality. If you went with some sort of big mid-century print like a 1960's French one panel film poster, you could cover a HUGE space on that long wall across from the shower and really change the focus from the marble to the artwork.

It's not a bad bathroom. It's clean and I am sure it was put in place sometime in this millenium. Be happy that there is not rot or mold or something like that. OK, I don't believe in taking out vanities or taking off the shower doors; you do not own the place. Unless the landlord said you can do those changes, I suggest in changing out the toilet seat to a white one (and save it in case the landlord wants it), buying modern green towels and dark brown towels and bath mats that match accordingly. I do like the teak mat idea. That would look cool in front of the shower, but you might not have enough room. Also, changing out the trash can to a shiny chrome one? You can also add curtains with a graphic design with the green and brown motif. Hope that helps.

I'll take a half dozen lemon bars - just for the cause, of course.

This could be little harsh comment ... but:
I really do not know, WHAT you are complaining about !?!

You are not buying it, just leasing it - and NOT going to live there for next 50 or so years ....

It will be easy cleaning for you, just wipe it out,
no worries about dirty walls, etc...

Just spruce is up:
- dark brown & light beige towels (I would not recomend white ones, it is too contrasting color)
- beige toalet seat (color of marble)
- some chrome accessories
- that mirror is not so bad, (I have seen worse..)

**************************************

a. DO NOT TOUCH the SURFACE of the MARBLE (I 'm horrified at seeing an advice of "sanding" it !!!!) - marble is a soft stone and you could destroy it WHOLE THING .... and you could end up paying for whole new bathroom, when moving out ...

b. there is NOTHING is wrong with SHOWER DOOR,
leave it as it is - (again - are you going to re-install it - when moving out ??)

**************************************

Use your fantasy - to accomodate your taste
and SAVE YOUR MONEY for a place of your own.

Xandra

Adding art to the bathroom can distract the eye and cover up (literally!) the hideous marble. You can use those removable hooks (3M makes them) so as not to damage the walls.

If I rented this place I'd go the full Cesar's Palace with this bathroom...lots of gold accents, maybe a few statues of Greek gods, towels with laurel crown monograms, maybe a nice little urn in which to keep your toothbrushes, a natural sponge maybe. Yup.

I know it doesn't fit with your mid-century tastes per se, but I'd love to change it up a bit to more of a Moroccan hammam feel. The tile motif and the expansive marble would work well if you could maybe cover the doors of the vanity in some pretty geometric fabric (just wrap them to you don't worry about losing deposit for repainting), maybe some nice natural nubby towels, love the idea of the teak bathmat, and then see if you can devise some kind of clothing for the mirror. Maybe again, cut something out of cardboard, cover in awesome fabric, to make a new "frame", hiding the hideous etching. Some egyptian perfume bottles, bath salts and clays in jars, and voila!

Thanks for the ideas everyone! We love the idea of going with the hotel spa feel and will likely try that route in June when we move in. Sadly I don't think we will be able to paint the vanity but we can change the knobs and we'll be trying to remove and store that ugly mirror. and we'll try command hooks for some artwork on the wall.

And funny enough, the landlord IS a marble sales person so while the marble in the half bath and kitchen are great, we think she went overboard in the full bath!

Laura

I'm sort of with Xandra on this. Would I use marble for everything? No. But it's a rental. The bathroom is a great size and very functional, not to mention clean and easy to maintain. Compared to the ugly, moldy, old bathrooms I've had, this one's a dream. Once you add towels, rugs and other textiles, it'll feel like home. Everyone has different tastes, but they don't need to be represented in every room of the house.

"the landlord IS a marble sales person"

And suddenly, it all makes sense...

I think the "spa" direction is probably the easiest and most achievable way to calm that bathroom down, although I love the full-on Caesar's Palace idea.

D'oh! I didn't realize this was a rental. Taking a sander to a rental is entirely a bad idea. As far as rentals go though, I've dealt with a lot worse. Go with some of the cosmetic changes recommended above and you'll be surprised how quickly you don't even notice the glaring tackiness once you've been there a little while. Maybe hang a flat panel of finished fabric under the lip of the vanity top to cover that awful cabinetry?

aarrrhhh! Never would I have thought a bathroom make over could present such a dark and dingy result! I definitely think replacing the toilet seat for a white one, removing the shower screen and if you are able painting the cabinet white. Gorgeous white towels are a must. Love to see your final result

@perfidia I love that idea. It would be fun to do for a party, if not all the time.

No disrespect but you are leaving that much crap laying around on your counters then its not going to matter what you do.

I would think about getting a medicine cabinet so you can put things away and some bins to keep things in and store under the sink.

Pretty much what has been said-
white, taupe or tan paint for vanity
change hardware to brushed nickel on vanity doors
medicine cabinet
white toilet seat
waste receptacle and accessories set it up
white fluffy towels and bath matt
call it a day.

Jonathan Adller has some nice glossy white bath accessories the white glossy or brown glossy would work here
http://www.jonathanadler.com/home.php?cat=341

LoriSF--

This is the old tenant. We don't move in until June. :)

Laura

Be careful, very careful about trying to remove that mirror and installing one of your own taste. You could seriously damage that marble. And that'll cost you a whole lot more than your security deposit.

And you ought to keep those old knobs someplace handy, too, if you choose to replace them. I'm sure the landlord will want those back, if that's the person who remodeled.

But it really isn't a bad bathroom. Maybe not your taste, but at least it doesn't look like some of the "before" pictures we've all seen!
(I do agree that the wood toilet seat is a bad thing...)

Here in Spain marble bathrooms are the unfortunate norm. Our bathroom walls are a similar marble. We are also renting. I used warm rich colors and textures to offset the shininess and make it feel more inviting. In our space (and with our taste) I used cheery raspberry and warm pumpkin towels and mats. It really made a difference. In our space white and taupe would have emphasized how cold our marble bathroom felt. I used coordinating baskets. Hanging anything on the walls is nearly impossible in our bathroom, so I'm sticking to textiles and accents.

Laura - good I was wondering because typically people that like mid century modern are usually very neat its part of the package.

Good luck.

i am glad i follow pela --

you have limited options -- textiles and accents. you can't drill holes to hang anything in marble. if you have room for shelving to start a bathroom pottery and glass collection go for it. you are limited to textiles -- you have to make your towels and rugs do triple duty.

i don't think you can pull much minimalism in here -- i kind of like the vintage casino idea. i see deep red/oranges in towels and flooring (don't stick with traditional bath flooring -- get a runner) /and vintage gold tone pottery -- get to ebaying. you can start with sascha brastoff's "more gold" and haeger's "aztec gold". some really tall narrow glass floor vases would rock the look -- try hitting up ross, home goods etc.

ouch -- after reading the comments -- DON'T go white/brown/teak spa in here. you want color to punch it up -- adding more neutrals will just give more attention to the marble you so love.

We also rent a horrifyingly baroque marble bathroom, except all dark brown marble and gold frames. The only thing to do is embrace it, and present it to guests as a sort of Liberace experience. Also, marble is so easy to clean, in a few months it won't even bother you anymore...

I agree with bepsf and some others:

Work with what you've got and focus on the details. There isn't any easy way that you can convert this to your style, so don't try because it will only make it look worse. Accept it as it is and work on that.

It really could be a lot worse, and personally I don't think it's that bad at all. Add some textures, a fresh flower, white towels and definitely keep it totally clutter-free.

Again, look at luxury hotels bathrooms and you will sure find inspiration.

the only way to deal with that much marble is to go very minimal, a la John Pawson, and let it stand on its own...

I would also suggest looking at the light fittings as well – regular bulbs can be very yellow, but if you change them to a bright white or even a very pale blue bulb (something closer to sunlight), the room won't look so murky – you'll have a very natural, creamy beige colour.

The wood doesn't work, and the mirror and taps are the wrong style, so I would be changing those.

De-clutter (clean up!) and keep the accessories simple chrome/stainless steel (not blue plastic) and it can look fantastic!

I'm not seeing a problem. To me it screams mid 70's, which is not a bad blend with mid century tastes. Give it the full Cesar's Palace treatment and embrace it! :-)

Thanks for the really good chuckle. "Woe is me. My RENTAL bathroom is ALL NEW MARBLE!"

Lots of good suggestions above: change toilet seat, paint vanity if allowed, use plain towels & accessories and live with the unfortunate mirror.

Who cares that it's a rental? She has different taste and was looking for ways to make it her own. Isnt that the whole point to this website, anyway? Finding design ideas for your apartment (rented or owned)?

I agree with most everyone here.
-Shower curtain, maybe a terry version. If you can find one that goes higher up, that would take up some marble (I wouldnt take the doors off, just leave the curtain closed for visual sake)

-magskh's idea of large art over that long wall was great, cover the decorative tile. Someone else mentioned a mirror. Maybe lean a large, solid framed mirror against that wall?

-new, white toilet seat (keep the wood one in the new box)

-if you can change the mirror, great. Check how it's hanging. Of course, you wouldnt want to drill any new holes for another mirror.

Good luck! Cant wait to see the 'after' photos!

Simplify.

white toilet seat a must

white canvas curtains at the window and if you can do over the shower door on a tension rod, great!

white towels

sorry about the mirror, block it out in your mind!

I would also do a small tension rod with white canvas curtains under the sink to cover the dark brown wood.

Maybe buy something you really love to put on the back of the toilet. Something that will attract attention and speak to you mid-century style. An Alvar Aalto vase in black? Oh, that's from my wish list ; ).

Good luck!

Maybe I've been living in Mexico for too long (the land of tiles), but I think this is quite a beautiful bathroom, and I love the sink!

Unfortunately, the vanity, shower doors, toilet seat and mirror ruin it for me a little. Other than that, I would be thrilled to have this bathroom in a rental.

You could have someone build an extension for the top of the sink that has an opening for the sink bowl while raising the height of the cabinet top. Now, the TOP of the sink would be flush with the top of the cabinet. You could probably even have doors in the vertical part of the front of the extension - and use all that space between the top of the original cabinet & the top of the sink for storing lots of bathroom items. By doing this you could both disguise the original sink/cabinet setup and keep it totally intact, as the landlord would wish.

Change the toilet seat to a white one.

Replace the mirror. THe old mirror would actually look nice hung against a brightly colored wall (if you have any) because the frame would pick up colors of the wall behind it.

I would also frame the window over the toilet with red curtains, which would transform the marble beigeness of it all to something more interesting.

It's not the marble that's hideous, it's the wood toilet seat and cabinet and the competing design around the mirror edge and the towels.

Redo cabinet even if it just means painting it white, put a white seat on the john, then choose a color for your towels and floor rug. Buy the thickest most luxurious towels maybe velveteen towels in that one color (purple? burgundy? green? the color of luxury that will compliment the marble). Find a matching color or harmonious color window treatment. Unify and amplify!