Hello AT,

I need help renovating my bathroom. The previous owner did a slap up job (used floor tiles on wall; let grout dry on tiles, left gaping holes etc.) and now i have been told by a contractor that I need to do a gut rehab. Kind of excited but don't know where to start.

I am on a tight budget so the tub (which i had reglazed) and sink are staying put, but I am going to upgrade to a toilet with a tank and get new mirror and lighting. I also figure to cut corners I can just do tile around the tub area. [more below]

Cont'd

I would love a zen spa like feel, but i'm also not scared of color. And would like to do some built in areas for more storage.

Please give me some design tips: What colors, tiles, lighting etc.
Best places where you have gotten good advice about bathroom design, tile selection etc.(bella tile?, nemo tile? etc) Also do you think $2,500 is a reasonable quote for a gut rehab of this space?

Thanks, biba

Dear Biba, Yours is a big question so we're just going to get the ball rolling. First of all, $2500 doesn't seem like too much to us for a good job (if you including materials). It could cost a lot more.

For reviews of tile shops go here.
For design tips, we like to go look at Tile at Anne Sacks and Waterworks and then buy the tile elsewhere if it is too expensive there. We like the spa approach too, and would recommend only doing tile in the bath area, and leaving the rest of the walls to be painted.

The color scheme we are currently favoring is very warm and taupe-y with darker tiles on the floor, medium in the shower and light walls. We are also a big fan of Robert's bathroom from last year's contest.

Anyone else??