Get rid of that dark brown bath mat and replace it with a white one. They are brilliant and stay bright white simply by adding a cap of bleach when you wash them. Next I would paint the vanity under the sink. I would choose white, or a soft light blue. If possible, change the door pull to something a bit nicer. Anthropologie and ebay are both great options for this. Get yourself a glass or metal hand soap dispenser and keep only one towel on the hand rail on the shower door. A few small light pictures on the wall of leaves or beaches etc would be a nice relaxing touch. Good luck!

oh sorry I forgot to say, paint those walls bright white!

Even though you have a glass door, put a nice shower curtain over it. It will be a pretty backdrop and you won't be staring into the shower. Check out CB2, Anthropologie, etc.

Hey, I'm in Bk heights too!

I'd go with white walls as well, and a large white mat. Coordinated all white towels. Put up a long glass shelf and arrange a ton of candles. switch out the showerhead for an adjustable rainshower one. It's a cheap fix.

Minimal effort usually just means "paint it!" :D

As for some of the storage problem - you know those goofy corner racks they sell to put in your shower? If you look around, you can actually find metal ones that look nice. They do wonders for getting rid of the teetering stack of bottles that tend to accumulate along the bathtub rim. Best part is that getting the bottles off the rim keeps the whole tub a TON cleaner, since water doesn't collect under them and grow mildew or water stains.

It's not exactly super high end renovation, but it does make a big impact in cleanliness and is usually unobtrusive since you don't see much in the corner of the shower anyway. And as far as minimal effort goes, the tension rod type could be installed by a monkey. And can be taken back out in one minute if you ever decide to do more serious renovation.

As Kylie mentioned the random hand towels everywhere aren't helping either - if you really need to use that many towels, it might be better to install a small rack of towel bars all on the same wall and keep them together, so it at least looks organized. :)

Well, I would say to paint the walls a medium shade of grey (try Porpoise by Behr) with white trim. I would also paint the sink white to give it a more up to date and uniform look and some new hardware. As for shelving - Im assuming that rack with the two towels in picture 3 is above the toilet? Nix it and get a few of these shelves from Ikea.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S39864148

Adorn them with some clear jars with q-tips, cotton balls ect. Some small artwork would look lovely too.

You say you like splashes of color so for this im thinking a calming yellow - not taxi cab yellow. Rug and towels. Keep it simple.

I would also get a few pieces of artwork to go on the walls. You say it isn't well ventilated, framed or not framed art. Anyone have suggestions?

Hope this helps!

Also, what is your lighting situation?

You can see if the apt complex will let you paint the cabinet white - I had a complex that let me do that - add some gorgeous towels for display

I wish I knew whether you rent or own.

If you rent - here is my one great secret of improving a rental bathroom: caulking putty. Pull out all the cruddy old caulk all around the tub and recaulk. Go to This Old House for instructions on how to do it right. Clean caulk will improve your life immeasurably.

Next go to Home Depot or wherever and buy the strongest grout cleaning compound you can get. Get down and do the floor. Now that your floor looks reasonably good, you can revisit the bathmat (black vs white) issue.

Now if you own, you can go a little more berserk. I'd take away the glass doors on the tub. That may be just me, I hate those things and never have figured out how to clean them.

Then paint the walls and the vanity. Install a shelf and towel rod. I know the row of candles on the shelf would look nice, but it wouldn't be my own cup of tea - I'd call it clutter and cleaning obstacle, and you could use the shelf for practical things like towels and washcloths.

Ick, a green bathroom! Paint it a more flattering color, stat. Get rid of that sliding glass door- I bet it's always threatening to fall off its tracks- and put in a shower curtain instead. I kind of like the checkered floor, at least it is neutral colored! You should embrace an art-deco urban retro look to complement the tiles and the slightly funky bathtub.

I agree with all of the comments already posted. I would also take down the towel rack that's on the wall and replace it with a nice wood or glass shelf for toiletries (keep them in attractive baskets or small crates for a tidy look) and install three hooks underneath it (anthro, etc), to hang towels on. I personally thing towels hanging on evenly spaced hooks look much nicer than tossed over a bar!

Another great way to add storage if you're a renter not allowed to make big changes is to get a "bathroom spacesaver" over the toilet. They install easily and some look very nice. I had zero storage space in my rental when I moved in (not even a vanity under the little sink) so a space saver is the first thing I put in the room.

In regards to Gianna's comment, I'd avoid using Porpoise unless you really like purple undertones. I just painted my entire office this colour and it is a huge let down. Beautiful on paint chips, beautiful on the site, very purple on the walls.

I agree with the rest of the commenters, white mat/towels. If you're a renter, are you allowed to paint? If not I'd consider adding some art that wouldn't be affected by the moisture. And some nice glass containers to hold essentials.

Sydoniah - Really?? It's purple?? it seems so beautifully grey on the chip. I actually have the paint chip and was seriously considering painting my bedroom this color. Thanks so much for the input!

If you don't want to paint, they have the bamboo floor mats that you can cut to size to cover the tile, then get a modern patterned towel set that matches the walls. For more storage they have bamboo over the toilet cabinets.

I think you could go a long way just by getting some attractive towels and a brighter bathmat (white, like some others suggested).

If you're willing to put in some more work, you could paint the lower part of the vanity as well as the walls, and maybe put up a small shelf or two.

Personally I don't think this bathroom is that bad!

Paint the walls and vanity - and get fresh new all white towels & terry bathmat

As others have mentioned, if you're allowed to paint the base cabinet white it would brighten up things a lot. Also removing the shower doors and replace with a crisp white waffle weave curtain. A white bath mat for the floor (thin and woven, not a shaggy one). If you want to clean the floor grout, I used a magic eraser on my 1950s tile+grout and it worked wonders.

This is what I did to my bath with a nearly identical layout. Shower-tub: upgrade the shower head and faucets, store shower squeegee, replace the shower doors with a transparent vinyl curtain, do without a mat by drying before leaving tub. Vanity: upgrade to full-spectrum light bulbs, upgrade the faucets, remove the pulls. Toilet: hang Elfa white metal wall shelving over the tank for two white storage boxes containing toiletries and folded fresh white towels, put small white lidded wastepaper basket in the corner, put small white toilet brush in its holder between vanity and toilet. Shell: paint the walls and ceiling white, hang white hooks and hook racks. To be done: paint the light fixture, vanity, and medicine cabinet, upgrade the electrical system to add receptacles and lights dimmer.

First of all, you should paint that hideous cabinet white... Then you should paint the walls a soft gray, something like this:
http://owningsingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/bathinsp1.jpg

then you should install an ikea track system over the shower doors:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20079342

Followed by installing a shower curtain as pretty as this:
http://www.westelm.com/products/bamboo-flower-shower-curtain-b670/?pkey=cshower-curtains

maybe a matching rug? because that brown one has GOT TO GO!!
http://www.westelm.com/products/bamboo-bath-mat-b668/?pkey=ctowel-bath-mats

pick up an ikea mirror or frame, (paint it white for this look:
http://elgranto.com/tag/ung-drill/)

get it here:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40213759

Hope this helps!! :)

You could purchase a few Flor tiles and cover up that floor...good luck!

As far as durable wall decorations, my husband likes the colorful hand-painted glazed art tiles of different tropical birds hung in his bath.

It looks that the one that needs to be calm and clean is you....

A little paint, satin or matte. If the budget allows, get rid of the door and get curtains..... darken the vanity and update the hardware.

done, calm and clean

It's not that bad! The tile is in decent shape and it's not a crazy colour.

I agree with suggestions clean the grout, get a white bath mat (a teak one would look good, too), and install a shower curtain over the doors (you can use a simple tension rod). You can find a pretty fabric one--I'm thinking that white one from Anthropologie with the ruffles.

Don't paint grey--that only looks good in a room with natural light. Otherwise it will have a prison vibe. Go for white, and paint the vanity white as well (use a semi-gloss for the vanity) and change the hardware. If your budget allows, springing for a new sink faucet and a nice showerhead will make a huge difference as well.

be very careful with painting things bright white, because it might just highlight the drabness of the tub/tile/toilet. use a color with warmer tones to complement the tile's creamy white.

I love white bathrooms but I think painting the walls grey and painting the cabinet white, adding white towels, mat, and shower curtain will give youa much crisper look (sometimes white paint can look dingy, the contrast will make the white linens pop more).

I would replace the sink entirely. It's simple. Watch a tutorial on YouTube. You can find cheap sinks at habitat for humanity's restore that would be much better than the one that is in there. And the project won't be too much more difficult than painting the current vanity.

Paint the cabinet white or some light tone (maybe gray?), replace the bath mat with a lighter color, purchase some nice towels. Hang a sparkly pendant light in front of the mirror. Put a bead of grout around the perimeter of the floor tiles. I did that in my dingy guest bathroom. Perked things right up.

paint walls matte black. white shaggy rug. leave everything the way it is. ceiling to floor canvas curtain to hide that shower. add one "salvaged wood shelf" to play off with the veneer sink.

You could try some Platta decking for the floor. Looks like it would be very spa-like in a bathroom.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20165486

It would probably make the vanity stick out less, too, if there's more wood. Bonus if you can't paint that.

Yes, keep it clean and simple. In case you don't want to install a shelf above the sink; you can use a shelf extender for extra storage. If the shower doors are smooth, try adding a privacy window cling with a bamboo print to give it a serene and more custom look.

Ignore the earlier comment about replacing the entire vanity. It's not aways as easy as a video shows. I bet the video does not show what to do when the drain pipe breaks at the wall which happened to my bf last weekend. You can do the more elaborate option if you have a larger budget for contingencies and an ability to do without the bathroom if need be.

Otherwise, stick to simple fixes others have suggested like painting, caulking, cleaning the grout and adding a shower curtain over the doors.

Give it a super scrub down. Bleach pens! Paint the walls a crisp, clean white. Keep your accessories to a minimum. Add colors that work with the floor tile. Choose a pop color, like teal, to create some energy and excitement. Paint the cabinet a nice neutral tone a few shades lighter then the floor tiles. I say work with what you have, and make it your own!

This looks beautiful compared to the bathroom my boyfriend has in his rental. It is the size of a closet, with a stand in shower that's super small (the plastic also constantly cracks around the edges) a tiny sink, and a medicine cabinet. You can stand wash your hands while using the toilet. There is also all this tar around the edges of the floor and the vinyl flooring is stained and tearing. And that's not even the worse part, it constantly smells like mildew and mold no matter how clean it is. There is also one of those over the toilet cabinets on a stand, which is used to block the view from the window, and which also leans because the floor isn't level. I couldn't do it, but I guess guys can stand it better.

Be blessed your bathroom isn't worse!

I think this bathroom is kind of cute. At least it looks clean. I prefer a light sage-green, matching towels and maybe using a bright, clean white (with colorful fish) shower curtain. Maybe a few towels with a splash of color? Matching colors with a bit of fun variation will bring light to the bathroom. You have my sympathies though, short of knocking down a wall and installing a few large windows, the room is going to look claustrophobic.

I'd say go with the strengths of the bathroom as it is: the tile floor and tub surround. Scrub the bejeezus out of the floor tile until it's the best and brightest it can be. Then bring home paint chips until you find something you like that complements the tile: maybe a creamy toasty-golden off-white would bring out the best tones in both the tile and your own skin tone?

If so, go with a brighter darker toasty-golden for the towels and bath mat accesories. Replace towel racks & toilet seat with golden-oak tone wood, and add a spacesaver over-the-toilet rack and whatever other storage furniture you can fit in that same tone (maybe from Ikea's "Molger" series).

Toss the undersink cabinet pull high and far, and replace the light fixture cover. If possible, paint the undersink cabinet and replace the shower doors.

Oh, and change out the electrical switchplates and outlet covers for wooden ones - cheap, easy, and it makes a surprisingly large difference.

And get a caddy and/or some shower shelves to hold stuff in the bath enclosure.

If you're renting, what your landlord will let you change might be somewhat restrictive. We have a VERY restrictive lease, so these are suggestions we have been allowed to do:

We took the shower door off of our bathroom shower and replaced it with a curtain. It instantly updated the bathroom, and depending on the pattern, could help tie in the elements that you hate to make the whole space more cohesive. We only had to take off the doors and the top bar to make it work and not risk any damage.

The floor seems pretty neutral, so almost any combination would work there. Pick your favorite two-color combination and start there. We have two bathrooms: one is a very standard blue and green while the other is red and purple. They both look great, because everything we've put in there we love.

The only big change I would have (that's harder to reverse) is to put a little wood shelf between the sink and mirror - it would add some storage and help tie in the wooden vanity.

If you can, I'd paint the vanity white and get a little white shelf instead. You can also put a vertical paper towel holder between the vanity and toilet to hold extra toilet paper rolls to free up some storage.

Get a stylish fan, if not a dehumidifier. Interior situated apartment bathrooms without ventilation are just asking for trouble. And really stay on top of any mold problems.

It’s not bad at all. The best parts are the tile floor and your deco tub – both vintage. Play those up.

---As others said, some cleaning / grouting / caulking is in order. Will make a world of difference.

---Paint the walls a khaki / tan that works with the floor tile. I’d avoid white because you have too many whites going on (the toilet, sink, tub, and shower tile are all varying shades of white). I’d go a bit darker with the wall paint. It may seem counter intuitive, but light colors work best in spaces with good light. Dark spaces look best painted in darker hues. You can still be neutral and soft, but the darker khaki will give you richness and depth.

---If you can’t replace the vanity, paint it black. Pull in a few other black accents like a picture frame or soap holder. I’d do a black toilet seat, too. Wood, if possible.

---For storage, install shallow shelves or a cabinet on those big empty walls. If you opt for shelves, use woven, fabric, or lacquer boxes so stuff is organized and out of sight.

---Accessorize with white AND off-white towels. You need texture.

---Optional: I’d remove the shower doors. You’ll have to patch some holes in the tile and remove the adhesive from the tub, but not difficult. Then I’d put up a white or off white waffle weave shower curtain (texture). If your landlord won’t let you uninstall the doors, you could remove the doors off and leave the frame, but I realized that would create a storage need…

I think you should embrace the floor and shower doors..if you do it the right way it will look beautiful.

I really wouldn't paint the walls white. it wont do anything for the room. Its already small, theres no sense beating a dead horse trying to make the room look bigger by painting it a very bright color. Take advantage of the small size and make it warm and cozy. You'll thank me on those cold NY winter nights when you step out of a warm shower.

The floors aren't that bad - neutral, not awful. I think trying to make a bath mat part of the decor is always a mistake, because it's either an ugly color, a color that doesn't go great with the floor, or white - which in theory may be fine but when it's covered with hair and dust and makeup between washings is unattractive. I only put a bath mat on the floor when I'm using the shower or tub. Otherwise throw it over one of those handles on the door.

And yes, yes, yes: paint that vanity if you can and get a pretty shower curtain.

I just now saw this archived house tour: John Douglas Eason’s Past Life Apartment. I just wanted to point out that your floor tile is the same as his:

http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/ny-house-tour-john-eason/item/279841

Same tile, different colors. It looks great, doesn’t it? Your tile only looks bad because it is surrounded by bad things. When you make the right changes to those things, your tile will look so much better.

Lose the vanity and the tub, it's not like you can soak in that tiny thing anyway. Replace with a pedestal sink and natural stone shower with clear glass surround. The flooring and walls will follow. Also replace what is probably a bare-bulb light fixture with a multiple halogen pendants on a dimmer.

Horrid seems quite the overstatement, considering it looks clean and functional. If the floor is real tile as opposed to the sticky 70s vinyl floors from my apts of yore, I actually LIKE your floor.

Are you a renter or owner? Cuz the answers are way different for both. Although since you said you can paint, do so! Paint, paint, paint.

Get an extra-long shower curtain that hangs from the ceiling (or use regular curtains with a liner). Get nicer towels (such as beige or gray Marimekko towels at Crate & Barrel) and a more "zen" bathmat -- perhaps bamboo?

If you aren't allowed to paint, hang some big non-precious artwork -- it looks great in a bathroom.

remove the shower door (if possible) or cover it with a ruched curtain.

whites, creams and calm blues/greens for the walls and accessories.

and it would do wonders to replace all of your toiletry bottles with glass ones that you can simply refill with your favorite products. that always screams spa for me.

To the person who said that tub is too small to soak in, spend some time in NYC and learn our reality.

There are a lot of suggestions to paint the walls white so here's something to think about.

It is impossible to match whites in a bathroom, no matter how much you spend on a renovation, so think carefully if you are thinking of going that route, since there are already different white on the tiles, sink, etc.

If you can't paint the vanity, Would a wheat, straw or sand color help the browns blend in? Maybe just the wall behind the sink, with the others white, to echo the brown and white already there?

Simple Human makes a shower caddy that might solve your shower storage needs. bed, Bath and Beyond sells it.

You've been given lots of good storage ideas, the issue will be how well you execute them.

I'm going to assume because you rent, you're unable to paint the bathroom a new color.

If you want a clean, calm & serene room and the walls are as bright as they appear in the photos, I'd add accessories in neutral shades to tone it down= gray, silver, white. You want a "cooler" and airy effect.

For storage, you could install shelves on the walls and place baskets with items on them. Glass shelves would be the best option, IMO. I would also add something to the inside of your shower to help corral all those bottles. I mounted a wire basket to the wall inside mine for everything. Being more organized will also induce a calmer mood in the room.

You could also add a spa-like vibe by placing candles on the shelves. Even if your tub is too small to bathe in, a candle-lit shower is still nice.

If you want to really tone down the color, you could hang large artwork (prints or posters, I wouldn't dare hang originals in there with the humidity) in light shades (gray, white, silver) or one large mirror.

It would be cool to see what you end up doing! I have a mint green bathroom (in the form of tile, floor, sink, toilet, & tub) and also rent, so I had to learn to make it work... although, I leaned the other way and went bold with black/red. Good luck!

I had an apt that had the same vanity & tile as yours. Since I couldn't paint or replace it, I used heavy duty stick on velcro (from Lowes) & fabric & covered it. This way it was easy to access the cabinet underneath. I used an inexpensive curtain panel I found & hemming tape & just made a tailored looking skirt (not gathered like many you see if you want a clean look). You could do a solid in the same color as some new towels & rug or a neutral - maybe something woven - linen type color that coordinates with the tile. I agree with everyone about staying away from whites. I am sure all the "whites" in there are different shades. I also purchased a grout pen (I think I used 3 for my tub surround) in white from either Lowes or Home Depot and & "painted" my grout after caulking around my tub. It refreshed the look of the tile & made it look cleaner. I can't tell anything about your light fixtures or mirror to help out there. Maybe a new mirror or medicine cabinet would work? I had an old gold framed mirror in mine & I just painted it a high gloss color to coordinate with everything in the room. It brought whimsy & color in an unexpected way. Good luck & please share with us your "after" photos.

Compared to some bathrooms I have had, this one is pretty decent- just lacking in the style department.

If this was my apartment? I would:

1- paint the vanity white and install a pretty knob-crystal?
2- buy a bathroom rug that you can cut to fit, I think jc penny has them, in white. Or FLOR tiles, or bamboo deck tiles.
3-paint the walls a pretty calming color-khaki?
4-get a shower curtain/long curtains hung from the ceiling to cover the heinous glass shower doors

good luck!

That looks almost exactly like the bathroom in my apt. used to. This past weekend I removed the glass shower doors and installed a lovely curved brushed-nickle shower rod with a filmy white curtain. What a huge improvement. Also, it originally had a vanity like yours only bigger- it took up every inch of space between the toilet and tub. I ripped it out and installed a small cool vanity/sink from Ikea that is white with a frosted glass door and rectangular flat-bottom sink. But first thing you need to do is get rid of the brown rug!

since there are not windows humidity could be a problem. if you have a rack on the back of the door, get one of those small clip on fans and clip it to there. if you dont have an outlet in your bathroom, an extension cord will work while youre in there. and when youre finished, just tuck it away under the sink

Clean. A lot!
Tidy and organize (including adding attractive storage for your bath products, etc.)
Paint the walls a pale cafe-au-lait color that goes with the floor tiles, egggshell or gloss. (Bring home paint sample strips, not indivudual samples.)
Prime and paint the cabinet gloss white. (Talk the landlord into it!!)
Buy towels,washcloths, and bath mat in a darker version of the paint color by matching from the dark end of that paint strip. (Or, if you MUST have color, pick ONE darker color like eggplant or coral or teal and get matching towels etc. in that instead.)
Hang a small display shelf and place a white live potted orchid on it (silk only if you must.) (They cost around $20 in most home improvement and grocery stores, and instantly add glamour and sophistication, and they bloom a long time.)

You could hang a framed-under-glass painting or print (not tiny, maybe at least 14x20 inches framed) if there is enough wall space.

This scheme would be relaxing and spa-like.

I would hesitate to paint the vanity a "pure" white. A monochromatic color scheme that uses different variations of white might work in this room, though. One thing that troubles me about the room is the brown tile flooring fights with the simple white with black trim tiling of the tub area. If the flooring is laminate, I would ask the landlord about putting in new laminate tiles (all I can do is "peel and stick") that is a better fit with the other tile in the room. Then, I'd select paint colors using a monochromatic off-white palette.