Can you paint????

Yikes. Since it's already such a graphic look WITHOUT the accessories (shower curtain, soap dish and toothbrush holder, which are pretty much all you have room for in there), I'd pick one bold color and stick with it. I'd go with an aqua blue. Maybe find something like a classic Pop Art print to frame, or replace the mirror with one that's more colorful, but inexpensive since it's a rental? I would say paint the wall space above the black edging, but it might not be worth it... I'd carry the aqua color into the paint, then. I'd definitely get a floor-length shower curtain- something plasticky and Pop.

I typically love the black and white tile. The mini tile makes me think of the Indy 500, though, which can be Pop in a sort of vintage-crazy capers kinda way. :-)

Good luck!

I had a bathroom just like this once. You can't fight with the colors of the tile. I went with paint that matched the yellow tile, painted the walls and cabinet all yellow. It actually made the room look larger. I then had inexpensive colorful artwork, Picaso-type, framed and hung on almost every square inch of the walls up to the ceiling. Again, making the room look larger. There isn't much pink, but you can paint over the pink tile in black to unify the space. Ask your local paint store to direct you on the type of paint to use.
These may be unexpected suggestions, but everyone that went in my bathroom commented how great it looked.

I'd go with white towels and a white shower curtain...or get a shower curtain that has a bold black and white design...perhaps ask the landlord if you could paint the wood part of the vanity black?

Paint the vanity base black, get a nice yellow--and-white shower curtain, and some black-and-white art on the walls. It can be totally cute.

Because the bathroom is quite small, I think trying to go with a monochromatic look would work well. Paint the walls a similar (if not exact) shade as the yellow tile. Are you able to paint the vanity too? That brown wood is not doing you any favors.

As for the shower curtain: Perhaps a nice yellow linen or cotton with black border. Add a nice B&W photo print on the wall.

Love the floor tile!

Paint the vanity white. The shower, toilet and walls are white. The white will tone down the yellow tiles and the very busy floor. I agree, keep the shower curtain and towels white, too. Less is more. I think a yellow vanity will make you go cuckoo.

If you can do the work yourself or hire someone, you could remove just the lavender tiles and replace, or you could try painting them as mentioned in another post. Also, painting the walls would really help. pick a yellow lighter than the tile or go black for drama in the space. An alternative to painting that pesky old oak vanity would be to make an apron that matches your color scheme. Black and white and tellow is very chic right now, and Target has some wonderful bathroom collections and kitchen collections (why stick to one department?) in those colors.

personnaly I do not think it is that bad. It is is kind of cute in a kitch-american-diner way of course the curtain is not helping at all. you could paint the wall white and buy a pink curtain. painting the vanity would help too. I would paint it hot pink and would go for an all-the-way kitch.

Purple walls, yellow tile! (*snicker* Lakers fan) :)

First of all, I'm Anthony too!

There are ways to successfully paint ceramic tile. If you google it, you'll find a host of options. I would start by painting that purple tile black. That alone will help you feel better about the space.

The bathrooms in my apartment now are laid out pretty much the same, and I have found that avoiding print on the shower curtain helps. I simply use a white shower curtain liner by itself.

I would purchase a wall cabinet that can be found at most major box-stores to store all of your essentials, and anything that can be moved out of the bathroom should be (i.e. makeup etc.). The less you have on your sink, the better you'll feel. Too much clutter in a small space will cause some anxiety.

If it's permissable I would paint the cabinet. It'll need some sanding first, but I wouldn't paint it black. I would go with a high-gloss white to give it a clean look, and help it blend in with the toilet and tub. I'd also switch out the hinges and handle for some brushed nickel hardware.

Last of all, I see there's a built in soap dish there. If you use this for soap it will get grimy fast. Instead, I put a handful of river rocks in mine, and placed a candle in the middle. The heat doesn't hurt anything because it's ceramic tile, and I've even used votive candles without a dish. They melt right into the stones and are usually easy to pop right out without leaving wax on the soap dish. And even if it does leave some, dried wax is pretty easy to get off of the tile.

Hope this helps!

I wouldn't worry about the purple. It may not be ideal, but it's such a small touch, that it actually adds some whimsy. (I just wouldn't add more of it.) I would run with the black and white theme, and paint the sink cabinet black and get a nice graphic b/w shower curtain. I'd get a black toilet seat too (you want a new one with a new rental, anyway.)
http://www.target.com/dp/B001J836TY/ref=sc_qi_img_viewdetails?ie=UTF8&title=view%20full%20details

The first thing I'd do is pull out my trusty single-edged razor blades and scrape off every SPECK of paint off those black edge tiles!

This curtain might work too - depends on the yellows...
http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=476&f=5444

The most important thing you can do is ask the landlord how far can you go...

Everything else will start working out from there.

I'm in with apcolucci and advocate dog. Avoid painting the vanity black. The place is small enough you don't need any more oppression. I would go with white white white. White vanity, a white [terrycloth, perhaps? love those] shower curtain. If there's some extra wall space a simple glass shelf would be peachy clean for products etc.

And as far as the tiles. I think they're quite cute. They have a lot of personality. Don't fight it. Think of it as you're cute little eccentric bathroom. And the b&w on the floor is adorable too.

One thing i always do too. Is keep the bathroom clean and neat! If you're a product hoarder, like me. Find a way to store most of them outta site. Get a little bin for under the sink, whatever you gotta do.The clutter will only make the room feel smaller. I like to display a carefully chosen pricey bottle of well packaged moisturizer next to the bonne maman jar that houses my toothbrush and paste. You could put that on the little glass shelf and bam! Classy tasteful and cute.
-anna
chateausavoie.com

A lot depends on your budget and what the landlord would allow you to do.

First, I wondering if the lavender tile is painted. I have the same exact tile where I live. (Luckily I got a much more neutral color, other units have the yellow.) And that border is usually black. anyway...

As others stated, go easy with the color. White shower curtain would be the first fix. Then if you can paint the vanity white or even replace with something cheap like from IKEA. I agree with painting the walls yellow, but I would go with a soft yellow. And if you can paint that lavender trim, I think that would help the most. And maybe even change out the medicine cabinet. all depends on budget and permission, though.

good luck and please post "after" pics.

So, I'm for not fighting what's already been done -- which is admittedly dreadful.

My quick fix would be to create a shower curtain out of some non-eye assaulting fabric the uses the wall tile shades.

http://www.sewmamasew.com/store/ecom-prodshow/WKNDSATBUTTER.html

Trim it with a little black grosgrain ribbon or use black clips on the rod, and you'll look like a genius without having to repaint anything.

The vanity can easily be dressed up with a few lavender hued cups for storage (buy some spray paint that matches the lavender tiles and then coat the inside of a glass jar for a REALLY easy version of this).

Buy a simple bathmat in light yellow to match the walls. Hang a few pictures on the walls in black frames (the Dollar Tree usually has 8.5 x 11 wooden frames with glass that are for award certificates) you can make a quick grid of them, hang them up, and move on with your life.

White, white, white. Keep it clean and simple. If you want to paint the vanity, I'd say white (be sure to use paint that is appropriate for bathroom use). If you can, I would also replace the faucets with something clean and simple (and change the hardware on the vanity to match). Don't forget to replace the toilet seat!

I like the tile, actually.

It's such a pain to paint tiles...and you run the risk of it chipping, or even worse, your landlord charges you to paint it back at the end of your term.

Best case scenario is to embrace the colors in the tile. No matter how horrid you think they are. Remember, a lot of bathrooms are stark white and neutrals...and some people would kill to have some vintage tile in their bathroom, no matter what color.

I would try to stick to neutral bath linens like white or beige, because it's going to be tough to match the colors with the tile from the store or a photo. If you're up for painting, I would go with something bold in a complimentary color.

And DEFINITELY ditch the shower curtain. Go with something the same color as the bath linens you find. Throw in a few rugs in a bold color (if your floors are light tile) or a neutral rug (if your floors are dark tile).

Also, when purchasing your soap dish/toothbrush holder, etc...just go with something simple in either white or silver. It will be a nice touch of 'modern' in your vintage bath.

Good luck!

I'll be honest, the only thing I personally feel is an eyesore is the vanity cabinet. Other than that, everything else can be easily worked on. First, I'd see if I could remove the shower curtain rod. Seems that might be screwed in and painted over making it difficult to remove - but can be done. I'd patch up the area sanding/then painting it preferably white.

I'd then change the shower curtain probably a solid white color. Also, the vanity... I know they make skirts that can wrap around bathroom sinks. Or make one yourself? Not sure how crafty you are but I'm sure they're not too difficult to make. Even add a small ruffle on the bottom?

I like what everyone else has suggested as well. Being that it is an older bathroom - and a rental, I'd leave the tiles as is though. I mean I like the colorful tiles, I suppose it's just me. Love the floor tiles and think a yellow bathroom rug, as someone above suggested w/work lovely. Purchase towels the same color. Whatever you do have fun and good luck! Please be sure to share some after photos showing what you did!

I think you have to embrace the tiles and go from there. I would go with solid colors that tie in to the tile. I would go white, off white or maybe a light yellow with the shower curtain. Clean the paint off the tile. The vanity is horrible, but I doubt you can do much about it.

Definitely paint the vanity white! If you do a great job it's doubtful anyone will notice or remember. Change the hardware to brushed nickel. Keep the products out of sight.

Buy a new mirror to replace what's over the sink.

Change the shower curtain to something black and white or B&W with an accent color. But spend money on the shower curtain. Cheap ones look cheap. Change the rod to either silver with silver hooks or go white with white hooks.

Scrape off all the old paint everywhere. A fresh coat of white in the bathroom would do wonders.

Buy a really plush white bathmat.

My bathroom is B&W but the tub is that same awful lavender. I have a long curtain, keep my bathroom clean, have silver hardware and white ceramic accessories so the tub really melts away.

I have several points. I can't do concise! :)

1.) I agree with Lisa of Montreal: Paint the vanity black. I had this EXACT BATHROOM once, and making everything white and black made the color scheme look more deliberate. If you're worried about painting it black, I can tell you that in my bathroom, doing so made the cabinet look instantly more expensive and sort of made it recede into its space, making it less obtrusive-looking.

2.) I also agree with the poster who suggested scraping the paint off the tiles.

3.) I would consider buying a new toilet seat. The one you have looks like it's plastic. A wooden one will look and, ahem, feel, more substantial. In a small bathroom, every little thing counts!

4.) Get some paint and paint the window frame white. I did this in my bathroom, which had the same ugly black aluminum window, and suddenly, the window looked crisp and new.

5.) Last one-- promise. One place people frequently forget to clean is under the plastic knobs on their sink faucets. But doing so makes a huge difference to your sink's clean appearance. Get a butterknife or flathead screwdriver, carefully pop off the little Hot and Cold Shields, use a Philips head to unscrew the screws underneath, and then use some mildew remover inside the plastic knobs, which can then be rescrewed and recovered with the plastic shield thingys.

All white accessories. White rugs, shower curtain, towels, soap, etc. That small bathroom is too busy to do anything else. It will probably make it feel bigger as well.

I want to caution against putting up a too colorful or opaque shower curtain. I have almost the exact bathroom (minus the awful colors) and all of the light gets blocked with an opaque curtain, which then makes the space look extremely tiny.

Good luck!

If this is a rental, your landlord will probably not let you paint the vanity. Clean everything, even walls, and scrape random paint. I would use a black and white ticking stripe for the shower curtain and also skirt the vanity with it, using velcro. It looks like the mirror is a medicine cabinet and can't be replaced. I would use a very graphic small rug that pulls the lavender. Using a lot of white in this room may make the walls and tile look a bit dirty and shabby. Add artwork and shelving for product. Merchandise your product.

Thank you all for the ideas! You have all made me look at this bathroom in a completely different light, and (dare I say) the colors and look are growing on me. I think that the more I look at the bathroom the more I realize the issue is in the vanity and not necessarily the tiles. That being said though, I have to ask the landlord and see if we can either replace it with a new one, or paint the bottom. Painting might be the more cost effective way, and I honestly don't think he'll complain since it will be improving the look of the bathroom. Since the sink is sort of an off white, should I try and match the base with that, or go with a bright white or even light gray? Any ideas if I cannot paint the vanity? And also perhaps any rug suggestions?

Thank you again readers for all of your input, I will be sure to post after pictures!

If your are limited to typical rental restrictions, the shower curtain will be your best friend. use it to play up what you like (the black and white) and just ignore what you don't.

Repeat whatever elements you like to make them seem intentional.

I think you need to get the wood tone of the vanity somewhere else, even in the tiniest dose (but not necessarily the toilet seat, since that might be tricky to get a dead-on match...). I'd do a bamboo shower curtain ring, as an example.

White is the only way.

You can totally make this bathroom work! My sister moved into an apartment recently with a VERY similar bathroom (are you in the East Village, NYC!?) and she had a tough time of it as well. Foremost, you have a fair amount of light coming in which is good. Our thought is to raise the shower curtain pole and buy an extra long shower curtain so your bathroom looks bigger. You might want to consider changing your medicine cabinet to a larger, more stylish one (more storage too!). Paint the wood below your sink white or off-white. And I love the comments above about about hanging wall art in the bathroom covering the walls (also to make the room look larger). I fear there is the dreaded industrial toilet in there and I am not sure what you can do about that (I think AT my have other posts which might help). Best of luck!!!!

I'm with Troyce's color suggestions. Paint the walls and vanity a yellow that matches the tiles. Beyond that, I would wait and see what the room "asks for" in terms of shower curtain color and art once the color is in place, and do that.

@ apolucci-- what an awesome idea re river rocks in the built-in soap dish! Definitely going to try that.

omg - perhaps a jolly roger shower curtain?
http://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Jolly-Shower-Curtain-72-Inch/dp/B003M2X2D0/ref=sr_1_40?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1275664856&sr=1-40

Oh my gosh, I have the SAME bathroom in my apartment, right down to the door handle. The girl that lived there before me thought it would be a great idea to paint the entire bathroom, tile included, dark blue. So when I moved in the landlord repainted it white. But it was definitely those colors before she painted. I just stuck with a black and white bathroom.... maybe you should just pick a color and go with that?

I feel your pain. This looks a lot like my NYC rental bathroom. Except my floor is pink. Ugh.

check out this months issue of real simple for info on tile decals. they are removable and may down play the purple.

And in next month's Real Simple, "15 Simple Ways to Remove Tile Decals."

Declutter.
Clean the paint off the edge-tiles and do a fresh, clean & neat paintjob on the walls and windowframe in white, then prime & paint the vanity either white as well.
New chrome showerhead & shower rod (Is that an old wooden closet-rod up there now???)
White towels, white hotel-style nylon shower curtain w/ chrome rings, white bathmat, etc.

I always give the same answers to bathroom design questions: keep it simple, clean and white or off-white. Let the tiles be the stars (I actually don't think they are that bad!). New white shower curtain, new white bath mat and keep that vanity uncluttered. I think the current white paint is a harsh contrast to the tiles- I would repaint with a creamy white. Am I in a rut?

I have the same exact bathroom in peach, only my sink doesn't have a cabinet under it.

I went with a darker solid, complimentary color to the tiles on the walls, and even painted the ceiling that color too. With that much going on, i wanted as little added colors to my palette.

I got a clear shower curtain (once i had a clear one with small black stripes, that works well too). This also makes you feel less tight when the shower is drawn.

Stick with a few colors, and you'll be good to go! And I totally agree with getting rid of that stripe.

Anthony--
1. Paint the vanity white if you can. Black would look better but your landlord would be pissed (not conservative enough for most.)
2. Get a larger mirror for the wall space. One that covers alot of the wall area.
3. Black and white shower curtain (maybe stripes, nothing too busy)
4. Maybe even a coat of purple paint. Darker than the tile.
5. Keep as much stuff off of the counter top that you can.
6. On second thought, maybe you could hang up a large mirrored medicine cabinet for extra storage.

I have a VERY similar bathroom. I actually feel like you may live in my bldg. I agree with a lot of folks - white is the way to go.
My suggestions:
-Put your shower curtain rod higher and get a long, well made, cloth shower curtain. And really good towels - all white.
- go to home depot and get large mirrors or vanity with mirror to put on the opposite wall of the bathroom sink. Increases the space once you're in the bathroom
- DEFINITELY get a new bathroom cabinet that will allow for more storage space.
- nice big rug if you don't like the tile.

These are inexpensive things you can do in a very short period of time. These changes will cost you less than $100.

I would also paint the vanity, but that's maybe more work that you want to do for a rental.

Good luck!

the tiles are pretty cool. especially the floor. work around those.toss the sink and get a simple white--cheap sink with no under-cabinet. re-glaze the tub and make all the fixtures gleaming white. toss that curtain and get a simple white one with those old school ballbearing rings. repaint the walls---solid---whitewhite. put a nice mirror in there where the poster is --a goos flea mkt find. store all ur other crap in ur linen closet.

If painting the tile is an option, I would get rid of that yellow purple altogether. You could paint it all white. I would then paint the vanity base black and get a plain white shower curtain. Add color with towels and other accessories - its too small of a bathroom to have a big color scheme.

If you just have a small budget, I would get rid of the shower curtain and get a white one and paint the vanity base black or white, depending on what looks best with that yellow and purple.

Good luck! Please post afters.

You might also think about getting a small black wire shelf to stand against the vanity. That will decrease the clutter.

I cannot agree strongly enough with the push for clean, white accessories against the b&w and yellow that's already going on in this bathroom. Adding colorful accessories (especially a shower curtain, which will overwhelm the space) will just make it feel busier and more claustrophobic, even if the colors match the tiles. Keep it clean, light, and uniform with a white (or lightly b&w patterned) curtain, towels, and other accessories: not only will the space feel bigger, it will make the existing tiling actually look pretty good.

And I love the idea of painting the vanity white - a black vanity in that bathroom would be overwhelming and depressing (not to mention kind of outdated...).

Can't wait to see what you decide to do with it, definitely post before-and-after photos when you're finished!

enjoyable comments from 'most everyone. it is a shame that when people think "modernize," they often remove quality. if you can go back to a nice cast iron sink on legs, do; the boxy, cheesy replacement is not worth the storage, else, the flat skirt idea (above) may work. you likely are ok to change the sink tap & toilet seat, as owner paid minimum for them. keep the med cabinet (sunk into wall, with a slit at back to drop in your used razor blades, no?), hang chrome shelves (3 min) above toilet for storage. door may have painted-over inset mirror, very handy in combo with med cabinet & reflects light. at least the tiles are not green! a sheer water-repellent curtain inside tubis a good idea, as the water erodes the wood trim & more opaque seems to generate more mold. a plastic slipcover for the curtain rod will allow for sliding (nickel clip w/ balls) curtain holders better than painting the rod & is removable. enjoy the vintage of it.

Paint the walls black. White towels and shower curtain and rug.

If you think this is overwhelming, wait until you see what happens if you decide to paint the walls or the vanity black. Black will make the room look small and the colors look even more drastic.

To tone down the whole room, follow the advise that some people have given above--keep the walls white, add white accessories (if you really need any), and get a white or translucent shower curtain.

In addition, I would add some artwork to the walls that is primarily black and white but with a pop of either yellow or lavender, to tie the tiles and the entire room together. Your color pallet is already set for you with those tiles, so work with what you've got, and keep it as simple as possible.

Can't wait to see how it turns out.

bed bath and beyond has a black and white shower curtain-expensive though...$60. It is more white than black, this will help neutralize the yellow. I would choose black and lavendar towels. More black than lavendar. For instance, Black bathtowel, with lavendar hand towels. You're a guy, so you probably do not want toilet covers... but if you do black or lavendar would be ok. Any art work- look for hues in black,gray and purple. This will minimize the yellow in the room. If you do not mind the yellow... a little bit thrown in will tie it together. The ugliest thing in the room is the vanity. not much you can do, unless the landlord would let you paint it, and if so-black. I hope this helps. lavendar can be very masculine, if placed correctly. I have 4 boys, I know.

Looks like that tile stripe was painted. Either paint it black, or remove the purple. Clean all paint spatters from the tiles; it makes a big difference. I'd paint the vanity white, doing a superb job. Or, make a curtain for it in b&w ticking stripe.

A Black & white toile or damask pattern would work. Those patterns have a classic/retro feel, appropriate to the room, even though not from the same period.

Or, a clear shower curtain would allow the window to add it's retro metal frame, as well as adding light. Translucent contact paper adds privacy, if needed.

It could be really nice-looking. Just getting rid of that clunky purple would be a big step.

Love the purple tiles, but that's what makes horse races.

I agree - paint the vanity white, not black.

I own a stack of gorgeous custom shower curtains in all kinds of patterns, but I recently decided to take a break from all the visuals. I washed my dirty white fabric curtain liner in bleach, bleached it some more, and now use it as the curtain. It is simple, clean, translucent, bright - and cost me nothing (save cost of bleach) to change the look of my bathroom. Everything feels airy and bright.

Also, you may want to consider buying and installing your own small vanity. I did this once in a rental, paid a plumber to do it for me. It was a tiny little sink for a tiny bathroom. I really enjoyed having my own brand new sink!

Did anyone yet mention that the cleanest looking curtain hooks are the silver ball bearing ones? They are the smoothest and least fussy.

Don't paint without asking the landlord and if you do paint the vanity a white or cream. Pastels or fad colors seriously will just make the room look worse. I'd try to go with a nice white shower curtain and do black or white accessories.

I find this color combo is one of the more pleasant of the art deco bathrooms. Some can be very garish. You can look up images online of Art Deco bathrooms to get some ideas. A lighter yellow on the walls works well. As does white fixtures.

A black vanity would be in keeping with the era but I agree with other posters, it would be too much in this space. Could you make a white/off white cabinet shell that sits in front of the existing vanity?

I also agree white sheer shower curtains would keep things simple and allow light into the room. As for the purple tile, I think it would become less noticable once you've made other changes. If you really can't live with them, perhaps use removable wall vinyl to cover them.

Oh it is so cute minus that shower curtain. the vanity isn't great either.