I would paint the walls charcoal and use white and orange accents (shower curtain, towels, shelves).

I don't know, but I'll be watching with interest, since I have the same problem (just moved from vintage-cool rental to bland-'80s rental).

Hey, at least you have a tub :). I don't anymore. :(

A nice shower curtain and good art are going to go a long way to making this place feel more interesting. Id also think about either changing the hard ware, both handles and hinges on the cabinet or just removing the doors entirely and hanging a curtain on a tension rod. The vanity top has me stumped though.

I'd hang an interesting framed mirror over the existing one. After you move on, you'll be able to take that mirror with you.

We've done some cosmetic work in our bathrooms and framed mirrors give a big punch.

Depending on the size, I would add some cute vintage artwork or vintage mirror. Maybe a cute bench or stool. Pretty shower curtain and decorative towels will make a huge difference. You could even use a vintage magazine holder for the towels. Check craigslist and flea markets too. A can of spray paint will unify the objects and make them more cohesive. Cant wait to see pics are you have completed the look. Good luck!!

I agree with Priscilla too. If you can paint, I would for sure! I know some landlords will not allow that though. Good luck!!!

Could be worse. It looks like you need some color on the walls, nice plush bath mats and you need to bulk up the medicine cabinet.You could add some art, sconces or narrow shelves to the areas to each side of the medicine cabinet.
Is it possible to change the faucet? If so, you can get a nice one for about $100.

Yeah, it could be much worse. At this point, the colors are relatively neutral and everything looks clean and relatively updated.

I agree with KHINNJ about changing the faucet, but you don't need to spend anywhere near $100 for it. I got my faucet for $40. Check the open box aisles and end caps at Lowes and Home Depot.

The most pressing need I see here is the lack of light. Your bathroom is super dim and any color you put on the walls is going to make it worse because there's just no light. Before you paint, see about changing the lights, either increasing the bulb wattage (if the fixture will take it) or asking the landlord if he or she can replace the light with something that will hold more wattage. I do not recommend doing this yourself.

To piggyback on PI's post, is the light even on in this photo? It looks like natural light to me.

If you can change out the faucet and maybe put a different towel bar up, I think that'd help. Looks like your medicine cabinet actually opens. Maybe you can get a custom frame made to fit it, and then when you're done, take it with you and put glass in it. Also, get a shower curtain you LOVE. That will really go a long way.

I disagree that color will make the lack of available light worse..Yellow, oranges and pinks on the walls or as accent colors can brighten up the space whether you can add more light or not. I'd start with a really nice shower curtain in colors you like and develop your palette from there. The NICE thing about "apartment generic" is that you have a totally blank canvas with which to work. You can make it modern, romantic, funky or urban chic..Just use your imagination and build what you want one piece--or one section--at a time.

Ditto on the above posts... find a fabulous shower curtain with some great color(s) in it and run with those! Artwork, maybe new fixtures, and maybe some shelving? Doesn't see to have a ton of storage, so shelves would provide some interest and storage. Best of luck!

Instead of hanging another mirror you can work with the one you have (which looks like a medicine cabinet?) It's great that it's set out from the wall -- that means you can easily install a nice, thick frame behind it. Maybe take 8" wide boards, add some decorative trim on top of it, paint the whole thing a striking color.

I would use peelable wallpaper. I think covering the walls up with a great cool pattern will really help bring some charm into it. Additionally, great towels, mats, shower curtain, and art will transform the room further.

It's not a bad room, as is.

Paint, shower curtain, framed graphic prints. That's all you need.

I like the idea of charcoal, since the room is lighting challenged. But if it were me, I would look at nothing darker than Timber Wolf (Benjamin Moore). I really like to see when I am putting in contacts, etc.

I don't agree with changing the faucet. It's a rental. Not worth it, I don't think the faucet is offensive.

Framed art - take your time collecting what you like, put paired/matching art on either side of the medicine cabinet. Paint the frames a bright, as suggested, if all the frames are hit with the same bright spray paint, it will bring them all together.

I like plain, high quality towels and rugs - in white. Get crazy great quality whites, they will last for years, can be bleached when you stain them, and they show that they are clean. I used this strategy, with a very pricey, extremely plush white shower curtain and rug (think looks like mohair, but all cotton -- I found them in New Orleans years ago). I took that rug, curtain and towels with me to many a dumpy apartment with bathrooms much worse than yours, and they always made a Decrepit Luxury statement.

* Charcoal paint (even if you are not allowed to paint - do it. For 4 years it is worth it to paint it back to white if needed, plus I bet the landlord will like it in the long run.)
* Inexpensive new faucet and new knobs to match
* Tension rod up at ceiling and install floor to ceiling shower curtains
* Fluffy lux-looking hand towels on rod next to sink
* One large nice poster or piece of artwork above toilet

I'm not a fan of putting too much stuff in a space as small as this. Make things simple and neutral so you don't look like you are putting lipstick on a pig.

I was expecting worse — like my rental bathroom.

Customize with shower curtain, cabinet pulls, rug(s), mirror, temporary (but safe) lighting.
the removable decals are a good idea...accessorize.
the ugly countertop will disappear the more you live with it.

At least it's clean.

Putting up a print (even in a frame) above the toilet seems so close to the shower thought. I would be afraid it would curdle with humidity. That is why I have no prints in mine.

I think painting is a great idea - but be warned - if you paint a dark color, you bathroom will become shadowed and dark too. Since it seems you don't have any natural light, you might want to change out the light fixture to something brighter. I painted my bathroom a medium teal, and while I love the color, it's hard to pluck my eyebrows b/c the dark shade does not reflect much light!

For the vanity, since you have plenty of space I'd get a cute soap dispenser and small flower vase and have a few satin or real flowers in there (I'd do peonies or hydrangeas) on one side of the sink. And for balance, on the other side maybe a cake stand (color and style of your choice) and have a few other everyday pretty accesories on there. Like your perfume, some jewelry, a candle, whatever you want to look at and will make the space more "you". The medicine cabinet mirror needs something on either side of it, on the wall, to beef it up.

I'd suggest a bright wall color and a bright white shower curtain. My rental bathroom is much much worse (old, dirty, hole-y beige paneling everywhere that I'm not allowed to take down or paint). Be encouraged that you can make this place shine!

MAGDALENO O: I have 2 prints extremely close to the shower for 3 years now and no problems. Just make sure the clean the wall behind the print every once in a while and use your fan or keep the window open when showering.

Regarding the post: I understand you will be living there and want to make it your own but buying new faucets seems a bit much in my opinion. You have a blank slate. Start by incorporating your favorite colors in the accessories if you can't paint.
If you don't need the storage in the medicine cabinet, remove it and put up a really cool mirror that you can take with you when you leave. The faucets and everything else may just disappear. You can also cover the current knobs with fabric. Take fabric glue and mix it with a bit of water, cut a circular piece of fabric and glue the knobs ensuring to cover the bottom as well. Or you can just cover the top and edge it with trim. The reason I suggest not to purchase new faucents is because you probably don't want to put alot of money into them. You do get what you pay for. Those cheapie ones, they will fall apart on you in no time soon. If you are still determine to change them out, search craigs list for a faucet as well as new pulls.

I don't know if you follow Daniel at Manhattan Nest, but he'd be a great resource for you.
I think his DIY on re-doing the doors of a sad little vanity would help in particular:
http://manhattan-nest.com/2010/10/13/conquer-your-vanity/

Slightly tangential: is a 4-year lease common in the U.S. (where I assume the OP is)?

CHANGE THE FAUCET! Just tell your land lord it wasn't working and deduct from your rent. I cant stress this enough. You can get a nice one for under $40 nowadays. Get rid of the medicine cabinet mirror and add a large painted mirror from garage sale. Paint the walls if the landlord will let you. Add a collage of black framed art to tie in that black counter-top. Swap out the cabinet hardware.

Good luck :)

not sure if this is water safe, but other comments brought up removeable wall paper, and if you find the top of the vanity to be really offensive, maybe you could use that (or something better suited for that purpose) to cover it? it wouldn't be too expensive since you'd just be buying a couple square feet, and after you carefully cut openings for the faucet and sink bowl, I think you could be good.

we did this in college when our vanity sink was clean but atrocious looking. it lasted through the year; not sure how long it would last beyond that (you said you were here for 4 years), but if it works, it might be worth the effort to recut and stick once a year. good luck!

If you can't or don't want to replace the mirror, just use some molding to frame it. It'll look a lot nicer and more to scale for that space.
Otherwise it doesn't seem too terrible. If you can paint it that would probably help too, and adding art and bathroom accessories will make a huge difference.

Just one idea, if the mirror is a medicine cabinet, search junk stores for an huge, elaborate old picture frame to put around it. It wouldn't have to be in good condition if you were going to paint it. It doesn't have to fit to the mirror, bigger would be better. You could even attach mini shelves.

We once lucked into a damaged antique sideboard mirror with mini columns and shelves. The mirror and its backing had been smashed so we cut it out. When we sold the condo the buyer put in the offer that it had to stay.

As far as rental apartment bathrooms go this one looks quite good. The absolute plainness is a blank slate that you can fill out in many ways.

A very easy fix in my opinion. First off, I wouldn't change the fixtures no matter how much you dislike them; just not worth it in a rental. Hard to tell by the photos but the paint job looks fresh, so I'd leave that alone. If it does require painting, go for a clear, bright white. Then I would do the following:
1. Add a shower curtain in virtually any colour combo you like.
2. Add co-oridinating towels.
3. Add two or three glass shelves above the toilet for towels and toiletries (keep unsightly stuff in the vanity cupboard).
4. Add a couple of inexpensive framed prints (quality artworks not recommended in a bathroom).
5. Add something bright, fairly tall and decorative to the top of the vanity–jewellery tree, a potted orchid if there's enough light, candelabra or whatever.

You're done!

@LGS--why is changing the fixtures not worth it in a rental. If she's planning on living here for 4 years, why should she live with crappy, ugly fixtures just because she doesn't own the building?

Personally, I think changing the faucet is a bit of a stretch on a rental, but if $40 isn't too much for her decorating budget, why not? You can get attractive handles and hinges for very little money. You can also take the fixtures with you when you leave, so the money isn't necessarily lost.

I would suggest starting with soft goods--a gorgeous shower curtain, bath mat & some towels will go a long way. As others mentioned, some framed art will also help significantly.

At least the room isn't dark beige. That seems to be the rental trend in my area. The pictures make it look like it is mostly white with a black counter top. You can do a lot of interesting, dramatic things with a black and white color scheme (or a black+white+bright color scheme.)

I would start the non-permanent items above, live with it for a couple of weeks, and then decide how much the rest of it bothers you vs. the cost of changing them.

I find fixtures to be a cheap and easy fix by way of places like the Restore and Goodwill. I think if it were my bathroom I would do removable wallpaper (I actually have tempaper in my bathroom currently and it is great), replace the mirror cabinet with an ornate vintage mirror and pick a really cute shower curtain and solid color coordinated plush rug. To save money, you could paint the walls or do a gallery wall of cheap art (printed photos you like or something that won't get humid-grody) or maybe try some tile tattoos: http://www.2jane.com/collections/tile-tattoos

I don't think it's horrid at all! It's clean, spacious, and has storage. I live in an apt with no storage in the bathroom. Really inconvenient.

Don't paint the walls dark. Not flattering when you look in the mirror, and claustraphobic.

You have a neutral pallate now. Once you add a bright shower curtain, towels, cool artwork, and new doorknobs, you won't believe it's the same room..

@ carolinazhangdesign, I think that's a pretty bad idea. Many states don't allow tenants to repair-and-deduct, and those states that do allow it have specific rules about notifying the landlord and giving them some time to make non-emergency repairs. Even for emergency repairs you usually have to give them 24 hours before you can repair-and-deduct. Depending on how much of a stickler your landlord is, you could be assessed a penalty for short-paying your rent. And you would probably damage your relationship with the landlord. Is it really worth the slim possibility that you'll get away with it and save a whopping $40?

I think you are very lucky to have a blank canvas of a bathroom. You can do anything you like without having to work around any features.

you should buy a large vintage frame and put it around the vanity mirror. Also, hang some terrariums on either side of the mirrors, Instead of a shower curtain, buy some vintage windows and hang them from the ceiling, attached to each other with hooks, and hang a clear plastic curtain behind it to stop water from leaking out. You can even drill a little votive candle holder into each frame and then would be able to light some candles which would nicely reflect in the bathroom.

@COURTNEY L: Totally agree with you. I could not live with that hardware! Then again I design hardware for a living so... ?

@MUDDIEMAE: Valid point. In my defense, In the past I have always had very chill landlords and now AS a landlord, I also let my tenants re-do things and paint as long as they turn it in in great shape. I am not recommending she do anything without asking first.

@Ivy: PM me if you would like a pair of cabinet knobs. I have many samples lying around and i'm sure I could find a pair to ship to you. :)

@DIRCE79: Love those tile tattoos!

@MuddieMa: Wow, you started an account just to tell me off? lame.

It would be nice if you could post some ideas instead of just pointing out how terrible others are.

A bigger mirror and a fun shower curtain would go a long way without breaking the bank.

I agree with Al Hal. Just go to manhattan nest blog and copy his whole bathroom. Your bathroom will look stunning. Oh and I suggest a black toilet seat.

@CarolinaZhangDesign: I agree with MuddieMae. Don't lie to the landlord and needlessly stiff him out of $40 just because a faucet isn't the one you like best. The landlord knows the faucet works; if it were to stop working, the procedure is usually "tell the landlord to fix it," not "pick something pretty and the landlord is unwittingly stuck with paying for it." It's hard to sympathize with the wounded feelings of someone whose advice was "Plan A: Lie, cheat, and steal."

@Beeforbrian: I think there is a misunderstanding here. I didn't mean to tell them it was broken. That would be so obvious-derp. I meant not working as in not working with the space. I also mentioned that I am a landlord who is willing to make my tenants comfortable. I ALSO mentioned she should not do anything without asking the landlord first...not sure if you read my response.

The biggest "problem" with the bathroom is that it isn't to your taste. It is a standard, neutral bathroom, common to many apartments and nicer than many. The faucets are developer standard, as is the cabinet.

So, accept the fact that you have a modern bathroom and figure out how to decorate it so it is more to your taste. New cabinet pulls. Check. Shower curtain, check, nice towels, check, art, check, decals somewhere, if you want.

I own my apartment and lived with something like that for a long, long time until I had the money to redo it.

In the same way your bathroom isn't horrible, you don't have a reason to mess with your landlord, who could be a perfectly decent person. Doing so is inconsiderate.

I think you can make this bathroom almost unrecognizable without a huge investment. Color on the walls will go miles....possibly a light gray. Something to give it some warmth and take the sterility away but not make it feel like the walls are closing in. I would choose a shower curtain you are head over heels for, b/c that is going to be the statement in the room AND you can take it with you. If you can't find what you like, you can always make one or have one made. Target's selection is really good, modern and affordable. Think gray, yellow and white. You can find a chrome faucet with the white handles that say "hot" and "cold" for like $30. Might not be your dream faucet, but will be a million times better than the builders grade currently there. A small plush rug in front of the sink and a matching one in front of the tub will soften the floor. You could hang a white shelf above the toilet and lean a cute piece of art (Etsy has really affordable ones, or even just print something in color from the computer and pop it in the frame) and add a vase with a single, bright flower. Or, go to a garage sale and find accessories you like and spray paint them bright yellow. If you could attach a mirror over that existing mirror it would do wonders. I think once you do everything else, the counter won't stand out nearly as much. Changing the cabinet hardware to the same silver that matches the faucet (if you change it) will also be a nice detail. I think you can fall in love with your bathroom...it just needs some TLC!

As many have said, not the worst. But this is a good place to start honing your own personal design skills & taste. You've been lucky, & spoiled, with your "pedestal sinks, claw foot tubs and cute vintage tile details"! Now it is time to tackle a challenge! It will be good for you and that bathroom, too! Everyone has great suggestions- paint, new hardware, prints, nice shower curtain, etc. My mode is to come up with a theme or color scheme for my bathrooms. If you are into botanical prints, for instance, you know that you'll be working with greens & browns. I like beachy looking bathrooms with sea life & colors as my scheme (but that's from years of living on the Pacific ocean). As far as hardware goes- change it! Don't hesitate! You can get decent prices in close outs or at Habitat stores. Here is my number # rental tip (been renting over 35 years all over the planet)- whatever you change out- light fixtures, hardware, switch plates, towel racks, etc.- SAVE them in a box somewhere, with the screws! Label them as to where they go back. This way, when you move out, you can take with you those cute hand painted switch plates you bought at the art fair! Just put the originals back in place! you can do the same with plumbing fixtures! Remove the fixtures, clean them up, then store them in a box to be put back later. Most people hesitate to change towel racks & such because they think it is money they will lose in the long run. But, if you bought that nice chandelier then it's yours & you can take it with you when you leave! Just be sure to put the ugly dome fixture back in place! See, it's that easy. By all means- paint! C'mon, how many times will the landlord be traipsing through your bathroom anyway? And, when you move out paint it back to standard issue white. Most times, if you've proven yourself a good tenant, they will actually LOVE your improvements. Just don't rush into full blown "gotta change it all now" mode. This will cost you more money as you will purchase things without actually thinking them through first. Live with the bathroom for a little while until you find the color/theme that suits you AND the space. Good luck (and consider yourself blessed. I've lived many years in places with out a bathroom at all. Yours would make the average South American family VERY happy indeed!)

Oh, you can change the toilet lid & seat as well to a color that will better go with your scheme. That always makes a bathroom look better than just using the standard issue white. I have a marine blue seat & lid that I've had for years. It's usually one of the first things that gets installed in my new bathroom after moving in!

It may not be the most glamorous bathroom I've ever seen, but it looks clean and in good shape. I don't know how much your landlord will allow you to do. You probably could paint the walls a light color and maybe change the knobs on the cabinet.
I don't know about covering the medicine chest mirror with another. This may not work if the cabinet is not flush with the wall or if the door has to be removed.
You might add candle sconces or little decorative plaques on either side of the medicine cabinet.
I agree with the others that a shower curtain, art work, and handsome towels are going to brighten the place up. Personally, I'd just do the best I can with the bathroom and concentrate on the other areas of the apartment. After all, the bathroom is not going to be a gathering place for guests, so as long as it is clean, functional, and as attractive as you can make it without remodeling, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I would invest in a medicine chest that would use the entire sink wall, this would add light to the room, then you could use a strong color such as a bright olive green or fuschia on those three walls in sink area. I would also change out the cabinet knobs and add a floor mat and accessories in contrasting colors. The shower curtain could be in a bright pattern that you like and use those colors for floor mats, wall color and accessories. A large framed art piece using those colors would look great over the toilet. Good luck!

Personally, I would find a cool frame for the mirror, change the handles on the cupboard and if possible, get a nice faucet. I would also leave it white and then use the blue in the countertop for other accents. Maybe get some shelves and paint them the blue of the countertop, and have big fluffy white towels on them?

I would also use one other colour, a bright like a lime green or red, so you have the combination of white, deep blue and the other bright colour. Getting things like a soap holder, toothbrush holder and cup to have by the sink in the third bright colour would tie it all together, and you could find a shower curtain using any or all of the three colours.

Essentially you would end up with a white bathroom with deep blue and bright accents.
It looks like a pretty decent space to work with. Good luck!