Q: I will be moving into an apartment next week which features a unique color combination in the bathroom. How would you work with a powder blue tub surround, aqua trim and rose hex tile floors? The walls will be painted off-white before I move and I don't believe the tile can be altered. What color linens and shower curtain would you incorporate? I'm not afraid of a semi-retro look, but I do have a very minimalist boyfriend who has to approve anything beyond white towels!
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What I've learned from inheriting other people's hideous bathroom tiling is that you have to work with it and make it look like it's intentional. If you fight it, it'll look like it. So I would pick two or three bright colors to complement the drab colors. The right shower curtain can work wonders in itself. The floor is easy enough to mask with rugs. I don't think you necessarily have to go retro, but it's gonna be a challenge. If it were me, I might just paint right over that aqua blue trim. It's a small enough strip that you can scrape the paint off when you move out.
Grey would look nice, and is more "manly" than white.
Can the walls be painted white-white? That would reduce the total number of colours you'll have to work with. Overall I'd say embrace the blue and pink, but mostly the blue. But don't worry about matching. Maybe get deep purple towels, or ocean-blue ones, or a combo. Until you find the perfect shower curtain, make do with a clear one with a simple pattern that at least won't clash with anything.
first things first...Myself? I have always disliked intensely exposed pipes in this application. I'd use fabric (textured, washable, light coloured - perhaps the lightest blue in the bath?) to skirt the sink. Adhere with velcro, and wash as needed. Then, the shower curtain should be a heavy weight clear plastic and go wild with every shade of blue for towels you can find.
No offense OP, but dont "skirt the sink," unless you are elderly. I would also not do a clear plastic shower curtain...I advise hiding that baby blue tile! Sorry OP. I would check and see how the mirror is hung, if possible, hang another that is larger and more detailed. CB2 has some great shower curtains that are artistic and minimal (some). You can also put a cool shelf (either hanging or on top of tank) above toilet and maybe get some cool bathroom organizers that match to go on it. Maybe just get a rug that covers the whole floor (either patterned shower curtain or patterned rug, not both), may look better than a bathroom rug. Good luck :)