apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I say just live with the hideousness until you can afford to do exactly what you want with it. You'll be happier in the long run. If it means a couple of months of looking at that counter top (seriously, were the previous owners high?) then so be it if it means being able to look at what you really really want 15 years down the road.

At first glance, the blue countertop is pretty garish, but if you don't want to spend the $$ on a new countertop (since you say a total bathroom reno might happen in just a few months), I would say try to work with it. The blue reminds me of something you might see in a Carribbean island town -- mix in some terracotta, some yellows & greens and you might get something you can live with temporarily.

A word of advice, though... we planned on renovating our bathroom "in a year or two" after we bought our house. It is now nearly 10 years later and we can't seem to get it done, as that bathroom has the only tub/shower in the house. If I had it to do all over again, I would bite the bullet, borrow some extra money and do all my renovations before I moved in. This goes double for getting all of the hardwood floors sanded & stained!!

I painted over a bedroom set that was in a butcher block melamine pattern simply by using Kilz primer and regular paint. The result was nowhere near sturdy enough for a kitchen but might be OK for a bathroom if you just want something to tide you over for a few months; however, covering something this bright will require several coats (particularly if you want to go lighter) and the resulting texture, etc. might not be that satisfactory.

I would try spraypainting a small test patch underneath somewhere to see if that works - again, you should only expect this to last a few months. Alternately, there's tiling over the surface but with the sink cutouts it will require lots of cutting; you could try doing a mosaicy treatment with small pieces of glass but it could come out rather garish.

I'd guess the previous owner had a subscription to Better Homes & Gardens. A larger version of that bathroom was featured in one of their decorating books about 10-15 years back.

If you only have to wait a "few months" to have the cash to redo it, stack the larger open spaces with home improvement magazines and otherwise avert your eyes from the counter. Formica counters are inexpensive compared to granite or tile, but they're not free, and there's little point (and no "green") in spending on a new one for just a few months, as you'll probably replace the vanity, too.

I agree with robyn. Part of the reason the blue is so garish is its contrast with everything else in the bathroom.

It may be possible to paint it, but it would take a while to do.

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=92051.0

I actually love the blue - royal blue is my favorite color. Why not work with it and make other less expensive changes until you can afford to replace the counter. Remove the wall paper and paint. New cabinet doors and some peel and stick tiles over the current floor would make a world of difference. Add some pretty towels and a new shower curtain and the blue vanity might actually look like it was done on purpose.... Or you could just do it in a University of Memphis theme. Go Tigers!!!!

Well, I would just go down and buy a new countertop- even for a few months. I could not look at that blue day in and day out. Even if that counter is 8 ft long, you can go to lowes , buy a laminate for under 80 bucks. I think it's less than that. Get your jig saw, make a template like Maxwell said, and cut out the holes. The sinks are mounted over the counter, so even if your cuts aren't perfect, the sink will cover them. This will buy you some time to figure out what exactly you want to do with the bathroom.
Good luck with your new house! Have fun!

Price out a replacement laminate countertop then just do it.

Ruby... You can survive the wait. Trust me, it will save you so much time and money if you can just hang on for a few months until you get everything you need to do that reno.

I've waited that long with a worse bathroom than yours. I only have one bathroom in the house, and I had horrible peel and stick blue tile and awful laminate and everything was leaking. :(

But I got together the money to do the changes and I'm really happy with everything now. Everything was done right, and professionally.

Now all you have to endure is ugliness. Hang on for a bit, or if you really can't, take out a loan, and do it now and properly.

We tiled over melamine counters in our previous kitchen. It withstood serious abuse for 5 years. Uninstall the sinks (they should pretty much pull up). Sand the melamine with a gritty sandpaper (I believe we used 28 grit) to remove the shine and key the surface a bit). From there, follow the tiling instructions in any diy book.

This should by you at least a few years, but will likely cost you as much as new melamine.

A new countertop from formica or the other brand, that is more commercial would be very inexpensive and easy to install; the new formica's are really cool and they have so many options; when you are redoing the floor you could add that in as one of your elements; you can paint the base of the vanity, change out that vanity hardware and really make it look different; if you want more ideas, email me at jana@janassociates.com.

Check out the new formica's though; they aren't your mother's and they aren't all screaming colors. The edge selections have changed and I personally think of it as a viable counter top option for many applications. Good luck and congrats on that new home. warm regards, jana

Why not incorporate the counter? Since you're going to remove the wallpaper (which you definitely should, ASAP!), paint the walls white (you could even just paint them with white primer to prepare for whatever color you choose to paint later) and maybe add a few horizontal stripes in the same royal blue as the counter (I'm thinking waist-high?). Add some blue bath mats and/or towels to tie everything together and you're set. I mean, you probably already have a can of primer, and all you need for the stripes is maybe a tester pot or two!

If it's just for a few months, try painting the walls a soothing shade of sea glass (either green tones or blue tones) and try to work the "miami spa" theme until you can re-do. Check out vivaterra.com--Oceana Seaglass Triangle Plates for inspiration on colors. Possibly paint the vanity either a deeper ivory or stone color to tone down the contrast. Just use an inexpensive bath rug for now as the lino floor is not too offensive. That way you can make a decision on the floor and vanity at the same time.

If the "spa" thing isn't your bag, how about a Ralph Lauren preppy beach style? Paint everything shades of blue, khaki and white. Google RL Home for inspiration. Again, tone down the contrasts on wall and vanity and you'll be in good shape for the time being.

leave it there. Since you really can't stand it, leave it as a reminder that you MUST renovate. Otherwise, you'll invest time and money into making a change to something bearable, then you'll learn to live with it, and you'll be sorry in the long run because you'll have settled for a mediocre painted laminate vanity in your NEW house. Now doesn't that seem sad?

Best advice my contractor gave me-- renovate the bathroom BEFORE you move in. If at all possible.

If not, well, it's not a health hazard to live with electric blue for a few months.

try Krylon FUSION spraypaint. You'll have to cover everything in the bathroom and carefully tape some plastic bags around the sink and tap, but if you follow the instructions carefully, you'll get a bonded enamel finish (in gloss or satin). we've done this with other plastic items with great, durable results.

or, as gretchen says, live with it as a constant reminder to renovate.

Or take a page from the playbook of T. Keller Donovan and go hog wild with the blue... and load in LOTS of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, on white display cubes.

If it really will only be a few months before you redo the whole thing (and you're going to get rid of the cabinets then), I would live with it and just put the replacement/hide-it money in the redo account. I hate putting time, money, and effort into something that I know will be ripped out in the near future. Why not tackle it all at once?

I agree with Talloush. I think the reason the countertop looks garish is that it doesn't work with the rest of the bathroom, despite what someone at Better Homes and Gardens might have thought when they featured a similar bathroom some years ago. Paint to embrace the blue, and you might not see it as you do now. A blue and white color scheme could be great in there. I'm not a big fan of blue, either, but I loved how tranquil a blue and white bathroom in my old house felt.

It's pretty bright.

But why not live with it, and paint the vanity a color that will help it not seem so out of place?

I think that if you wanted to you could actually have fun with it and pull that blue in elsewhere.

I've seen people put down Contac paper (I'm not kidding) over lamiate as a temporary fix, but I agree that living with the blue might not be so terrible. I've always been a fan of having a little fun with temporary rooms & also think that if you can't cover something up, make it look intentional. If it really is only short term, what about painting the walls the exact same color? When people ask why you did that, you can tell them you didn't want to look at the countertop anymore and now you can't find it.

Just an idea, and this is coming from someone who just bought a house with a completely pink-tiled and fixtured bathroom.

Thanks so much for everyones' ideas! Such great advice from the AT'ers. I really just wanted that counter top GONE, but as I'd hoped, you've definitely given me food for thought.

I think I may try and embrace it and play it down (or up) as some of you suggested. Either way, I cant imagine that we'll be able to take it for long, so it will certainly force us to save the money for a proper reno. ;)

Thanks AT!

RE: covering laminate counters with contact paper

1) It is harder than it seems (air bubbles, seams, cutouts for faucets and sinks, etc.)

2) After all the work it takes to do it well, the steam in the bathroom will have those edges curling in no time.

3) It is not easy to clean. Errant water splashes wipe up OK, but not makeup or hair products.

Not that I actually tried to cover countertops with contact paper or anything. It was, uh, a friend of mine, yeah that's it.

I actually typed the words "Contact paper?" and then thought the better of it. As a renter I have lived with some pretty bad choices some landlord made, but far FAR worse have been some of the temporary fixes others have left behind. That blue would motivate me to start shoving fives in a coffee can marked "renovate me! please!"

I love the blue although I might feel differently if I had to live with it. I agree with the other posters who pointed out it looks so bad because of the rest of the room. Some smart decorating choices would really help.

wait, can we back the trolly up a second. did you say carpet ... in the kitchen?!?

Hee hee... I was going to suggest contact paper for a temporary solution... I did it in a rental kitchen once. I used the marble pattern and it wasn't tough to work with.

But then I read CIMCINNYC's comment and was reminded of a story of a couple saving money for a proper honeymoon... every time they had 'marital relations' they'd put money in a box. They eventually took a lavish honeymoon. If you want to use that idea for the bathroom... it could be good for your relationship!

Otherwise, I say it can't cost much to tear that whole vanity out. I got my pedestal sink for under $50 bucks on sale...

I'd tear it out... replace it with pedestal sinks and use some lovely Potterybarn storage for a spa look... PRONTO!

Yes, I was distracted by the electric blue countertop -- but she did say that there is CARPET in the kitchen. Thank goodness you had vision, Ruby. I can only imagine how many people walked into that house and ran out! You absolutely must take before and after pictures.

Smurfalicious!

OK, We had the *exact* same blue laminate counter top in our bathroom when we purchased our house a few weeks ago. It is the very first thing that I changed when we got the keys. Like you, we can't renovate right away but needed a quick fix to last us until we could afford to do it right. We used Rust-oleum brand "Paint for Plastic" spray paint in a taupe color from Home Depot and it worked perfectly. I just taped off the cabinets and wall with newspaper to help with the spray residue, then sprayed on two coats, letting it dry in between. Just keep the spray 10" or so away from the counter top as directed so you don't have any splotches. The paint is very durable and has bonded to the laminate, and we haven't had any problems so far. I can send you before and after pictures if you'd like!

As a couple others said, the blue stands out because it contrasts so much with the rest of the bath. If the countertop is in good shape, I would work with the blue, using other richly pigmented colors so that it is not such a focal point.

Miss W- Would Love to see the befores and afters! My email: tpehrenberger@yahoo.com
Thanks

I adore that blue. I bet you will, too, if you paint your walls and the cabinet to harmonize with it. Make your walls a deep hue, even an olive green, with some red accents around the room. And if you can, paint the vanity base in a deep deep hue.

The trick to color is finding the right combinations.

I think its interesting that during the fall colors contest most want to ditch the blue, when if someone submitted a well-coordinated color scheme with that blue in it, it could be a winner (maybe). I think bathrooms are a space where you can get a bit crazy and live with it; so I say, go for a Tibetan color scheme, paint the rest of the vanity a similar blue, do some deep pink trim, and have a bright, bold bathroom for while. Let yourself coordinate on the fly. I really can't imagine a miami beach solution being satisfying, since it will only highlight that the room was built around the disliked sink.

I recently had this same problem when renovating my loft in Tribeca, when a real estate agent friend of mine gave me the number of a contractor he knew. It was difficult for me to believe that a "20 something" had the experience to handle the job, but now I'm a believer. He's excellent and has excellent references. He gave me a fair price and did perfect work. I've given his name to all of my friend. I recommend anyone in need calls him. His name is John Wilson and his number is 610-509-2794. Tell him Tovah sent you. Good luck!