apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The fixtures will have to be removed before tiling, so you should start with the tiling first. I'd recommend Bergen Tile for small black and whites.

Tub can be reglazed in place, but there are often problems so you should make sure to hire the right person. You may be able to pick up a second hand newish tub at Green Demolitions for the same price as reglazing.

Seriously, I would recommend getting this if it's your only bathroom and it's taking a long time:
http://reclaimedhome.com/?p=53

I would gut the entire bathroom as soon as you can.

Trash the tub and re-tile the shower.

You can get a new standard tub for under $200.

Since you'll already have a tiler to do the floor, just have him/her do the entire bathroom for a little bit more.

If you do all the demo yourself you will save a lot of money.

It would be nice to have everything in the bathroom match and look new.

By the way, I've had great luck with Homeclick lately for fixtures, toilets, etc. Free shipping, etc.

The shower tiles don't look awful... they actually look quite new and shiny. I say, tile the floor, paint, then sink.

Ripping out a tub that is likely cast iron in lieu of having it re-enameled is VERY wasteful and not a 'green' practice. Have it re-enameled.

A good contractor should be able to do all the demo and new work within a week. I'm not sure how long the enameling will take, but you will likely want that done before the rest of it.

Be sure you or your contractor recycles as much of the demo and old materials as possible.

didn't read carefully, did not realize that was a cast iron tub. It would be quite a task to remove as it is very heavy. I would also look into the safety of the chemicals used for re-glazing if personal/environmental health is of concern.

Something to consider is Rebath. Might be better than re-glazing.

http://rebath.com/

I had a BR gutted which had a cast iron tub. They used sledgehammers to destroy the tub. I couldn't believe it. They hammered it to bits, and carried it out in pieces.

I agree you should gut, and retile. A walk in shower will be SOOO much better that a tub.

The contractor will find it easier to trash everything, but you can put the fixtures (tub included) on Craigs if you don't want them. If it's free, someone will be happy to carry it out in one piece. We've rescued old cast tubs this way plenty of times.

1. New flooring.
2. New vanity/sink/faucet.
3. Paint.

Because your existing tile appears to have a pinkish/beige hue to it, I don't think robin's egg blue is going to work. I'm thinking either chartreuse, mustard yellow, chocolate brown or deep red.

For the flooring, I would go with a larger tile, which is not only easier to install and clean, it will give the room the illusion of size.

I don't agree with a pedestal sink- it looks like you need the storage space badly. I have noticed that Lowes and Home Depot have started carrying some rather decent modern-ish off-the-shelf wood vanity cabinets for under $400. Unless you plan on living there forever, that could be a viable option.

Sorry cynner, but I have to disagree with you about the Rebath option. All those types of deals are ugly fiberglass shells that they fit over the existing tub and they are hideous and cheap looking and age very poorly. Three of my neighbors had Bath Fitters re-do their tubs and put the surround over the tub and over the tile on the 3 tub walls and it looks so much cheaper and tackier than nice ceramic tile and a glazed tub.

I definitely recommend a vanity with storage! You might not think it looks as nice as your vintage pedestal sink, but bathroom clutter looks a lot worst...

if this is your only bathroom, i would suggest staying away from the robin's egg blue. LOVE that color, but if you or someone you love wears make-up and gets done-up and cutified in there, you don't want the cast from blue walls in your reflection. i would say go for it in a guest bathroom, but in your primary you may want to do a more nuetral color. unless you have a vanity in another room for self-sprucing up.

also, that tub is teensy weensy. are you really going to bathe in there? the bottom three inches of your butt and your feet would get all soaked and the rest of you chilly. sorry i'm a bath girl this makes me sad.

If the reglazing will be done on site, it should be done LAST. If you do it first, I can guarantee it will wind up getting a chip or nick during the rest of the reno, and then it's all ruined and must be redone (seriously).

Pedestal sinks look great in small bathrooms like this. If you don't want a vanity, don't let anyone tell you it's essential. There are lots of other ways to encorporate storage (hidden and exposed) in a bathroom!

Also, I second the comment about avoiding blues in the bathroom if you like to see yourself looking fresh and healthy in the mirror. Greens can also be bad. Pinks and yellows tend to be very flattering, as do warm neutrals.

If you want to go with a pedestal that is saying a lot about the look that you are going for so you should stick with it. If you can, put in an oversized, recessed medicine cabinet. You can fit a lot of stuff in there.

Here's a link to another AT:bathroom reno which shows a pedestal sink with a towel bar. This could save what little wall space you have for a small shelf or cabinet.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kdkaboom/417602892/in/set-72157594582252178/

If you are disciplined and DON'T crowd the bathroom with a lot of stuff, then I say pedestal.... you've got very little space and every exposed inch counts.

Anna's right ... reglaze that tub the last thing! (You do NOT want a contractor dropping a tool in your newly reglazed tub!)

Good advice to avoid small tiles. Really hard to keep the grout clean. I'd hire a contractor who can coordinate the process, but I'd say any wall repairs first, followed by floors and plumbing. On "re-glazing": what you'll get is just a polyurethane coating that will eventually chip and peel, and you'll have to do it again. If you plan on staying a long time, I'd get a new tub. At any rate, I'd price replacing the tub.

I had my tub reglazed 10 years ago for $300 - it has lasted pretty well. The work took a few hours (horrible dust) and I think it had to cure for 24 hours.

While I used someone who was recommended, the worker was a trainee, under supervision - I'd avoid that. The finish was a little rough in places and the finish on the bottom of the tub looked a little thin and uneven.

Because the tub itself slopes a bit causing water to pool on the ledge, I had to touch up the enamel in one spot - and now the area around the metal drain looks like it is going to rust.

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!

DON'T USE DON PERRONE based in Brooklyn. His company did a bathroom renovation mid-January which he said would take 6-8 days to finish. He even listed on his website that it's done, which it clearly is not. 2 months later and I'm still waiting for his plumber Doug to come replace the shower body that he broke. I call and text and email and they either don't return my calls or they don't show up when they say they're coming or they keep saying tomorrow, tomorrow. Not to mention, Doug put in my new tub not knowing how to install the trip lever (which stops the drainage), and I wound up with a really cheap push drainer because the trip lever will not function unless he removes the tub. They say they can do small to large jobs and you don't have to pay upfront, but that's not the case, they still ask you for the money even if the job is not done. STAY AWAY from these guys.