Hi Christy! Painting tile never really works out. I wouldn't bother. It's one thing to paint the tile, but dealing with grout is a whole other animal. It usually never looks as good as you hope it would and is kind of a big let down. Plus, paint might affect the washability of the tile (which is important in a bathroom). Instead, I would focus on the wall space you guys have. Doing a nice stripe/chevron with glaze and flat paint could look cool. Or a nice stencil around the border. Something bold and funky to take away any drab feelings you have about the tile. Good luck!

It can be re-surfaced with a special epoxy paint that acts like porcelain. I would suggest trying to find a contractor in your area that does tile refinishing. The DIY stuff at hardware stores requires multiple coats and is a difficult and messy process. The costs from what I hear aren't too high when you hire an expert.

I would not recommend painting tile. It does not look good. If you do not like the tile try painting the other wall surfaces a different color and switching out the shower curtain. Your perception one color often changes when you change the other colors around it.

You may also want to change your light bulbs. They also affect the way you see color because the light that they give out is often either on the cool side or a warm yellowish tone.

keep the tile, get rid of the mirror and lighting and plaid yellow textiles. that beige is so neutral you could do ANYTHING in there, make it work!

Paint the room navy blue.

I would change the tile either. Your bathroom looks very clean and the tiles seem to be in good shape, don't mess that up. Instead of fighting the tiles, see how you can work with the color you have. Is it beige or is it pink? I have a very pink bathroom that I first hated, but I have come to like it and now embrace a white and pink the color scheme. You might try adding tonal towels, shower curtain, or a slightly darker trim, even if those colors would not appear anywhere anywhere else in your house.

If you must paint, definitely hire someone who knows what they're doing. I once had a bathtub refinished and they did the surround tile as well. It's definitely not something you can get a nice finish if you DIY. But I agree that your tile is very neutral so I would leave it. Paint the walls and replace all of the dated wooden fixtures, including a new medicine cabinet and lighting fixture.

Painting tile only looks good if you paint it WHITE. It's not as obvious because the grout is usually white. I did this in one of my bathrooms a couple of years ago and it made a HUGE difference (the tile was 70s pea green). The most important things are: lightly sand the suface, use a primer made for shiny surfaces (like glass), use a sponge roller, and use good flat or eggshell paint. Gloss paint makes the tile look VERY painted. Good luck!

@jing, agree, the lighting fixture and the mirror are the problem. An updated or antique mirror/medicine cabinent to "reflect" your style would help you decide on a paint color. The light fixture...not flattering to room or complexions.
Personally I would paint the walls black (or navy)but that's just me. You have nice natural light and the tile is light and neutral so it would work. It would be dramatic with your yellow accents
"Make it work" lol, that was so Project Runway Tim Gunn-esque!

Hi Christy,

The bathroom in my apartment is very similar. I have a tile color I wouldn't have chosen myself (medium-light blue, which wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the mottled-blue 80s tile floor, which doesn't quite match - eugh). I think we even have the same tub!

But I've been there for over a year, and I love the apartment. The bathroom is functional and well-built, which is more important than everything looking "just so". My approach has been "live with it!"

Your tile is neutral, and I think if you use white linens, it will look really nice and clean. You said the mirror and light fixture are already white, so that's a start.

Then, if you still want color, you could paint the wall above the tile. Priscilla's navy-blue suggestion is intriguing!

Painting the tile itself sounds like a tricky situation at best, and it will always look painted. I'd recommend saving your money for later, when you can retile the bathroom and get exactly what you want!

I vote leave it...if you're going to paint you might as well just re-tile it...I recommend getting some grout cleaner and scrubbing away. When I redid my bathroom it was all white tile, now that the grout is bright white and clean again I love it.

Leave the tile alone. It's the terrible yellow shower curtain and towels that are throwing it off. Try plain white accessories. Also, switch out the mirror, towel bars and lights. They are what aren't working.

When I moved into my house...one of the bathrooms had that over-coat treatment on the [pink 50s] tile. I didn't even realize it was a cover job until I closely inspected it. It looked really good and the grout lines never got grungy (though the rest of the bathroom was a disaster)...and it lasted [at least] the 2 years until I remodeled. There were places where the original tiles had been removed and replaced by plain white tile--and the over-coat nicely hid the evidence. My remodeling contractor told me he has applied that stuff before and it is quick/cheap (less than $200 for the whole bathroom). Though, I think it isn't an option for the floor. Another thought is to maybe stencil a design on a row or randomly across your tile?

Do what you can do easily and then reassess. Curtain and towels have to go. Paint is easy - ditto the poster that suggested navy. Then see how it looks..

I recently moved into my place (building is circa 1926) and had original subway tiles for the bathroom and the shower had regular ones. Different shades of white for all the tiles, it needed to be redone for sure. I used Klenks epoxy for the tiles, two coats for the tiles, looks absolutely brilliant! Very easy to use, cheap ($35 Canadian) and it was done in a day (4 hours between coats). Just make sure the tile is cleaned first with TSP and all excess caulking removed (grout is fine to be painted over, caulking will fisheye though), scuff the tile a bit with sandpaper and paint away! It's durable, nice and glossy and absolutely transformed my bathroom from blah to wah! The only thing I can suggest is to use a ventilator, a huge fan and open the windows, Klenks is smelly and strong lol.

@brokencrayons, i agree, i just did exactly that, the bathroom was covered from floor to ceiling (including the ceiling) in 70s era pale blue tiles, we sanded, primed and painted the tile with exterior white paint and it came out great. minus the tub and tub area we had that professionally re-glazed to do the amount of water and use the area gets

i would leave the tile and instead spend my money on new paint and light fixtures. If you dont need the storage i would ditch the medicine cabinet and find a really nice mirror to go over the sink instead. A nice warm tan would work well with the pink tile (i think the tile is pink hard to tell from picture). And add a shower curtain with a print to take the focus.

I agree with the others. I think you should leave the tiles and paint the walls above. Then switch out your hardware, light and mirror to something more modern. I would also switch the shower curtain. The colour doesn't go with the beige of the walls. If you still want something yellow consider a more modern print with a darker more mustard yellow accent.

http://www.westelm.com/products/butterfly-shower-curtain-b575/?pkey=cshower-curtains

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=21217708&catId=HOME-BATH&pushId=HOME-BATH&popId=HOME&navCount=6&color=004&isProduct=true&fromCategoryPage=true&isSubcategory=true&subCategoryId=HOME-BATH-SHOWERCURTAINS

If you really want to do something with the tile I might recommend leaving it in the bathtub area and removed the rest from the walls. Keep the smaller accent tiles from the outside wall sections, that way you can use those small tiles to finish off the tub area so that it looks like it was original. You would have to be very careful not to damage the tiles and you might have to replace some of the drywall from where you removed tile. It's probably a lot of work but might be worth it if you really don't like the tile. Then the bathrub tile can be hidden away behind the shower curtain. (hope this made sense)

I just read the part about you already having a shower curtain etc. So you can ignore part of my comment.

I say just paint above the tiles and switch out the light fixture if you're not looking to do a lot of work.

I have similar (though, possibly worse) beige tiles. So I feel your pain in hating your bathroom tiles.

Before painting the tiles (which, yes, I've thought about doing, too) try the other suggestions about lighting, curtains, medicine cabinet and wall color. See if you can make it good enough to live with a while. None of those suggestions is expensive or difficult, so they are worth a try.

One other idea is to put beadboard in front of the tiles that are not in the shower area. Quick and easy temporary solution.

Painting tiles is pretty extreme. If it didn't work, it could potentially be a disaster and you'd have to replace the tile walls.

I actually like the tile. Very neutral. It's hard to tell you what to do since you don't have a picture of what it looks like now.
I think you need to go beyond painting the light fixture white--it's just plain ugly. Probably the mirror also. I hope you got metal towel bars.
I can't really tell if that tile is warm or cool toned but pretty much any color would work as far as the shower curtain goes (matching towels or white ones would be good). But not the yellow that was there before.

Just to throw my opinion and experience into the mix .. I disagree about leaving the tile alone. Rustoleum makes a FABULOUS ultra pure white tub and tile epoxy that is durable and perfect for tile. I have used it in a similar situation as yours and we couldn't be more pleased with the results two years later.

Lighting and shower curtains are helpful but even more so against a clean pure white. Your wood will look far more elegant and purposeful against white than the tan color you have now- which is making the overall appearance more dated than the wood itself does.

Here is the exact product I am talking about. Do not settle for another brand, which tend to be almond or off white colored. This is bright, pure white and I swear by it. Rustoleum Tub and Tile Kit White

Good luck with whatever you decide!

I wouldn't paint the tiles. But from the photos (I know the towels and curtain aren't yours) I'd say it looks pretty good as a neutral start. I think painting the cabinet and light white were smart, and I would just try to go with the neutral-ness. I would try a linen shower curtain, maybe dark grey towels, a fresh white on the walls, and then maybe a couple items with hints of color - like a nice green. It can be hard to pair too much color with that much tan, so I would use the approach of going for a high-end look, that will bring what could be called boring into what will be called classy!

One more hint (not being able to see what it looks like now) white should be carefully matched with an existing color like tiles, not just bought at the store from the stocked whites. When you get a white that works well with another color, it it crisp and smart, whereas one that clashes will make everything look dull and dirty. Grab a whole range of white chips and see what looks good in the actual bathroom.

Don't do it!!! Seriously, it doesn't last and it will start to flake and look hideous!

The previous owner of my apartment did this and it look awful. Also, if you need to replace a tile due to plumbing or other situations you are tearing out painted grout and tiles and will have to have that area re-painted.

In addition you can't deep clean the tile if it stains b/c the paint will rub off.

I'm gutting my bathroom because of this situation. Painted tile combined with water damage = gut. It's upsetting because the tiles are original 1920's subway and there's no way to salvage them.

My parents glazed their tile years ago and it still looks great. They only had the option to do white or offwhite though. I've painted tiles and it eventually peels off.
If you go this route I'd suggest having someone glaze it!

A friend of mine painted the tiles in his bathroom few years ago and it came out very well, it is still nice. But he had to use some special paint with big warning labels and the instructions said that the bathroom had to dry for 3-4 months prior to application. :)

I would definitely forgo the paining of your tile. The tile looks a little sad because everything in the room in about the same hue/saturation. Contrast would really freshen it up. First, I would remove any instance of oak. Painting the mirror and vanity cabinet black or dark chocolate brown will instantly bring life to the room. New towel bars, soap tray and lighting in a brushed nickle or oiled bronze will add sophistication. Painting the walls a fresh modern turquoise or robin's egg blue would be a more modern scheme. Finally, fresh white linens and a modern shower curtain will update the look. Try to add warm tones in with accessories and wall art.

What is it about the tile that you object to? The glossiness or the beige-ness? The expanse of so much of it?

Painting probably won't make you happy unless you want white or more beige. Hire a professional bathroom resurfacing company and leave the house for a couple of days to air the fumes out. It helps if you do this during the months where you can leave your windows open.

If it's the sheer vastness of so much beige tile try replacing just a few of the tiles. Find same size compatible but contrasting tiles, hammer out (with appropriate safety precautions) the planned replacements, thoroughly scrape leftover bits of grout, cement your new tiles in place (use spacers) and regrout using the same color. You could also do mosaics of broken tiles, glass squares, stones, coins, or tumbled patterned ceramic pieces depending on your style. You can do a patterned grid, a stripe, edge, or random. Make sure to seal with appropriate product. Not that big of a project and certainly better than replacing the entire wall of tiles.

You could also hire a grouting company to regrout--they'll take out all the old grout and replace it--Replace with a contrasting color, subtle or bold.

Dont. Paint. The. Tiles.

We live in an apartment that formerly had a pink tub. It was reglazed white very soon before we moved in, and
1) it's already cracking after 3 years
2) it is impossible to properly clean

If you can't work with the colour (which I fully understand, because it looks kind of brown-pink-tan-bleh) then please save up and hire some contractors to come and retile. White tile is cheap as heck and the install should only take about a weekend. Or DIY if you can.

Did I mention DON'T PAINT THEM?

Yeah.

Christy, I have identical tiles in my bathroom and found that painting the room -- I chose a spicy yellow -- really helped. I agree with the posters who suggest choosing a punchy wall color and going with that. I've never heard a success story when it comes to painting tile. Good luck with whatever you do!

Ok. Don't listen to anybody on here about sanding the tiles! It will leave scratches on the surface, and when you paint over it you will be able to see them. If you decide to paint your tile it is very important that you clean them before doing so. You want to use Stix (or another bonding primer) that will adhere to ceramic tile, making your color coat last longer. As for the color change...whatever color you choose you want to use an oil based paint. It can take a lot more wear and tear than regular latex or acrylic paint. Then of course top coat it with a polyurethane to really seal everything in. This will help to make everything last a lot longer. Hope this helps!

I totally agree with changing out the lighting, mirror and accessories, I was shocked at how these few changes made my beige tiled bathroom look almost brand new! It is true that the quality of light does effect how you see a color as well. This is absolutely true.

Goodall - Do you have any pics of your bathroom tile painted with the Rustoleum Tile Epoxy? I have a hot pink and black bathroom that I'd love to get rid of.

holly24601 at gmail dot com

I'd greatly appreciate it.

Hey-this is Christy. Not sure why I didn't realize this post was up sooner since i sent it back in November. ANYWAYS--I'm actually thinking I might try putting wainscoting up in the bathroom now to cover the tile. Anyone have any suggestions, ideas, horror stories? Thanks for all the great suggestions! We got a new sink and are getting new lights and medicine cabinet too.