How to transform fully-tiled bathroom, cheaply DIY if poss...

[villagecrafts]

Hello, I'm thinking about a 70s house that needs a bit of TLC.

The bathroom is tiled floor to ceiling with brown marbled-type tiles which make it feel dark and cold.

I much prefer plastered / painted walls above and some sort of panelling below, which I could also use for the bath panel.

I could keep the bath and loo but replace the basin to go with the new look, whatever it is, maybe a sink in a shaker-style unit, or a bowl that sits on top.

I'm on a tight budget so am looking for ideas that I could maybe tackle myself, like removing the tiles myself but get a plasterer for the upper walls.

I'm not great at colour schemes but I like pale pinks, and muted shades like sage green. I think the window is wood (or it could be brown UPVC) and I'm wondering if I could paint it white. All ideas welcome!

Here's a pic of the bathroom as it is now:

I think I'd leave the tiles for when I could do the bathroom properly.

Yes to painting window frame if you can. Change the bath panel. Change bath taps (in the longer term, might you want to sort plumbing to the other end so you can have a shower?). If there's no storage, yes to changing the basin to a vanity unit.

Then add warmth with accessories. I think you could have deep pink, or dark orange and teal.

BTW I have a similar sized bathroom, albeit mirror image. I have left the loo where it was. I had the bath removed and replaced with a corner shower (at the opposite end to where the bath taos were). The basin got moved to where the top end of the bath was but on the other wall (ie, the lefthand wall in your pic) and is a vanity unit with mirrored cupboard above.

(I never had baths, don't miss it. The room feels more spacious and I have storage which I didn't before.)

Thank you @DisplayPurposesOnly - I have just tried to picture it keeping the tiles but brightening the room up with pink accessories, and it would certainly be an improvement in the short term.

I'll have to check re the taps - there might be a shower the other end already but thank you for noticing it as that had passed me by.

Granted it’s not on trend but it’s not that bad
I’d paint window white black plastic Venetian blind black slate effect Lino Few black accessorise And massive mirror on one wall cost about £100

It's a fairly modern bathroom. There's a strong chance the walls are plasterboarded with the tiling stuck directly to the board. If you try to remove the tiles it'll likely need re-boarding. You could try to remove tiles on the wall opposite the bath. If there is plasterboard and it gets wrecked, it would be about half a day's work for a plasterer to re-board and skim. You could then paint that wall a colour and completely change the feel. Use a scrubable, moisture-resistant paint after mist coating the plaster.

Great ideas, thanks. I can't remember what the floor is at the moment but different flooring would be good and not too pricey.

@DisplayPurposesOnly I like a bath! There is a shower elsewhere so I would want to keep the bath though a corner shower would make it more spacious.

@NigelHarmansNewWife I hadn't thought of just removing tiles on the wall opposite the bath but can see that could really change the feel of the room.

What about painting the rest of the tiles, is that a terrible idea?

I would advise against painting the tiles as they are large and floor to ceiling. Very difficult to get a good result that doesn't look like you've painted the tiles, especially on a large scale. Those tiles are not very exciting but they're not offensive.

If you're thinking of changing the flooring, could the sink be moved to the wall opposite the bath and toilet be moved to the left? The pipes serving the sink could go under the floorboards. You could then put an LED mirror or wall lights above the sink to add more light. The sink or vanity would only need a splashback. If that wall is plasterboard it may be possible to salvage a couple of tiles for that or put a toning mosaic there. You could use the same mosaic tiles on the window ledge. There are lots of possibilities.

A big mirror over the bath to make it look brighter. You could paint the bath panel a bright, warmer colour.

I'd replace the bath panel with something like this.

Paint the window frame white.

If it hasn't got a shower at the other end of the bath I would simply extend the hose on those taps and add one of these, adding a shower curtain in a colour you want to introduce. Bring that colour in on the blind.

Add a few plants here and there. Lino is cheap, warm and easy to clean for the floor. I did two bathrooms with one remnant of lino plus fitting costs.

Spend money on modern style taps and a light flooring, definitely paint the window frame. Fill in the detail on the bath panel and add a tongue and groove effect adhesive or paint in a moisture resistant paint.
I would go with the sage green to go with these tiles.

If your current tiles are well fitted, there's no reason you can't tile over tiles. You can get plain white tiles pretty cheaply.

I have never seen a successful tile paint over. And I have seen several!

I would use shower panels instead, it effectively turns the room into a wet room so easy to clean so no grouting and saves messing around with replastering as the panels are attached to battening. It'll be different to the look you are after but in a small bathroom works.

Then a P shaped bath with taps and shower the other end and a sink / toilet combo vanity unit.

I did mine as above and cost just short of £5k

Don’t paint the tiles - never looks good.

You’ve had some good suggestions here.

I didn’t do it to cover tiles but to tidy pipe work and rubbish boxing. I made a stud wall and fixed panels to it. In the top half I fitted a large recessed mirror cabinet with lights. Fairly simple to do. Even though it makes the room smaller, the room feels larger. Also easier to clean than former pipe jungle and much needed storage.

I'm no expert but if I was investing any money in that bathroom, I'd turn the bath the other way and install a shower over it. Though I do believe that there are folding shower screens that would accommodate the window. Speaking as one who didn't do that when we bought our newbuild over 26 years ago... and I had no excuse as we had done just that in our first house!!

We have a separate shower room though so it's not so much of an issue.

I'd also swap the toilet and WHB, and replace the WHB with a wall hung one with storage. Then you could put a big mirror, maybe a light up one, over it.

Vinyl flooring too would take away the overpowering sameness of the tiles (which aren't actually that bad at all!) and then you could introduce your sage greens and pinks with your accessories.

It's a pretty respectable bathroom actually compared to some!

Paint window frame white
New towels and matching blind in preferred colour
New taps
Mirror above loo .. try to cover that switch if possible
A nice plant
New flooring if needed

Some good ideas here. Came on to say that I'd not get pink accessories with brown tiles. It will pull it in more and make it more retro looking.