Fully tiled bathroom, what can I put over the tiles?

[MariaDingbat]

We inherited a fully tiled, windowless bathroom in an awful dark colour and want to do something to make it a bit better and brighter without having to completely strip the walls. I will probably use tile paint for the top half of the room as it's unlikely to get chipped but need something a bit more robust for the bottom half. So far my ideas are:

1. Put waterproof MDF tongue and grove boards over it and paint.
2. Use those stick on tiles that look good on Instagram.
3. Try to paint smaller tiles onto the existing big ones in a different colour as in the images below from 'overatno18' on Instagram.

Any advice before I start and realise I've made a terrible mistake! :)

@MariaDingbat I would start again! Most cheap ideas don’t work. Are either bathrooms yours? Decent lighting always makes a difference and it’s amazing what accessories can do.

That is a dark colour tile for a room with no natural light.
Stripping the tiles and retiling would be best.
Tile paint won't last in the shower cubicle.
You can aqua panel over tiles, or tile over tiles but in a small cubicle without removing & refitting shower valve would look odd.
Or find a colour of aqua panel or tile stickers that coordinate with the brown and leave the cubicle alone.

I should have been clearer, the images aren't mine, they are from an online account but the dark tile colour is similar to what we have. Our bathroom is the family bathroom and has a bath with no shower above, a toilet and a sink. We shower in the ensuite.

There is no budget for a new bathroom until both kids are out of nursery but the room is just so depressing I want to do something that will last for the next few years until we can get a new one.

Anything you do on the cheap will 100% look shit pretty quickly and you'll end up hating it more than you do now.

I would save your money and wait until you can get them off and have what you want. Stickers and paint will always look like stickers and paint, and would do my head in even more.

Agree - cheap solutions won't last or look good.

What about a large mirror or mirrors (you can get lightweight ones), bright lights (can you afford just one new multi-bulb light fitting) and warm, richly coloured towels? If your bathroom has windows, then plants as well - as many as possible.

We have thin waterproof panels instead of tiles in all our bathrooms, would that work?

If you just want it better for the short term then tile paint.

When ready to sort it properly, strip the room, do it your self to cut costs, a tile remover tool and hammer are cheap.
Get someone round to add shower/bathroom panels they come in lots of colours and styles - these just go directly on wooden batons so the walls won't need replastering. There's no grouting and they are easy to keep clean.

4 years ago we inherited a bathroom with magnolia tiles but the tiles were in great condition! So felt wasteful to have them replaced.

We painted them white with Dulux Bathroom Tile Paint. It’s done an amazing job and still looks brand new. And best of all - shower proof!

We have since used another brand of tile paint in the kitchen and it’s horrible in comparison. It chipped immediately. But the Dulux stuff is fab! Needed 2 coats.

In fact we smashed one tile and replaced it with a fully white one. And you can’t tell the difference between the one white tile and all the painted tiles.

You can get proper waterproof tile paint that looks absolutely fine. Hardwearing and durable. Or you can get a purpose made vinyl veneer system that clicks together before sealant.

I would avoid ripping it all off unless absolutely necessary.

One friend did paint her tiles and made a fabulous job,it's not easy. You can cover it in Waterproof panels, they aren't cheap and you have to cut accurately,to line up and make sure there are no gaps for water penetration. Our last house, original 1930s tiles,here 1960 Germeline pink,I just accessorised till we could afford to re do the bathrooms properly.

I agree with tile paint, it was many years before I redid my bathroom after painting the horrible tiles [and grout] white, but it made a big difference to how acceptable the rest of the equally horrible suite was.

Caveat: it wasn't inside a shower and I'm not sure how it would have held up to that. But IIRC because it was pretty much cosmetic we didn't bother with primer.

Tip if helpful: use a small roller, it went on really smoothly and evenly