@orangepurple - are you thinking you need to replace the whole vanity?
Here is one look:
If you want to introduce color: James Martin Vanities 650-V60D-SC-3EJP Brittany 60" Double | Build.com
You can create a look through things like light fixtures, window treatments etc. (I’m full of advice for everyone else LOL, when I should be making my own decisions!)
@orangepurple @surfcity’s Swedish spa comment made me think of this IKEA sink that’s surprisingly appropriate for an old house:
I like the marine edge that would keep the water on the counter and the subtle sweep up to a small backsplash. Alas, it wasn’t the right size for my old house.
The smaller version:
Thank, surfcity. I like the celadon vanity. I think we would probably replace the vanity–it is an odd shape, built-in, and it isn’t especially nice. I would describe it as custom-made but cheap. I used to think that we would keep it because it maximizes storage, but now I am thinking that it is not really the most efficient storage anyway. So yes, probably replacing the vanity. Definitely replacing crappy old sink faucet. Mostly in that bathroom, I want to replace the shower faucets, currently two (separate hot and cold) bathtub faucets, and then above that two shower faucets. All four faucets have been repaired multiple times but they continue to be difficult to turn all the way off. I’m sure replacing them would require tearing out the tile. Currently the tile is plain white subway tile that is perfectly fine with me. I like the tub OK (and it is the only one in the house) but it is has a bit of rust around the drain stopper mechanism. I like the floor tile, old and classic grey and white hexagonal tiles, but it will get ruined if we replace the vanity. I think my husband also really wants to replace the toilet. So once we get going, it will probably all have to go!
Deleted. Somehow my name was in these pictures!
Sorry!
I’ll repost later
Beautiful!
Ok let me try this again and let me know if I’ve disclosed any personal details.
This is the inspiration picture
This is the tile and cabinet color, the green is wall color inspiration
This is the plan for my not so big bathroom
Another picture, I want champagne bronze fixtures and cabinet pulls
I’ve been working with a kitchen and bath designer and an interior designer.
We found a tiler who also can handle the plumbing and electrical. The general contractor is busy unfortunately, the kitchen designer has a cabinet installer who can hopefully handle the other stuff. I hear the actual construction isn’t that difficult, it’s the tile that is. We’ve seen the tilers work and it’s great so are willing to piecemeal so of the other stuff.
Hoping to get this done this winter.
Love that combo, @deb922, especially that green and the wainscoting.
I love your inspiration photo. One caution, just in case you haven’t already checked, is to research the hardware manufacturer’s finish warranty. Some only cover chrome and/or real brass, others might cover stainless steel. Many won’t cover so-call living finishes or specialty finishes, so owners end up unhappy when the finish fails to last.
Are you doing the entry into the shower that would make it accessible with no “climbing” in?? I forget what that is called…
Zero entry. On the fence. The tiler talked about it. She did say that she puts in a 4” entry instead of a standard 6”
I personally don’t think that a wheelchair would work in this house and if we can’t step up 4”, then we should move to another place.
I’m inclined to go with the 4” because I like the look.
It’s not just a wheelchair though… my mom fractured her kneecap; it didn’t require a wheelchair, just a brace and a walker for a while, but getting her in and out of the shower with a ledge was truly a pain, even with two helpers.
So consider that you may be able to recuperate from any number of injuries, falls, etc. in your current house if the shower entry is no barrier.
Just a thought…
We didn’t do zero entry, but we did do a low entry. Our master bathroom is on the second floor, and we need to move to a one-floor if the need for true zero entry arises.
If we want to remove a basic white tile countertop and replace it with a solid one such as granite or silestone or what have you, can we keep the current cabinets?
I did that- cabinets were in great condition, just replaced the pulls to something more contemporary and a better match to the new countertop/sink.
We need to do something about the shower because it’s leaking. It may need a new cartridge, but that may not even work, and to replace the shower mechanism itself we would be getting into a tile issue due to the dumb one that the builder put in 20 yrs ago.
So again, we have the if-you-give-a-mouse-a-cookie conundrum. The shower tile needs to be replaced. And I never liked it anyway. And then there’s the giant tub we never use because it’s annoying to get in and out of even if we wanted to use it, also surrounded by the dumb white tile. Ok, the white tile is all my fault, as when we bought the house, I was overwhelmed with the choices for the kitchen (which I am still happy with 20 yrs later) and just went with default options for bathrooms. To be clarify, it’s the cleaning that is annoying. The look is boring, but not the primary driver of a need to make changes.
So, all this to say, I am enjoying reading about the dilemmas and options presented in this thread, as it gives me some ideas without being overwhelming, which is what would happen if I went to a store or design service or something.
There is some temperature governor in our hall bath shower that has failed…and the water temp is never hot. So…we need to get that fixed…but I am not sure where it’s located or what. We have a one piece fiberglass surround…could this be behind the fiberglass? Guess I need to call a plumber.
Will it help if you start referring to your “dumb white tile” as subway tile?
I did that. And it really helped. Every bathroom designer is pushing subway tile. The tile itself isn’t that expensive to replace with something you love- but the labor gets pricey very quickly! Maybe make a list of the “must replace” (leaky shower), get estimates, before you tackle the “wish list” items? That helped me get a grip on the Mouse/cookie problem (which is real. Why go through the hassle of renovating if you aren’t getting everything you want? But the money starts to fly out the window very quickly once you get to the wish list!)
Thanks for the perspective - that’s helpful. I’m not sure it qualifies as subway tile - it’s literally just white squares, lol. I would caution people away from it, just as a practical matter. The grout gets me down. The shower floor functions fine but something about the shower floor tile is messed up, like rippled, and there are cracks in the shower wall grout, so at some point it will need to go if we were ever to sell our house, so there’s that. Mostly, the shower drip creates a cleaning issue due to the mildew on the floor. We are in a dry climate, so if I can eliminate the drip, cleaning the shower is far easier - would hardly ever need to. The countertop, on the other hand, is a want.
Look up the model of your showerhead. Cartridges are easy to swap in and out (Moen is a small PITA because it requires a special tool, but still doable) without ripping out tile. There are plenty YouTube videos that show how to change a cartridge on a particular model. We have done Grohe, American Standard, Moen… easy.
ETA: grout can be redone without ripping out tile. If you use epoxy, it will not need any sealer.
Thanks for the encouragement. I looked for it recently and felt unsure because the model is discontinued, though I was able to find a diagram that hopefully describes the right model. My brother scared me off from trying to do the cartridge ourselves when he told me about the time he tried to do something similar and broke the shower, some sort of crazy water squirting disaster - maybe he had been too lazy to turn the water off, I don’t know - but he ended up needing a plumber etc. Hmmm…
The model has this crazy mechanism where it will divert to two faucets at a time, either showerhead and handshower, showerhead and jets that squirt directly at you (I can’t even begin to wonder why anyone would want these, but I am short and they are about chest height lol), or jets and handshower. Never just one faucet. So, I wouldn’t mind replacing it, but the face plate is so large due to the jets, that any replacement would not cover the whole bare area. It’s this delta model. We replaced the showerhead and the handshower parts not long ago, which is about the limits of our expertise.
But, I did see a youtube someplace that made cartridge replacement look straightforward, as I already know how to pull off the cover on the front of the handle.
Good food for thought, thanks 
