Bathroom redo

[packrat]

May I ask for help too? *Finally* ordered a new tub/surround to replace our old leaky crappy one. So, the tub/surround and toilet are called biscuit.
http://www.eljer.com/productDetail.aspx?id=2505
http://www.lyonsindustries.com/nw/images/stories/colors/biscuit.png
This is the sink color http://www.vanitycountertops.net/productDetail.asp_Q_catID_E_287_A_subCatID_E_1032_A_productID_E_3119 It's the one top right, cappuccino. Has dark and light gray flecks in it along w/the brown/cream but it's hard to tell.

The tub, I don't know why it looks more beigy in the link, b/c the sample at Menards looks more like the toilet color in the link. Kind of a super duper light gray/off white. The faucet for the tub and vanity are just shiny chrome, nothing fancy. I ordered a new vanity, unfinished wood. I can either paint or stain it or just varnish it. What I’d like is thoughts on wall color and vanity color. I also have a cabinet over the toilet, so if the vanity gets painted, that will too. If the vanity is stained instead..I dunno if the other cabinet could be painted, if it would look weird to have one stained and one painted? Or if we'd just need to get an unfinished cabinet and stain it to match. I’m leaning towards staining or varnishing just b/c as much as I like painted wood and changing the colors when I feel like it, the paint chipping drives me bonkers. But, that’s not set in stone of course b/c I have a wild obsession w/painting things.

Our bathroom right now is beige. Seems a pinky beige to me. I don’t care for it. It’s a color I loved on my brother’s ex-girlfriends walls..it looked gray in her house (b/c of the lighting I assume). The bathroom is so small (the vanity top is 25x19, the vanity itself being 24x18..smaaaalll) and it feels so blah. I'll put some pics up of what it's like now so you can see. The paneling that is up currently is coming down and the walls will just all be paint. I had to balance on the back corner ledges of the tub to get two of the pics, the room is so small!

The floor is going to probably be a dark wood color.

This is the shower curtain I'm looking at. I figured the shower curtain would be the way to spruce up the look of the bathroom if I did neutral colors, like gray or brown or cream.
http://www.target.com/Springmaid-Maura-Shower-Curtain-72x72/dp/B003QAL1TK/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1

I have issues w/white so that isn’t even in the running for color. White walls just..I can't do it. I like the clean and crisp feel of shades of white but I think I’d have a coronary at the slightest hint of a fingerprint. Every room in our house was a different shade of off white b/c that's how I grew up..find the lightest color on the strip and cut it by 50-75%. A slight hint of color. That is so not me. I'd like the bathroom to mesh well w/the rest of the house..The living room/little hallway is burnt orange, London's room is buttery yellow, ours is going to be olive green, Trapper's will be pine wood, and the kitchen is khaki green w/dark red trim (subject to change for the 6th time in 9 years). It’s a warm fall/autumn color scheme I guess you could call it.

I've been playing on the BM color tool putting colors together, and I was *thinking* of pismo dunes for the walls and ylang ylang for the trim/ceiling. Maybe if I get some kind of industrial grade shellac the stupid trim won't chip like my kitchen trim.

I'm kind of embarrassed to even ask for help-we don't have the money to get cool stuff (like real wood for the floor or a cool vanity and fixtures) but I figure if anyone can help me have a pretty bathroom it's you guys!

And yes, I have a thing for frogs. They make me happy but they'll not be coming back to the bathroom..maybe the hardware on the cabinet will be frogs or something but not all over.

 

[charbie]

DH and I just redid our smallish bath this year. I'm in love with it, and some of the colors may mesh well with your house. I *think* the pictures are not made private on a popular social networking site we happen to be connected on so check it out!! I put some before and after pictures up and could probably put some up over here for some inspiration. We got the fake tile from home depot that had grays/browns/peach in there and painted our walls a creamcicle color that would go will with the earthy tones you have going on.
We have olive walls in the foyer, then a light green from the same paint strip in the hall leading to the bath, and burnt orange in the basement, so colorwise we are on the same planet as you

 

[Hera]

Frogs are cute, so I see why you have put them everywhere!
As for the rest of the bathroom, I'm concerned about the undertones of everything you have selected. To me they appear to have rosy undertones and I think it will fight with the yellow shower curtain. I would want to have all the undertones match for a more unified look. For a budget redo, I would keep the paneling and make it white for architectural interest which would go very well with your shower curtain (but may make it appear cottagey if you like that look). As for the paint color, I would wait until last to do it and place the colors against all the finishes in the room to see what goes best. I thought of blue when I first saw the shower curtain (which is notoriously not a good color environment for putting makeup but may be a pretty option anyways). Anyways, good luck!

 

[Octavia]

Hubby and I just redid our bathroom (cosmetic, not renovation) this past weekend! We went with a pale gray an the walls and This shower curtain: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=127061&RN=10&. Our tub and toilet are white, though, so I don't think this color scheme would translate well for your bathroom. My parents have a bathroom with a biscuit-y tub and toilet, though, and the walls are a pale, warm sage color. The shower curtain has varying shades of sage and warm lavenders in it. I think yellow might fight with the color of your fixtures, and I also think that whatever colors you go with should have a warm base so it won't clash with them. When I get home from work, I'll see if I can come up with anything!

 

[packrat]

Thanks everyone for the replies!

Charbie, you guys did a fantastic job on your bathroom makeover! I especially like the cool light fixture. I like the tiles too-are they the snap together kind I assume?

Hera, part of the reason the paneling was going is b/c the leak from the tub has ruined most of it. I'm not sure when they take the tub out how much damage they'll actually find, but judging from the yuckiness on the outside of the paneling, it's going to be a lot. It is a pretty idea tho, and would brighten the room up. I'm not sure if I want to put more paneling back up again, but now that you've put the idea in my head.. If I decide to, I have to decide before they put the vanity etc in b/c dad had a conniption fit in Menards about what a pain in the butt it was to put the paneling up in the first place and have to get it behind the toilet and cut to fit around the vanity.

Pretty shower curtain Octavia! The one I originally was looking at had bright orange/red poppies on it! They looked kind of watercolor-y and I thought it was so fun. I think it was vinyl tho, not fabric, so I'm not sure if that's bad or not. Regardless, I could never find it to buy online, just the accessories and various pictures of it, so it must be discontinued or something.

So the yellow doesn't go w/the biscuit and the sink? Gah, here I thought they were neutral enough to go..poop. They're starting the end of the month/very beginning of December and I have to have it all worked out by then.

 

[charbie]

The tiles are even easier than snap and go...they are peel and stick!
I also agree that the yellow curtain doesn't seem right with the other features of the room. We had new dark and light gray towels, so that's why I went with the pale orange...it was different but tied together reallywell and didn't make me appear sick when doing make up.

 

[Octavia]

Yellow is tricky. Our bathroom was actually done in a yellow-blue-white scheme before the redo and it just always felt...yucky. Not unclean yucky, but just not pleasant to be in. Also, there is no window in our bathroom and I think the lighting highlighted the nastier undertones in the yellow. I think it can work well as an accent, but I'll never do a bathroom in mainly yellow again unless it's a very pale butter color and the room gets tons of natural light. If you like that curtain, then definitely give it a try, though!

 

[packrat]

This is the color I was thinking for the walls..does that go ok w/the new sink and the biscuit tub/toilet or should I browse for something different? Is this the rosy undertone color that doesn't go w/the yellow or do you mean the weird beige that's in there now? I know the one that's in there now would look icky w/a yellow curtain..it makes me think of skin whenever I walk into the bathroom.

ETA, sorry didn't see you Charbie and Octavia!

Peel and stick-that's the way to go! Easy peasy right?? I found some vinyl planks that look like wood that are peel and stick and also some that are the click together kind. Figures that the ones online that I liked are only available online and not in the dumb stores.

Octavia, yellow is really hard isn't it?? I don't want to do any more yellow than the curtain, so if I can get paint to go nicely w/it for the walls, I'm good. Unless the yellow doesn't go w/the biscuit and the sink.

How many times am I going to have to delete back and spell biscuit properly rather than bisquit?? gah.

 

[Octavia]

I don't think I'd do yellow with that color. IMO, yellow needs to be paired with really crisp, pure tones. Colors in the tan/beige/taupe family tend to look muddy with yellow. Many yellows have a blue undertone, so it's hard to put them with a warm color. Unfortunately, I'm on my iPhone so it's hard to know if I'm seeing the colors properly, though!

 

[elrohwen]

I don't think I'd do yellow with that color. IMO, yellow needs to be paired with really crisp, pure tones. Colors in the tan/beige/taupe family tend to look muddy with yellow. Many yellows have a blue undertone, so it's hard to put them with a warm color. Unfortunately, I'm on my iPhone so it's hard to know if I'm seeing the colors properly, though!

This. I think it's a beautiful color, I just wouldn't do it with yellow. I think an orange would look nice, or something in the blue family, depending on the shade.

 

[packrat]

Damn. Is it ok w/the biscuit and then dark brown for the floors at least? I'll keep looking for wall color. Otherwise I'll look for a different shower curtain. Dangit. It's so bright and cheerful..ah well, I'm sure there are others!

I wish I could afford to have the Colour Me Happy blog designer come!

 

[packrat]

This is the orange poppy one I like so much but can't find for sale anywhere. I even looked on ebay. Isn't it FUN??? I'm looking around for other fun/funky shower curtains and wall colors. Taking London to dance now but in a google search a pic of Pottery Barn came up w/some bright curtains so I'll look there next.

SO appreciate the help guys!!

 

[Octavia]

It's not the same, but perhaps you'd like this one: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=116221&RN=382&? It has some similar colors and is also very fun!

 

[packrat]

Oh that is fun, thanks Octavia! I really like those colors, and I love daisies!

Look what I found not 2 minutes ago- http://www.target.com/Springmaid-Chantal-Shower-Curtain-72x72/dp/B003HGPU3G/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&searchView=list&keywords=chantal&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-6&qid=1289359474&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=Springmaid%20Chantal%20Shower%20Curtain%2072x72&node=1038576%7C1287991011&searchSize=30&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576%7C1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0

Says it's 100% cotton so..does that mean 100% shrinkable to postage stamp size??

And I couldn't resist taking a closer look at this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250723842800&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

[pennquaker09]

What about Revere Pewter mixed at 75%?

 

[packrat]

I'll check it out Penn, thanks for the idea! I've got to leave for work in a few minutes but I'll get on the color tool tonight and play w/it. I *thought* I looked at it last night but I've looked at so many I'm not sure anymore. I wrote it down last night anyway, b/c I think it was mentioned in one of your threads about your house. (Which btw holy cow, I only saw a couple pics in the thread you linked, of the foyer and ..I'm sure you get that a lot but good heavens it's amazing)

I started getting squirrely w/the color tool last night so figured I better quit. I'll play again tonight. Is that a color that the yellow curtain would look good w/or the poppies? Both maybe so I don't have to choose between them?

 

[Octavia]

I LOVE the shower curtain you found! I would probably take it in to the paint store and have them color-match one of the greens from the flower stems/leaves, then do a low saturation of color in the base so it's quite pale but still the same tone as a color in the curtain (if that makes sense). IMO, that would really make the poppies "pop"!

 

[packrat]

lunch break visit!

Thanks Octavia! I was so excited when I saw it! Will green make me look weird in the mirror? They're kind of funky greens-will that reflect onto the skin?

 

[elrohwen]

I wanted to add that the wall color you've chosen appears to be a pretty pinky brown - I know you really didn't like the pinky beige you had going before, so I wanted to throw that out there. It might end up being just a darker version of what you already had. If you want to go with a beige over a color, I would find a beige with a yellow undertone.

 

[packrat]

Thanks El! Yeah I'm not digging the pinky beige. I'd actually *rather* have a color instead of beige, but I figured beige/cream/taupe/gray etc would be the safest..but yeah, if there is a good color, even if it's a light one, it would definitely be in the running. Orange even. Green. Brown, yellow, whatever. Last night I was considering doing the trim/cabinets dark and the ceiling/walls in a really creamy shade. Of what, I don't know. Creamy-yellow? or a creamy orange or brown?

 

[Octavia]

lunch break visit!

Thanks Octavia! I was so excited when I saw it! Will green make me look weird in the mirror? They're kind of funky greens-will that reflect onto the skin?

I'm not sure, but that's why I suggested a very pale version of one of the greens -- less likely to reflect a lot of color onto you. Really, though, you could go with any of the colors in the shower curtain, I think they can color-match with a sample about the size of a quarter and maybe even smaller. Or just pick up some paint chips and see what you like! And color is good, dont be scared of it...paint is pretty cheap so it can always be changed later if it needs to be "safe" for some reason. I think you will be happier with the result if you go with what you really want, though.

I also think it's a good idea to do a darker color on the cabinets if you're doing a very light color on the walls, it could look blah without contrast (after we put the pale gray in our bathroom, that's how we felt, so the bottom of the vanity went from white to espresso with good effect). Vice versa if you do darker walls. I'm excited to see how it turns out!

 

[elrohwen]

I also don't think you need to match the trim with anything - you can do a darker vanity with white (or off-white, since you fixtures are off-white) trim and a color on the walls. I think that would be super chic. I think matching the trim too much to everything else gets too matchy, especially in a small space.

I also love greens in bathrooms - especially sage type greens - not something super dark or super pastel.

 

[Steel]

I can't help with colours (I'm going to have to repaint the bathroom I just painted because we hate the colour ) So I'm just popping in to wish you good luck wih the makeover and say - keep the froggies. They add so much character.

 

[packrat]

Thanks guys! Steal, haha I'm such a nut about frogs! I love having them in there all over..I get some weird looks at times when people have been over, but the frogs will probably find their way back. I don't know that I can imagine my bathroom being *my* bathroom w/out the frogs all over the tub etc.

El, I never thought about doing a different color trim than the wall or vanity colors..I thought it would be too many different colors going on in a small space. But, maybe b/c it *is* a small space it can be pulled off eh? I definitely don't want to be matchy matchy..I just want things to go together and be purdy.

Should the ceiling be the same as the walls, since it's a little room?

I've got tons of paint chips here to browse thru, so maybe I'll rat around in them tonight too. I don't want it to be all blendy, like all light or all darker, I like the light/dark contrast, and I am thinking to do the walls lighter right now. One thing, I love picking out colors, so it's all a lot of fun for me.

I love colors, so green, yellow, orange, lighter versions would all be tops for me. Brown, darker ivories, gray, love them all too. The problem is, it's hard to narrow it down when I like so many different colors. Um, I can rule out really dark colors for the walls and..neon colors, ha!

Olive? Could I do a color on the trim, a light color? Like could I do I really rich ivory on the walls and then say, olive for the trim?

 

[elrohwen]

Personally, I've never had a space where the trim matched anything - I've always had trim in a white (or off-white, if that matches the whites in your house, and in this case it would match your fixtures). I think trim in white or off-white is modern and chic - any other color looks dated, IMO (including olive). The size of the space doesn't matter - the trim is framing your doors and windows (if you have any), so it should contrast with the paint in the space, not match everything, and it doesn't need to match your vanity at all. White is a neutral, after all Besides, you have an off-white toilet, tub, and sink, so it's not like painting off-white trim will be introducing a new color or anything, if you're worried about that.

For ceiling, if you pick a medium or darker color for the walls, you could do it in an off-white (probably same as the trim, or something even creamier) or in a lighter version of the wall color. Personally I wouldn't do the ceiling in the same color as the wall if the wall was in the middle of the color strip because I think it makes the bathroom feel like a cave, but I know designers do it with success, so I think it's up to you. You can always take the wall color and have them lighten it by 50% or 75% and use that for the ceiling. I don't think you can go wrong with that one, but I've always been a white/off-white ceiling girl so maybe others will have better advice.

 

[packrat]

Thanks for the help El! The trim in the bathroom is around the door, the floor and then around the door in the wall to the linen closet. Ok so..what about..an eggplant or wine color??? Is that totally nuts? I've been playing w/chambourd on the BM color tool, and haven't had time to mess w/it too much but..I saw a color palette for Valspar paints (one of the little booklet things from the store) that colors called raspberry wine and pale bloom together and I love it. I didn't like the colors at all on the website tho!

I thought at first to do the eggplant/wine on the trim and the doors, and then an ivory on the walls but, what if the eggplant/wine color was on the walls, the ivory was the trim/doors/ceiling, and maybe a chair rail or something in the ivory (maybe the background color in the shower curtain instead) to break up the wall color a little? Or painted beadboard to break it up or something? Is that too weird? Would it look dumb w/a dark vanity/toilet cabinet?

 

[elrohwen]

Like I said, personally, I feel that any trim color other than something in the white family is going to look dated. But it's your house! If you like it, rock it - white trim isn't a rule. It's just not something you're going to see on the design blogs or anything (I see it on the paint websites, but I think that's because they're trying to show you as many colors as possible in one room ). I think eggplant/wine on the wall with ivory on the trim would be fabulous though! Really beautiful and classic and much more modern than the other way around. You could definitely break it up with a chair rail, or bead board around the bottom would be another great option. Since it's a small bathroom, I think a shower curtain with a lot of white/ivory (like the ones you've been picking) would really pop, though depending on how deep the color is (and whether it's a clean color or more of a dusty color) really fresh bright flowers might not be fitting anymore, so you might need to start from scratch with the curtain. Maybe a graphic pattern?

I have a small half bath painted a medium-dark red and I love it. I'm not really a fan of deeper colors in larger rooms (at least in my house - I have friends who've done it and I think it looks great, just not my style) but I think it can easily work in a small bathroom like that (maybe because you're not in the bathroom 8 hours a day so you don't get sick of it as fast?).

Just a warning, reds are really hard to paint. If you go that route, be prepared to get a high quality red paint and primer (some say grey based primers are better, some say tinted pink are better - we went tinted pink and it didn't help that much, so I would like to try grey if I paint red again just to compare). Primer plus three coats later and I can still see a few streaks in the corners, so be prepared for many coats and don't get discouraged when it looks like crap for the first couple.

 

[packrat]

I played around this morning and didn't like the colored trim w/the light walls at all. I did however like the trim ivory and the walls dark. I like the BM color Chambourd, maybe w/Jute? And I liked Dutch Boy Preserves w/Crescent Moon, tho I didn't play much there. Was hoping I could snag the pics and post them but I can't. I'd thought to not have paneling in there but..when I play on the color tool at BM and do the bathrooms w/the beadboard, I like them w/the light on bottom and dark on top, so..maybe I'll do that. The jute looks similar to me to the background color on the poppies curtain, and I think the poppies would be really striking w/the purplish walls. Each room I do in those colors looks different, so I guess I'll need to get some little paint jars or order paint chips.

ETA: on the red, ohh land sakes, I did red painted trim in the kitchen and there are probably 5 coats and I can still see streaks. Gah. What a pain!

 

[elrohwen]

If you're set on that shower curtain, definitely get the paint chips and match it exactly (or at least match the undertones in the paints, so you don't get a purple that's too red, or two blue, or whatever). If you're not set on the curtain, just get some paint chips you like and tape them to the wall, the see which looks best in different lights at different times of day and go from there! Then match you accessories later.

 

[packrat]

Thanks El! Yeah, I think that's the curtain for me. I'll just go ahead and order it and check it out..it's cotton and I'm unsure about that but it's not like it's super expensive at least. I'm still keeping gray in the back of my mind just in case b/c I think I could match more curtains w/it (like the yellow..I don't know if the yellow would work w/the purple..I dig yellow and purple together in general, I'm just unsure about these specific colors). Still, the purple seems so daring and I like that. One of the kitchens to paint at BM has orange in it and a dark cabinet in the corner and I did it w/the colors I'm thinking of and really liked the colors together a lot. This is so fun!!