Dear Danica, My Bathroom Needs A Phase 1 Makeover. What Do You Suggest?

Hi Lee! You’re welcome to disagree with me, but I actually find your bathroom to be quite charming! Floor and wall tile included. Personally, I love the idea of leaning into the quirky floor colors and using that as a guide for the rest of the bathroom makeover. But I also understand that a bold colored bathroom isn’t necessarily everyone’s cup of tea. So, I’ll present two options.

Option 1: Keep The Floor & Wall Tile As Is

There’s a lot of good things about this bathroom that you can work with. The mirror is a perfect choice for the style of the bathroom. The sink is charming, and I like the chrome finish on the faucet and shower rod. The floor tile has a strong analogous color scheme which is definitely making a comeback in the design world. Many designers like Heidi Caillier have leaned into analogous color palettes. And if top designers are embracing uncommon color combinations, why not you too?

If we embrace the color of the floor tile and the maroon border tile on the walls, I’d recommend continuing that color scheme above the wall tile as well. Perhaps an organic patterned wallpaper that features red and orange. Choosing an organic or floral patterned wallpaper would be key as the tiles on both the wall and floor are geometric. Or maybe just paint the walls a deep red to coordinate with the red border tile on the wall and the red squares on the floor tile. After all, deep reds are certainly in right now!

Then you have the opportunity to pick a shower curtain that ties it all together. You could do an organic patterned curtain (if you opt to paint your walls) or keep it simple with a solid color (if you do organic patterned wallpaper.

All this combined would celebrate the history of your bathroom’s current design while updating it to present day styles.

Option 2: A Non-Analogous Makeover

If the color combination above is just not your taste, you can go a different route. Let’s say you do white wash the floor tile. I would recommend adding depth in other areas of the room. If the floor is white, the wall tiles are white, the shower tile is white, and the sink & toilet are white, the room will fall flat. A wall color (or wallpaper) with depth and a shower curtain with a prominent pattern would do wonders.

To avoid stark contrasts, I would opt for a mid-tone paint color (or wallpaper) that compliments the red border tile. A soft blue, a pale yellow, or a muted green are great options if you want color. Or if you want to keep it neutral, a darker beige that pairs well with cool or neutral whites would work too.

In addition to this, I would recommend adding pattern through your shower curtain since everything else will be a solid color. Again, an organic pattern would be my recommendation.



I hope this gives you some ideas moving forward! Just know that even if you left your bathroom as is, I quite like it!

Wallpaper I Love