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BathroomsDesign Dilemma
jordan_brough

‘90s bathroom budget reno—ideas needed!

Jordan
last month

Hi all,

I have two almost identical mid-‘90s bathrooms that need renovation. I don’t plan to change the bathroom suites or tiles; it seems wasteful to rip out two perfectly functional bathrooms that have survived for three decades. Instead, I’m re-grouting the existing tiles, changing the floors, replacing the bath panel, replacing all the tired trim, and replacing the towel rails. Total budget is up to £1,000 ($1,300-ish?).

Essentially, I need ideas for new floor tiles, wall colours, shelving, art and accessories. I don’t mind the two looking identical, but it might be nice to have some variation between the two.

The lighting is great in both so they can definitely tolerate darker shades. As you can see from the photos, I’m working with peachy/beige-y tones. The obvious answer is green, but I worry it might be lipstick on a pig.

I’m open to anything—thanks for reading!


Comments (8)

  • Isla Cherry
    last month

    The items that you wish to keep are the very items that would make the biggest difference in upgrading. Painting the walls will not be enough of an update. You could paint the tiles but that border will still look dated as its very much of its time. If the floors are tiled then that is a massive job to replace them. All the fittings will have to be removed anyway and it may not be possible to refit them as fittings are always being upgraded and discontinued. You can get some modern vanities for very good prices along with basic bathroom sets. I would replace all the taps at the very least. Appreciate your green approach but it may not be possible. It might be all or nothing.

  • rinked
    last month

    Agree with isla.


    Just replace the towel bar and perhaps a better matching vinyl (aka not that blue). Then live with the bathrooms until you can/need to replace them.

  • Tanya Llewellyn
    last month

    It would probably be more cost effective to remove the wall tiles and replace with either large-format tiles or bead boards (sealed against damp). The floor tiles actually are not as dated as the wall ones! However, the floor tiles in the first pic are more of a greyish tone, which seems out of place for the rest of the colour scheme. You could possibly go for greys and bluish tones, which would make the peach bath/toilet/basin a bit of a nice contrast...? The other bathroom is more neutral-looking the pics, so you could go for almost anything there, I'm guessing. It's quite hard to tell from the pics, as the lighting changes the hues on the bathroom furniture. Good luck with whatever you choose!

  • Jordan
    Original Author
    last month

    Thanks, all—I appreciate the feedback. The photos give a very accurate representation of the colours/lighting in real life, if that helps. I’m also happy to ‘lean into’ the ‘90s aesthetic of the bathrooms—I don’t mind them looking dated, so long as they’re somewhat visually appealing and less bland.

    I’m afraid replacing both bathrooms outright isn’t an option. I’d be looking at a minimum of £16k ($21k-ish?) and even if I had that kind of cash lying around, I wouldn’t be spending it on toilets and tiles!

  • Kimberly MD
    last month

    Well done Jordan for sticking to your guns! Super cost effective ideas it is. Here is one ….

    1. Green…. Have a paintable bath panel made and paint it a mid tone, standout colour… like F&b Breakfast Room Green. Neutralise the floor to something whiter… you can likely lay sheet vinyl or vinyl floor tiles on top of your existing surface. Paint the taps a soft gold colour. (Ideal Home has a good article on it.) Paint the walls above the tile a shade lighter than the tiles. Change the mirror to a flat one with a simple gold band frame. Update the light fixture or paint it a gold colour. Change the plant pots to something either white or the green with brass detailing, and choose a brighter plant. Add two framed prints over the tub.
  • PRO
    Wallsauce
    last month

    Hi Jordan, we agree with Kimbereley! Something different that we don't see often is "outdated" bathrooms sometimes those can be the best ones if styled properly! In terms of the green paint, we like the idea if you're unsure about the whole wall you could always opt for a feature wall and go from there if you deem to love it or hate it. Next the vanities, we don't think they're bad, but if you wanted to put a spin on things maybe you could remove the old ones and refit with a traditional bathroom vanity making it still have that old-time feeling but a bit more modern to this day in age. With the mirror, some chic designs could match this bathroom for example: an arched mirror, a rectangle art deco mirror, or an oval mirror. I hope this helps, Sarah! 😊

  • Jordan
    Original Author
    last month

    Thanks, all—there are some excellent ideas here and I really appreciate your input.

  • katlucy
    last month

    How about introducing black. paint the border, skirtings and mirror, change the shower door to crittal style, update the taps to nickel?

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