I am going to encourage you to embrace the wall tile as well as the floor tile.

I would remove the shower door and reglaze the tub (Reglazing did not work for me, but some people have success), because the gold of the tub is greenish and a bit off from the wall tile anyway.

I would consider painting the vanity a shade of grey pulled from the tiles. (and maybe an even paler grey for the walls. The walnut counter and vessel sink would still work with the gold and grey.

I think you could make the bath look more contemporary doing those two things. I don't think beadboard would be an improvement, and I think if you changed it as much as you planned the floor tile won't really work so well any more--it will be more like the odd man out.

The interrelationship between the wall tile and the floor tile is great and I think it's part of what makes the floor work. The gold tub is one of those color mismatches that didn't seem to bother people during the period when this bathroom was done.

I think your plan sounds good. Personally, I would drywall and paint walls and not do bead board...the floor is busy enough and I think adding vertical lines may be too much. You could also have the existing wall tiles painted white when they do the tub...this would save on ripping out and redoing, especially since you will remodel in a few years. I like the idea of the walnut counter but you may want to marine varnish it for protection. I really like the floor!

Thanks ineffable and joanie. You both make excellent points. I guess I'm so used to the floor now that I forgot how busy it actually is.

Ineffablespace, one of the problems with keeping the wall tile is that we replaced the original door with one 6" wider, so the tile on the wall to the left of the sink was torn out. Trying to deal with that would lead to making changes on the opposite wall and then it becomes one thing after the other.

So assuming we replace the tile with drywall, do you still think a charcoal grey vanity and lighter grey walls would work? Any thoughts for hardware? I was considering very long pulls. Thanks again.

It may be worth getting a sample of this to see if it matches. It may be less of a chore than removing the rest.
Daltile Luminary Gold Semi Gloss 0142

Here is a link that might be useful: Daltile

Thanks, ineffablespace. That does look close. Keeping would be easier and cheaper. The existing tile is in excellent condition other than the repaired area.

i'm not usually a "nay sayer" on this board, and I hope this doesn't offend anyone, but I really hate the gold wall tile. I absolutely love your floor tile, but that gold wall tile just screams "old" to me, and not in a chic vintage way. that's probably my least favorite color on the planet so that doesn't help me in biting my tongue.

i realize i'm also not always in the majority on this next point, but i think paint can solve almost any problem short of world peace, though i've imagined how it might even help with that. :) they have epoxy paint you could use on your wall tile so you don't have to remove it - maybe pulling a gray from your tile, keep your vanity white but add some big hardware, and add your wood top. just wanted to offer another angle. that floor tile is amazing though!!

previous posters make great points about vertical lines of beadboard, as well as a really strong sealer for a wood top in the bathroom.

So I dug out some paint chips/color cards from the remodel, looking for a charcoal grey to hold up against the cabinets--and lo and behold I open to a page with almost the identical color palate to the existing tiles! Top to bottom the colors are BM Pittsfield Buff, Silhouette, Monterey White, Sea Haze and Satchel. Pretty much exactly what you suggested Ineffablespace!

I'm just wondering if a wood counter on the darker vanity would be too dark if I stick with these colors? I still plan to use a white sink and switch to a white toilet. I may even leave the tub as is and hide it with a nice shower curtain.

Our bathroom before:

After:

We kept the tile and had the tub stripped and painted. It came out great and had held up well.

Other pics:

[URL=http://s1047.photobucket.com/user/debrak_2008/media/downbath001.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b476/debrak_2008/downbath001.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

We did have a lot of trouble finding tile that matched to replace a few broken pieces. We thought we found some that matched fairly well but once installed you can see the difference.

I would choose fresh white tile on the walls with white vanity (with updated hardware and handles) -- along with your plans for reglazing the tub in white -- and adding a new white toilet.

As for the countertop -- go with your wood countertop and new sink!

Fresh and simple! And your wonderful vintage floor will be the star of the show -- and add color with accessories like the towels ...

Maggiepie, I value your input and certainly no offense taken from my end. I totally get the gold thing. It's not a true harvest gold IRL, but close enough to cause flashbacks to anyone who lived through that era! My initial instinct was to get rid of it, but I'm trying to stay open to all possibilities and I'd love to believe that the best option is what easiest for me (we're still recovering from a very difficult remodeling experience). I'm fine with painting anything, but I'm thinking that if I don't stay with the original gold I'd rather just rip it out. I had white tile in my last home and I didn't like it (granted it was the countertop and impossible to keep clean but it soured me to white square tile in general).

But the dated thing does concern me--I don't want to spend $2K to "update" a space that still screams 1969 to anyone over 45 who walks in!

How much of the work are you going to be doing yourself?

The average cost to refinish a bathtub is $550 or about a quarter of your budget.

Here's how I came up with the budget: $500 for the tub refinishing, $400 for a toilet, $150 for the sink (the one I like on overstock is actually less), $100 for the countertop (was thinking of getting it at IKEA), $100 for paint and hardware, $500 for drywall or beadboard, $100 for faucet. We have a credit for the lighting, so no charge there. That's $1850. That leaves $650 with a $2.5K budget which I hoped would cover labor (DH can do some and we have a pretty good carpenter who is reasonable). Am I way off?

Debrak--your bathroom looks great! Thanks for sharing the pictures.

I originally agreed with posters above that beadboard might be a bit much with the floor (which I love by the way!). But, then I came across this today on houzz --

[Traditional Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2107) by Santa Monica Interior Designers & Decorators Courtney Blanton Interiors

Different colors obviously, but a busy floor with beadboard and I think it looks great!

Here is a link that might be useful: [Houzz link[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/beach-style-bathroom-beach-style-bathroom-austin-phvw-vp~443040)

Thanks, Just wanted to show you how we worked with the yellow tile.

I just wanted to say that I love your original floor tile and it's fantastic that you're planning to keep it. Is the tub fiberglass or cast iron? And have you found someone who can remove it and save the tile? I ask because cast iron tubs are so heavy and can be a real pain to remove. Hopefully someone knows how to remove it without destroying the floor tile. I don't think the wall tile is terrible, but if you are able to replace it and/or need to replace it because you're replacing the tub, I think it's a good idea. I think a nice crisp white or no wall tile (except in the shower) would be nice with that beautiful floor tile. I love jillinnj's inspiration picture. Really showcases how a stunning floor in a bathroom can take center stage and shine.

Are you removing the tub? I may have missed that. If so, why? You can have it painted. Mine was less than $500 with a 15 year prorated guarantee. It has held up well. The tub is used by teenagers and has had everything in it from driveway sealer to purple hair dye and it still comes clean.

The key to the similar blue floor tile with the beadboard on Houzz is that the wall color is pulled from the floor tile.

So the way to achieve this with white beadboard in the OP's bathroom would be to paint the walls a similar gold to what is already there on the wall tile.

I am not defending Harvest Gold fixtures by any means, but I find it kind of interesting that people cringe at harvest gold fixtures but I see similar gold tones suggested for Paint colors all the time.

I think if the problem tile could be repaired, it would be a savings to keep it (while coating or replacing the fixtures with white)--and the money be saved for the "real" renovation.

How much yellow tile is there altogether? In other words, if you add a white toilet, sink, and perhaps refinish the tub, how much yellow is left? I kind of like it:

Just wanted to comment that the yellow with the lavender or lilac in nosoccermon's photo is really a nice color combo. Never thought of that.

Jillinnj--I came across that bathroom on Houzz last night and saved it. I also found several other bathrooms that had beadboard and busy floors. What I noticed is that some beadboard has more shadow lines than others, and I think that contributes to the business.

Debrak--no, I am not removing the tub. I am considering having it reglazed. I've read up on it, and if you go with a good company you can get a 3-5 year warranty. That would be great for our purposes.

Ineffablespace--I wouldn't have a problem painting the upper walls in a gold tone. BM Pittsfield Buff actually works well with it. I likes golds, just not in appliances or bath fixtures or in this case bathroom tiles that were sold to match gold bath fixtures.

So, I think I'm heading back to where I started when I first posted. Talked with DH about it last night and he feels that the beadboard option would probably be the easiest and least costly. We're going to pick up some samples and see how it looks in there. I admit that I am trying to push the bathroom to something a little more cottagey (for lack of a better term) because it will connect more with the newly remodeled space. Although my home is a 60's ranch, it is more traditional in style (the original living room picture window is authentic diamond pane leaded glass, which we kept--even though all the contractors we interviewed said we should get rid of and replace with thermopane!). And since this is the bath guests use, I would like to make it a bit more attractive! Thanks again for everyone's input--I truly appreciate every word!

Nosoccermom--I was typing while you posted--yes my tile is very similar to the one in your picture. And that does look very nice!

just be very aware that if you think you can remove that wall tile and just replace it with beadboard, you may well be heading for a complete bathroom demolition and an early gift of a complete renovation.

those tile were all set in mud and if you try and just chip off the wall tile, you very well may disrupt the floor bed and start something you may not have a budget to complete at the level you wish.

my parents were in the same boat when they "downsized" to a ranch and wanted to remove the pink wall tile but keep the mostly white floor. They had three tile contractors tell them it would not work, but the fourth, and absolute genius among tile setters clearly stated that the previous tile contractors did not have the skill that he had...

As they removed wall tile and the mud backing, the floor began to crack obviating a gut down to the studs. They now have a completely renovated bath, and truth is, the tile work is top notch. But my youngest sib is 10 years past the need for college, so they are in a different boat.

In an old home with what I thought was a yellow tiled bath, I found advise to paint the walls a couple of shades lighter than the tile to subdue the yellow, and I did do this and it worked very well. After picking many yellow paint chips and coming home to "match" them, I found that the tile was really a very light lime/green color, but against white walls with incandescent lighting appeared gold. Changing out the lighing, and using the right wall paint color really changed the feel of the room. Not my personal pick, but it worked better than what I had for the price of a couple of gallons of paint.

Thanks detroit_burb. Sorry your parents had such a bad experience. I ran this by DH and he said our tile is not set in mud--it was layed with adhesive. We know this because they had to remove an area of tile when we enlarged the door opening.

Tough choice. Here are more pictures from that bathroom above and a link.

I wonder if someone can photoshop the beadboard in your bathroom.

Here is a link that might be useful: yellow bathroom

I've found a few more photos of "busy" floors with white beadboard and/or white tile. I'll have to post each separately--having trouble with my photobucket. I am beginning to like the idea of painting the tile white, and cost wise it would probably be the same as beadboard. What I don't like about painting is that I'll still have a grid of small square tiles, and that tile currently runs halfway up the wall--cutting the room in half. I would prefer the white to go higher up the wall with a smaller band of wall painted to go with the tile. To me, that looks more updated and in a way, less busy. Thanks again for your input!

Here's another.

and another

another

another

another

another

with dark cabinet

I like your ideas and really like your floor tile.

Could you skip the glazing of the tub and just use a shower curtain and keep it closed at all times. My shower curtain completely hides my 70s gold tub and surround.

That looks very nice. However, I would be hesitant to paint tile that will get wet.

If you are glazing the tub, they can do the same process to the tile. I actually had this done in my bathroom in an attempt to not have to gut it.

The bathtub glazing failed immediately, within days actually, but the wall and floor tile was fine until the bath was demo'd.

In a house we were renting while waiting for my transfer to come though, the floor tile, wall tile and tub including the tile surround were all sprayed with enamel paint. The job was not done well, they went right over anything, including dust bunnies on the floor. However, the tile surround and the tub held up fine while we lived there, which was about 18 months. I guess it depends on how the spraying is done and what the chemical make up of the paint is.
Diane

A vote for NO beadboard.

Originally, bb was an early 1900s kind of thing - there's nothing remotely midcentury about it. Now its totally overused and usually in the form of DIY paneling from the big box store.

Not that I think we have to be historical purists - just have all the design components relate well and complement each other. In my mind the country-ish flavor of bb doesn't relate well to the more suburban sophisticated style of your tile floor and of the typical 60s ranch house.

Unless you've already reworked the rest of the house to be more traditionally styled and beadboard friendly - in that case just pls disregard!

Agree that the sprayed on epoxy finish (in any color) can be a good affordable alternative to ripping out the tile and re-installing some other kind of wall. The tub will probably peel so maybe you could just replace that - the money and effort you save not ripping out the tile wall (believe me that is a beast of a job) can go to the cost of replacing the tub.

Right on trend with your floor. Check out the link below (Trend no. 3) with more pictures.

Here is a link that might be useful: 5 bathroom trends

Wow, nosoccermom--thanks for that link! Picture #4 even has similar colors. Looks great with the white tile.

Kahsa_kat, I do hear what you're saying about beadboard being overused. If this was a bathroom I was building new or sinking serious money into, I wouldn't even consider it. And if I do, I might use slightly wider planks. Also, while our home is a 40+ year old ranch, it is not MCM in any way. Thanks, and I'm still going back and forth on the painted tile.

@ineffablespace did you go with a firm like miracle method, diy, or a local contractor for your unsuccessful refinishing? I'm leaning towards resurfacing my harvest gold tub and tile surround but am terrified of wasting $ that could be put towards replacing. I also love the idea of the full length curtain and may go out and make that happen today. Having just shopped the big boxes, I do have a new respect for the quality of the HG tub. Does anyone know if that tub, exactly what is pictured in debrak2008's post, is porcelain or cast iron? Thanks if anyone is still listening.

Being the frugal type I always like to argue in favor of saving the original stuff wherever possible. Hey its what I do! It's generally possible to take the color of the fixtures (60s harvest gold, 50s pink, or whatever) and design a new updated color palette around that color. If the rest of your house interior is way different then it might not work (since you want colors to flow from room to room) but worth giving some thought to, at least.