I’ve mentioned a few times along the way that one day I’d like to update my master bathroom. Â Well, that day (and year) has finally arrived! Â It was 4 years ago about this time that I started looking at houses and now I’ve been in my house for over 3 years, with lots of updates and renovations along the way. Â My master bathroom did not get a complete overhaul, but I merely painted the vanity, got a new toilet, added some pretty touches and called it a day. Â It’s been a useful little bathroom, but its little 70’s self could certainly could use an update, so I’ve decided to tackle that this spring.
This update will not be done by my dad and I (I just can’t put him through a project of this scope), but I’m hiring the father and son team who built my front porch and added my windows for me last spring.  They do a really great job, are reasonable enough for labor, and I trust them.  So, they are going to help me gut my small 3 x 5′ bathroom and give it new life.  Right now, the bathroom has an old one piece tub original to the 1979 house. The old vanity is pine and also original and I gave it a quick paint job with chalk paint. Not very stylish as you can imagine.  My dream is to get a pretty new vanity in there and to take out that old one piece tub and get a nice walk-in tiled shower installed.  I can’t wait!
I will take out the shabby cabinet off the wall (and save it for another spot one day) and I haven’t decided yet what sort of wall treatment I’ll do, but I’m mulling that over. Â Maybe beadboard wallpaper with a chunky molding over the top, like I did in my vanity area or board and batten all wrapped around behind the vanity. Â I do think a wall treatment will look nice, just need to visualize all of that with the new vanity in that space too. Â I’ll take down the big mirror too and just hang a mirror over the new vanity. Â I’m contemplating that set up too and am looking at different vanity options. I definitely want a free standing furniture piece vanity and I’m thinking about getting a linen tower for the corner with a 30″ to 36″ vanity beside it. Â Again, still mulling that one over, but there is room for that with the cabinet off the wall and the old vanity gone. I am not going to do an expensive update in here, because I don’t want to over improve this house for the neighborhood, but it will be nice. Â I will probably keep the same blue/green paint in here (Quietude by SW), but I have other options too.
So, take a look with me at what I’m going to do. Â I’m definitely going with black and white retro tile for my master bath renovation. I’ve loved this look for a long time and it’s clean and classic and will fit right in this house.
{via Stacy Graves Interiors)
I scoured Pinterest for ideas on black and white tile, my current crush for a bathroom renovation. I love this one with the retro tile floor and simple subway tile. I’ll definitely be using subway tile in my shower. Deciding on white or dark grout, I’ve thought about white in a small bathroom, but leaning towards darker to avoid dirty grout, so I may go with a medium gray grout. I don’t want to spend my time scrubbing grout in the shower.
{from Home Polish.com)
I adore this bathroom, everything about it, from the black and white retro tile to the dark charcoal walls and white trim. Â The natural wood vanity is gorgeous in here too.
Same bathroom. I love how this designer pulled together all the elements in this bathroom to make it all work together. Â Notice the brass details too. Â Gorgeous! Â Mine won’t be this fancy, but I love how clean and fresh this feels. As much as I love light paint on walls, this is so dramatic and beautiful to me. And I love the vintage artwork in here. Â This whole look is so my style!
{via Home Polish)
This bathroom is in the same house as the one above and they’ve continued with the classic black and white scheme. This one is totally stunning as well. You can’t beat the classic combo of black and white! These floors are a little more trendy.
{via House Beautiful)
These graphic and modern black and white tiles are so popular right now and I love them. But, for my little bathroom, I’m sticking with the classic and retro shapes. I do think this is one gorgeous bathroom though and especially love the black trim on the doors and molding. Of course, that view doesn’t hurt either!
{via Carla Aston)
This designer website shows a pretty master bath renovation with black and white tiles. Â This floor is the same style I’m looking at.
{via KB Authority)
I found this website and love the look of this vanity. Â It has drawers and doors and I need both. Â I’d love a tall cabinet like this one too in the corner, so hoping something like this can work out. I have to make sure I measure well to get 2 pieces like this in my space. Â I have about 59″ to work with.
I stopped by a couple of local bath shops and found these pieces. Â Just checking on options and prices for now. I think my favorite combination for now is a white vanity with black top. Â That would really flow well with the black and white floor. Â Although I could be swayed by a white marble top too.
Or something like this. Â I’ll keep you posted on what I end up with.
I’ve been talking with Floor and Decor and they are going to work with me on this project by providing the tile. They have a local store right near my house. I bought my white subway tile for my kitchen from them and my sister and brother-in-law bought all their tile for their master bathroom renovation over a year ago from Floor and Decor. Â I love the store and they have a great selection of tile, as well as design help for pulling projects together.
I met up with this young and savvy designer, Navard, at my local store and since I had already decided on black and white, he helped me tweak the plan. It was fun laying it all out and visualizing the my ideas.
Right now, this is the plan, as long as my contractors can do it. Â Hoping they can achieve this and I think they can. Â This is a larger subway tile (4″ x 10″) that will be in a classic brick pattern on the shower wall. Â About 2/3 up the wall, I’ll do a black penny tile border, with a herringbone pattern above that all the way to the ceiling. Simple and classic. I’ve always loved penny tile and now I get a chance to use it.
My bathroom floor will be this classic black and white octagon pattern.
Inside the shower on the floor, I’ll use white penny tile with a black penny tile border, just like the border on the wall.
I’m so excited to get this project going and hope it will be soon. Â I know I’ll so enjoy getting a tiled shower in there and an updated vanity and beautiful tile on the floor. Â What a difference it will make in my small bathroom. Â When the old vanity comes out, the floor space in there measures 5′ x 5′, so this is one small bathroom. Â I’m planning to make it as functional and pretty as possible and of course, I’ll share the complete project with you as I’m doing it and the final pics, when completed!
What do you think of classic black and white tile? Â There are so many choices out there now, but I just knew that this was the look I wanted in my small space.
I love that dark grey paint on the walls….. my bathroom is this colour and has been for 5+ years. It still pleases me, and even if I had a makeover I think I would go for the same again. Good luck with whatever you go for!
I love that dark gray also! Do you happen to know the color name and paint company? Thank you… I’m sure you are greatly enjoying, ya can’t go wrong.
Hi, Marylee, the gray in here is Peppercorn by Sherwin Williams.
I love your ideas, and I’m sure you’ll pull it together fabulously. I’m contemplating our master redo, and because I hate the idea of scrubbing grout in the shower floor, I thought about using a solid bottom piece in the shower with tiled walls. I think I saw it on houzz. Any thoughts on that?
Hey, Julie, I would have to see that, but when I think about a solid piece on the bottom, it just feels like that would be a dated look to me, but I haven’t really looked for that. I definitely plan on tiling the shower floor and am leaning to going darker on the grout, but probably not black. I don’t want to be scrubbing grout either.
I used black and white tile for my last bathroom renovation and loved it. Black and white tiles enable you to use any wall or accessory colors your little heart desires. If you are the type who likes to change things up now and then, add accessories in new colors and the room looks totally different without a big expense.
Love black and white bathroom! Just finished my daughters bathroom renovation and I used 1″ B&W hex on the floor, very pretty but a pain to install! I haven’t posted the finished room yet, but there are in progress pictures posted if you’re interested in checking them out! Such a classic and traditional look! Good luck!
HI, Susan, just took a peek at your bathroom progress. It’s gorgeous!! You should be very proud of it, I think it looks great. What a classic bathroom you will have!
I can’t remember which blogger did this, but she did a black and white floor with black grout and she hated the grout. She said the black grout looked just like black mildew or mold spreading along the floor, especially the straight lines along the tub and walls. So that’s one thing to think about with the grout.
Kate, even thought I briefly thought about it, I definitely won’t do black grout, that’s too dark for what I want. But, I may go somewhere in the middle to a gray color. Still mulling that one over.
We are just about to start redoing the bathroom in our guesthouse and so this has come at the right time! I want to keep ours traditional French but with a modern twist. I love white tiles (who doesn’t) and black and white is classical and timeless. But I have to admit I am even more in love with white with dark charcoal grey walls, it has a very rich luxurious feel to it. Thanks for all the inspirational pictures and keep us posted!
Yay! I know how excited you must be. Love your choices. Black and white lends itself to so many accent colors choices that can be changed if you tire of a particular color. And I swoon over those black and white hexagon tiles. So classic and beautiful and will never go out of style. Can’t wait to see the finished room!
Rhoda – you can’t go wrong with classic!! I think it will be beautiful!! Looking forward to following your progress!!
Celia
I love your choices. I redid my bathroom last year, white subway tile on the tub walls with white grout. I mulled it over for some time but decided to go for it. I used this grout “TEC® Power Grout® Stain-Resistant” and 1 year later is still looks great. You don’t have to seal it and I have never scrubbed it, just use bathroom cleaner on it. I did have to apply it in small batches since it has a polymer and hardens up quick. I have never regretted using it. My husband and I use the shower daily and I only clean it once per week, sometimes every other. I used the same grout in a light gray on the floor with Marble Hexi tiles and it also still looks great.
Thanks, Shelly, I’m definitely going to check out all the grout options. I know there is grout sealer that can be mixed in with grout from the beginning that is liquid form, we did that in my kitchen. So, I’ll check them all out at Floor and Decor.
Rhoda, we just finished our guest bathroom (which was original 1986 builder grade) and I did white subway tile in the shower and a gorgeous porcelain honed ‘Carrera marble’ tile. I went with a hone Carrera marble (real thing) on the white vanity top. The grout is medium grey and I love it. I think you are going in the right direction. I decided to go with the large tiles on the floor in a brick pattern instead of a tiny tile though because I hate having to clean grout so the less the better for me. My shower inset I used a marble/black basket weave. Walls are light blue/grey (Pebble Beach by BM). Since I have no windows in that bathroom, I wanted everything light and bright. I had a shower curtain made (no room for a glass door) that has beautiful bright colors on a white linen background and had some designer touches added on it. With some beautiful modern artwork it looks really good if I say so myself. I’m glad we went with the classic style like you are doing so it wouldn’t look out of place in our home. We didn’t want anything too trendy to date the room. Can’t wait to see how your bath progresses!
Carol, that sounds fabulous!! I love the sound of your bathroom with all those classic touches. I’m excited about doing this project too.
Rhoda: At one time I had a house I cleaned that had the shiny black granite counter-tops in the master bath. While it is a pretty look from a distance, up close it was a bad choice. There were always water spots, circles, soap spots – which dulled the surface. I would spend a lot of time cleaning and shining, but I’m sure by the next time the sink was used it was back to water and soap spots. Just something to consider. I’m always in favor of something that requires less work to keep it looking good.
Me too, Becky! I’ll definitely keep that in mind.
Love all your choices. One thing I would suggest that many forget is to try and find a wall tile that has a shaped coving piece for the base. It make cleaning so much easier. It was always done on old and higher end houses, but seem to have fallen by the wayside with DIY jobs.
I loved that old piece in your bathroom and remember how your Dad teased you about it. He probably feels vindicated now! 🙂 Perhaps it can find a home in your laundry room.
Things must be heating up in the relationship dept, as I noticed you repeatedly saying that there may be a “next” house (or something like that). Before, you used to say this one was probably it!
HI, Teresa, I’ll see if type tile is available, but not sure it is. I’ll definitely keep that old cabinet and find a place for it, I still love it. And as far as another house, I’ll never say never. I had not planned to move, but things can certainly change in life!
Love your ideas!!!! And the black/white theme! Can’t wait to see it!! What type of shower glass door are you going to use? I saw some gorgeous ones at Lowes recently! You’re going to love the shower vs the tub and I believe it will make the space look larger!
Beth, I haven’t even had a chance to look at shower doors yet, but I know it will have to be a slider and not one that opens out. There simply isn’t room for it to swing out. I’m sure I’ll find one I like and I’m sure it will make the space look bigger once that tub is out.
OK Rhoda, so you’ve waited a while for this reno and you want to get it right!! My suggestion is to make sure the door to the linen tower you want to put in the corner will be able to open all the way and not hit the toilet — it looks a bit close to me, so measure twice!!
Also a really great feature to consider is a recessed niche in the shower for your shampoos etc. like you show in one of your photos. It doesn’t have to be on the feature wall but can work well on the wall opposite the shower head. So convenient, and it keeps all those bottles organized and tidy.
You should also consider a small bench or corner shelf in the shower — great to balance your foot on when you’re shaving your legs!
Others may disagree with this one, but I suggect caulk on the corner grout lines on the wall and floor in the shower rather than grout — grout tends to crack in those larger joints as your house settles and the new lumber your contractor will use for framing contracts and expands with heat and humidity. Caulk is more flexible and it comes in colors to match most grouts, so you’ll get a consistent look. And there are plenty of decor blogs about what color grey grout looks best with white subway tile so you should have fun tracking those down!
All of the above is from my own experience building our current home with 4- 1/2 bathrooms! Oh, plus a 5th in our carriage house (work in progress, never to be finished I fear).
OK, enough from Ms. Bossy here (feel free to ignore any and all of the above) — enjoy the process and I look forward to seeing the finished result!
HI, Laura, thanks for the advice. Definitely going to put in a niche in the wall and already thought about a bench too. Will probably do a small corner bench, as this space is so tiny. Anything I put in that corner is going to be tight, so if I can get a door to swing open enough for me to use it, I’ll do it. This is one small bathroom! I’ll be checking out all the grout ideas and getting something that works well. Not sure about colored caulk, but that sounds like a good idea too. I’ve got more research to do before buying supplies, but this is a good start.
Colored = grey, like you mentioned, and you’ll see all the choices from light to dark, all the way to black, but that would be too dark for my taste. So much to decide! Have fun with it, I know you’ll make it lovely . . . . .
How exciting! I am amazed at all you have done to your house in such a short period of time. Can’t wait to see what you do with this bathroom! I have generally not been a fan of black and white, but I know you are going to make me change my mind!
I like your ideas and you can never go wrong with classic black and white. I think it is perfect, especially for a small bath . I followed along on that bath surround you tiled in Alabama and have been an avid follower of yours since 2008. Looking forward to following along as you progress with this one.
HI, Vicki, oh my goodness, that tile project was so long ago, but I was so proud of how it turned out. Thanks for hanging with me all these years!
I LOVE your ideas, and Look forward to seeing the end result.
I just came across a wonderful bathroom with a great “open” shower. I know it has a pedestal sink, but the feel is similar to your inspiration pics and I love the expase of glass door. It appears huge, although the space is probably small.
Here’s the link: http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/benjamin-moore-color-trends-2016
P.S. Click on “More images” and scroll down a couple of pics. I know the large window add to the open feeling, but I thought you might like it.
Thanks, Teresa, that is a pretty bathroom. Yeah, I need storage so no pedestal sinks for me. I can’t wait for the tiled shower and glass doors.