The Bathroom: Before

I am not sure that this photomontage does the bathroom true justice. It is a downright hideous bathroom. (The freaky gold shower curtain doesn't help either.) The tile is a fleshy-beige color, as is the tub and the toilet. There are even delightful tile towel bar, soap and toilet paper holders cast in coordinating ceramic tile. Best of all, there is an occasional tile in the mix that is emblazoned with a charming floral motif. So, long term, the plan is just to start over in here completely.

Short term, I am going to live with it — to a certain extent. I think a nice coat of crisp white paint to replace the lackluster off-white walls will help. A white shower curtain and white towels will also help to cover some of the blah brown. Maybe I will install some additional mirrors or cabinets? The light fixture above the sink is one of those vanity-style fixtures with exposed bulbs, so I’ll spring for decent light bulbs to fill the sockets there, as well. Light switch and outlet plates will get swapped out for nice chrome ones. A door with a frosted glass panel might also be nice. Hopefully all these little surface fixes will make it attractive enough for me to be happy bathing in there every day.

I have toyed with the idea of replacing the toilet and the sink vanity as a temporary fix before a full renovation. My parents have an extra pedestal sink in their garage that I could install and a decent toilet can be had for less than $200. Both of those things would make a dent in the all-consuming ugliness of the space. However, my plan is to move in, live with it, and see how much it bothers me. If it doesn’t drive me crazy, I might as well save my pennies and wait until I can afford the big overhaul.

On the plus side, the bathroom is a decent size, and all the existing tile and fixtures seem to be in pretty good shape. It also has a window, which in New York is a real treat (although this one does look out onto the garbage area of my building). There’s also a nice little tiled nook on the right side of the shower stall to rest things on. I’m sure it’ll work out just fine until I rustle up the dough for major renovations.