This was a fun challenge: freshening up a bathroom while keeping the existing wall tile. The tile is charming…it would be more charming if it hadn’t been repaired over the years with similar-but-not-exactly-the-same-tile, but nonetheless…
The worst thing you can do is paint the walls white if the tile was white once upon a time. Everything will look dingy. Here, we painted the walls and trim the same rich cream: Farrow and Ball‘s Ringwold Ground 208, modern emulsion finish on the walls, oil full gloss on the trim. The white tile lit right up, and the room stayed bright and warm.
The next thing we did was add a strong window treatment so the tile isn’t the only interesting thing to look at. We had a Roman Shade made in this striped Robert Allen fabric (Hull – Kiwi), and although it’s tough to see in this picture, the colors are intentionally clashy with the tile. (I love these clients!) The bold stripe also gives the traditional bathroom a modern edge. The clients are pleased, and the investment was modest.
