Tuesday, January 7, 2014

New Year, New Bathroom (Sort of)

Dear blog friends, 
 Meet my bathroom.This is probably the first time you are meeting because nothing about this bathroom impresses people on the Internet.  Did you know the average bathroom remodel costs $14,612? I have two. You do the math. In North Carolina the expected cost recoup at sale is around 69%. In our neighborhood, I am thinking the recoup is going to be way less. I have big dreams of moving out of this ranch into a house with closets one day. In order to do that, I cannot go around spending money that I will not get back.

My thoughts include-
fresh, glossy vanity paint
new lighting
new faucet
new counter top
paint the tile
possible wallpaper
blue/gray colors

Has anyone had any experience with painting tile? I feel very strongly about hiring a professional who specializes in the area. I may be cheap, but I feel really strongly about doing this right if you want it to last.



13 comments:

  1. Om, I didn't realize that our bathrooms were separated at birth. Please tell me what you call that shade of tile and what colors you're using to "go" with it. I'm thinking grey. Lighter than charcoal but in that family. Everything else I've tried looks awful. We're in the same boat. Even though we aren't planning on selling, no one renovated bathrooms around here apparently so it adds no value. Barf. And we need to be here a little bit longer before we jump into pricey "just because" cosmetic fixes. I got a quote on painting tile and it was going to be a few thousand dollars. Boo.

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  2. You can get the tile reglazed. We had a couple quotes when we did our guest bath remodel but ultimately wound up keeping the color. We were lucky though in that our bathroom had the semi-non offensive beige motif (instead of the blue or green or yellow or orange you see around N. Hills), and once we put in new floor tile, the tub and surrounding tile didn't look so bad. Anywho, let me know if you want deets on who we looked at. I know Jason did a bunch of research and asking around. Also, the prices were pretty reasonable - around $500-$700 for our tub and tile surround and came with 5 year warranties. My personal email is jewetsch (at) gmail (dot) com.

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  3. I would keep the tile as is and either wallpaper or do gold/tan stripes to bring in the colors from the floor tile!

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  4. We had our tub reglazed for $600, and were amazed at the result. They can match pretty much any color for tub or tile, but a clean bright white would be simple and it will be very durable so long as you don't let water sit on it (like under shampoo bottles in a tub corner). We're in Dallas, so I don't have any vendor recommendations, but the process was easy and cheaper than I expected.

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  5. Don't paint or glaze the tiles! It’s not worth it unless you have the proper ventilation. The seller of my house must have done it before she sold to me. The water can go in between the paint and the tile and make the paint bubble up. So now I have white tiles with flecks of pink speckle! Lovely I know. For the prices that are being quoted on here just put it towards retiling!!!

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  6. Our new house has bathrooms all reminiscent of yours - lucky us! Check with Tim Goss at Wet Paint; he does really great work both interior and exterior.

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  7. I'm thinking about doing the same, I thought this article was helpful: http://www.livelovediy.com/2013/02/how-to-paint-tile-and-update-your.html

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  8. I've seen a bathroom where they DIY'd painting the tiles and I've seen a bathroom where they hired a pro. Totally worth the $$ because the DIY'd version didn't look good at all. Although, I wonder if you make all the other changes if the tile will look a little better. At least good enough to sell. You've got the skillz girl, you could make it work.

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  9. I'm grappling with this same decision in Michigan and I swear like another reader said, our bathrooms were seperated at birth! I have a powder room and a full bath that I want to paint the tile myslef but I'm a little gun shy too. I'm interested to see what you decide!
    Gretchen

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  10. I actually would not recommend painting the tiles. First, it never looks good. Plus, it easily fades away because of water. No matter how careful you are, you can't keep water from splashing especially onto the floors. You can either replace the tiles or work around them. Paint the walls with a less neutral color to create contrast. You can also have your windows replaced with something more appealing.

    Isaac Andre @ CarolinasHomePros.com

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  11. I agree with Isaac. It may affect the washability of the tile. And when the tiles are in a bathroom, it’s never recommended. Although, you may want to hire someone who does tile refinishing. As much as possible, don’t go DIY. Hiring an expert is not that expensive, from what I hear. Maybe you can work with your bathroom colors? I hear lighting can also make a lot of difference.

    Don Bennett @ AthensPlumbing

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  12. As per Isaac and Don, doing this DIY project may result in you spending more rather than saving. You mentioned that you're planning to move right? You can always check with experts with the price quotation to see if the service is worth the amount their asking. Good luck in future endeavors!

    Essie Reed

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  13. Your new storage space is an excellent idea. It makes the whole bathroom looks so much more organised. I think that you chose a good colour for the space. That really makes the interior much more relaxing and that's exactly what some people want in their bathroom. The lighting is a good choice and makes the entire room look more elegant.

    Wilfred Andrews @ LB Plumbing and Heating

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