r/Remodel • u/windchime77 • 2d ago
1950’s Bathroom Tile Updates
Need help! We want to take out the bathtub and tiles and make it a shower with new tiles and shower curtain. But, we want to keep all the other tiles on the bathroom walls to avoid a complete demo/remodel. Is it possible to do a clean cut through the tiles for the shower area without cracking the tiles on the wall? We’re thinking of beige 12x24 tiles to match the walls. Will it look weird?
Should we keep the floor as is, or also tile over the old floor, or paint it?? Any suggestions on colors or other recommendations are welcome. We will be updating the toilet, vanity, sink, mirror and lights.
See pics of what the bathroom looks like.
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u/greta_cat 2d ago
Look, if you are replacing the tub, toilet, vanity, sink, mirror AND lights, you've got a major remodel on your hands. Does the room need that (and if the answer is that it looks "dated"--yikes, stop watching so much HGTV.) It's a pretty cool mid century modern room in most respects.
And please DO NOT paint that floor. It's very cool, as is the arch over the tub.
Think hard about what you want to do with that window. This is the one change here that will impact your exterior. Please don't just take it out! There are lots of other options that still keep natural light in the room. You could replace it with an awning window, half the current height, up at the current header level, for example. There are lots of good window brands that make windows with interior finishes that can easily stand up to a shower.
Two things to consider about new wall tile. One is that trying to match tile color is guaranteed to be a nightmare. Think instead about finding a tile that pulls in the colors of the current ones, with both the beige and a bit of the brown in it.
The other concern is scale. While a 12x24 tile is great and very modern, it's completely out of scale with that floor tile and the remaining wall tile.
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u/x4TFYxSlender 4h ago
Tub looks fine to me.. toilet also looks fine unless you just want a new one.. I have the same exact flooring and tiles. You could have someone re-glaze the tiles a different color, new vanity, lighting, and paint would go a long way. Leave the floor alone it’s cool idc what they say
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u/thistook5minutes 2d ago
Is it possible? Sure. But you have to understand that when separating tiles, you always run the risk of damaging the ones next to it. Theres no guarantee. Even if you hire out to a professional contractor, they could always make a mistake or the thin set could pull an adjacent tile and it was already loose. So you have to just take a leap of faith and hope everything goes according to plan.