The increasing number of bathrooms in homes today is something I think about a lot. The era of a single bathroom tucked away in the bedroom wing has largely passed. Now, it’s common for each bedroom to have its own private bath, or at least be connected through features like Jack and Jill bathrooms.

This means you’re not likely to renovate them all. So if the previous homeowner chose a bunch of trendy tile that you are deeply offended by, well… now you need to get creative.

Can you paint tile?

Absolutely. My upstairs powder room is a good example:

I hated everything in this bathroom (below) except the chrome faucet and timeless, beveled off-white quartz countertop.

A badly designed espresso vanity with modern pulls and Queen Anne feet (not shown) and of course the modern, busy horizontal stacked tile made this room look drab and dated.

Because I have a lot of other places to spend my renovation budget, I decided to simply paint the tile off-white to match my countertop.

Then I had my workroom fabricate a skirt which works perfectly in my french country house. The vanity had two doors designed to look like drawers so the skirt opens in the middle for access.

This is what sustainable design really means IMHO. It’s not about choosing sustainable materials when all the dated, previously trendy finishes get wastefully ripped out.

What’s the easiest way to update a chandelier?

Add shades!

I realized I already had small chandelier shades covers in storage (which you need for all the chandelier bulbs that hit you in the eyeballs, you can get them here) so I pulled out three of them, and suddenly I didn’t hate my Tuscan chandelier because now it looks French instead.

Then I added art and now. . . I’m not sure I’ll ever circle back to any renos in this bathroom I love it so much. I could also have painted the tile the same colour as the rest of the bathroom and I may still do that.

Refresh Instead of Renovate

This is my client Deborah’s primary bathroom before. The tower made it feel cramped, so we took it all out and added wall to wall mirror and installed new lighting on top of it.

We added a new, lighter, fresher, solid countertop that still relates to the existing tile floor.

Then new paint on the cabinets to eliminate the dated glazed finish, new paint for the walls, and the bathroom had a brand new look for a fraction of the cost of replacing everything.

If you need ideas for your bathroom refresh click here!

This was her powder room before, with the countertop almost every house had in this trend.

So much better with the new countertop and a new rug to distract the eye from the old floors.

Knowing what colour can do is key

When you learn how to work with color—whether choosing the right neutral shades or using vibrant hues to highlight existing finishes—you’ll discover that a dramatic, messy and expensive overhaul is often unnecessary.

Then you can use that time and money for almost anything else! That’s a big deal.

But if you’re not looking at things through the lense of “what can I do with colour and minimal intervention”, you’re going to think every dated bathroom is a complete tear out.

With the benefit of true colour insight, you can make intentional choices that make the best of what’s already there. You can create beautiful, cohesive spaces without ripping everything out and starting from scratch.

Get inside my Create Your Dream Home course TODAY to learn the Killam Colour System – the best process for choosing beautiful, timeless choices. The price goes up on Friday night.

P.S. Not quite ready to enroll? Come sample the training—join me FREE at my last live “Trend Proof Your Dream Home” event. See firsthand how easy, clear, and empowering design decisions can be. Save your spot now!

Related Posts:

Why your Home Needs More Lamps (and How to Add More)

How to Refresh your Bathroom without Replacing the Tile

A Timeless Kitchen Refresh with Travertine; Before & After