Replacing tile is expensive. There’s no denying that. If you’re trying to remodel your bathroom on a budget, you may have to work with the tile that’s there. This guide will help you design around retro bathroom tile and make the most of the existing materials.
Choose Whether You Want to Embrace the Retro Tile or Cover It
The first step in your retro bathroom makeover is deciding what you want to do about the tile. Do you want to keep the tiles the way they are and design around them, or would you like to cover them for a fresh slate?
Some retro colors are coming back in style, such as blush pink and hunter green. If you like the colors in your bathroom, you can neutralize other features to make the tile look intentional. If you have baby blue or lemon yellow tile that you just can’t stand, you may want to cover it.
How to Redo Bathroom Tile without Replacing It
Changing the color of your tile is easier than you think! With our professional tile refinishing services, you can choose whatever color you want for your tile or even get a stone finish. This costs significantly less than replacing your tile, and the new coating will be incredibly durable. Best of all, you don’t have to deal with messy demolition or length installation times. We’ll be in and out in a matter of hours.
Reach out to Maryland Tub and Tile if you’d like a tile refinishing quote: 877-717-8827.
Refinish Other Bathroom Fixtures to Make the Room Feel Refreshed
If you want to embrace your retro bathroom tile, you could update other features of the room. This will help it seem like the tiles are there on purpose. For example: if you have a stained bathtub surrounded by retro tile, you could get the bathtub refinished to a bright white color. This creates the appearance of a new tub with theoretically new tile. You know the tile isn’t new, but your guests might not!
Sinks, cabinets, countertops, shower pans – almost all bathroom fixtures can be refinished in some way. The pros here at Maryland Tub and Tile would love to help you out.
Redo the Caulking – You’d Be Amazed How Much This Impacts Appearance!
Over time, caulking gets dull, dirty and stained. Redoing the caulk will make the entire bathroom look neater. This is a project you could easily tackle on a day off, and it won’t cost much money at all. Make sure you remove the old caulk before installing the new caulk to create a fresh seal and professional appearance.
Eliminate Competing Design Elements
If you really want to make retro tile work in your bathroom, you need to embrace the “less is more” approach. It’s hard to make bright red tile look good if you also have orange or pink tile to worry about.
Choose what you want to maintain and neutralize the other elements of the space. Cover the mint green tub with crisp white so the forest green tile above it can shine on its own. If you have retro tile from different eras, you may want to pick the one you like best. Cover the rest in a neutral color to get rid of visual clutter. In the end, you’ll have a more cohesive looking bathroom with tons of charm and character.
Add Accents That Make the Retro Bathroom Tile Look Intentional
You’ve narrowed down the focal point for your retro bathroom. Now it’s time to bring in features that drive the point home. For instance, if you have the dark green tile we’ve referenced a few times now, you might hang botanical art in a similar color. You could use black hardware to complement the black accent tiles on the floor, or you could put up a retro light fixture in the same color family. These little touches will make the bathroom feel new, even if it still has old tile.
