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Pale avocado bathroom suite. Money for paint only!

6 years ago

Lucky enough to be able to buy a ridiculous Victorian detached but need to save up to do the substantial stuff, In the meantime I have a pale avocado bathroom suite (bath, sink, loo-with white seat). The former owners thought having a dark blue feature wall with pale purple on the other 3 walls was a great idea! Skirting and door is original varnished wood which I really want to keep. Tiles are plain square white.

I have put 4 coats of white paint on the dark blue and it is just about gone. However can anyone suggest a colour scheme other than 'paint everything white and hope for the best'?

Any help or suggestions are most gratefully received. :)

Featured Answer

T Gray
Original Author

6 years ago

Just thought I would give a bit of an update on the 'interestingly decorated' bathroom in the ridiculous Victorian.

Very slow progress on it due to very busy at work. However, a final coat of white did for the pale purple - took a total of 5! And the blue still showing through 4 coats of the blue was covered by the wallpaper.

As this was a 'cheap-as-possible-chips' update, the green paint used to cover the bath panel is also on 3 old Ikea shelves that will sit in a staggered formation over the bath taps. I plan to pop some more plants and nik-naks on them to continue the bamboo/colonial/green theme. Need to get to Homebase to get a £3 bamboo blind for the window and I have a light fitting with a fan attachment in wicker that should complete the 'colonial' look. The stepped shelf is an old one out of an under stairs cupboard in the previous house and the boxes fit in the slots, though may change them if I can find a colour that goes. The tall dragon tree will be re-potted to match the umbrella plant pot which is stuck up the top for now. I may move it. Loo seat from Argos is way better than the horrible white thing and I still need to paint the radiator - will leave that for the warmer months methinks!

The clock was a plastic orange thing I had up in the old kitchen so masked it off and stuck some bronze paint on it. The mirror was painted grey before I figured out the scheme so I may get the bronze paint out and attack it with that. :)

Will get some nice fluffy towels to finish it all off.

Here are some 'nearly there' photos.

Thanks again all for the help and suggestions. Even not finished it is a million miles better!

Comments (15)

PRO
Humber Architecture
6 years ago
When keeping old coloured bathroom suites you have to tone down the colour, I would suggest using a light off white grey on the walls. Replace the bath panel and toilet seat to match and paint the wood work.

Installing new taps/wastes could really lift the room and isn't expensive. Replacing the light fitting is again a good way to update the room without spending a lot of money.

The trick is to choose 2 or 3 colours/finishes and stick to them.
T Gray thanked Humber Architecture
Jonathan
6 years ago
I was going to say the same as Pavilion. Work with what you have, get testers of both a grey with a green undertone and grey with a brown undertone to see which you prefer (look at the Farrow and Ball Website for neutral paints that tick the grey/ brown/ green box) Paint the woodwork soft white, install an inexpensive bleached wood effect Lino (or a stone effect) , wooden slatted blinds and great quality white towels
T Gray thanked Jonathan
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Thanks all. 1. A carpenter/fitter is coming around on Sat for the kitchen - I'll ask him for a quote for this too. In the meantime, I've been googling/thinking, and saw this from IKEA: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/washstands-taps/wash-stands/fullen-wash-basin-cabinet-white-art-70189041/ (& pale green countertop: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/washstands-taps/wash-stands/viskan-countertop-pale-green-art-70354804) I just need to remove a slice of the base at the rear for it to be level with the top of the basin. Hope that doesn't look weird. 2. Will paint the door frame - satinwood or similar. Easy one, that. :) 3./4. Will look at the navy/teal/dark grey wallpapers and paint. I think a combination of them may look really good. Have requested some samples - just waiting for them to arrive now! Great. Can't wait to get going now.
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Sanitary ware. I'm having a crisis of decision making. I bought a new sink and vanity from IKEA: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/washstands-taps/wash-stands/fullen-t%C3%A4lleviken-wash-basin-cabinet-white-spr-39891444/ However, it's occurred to me since that it'll take up too much of the room/floorspace, especially as the sink faces you as you walk in. I've been looking at other designs, and the wall-hung sink with a nicer-looking chrome waste could be a much better option. Added to this, if I'm tiling the floor, I'll probably need to buy a new loo, and IKEA doesn't do matching loos. Therefore...where can I buy a basic loo/basin package? What's the difference between a 'toilet and basin' and a 'cloakroom suite'? Should I go for one or two tap holes? Am I wasting my money? Should I just update the taps on the existing sink and tile-box in the waste?
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Juliet Docherty
6 years ago
Avocado will work with dark grey and white and look good with wood. I agree that new taps could look amazing - indeed I have seen an avocado sink with bright orange Vola taps and it looked very funky. I actually think it is a great design challenge to make this work, but there is no reason why it shouldn't. Can you post some photos?
T Gray thanked Juliet Docherty
Diminishing Returns
6 years ago
I've no idea how it would turn out but you could think about embracing the green and painting the walls a darker green? might even make the suite look cream/ white against a deeper colour?
T Gray thanked Diminishing Returns
Jonathan
6 years ago
Assuming your bathroom is this colour do not paint the walls almost the same colour.
T Gray thanked Jonathan
rachelmidlands
6 years ago
Avocado suites are notoriously difficult to work with. I think that's why so many people replace with a white suite. But if that isn't an option here's some pics for inspiration that might work:
T Gray thanked rachelmidlands
T Gray
Original Author
6 years ago
Really appreciate the suggestions. They have given me a lot to think about. I had kind of stalled and the bathroom is a half painted mess at the moment. The OH has given up on it completely as he has admitted he can't see past the tired suite so your ideas are really helping, thank you. I think if I get the walls neutralised with the white paint I will be able to see a way forward especially as you guys have come up with some really great thoughts. Will see if I can figure out how to post photos over the next couple of days, though you wont be able to see the true horror of the dark blue as the 4 coats have nearly hidden it!
rachelmidlands
6 years ago
Another thought is to add to the green by adding more greenery. I was thinking of something like a living box frame or plant details ( see pics). Could either be real or artificial and would look great on a neutral background. For a cheap way of doing this Ikea do artificial plant squares which could go in a box frame.
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/decoration/plants-pots-stands/fejka-artificial-plant-wall-mounted-in-outdoor-green-lilac-art-20349532/

Think by distracting the eye to something more unusual you won't notice the avocado suite.
T Gray thanked rachelmidlands
PRO
FifteenFifteen
6 years ago
I think it would be quite fun to embrace the inevitability of living with the Avocado suite and make it a real feature. You could go with the on-trend Millenial Pink colour or Banana Leaf wallpaper (apply water-proof sealant) and add some indoor plants to tie the whole scheme in. Replacing existing taps (budget permitting) in a brass finish or adding a couple of votives or candle holders in copper would work really well too. Below are some colour scheme/inspiration images that work along these lines...

Good luck!

Natalia
T Gray thanked FifteenFifteen
T Gray
Original Author
6 years ago
Again, some awesome ideas! However, just to remind folks, it is a pale avocado which is the sickly green-beige version, not the true 70's kitch. Photos will be available soon!
T Gray
Original Author
6 years ago
As promised (but very much delayed, sorry!) the full glory of the pale avocado suite. It looks cream in these but it really isn't.

These are photos of the house just before we bought it, so all the mess isn't mine! :D

Oh and there are no tiles behind that mirror. Just one of the many bodges in this house that I will have to learn to fix.

So the recycle/upcycle/cheap as chips yet hopefully inspired by you guyzz (see what I did there?) plan is:

1. Clean all the overpainting on the pvc window - yes really. :(

2. White grout pen all the tiled areas

3. Finish painting the walls white. Ditto the radiator.

4. Put this wallpaper on the bath wall:

5. Paint the side of the bath a dark green to match the wallpaper

6. Paint some old shelves I have in the same colour and put them above the bath

7. Get some brass/copper paint and draw the lines in on the bath panel

8. Do some line decoration on the shelves to tie it in

9. Get a load of plants to go on the shelves along with some brass colour ornaments and vases I already have

10. Get an Ikea Kallax unit out of the spare bedroom, fill it with the wicker inserts for storage and put it at the end of the bath.

10. Now try and see past that lot to the avocado! :D

I am going for magnificently hideous, hopefully it will work! Any further suggestions of ridiculousness will be fully embraced. :D

Oh, and replace that horrible toilet seat. Dunno what colour yet though. Any ideas?
rachelmidlands
6 years ago
Ideas sound good. Not sure about painting the lines in the bath panel gold tho, I might just stick to green. Still it's only paint so if you don't like it you can go over it. A bamboo toilet seat and accessories would fit in with the botanical/jungle theme and you can't go wrong with fluffy white towels:)
T Gray thanked rachelmidlands
Jonathan
6 years ago
I would describe this as a pampas coloured suite- you can likely get a replacement toilet seat now you know what to internet search for although bamboo would be a good choice too.
I stand by earlier advice to find a grey/green neutral paint. I think Farrow and Balls Old White would be a great choice for this suite and for your Victorian house and personally I think a cohesive grey/green/white theme will look very polished, clean and classical.
I think the pattern on the wall paper is a cool idea but I think that wallpaper is not a practical choice in a bathroom and perhaps a patterned rug or roller blind would be a better way of introducing pattern- personally I would continue the chrysanthemum theme since you already have the picture.
Personally I think you will feel entirely different about the suite if you paint the wood and floor. I would choose a soft white which I think is a classy way of freshening up the look. A lino would be a great later addition and I would choose a limestone tile effect and I bet that this would only cost £70 plus fitting.
By all means experiment with a grout pen but you might get a better finish by regrouting in a mid grey- This is fairly easy to do yourself.
I love your idea for lots of accessories. In my opinion go big like your chrysanthemum picture. Perhaps you could remove the current mirror, shelf and toothbrush holder and get a new bigger mirror that covers any gaps or holes in the tiles. Personally I would make the window softer with a sheer curtain held to one side. I would put a shelf unit or painted cabinet on the wall behind the Bath taps. I would also swap the one small towel rail above the radiator for two long rails so that you have lots of room for towels for everyone.
T Gray thanked Jonathan
T Gray
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Thanks for the comments and ideas Jonathan. The picture of the flower isn't mine as these 'before' pics were before I bought the house!

I think your ideas would look lovely, however a lot more money would have to be spent on paint for the woodwork, hence keeping the dark stained wood and going for a more 'colonial/tropical' feel (just forked out for a new boiler unexpectedly so can't splurge :( ). The tiles are very badly aligned, so any colour other than white for the grout would show up just how badly they have been done. The towel rail above the radiator was hanging off the wall and broken (it was glued back on!) so that has been removed and the holes filled. I have some shelves going spare that I am going to paint the same colour as the bath panel and as per your suggestion, pop them in the corner above the taps. I think the bamboo loo seat will be pretty good and I hope to get a little bamboo caddy for bits and bobs for beside the sink too.

It really won't be to everyone's taste when I have finished but I hope at least it will be to mine and the other halfs! :D

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