I Have Ugly Bathroom Tile

It's a common problem: Your bathroom's tile work is stuck in another decade. Whether it's Pepto-Bismol pink, bright blue or bleh brown, it's hard to work around an oddly colored tile job. While your immediate reaction might be to gut the whole thing and start fresh, there are a few things you can do to make it more stylish. Here are some low-cost ideas to help you fix up the space:

Must do:
- Clean your bathroom within an inch of its life. You'd be surprised how much a good scrubbing can do.
- Remove hokey plastic shower-doors and replace them with a shower curtain instead.
- Toss outdated window coverings like venetian blinds. Try to do:
- If you're stuck with an unusually-colored toilet, try to track down a toilet seat that matches the bowl.
- If you're blessed with a vintage white tub, you can consider having it reglazed, but this is only worthwhile if you actually love the tub. Don't do:
- Do not, under any circumstance, try to paint the tile! Trust us, there's just no way to do this - -even so-called professional services can't "paint" your tile.

White is right. Cancel out the crazy tile with a white-wash. Paint the walls and trim white and buy snow-colored towels and an all-white shower curtain. All that lack of color will calm the effect of your unfortunately-hued tile.

Embrace it. This tactic is especially smart for guest bathrooms and powder rooms, but might be a bit much for your everyday bathing. Instead of trying to hide from the retro look, go with it. Shop flea markets and tag sales for retro accessories, paint the walls a crazy color and say, Hello camp! (Check out designer John Loeke's bathroom at right for a bit of inspiration--we snapped this picture while visiting the designer's home earlier this summer.)

Do a Band-Aid makeover. If you can't afford a full-on renovation, but can't stand to look at a pink toilet any longer, you can do some minor renovations. Invest in a new toilet and pedestal sink, replace the existing vanity and light fixtures if they are outdated and re-grout the existing tile. If you're careful with costs, you can get a fresh look for under $1000, including labor.