Well, it’s not really epic. More like Not So Bad Fail. Or No Biggie Fail. But we like to share our trials along with our triumphs, so here ya go.
We were in HomeGoods scouting night tables, rugs, pillows and whatever else wanted to come home with us when we spotted this baby for a mere 12 beans.
It’s a shower curtain.
Fun modern pattern? Check. In line with the gray & yellow color scheme for our guest bathroom? Check. On sale? Checkity-check-check. So we brought it home (our only purchase of the day, actually, but that’s another story) and threw it right into place.
At first it felt like the perfect step it waking up the vintage yellow tile of yesteryear and making it feel more current. But then we looked down…
Something about the busy Scrabble-esque pattern on the floor combined with the gridded wall, combined with the semi-small-scale busy modern floral pattern just felt like too much going on. Oh well. At least we gave it the ol’ college try.
So we took it down, packed it back up, relieved our bathroom of its pattern-y overload, and returned it to HomeGoods (on the bright side, we grabbed some pillows for the bedroom while we were there – more on those later). We’re thinking we need to find something plain (like a white or soft gray waffle knit curtain) or something with a very simple or subtle large-scale pattern (tone on tone wide gray stripes maybe?) so it doesn’t compete with all that tile. But since we don’t have any overnight guests in our near future (knock on wood) we’re in no rush to hunt anything down tomorrow. Maybe we’ll even take our time and DIY something with a stencil or some fabric dye. We promise to share every detail when and if we do…
Psst- Wanna see something we don’t regret buying? Check out our BabyCenter post this week (with another Clara video, because we’re those people).
Allison says
I think the yellow tile is super charming! I LOVE when people make retro color tiles work. I have an aunt who somehow made her light blue overly tiled bathroom look chic yet really charming and modern. I def think you guys could make it work. I think the blue on top of the yellow is too harsh, but I think the gray waffle weave you guys are talking about would be fabulous. Simple. Modern. Clean. :) I cant wait to see it!
Nichole@40daysof says
I didn’t understand the “epic” part until your floor picture. I know you’ll find the right one. I think shower curtains are one of the most fun and one of the most frustrating things to shop for.
http://40daysof.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/fat-tuesday-volume-iii/
Gaby says
Gray, Gray, Gray, Gray! It’s the only mate for that yellow!
Theresa says
Good call — that does NOT look right.
I think a gray waffle print sounds perfect. It’s also such a small space that something that looks good on a regular bathtub won’t look good there (ie, too much pattern).
Carrie says
I liked the shower curtain, but I guess I’m not afraid of things looking busy :) I thought our bathroom had pink tile for the longest time until we had to take some of it down, and discovered in different lighting that it was actually beige. Definitely made it easier to match something.
Katie @ Epistle says
Too bad – great shower curtain. You could always throw down some bath rugs to make the floor disappear and give your guests something warm to put their feet on in the mornings rather than tile, but just getting a new shower curtain is probably easier.
I vote for waffle gray if voting is allowed. ;)
Ever - The red house by the lake says
I had a really yellow bathroom in my first apartment – it was bright yellow with big white flowers. Not my style at all, and I tried everything to disguise it. I wanted a blue bathroom so for ages I had a blue shower curtain, towels and mat and tried to ignore the yellow parts, but eventually I just gave upp and changed all the stuff to white and the run became amazing. So sunny and bright and everything.
When working with an odd color, white is almost always the best way to start. Then add splashes of accent colors (how about a clean tone of light green and turkoise as well as more yellow?). Personally I think the color on your tiles look a bit old and I think you should be careful with colors that are not “clean” (I’m sorry, my english is not good enough to describe) because it might make the whole room look old and “washed out”, but that’s just my guess.
I also think you should add a plant or two, because that will make it more “alive”.
Lemon says
Hmm…I thought it looked great.
Nicole says
I personally feel it would be a MAJOR attribute of any bathroom to be able to play Scrabble while spending time in there… just sayin’… maybe grab a letter set and hang a bag of them near the toilet paper… it’s fun for the whole family…
Blog is the New Black says
I actually think it looks great! But, a waffleprint would be nice, too.
Rebekah M says
Another idea: Get the white waffleweave shower curtain and then monogram the shower curtain in the right gray color to match the walls. My mom did this in her guest bathroom and it looks awesome with a giant “S” on her shower curtain that matches the walls… (she has blue tile & tan walls, the monogram is tan)…you can get a simple monogram for about $10 and it would make a simple curtain pop!!
Lisa says
Hey! Loved your post. It’s nice to see that every once in a while things don’t work out quite how you’d hoped. You know all of us out here in blog-land think you’re perfect (at least I do)… so it’s nice to see that you’re human, and every once in a while things don’t work out exactly how you’d planned! Try, try again! I can’t wait to see what you ultimately come up with.
Lilly says
I’m have to go with the all white waffle weave curtain onn this one, I think it would look so much better with the tiny tiles on the floor and with the gray paint on the walls. I’m no decorator but trust me it’s the right thing to do. I think it will help modernize the tile .
Mary says
What about something like this color block curtain in the the first pic here: http://www.diynetwork.com/bathroom/bathrooms-on-a-budget-our-10-favorites-from-rate-my-space/pictures/index.html Looks great with the vintage-y/retro-ish look of the bathroom. We also had yellow tile in the bathroom of our red brick ranch but ended up tearing it out and then covering the damaged wall with white beadboard.
Happy shower curtain hunting!
val says
Pottery Barn had a great waffle weave curtain a couple years back–don’t be tempted by the Target knock off that does not hold up. I’m sure you’ll find the perfect thing eventually–I think one a pattern with one color would do it.
Kristi says
One of my all-time favorite bathrooms b/c they figured out how to work with their peach and black tile: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/house-tours/nicole-and-colins-streamlined-salvage–074606
I love the whole house, actually. Hope it provides some inspiration!
Amanda says
Have you thought about just a plain white shower curtain – or maybe one with ruffles? How about something mostly white with just a bit of gray in it (I just ordered this shower curtain – actually I ordered it from WalMart because it was less expensive there – http://www.amazon.com/InterDesign-Fabric-Shower-Curtain-Leaves/dp/B002H9X6QW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295384591&sr=8-1) I picked it because it was mostly white but had just a bit of color for the incredibly small bathroom we’re in the midst of renovating.
My all-time favorite bathroom is the one that Sarah did at the farm on her show on HGTV. I don’t even like yellow – but I thought her bath was just gorgeous. I loved the contrast of the gray with the yellow and the overall vibe of the room…..maybe you could use it for a little inspiration – after all, you kind of seemed to be headed in this direction anyways. :)
http://www.hgtv.ca/sarahshouse/theshow.aspx?sectionid=399&categoryid=8295226515459576536&postid=124183
Celia says
I’m definitely using ‘scrabble-esque’ to describe my bathroom floor from now on, it’s perfect! Plus anything that alludes to my nerdy side while downplaying the ugly floor (ours has pastel pink and I think some purple squares in it..) is a good thing!
Carrie H. says
I don’t know about a grey waffle. I think it would look dingy. But I love white in a spa-like fabric.
Whitney says
You know what’s funny? Every single apartment i’ve lived in during my Boston years (5 and counting) have had that exact same bathroom floor tile. Do you think that every developer in that era collectively said “hey, this one’s on sale, we’ll do all our properties in that!”
linda says
oh dear…. that picture skeered me!!! lol! you really need to do something with that tile (sorry…..) my new office’s bathroom had that color tile and the first thing i had to do was PAINT IT!!!!! it came out really good and would be the perfect interim solution for you guys til you can tear it out and make it something fitting of being in a YHL home! :o)
Amy says
we have the same bathroom in different color scheme! Even the same little tiles on the floor. Ours our white/brown/pinky-beige. With pinky-beige toilet/sink/bath. And tiles up the walls. I went with a striped curtain in blue/beige and browns. It works for the most part. Only other option is the gut the whole thing!
Katy says
maybe someone already mentioned this suggestion, but I love the look of a glass shower door. Not sure how pricey it is, but it’ll keep the charm of the vintage yellow tiles and giving it a nice modern update? I have one in our apartment and feel like we live in a hotel.
monica says
I agree with Beca about trying to match the tile. I just went thru something like this with my 1952 bathroom tiles that are grey with a burgundy trim. I had found a paisley burgundy/brown/sage shower curtain that was actually great with the colors. I thought I wanted burgundy towels and I kept trying to match the burgundy towels to the tiles and it was impossible! A friend suggested that I give up on matching and pick a third color from the shower curtain – so I picked brown – and it works! So like Gaby says, I’d try going with light grey towels and shower curtain!
Handy Man, Crafty Woman says
Yeah, I thought it wasn’t *too* bad, either, until I saw the floor tiles. Too much “busy.”
My grandmother’s house (built in 1959) had tiles like that on the bathroom floors. :-) In different colors, but same kind of pattern.
Mr. Goodwill Hunting says
Its not so so bad.
Mr. Goodwill Hunting
Jen says
You might want to check out this shower curtain at Bed Bath & Beyond: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=16208906&RN=10&
I have it in my bathroom and I ADORE it! The sheer panel allows light to filter into the shower (perfect for those like me who shower at night) while still allowing for privacy. I do have a light in the shower but its so much better with this curtain.
Chris says
Shoot! I loved it! I think the smaller scale of the floor made it great!
Paige says
My vote is for a plain white shower curtain. I agree with you guys!
Kendra Bester says
Hey YHL,
The first time I saw the yellow of the tile in your bathroom, right away I thought grey and white would go so well with the yellow to give it that vintage look. The yellow from the tile reminded me of this bathroom from a farmhouse that a Canadian designer Sarah Richardson renovated. I thought I would share some pictures of the bathroom with you, if you haven’t seen it already. I think it might really inspire you, it seems like it is the right colours you are looking for.
Can’t wait to see how the bathroom turns out, I know you guys will make it fantastic.
http://www.hgtv.ca/sarahshouse/theshow.aspx?sectionid=399&categoryid=8295226515459576536&postid=124183
under the tab “main bathroom”
or also on this website
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/51026/start=45/list/Country-Charm—Sarah-s-Farm-House-
Erin N says
We have a waffle weave off-white curtain from JCPenney, of all places. It has held up well! My vote goes to white on this one, sorry gray!
samantha owens says
hahaha good call. it’s very house hunters international looking.
KarenC says
Too bad it didn’t work… it’s such a fun, bright pattern. It would look great in a bathroom with white tiles.
The first thing I noticed in that pic is how small and dark the shower is.
Maybe a transparent shower curtain that would let some light in would be a good idea. Or one of those that has the mesh stripe across the top half… to see out and let light in.
Like so:
http://www.ceilingshowerrod.com/shower_curtain.htm
Jamie B says
After watching the bath video on the BabyCenter site, please put Clara in swimming lessons ASAP, haha. Look at those legs kick!
LittleMissEclectic says
Too bad- I love that curtain. I’d keep it and just redo the bathroom to match (ok maybe not).
Kiran says
Definitely a huge NO! And I’m sure the gray suggestion would look PERFECT :)
Jennifer says
I had the exact same bathroom (but it was actually used as the master) at my old house… I’ll offer up what we found. I can’t tell from the picture whether there is a light fixture inside the shower area, but our house did NOT have one and it was painfully dark inside the shower with anything but a clear shower curtain. Clear isn’t pretty, but it made a world of difference in terms of lighting in the shower. So, if there is no light in there, think about the light blocking aspects of whatever curtain you choose.
Jenny says
You could paint the tiles.. My mother in law needed a temporary solution for her bathroom and it turned out great.
Lauren H. says
I still think it looked kinda cute. Something about the vintage/ modern mix. You would probably be using a bath mat to break up the busy-ness of the floor anyway.
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
It is a pretty curtain though. I like your idea of a plain gray curtain for that room.
Have you thought about painting the tile a color you like for the time being instead of trying to “work with the yellow”? Just a thought. I’ve seen it done on HGTV and it always looks great when they are finished.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jen,
We did consider that for a little while. Scroll back through the comments for that info. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Connie says
Maybe more blue and yellow accessories?
erin pearce says
her nursery looks awesome! i love the art wall! i’m trying to put together a mix of art for my 7mth olds walls which are still bare!
you may already know about the site oohmoon.com, but katie moon (an illustrator) puts up one new print each day to download for free (after that day you can purchase the print), this week its fairy tales! thats how i’ll be filling my girls walls!
April says
I have the same type of bathroom, except in a very fancy shade of rosey-pink, and found that a tone on tone tan curtain worked great. The pattern is medium sized circles too, to soften up all of the squares in the tile and scrabble floor. I bet something similar in gray would work great for ya’ll!
Tanya says
I actually thought it looked cute, too. But I’m guessing it looks different in “real life” when you’re surrounded by the yellow tile.
~Tanya
dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.com
P.S. I’m guessing you two read failblog.org?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Tanya,
Never heard of failblog.org. Off to check it out!
xo,
s
Melissa Irvin says
Ok, not that y’all asked, but I vote for DIY STENCILING! I would love to see what y’all come up with!
emily @ thirtyeight20 says
I admire your willingness to take it slowly and put up with the tile for awhile! I can handle some unpleasant living conditions far, far worse than outdated tile, but for some reason I can’t let a needy bathroom go unrenovated. Maybe because they’re so small… and theoretically easy to fix.
If it were mine, I’d either close the door and not look in there for awhile, or I’d get to work knocking out the wall tile. I’d remove it all except the stuff in the shower until I could afford to re-tile in there. I’d carefully save all the rounded tiles along the borders and use it to match the outer edges of the shower. Then I’d skim coat the walls and paint. And hide the remaining shower tile with a curtain as best as possible.
In my opinion the floor tile wouldn’t be so bad on its own, so I’d leave that too until I could afford to redo it. Judging by these pics alone, it could actually look kinda modern if you brought out the orange tones a little.
Looking forward to seeing your solutions in action!
maria says
Just an FYI, Target currently has a lot of there home merchandise on sale 30%-50% off. Each store varies, some stores priced higher. Items include bath, bedding,pillows, curtains, tablecloths, blankets. Check the endcaps for clerance items. Got a couple sheer curtains, shower curtain & tablecloth all for $22!
Rachel says
Have you considered a custom curtain? I went custom for my shower curtain (We have an odd shaped tub/shower configuration and it was necessary.) I went to the fabric store and picked out a fabric I loved (after testing several loaner samples for a few days) and had it made to fit. But you could easily do it on your own. Its basically a no-sew curtain. Just an idea…
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Rachel,
Yup, that’s a possibility too! Who knows where we’ll end up…
xo,
s
kristi bishop says
hi i have THE perfect shower curtain for you…the ‘striped shower curtain’ from west elm. it comes in gray and there is an awesome bath mat that has yellow and gray in it! you should check it out. take care-kristi
Bree says
What a cheap and fun fail. Thanks for sharing your adventures in shower curtain hunting. I looked at all that yellow-ness and it kinda too me back to the 80s a little (a bit Golden Girls-esque). I love the pattern and the tile is really pretty but they certain don’t live well together!! I can’t wait to see what you end up with in there!