Bathroom remodel, wwyd? UPDATE in OP

[crl]

UPDATE: dh votes tile. With far less agonizing than I put into it of course. Thanks for all the feedback!




We are redoing a very small master bathroom. My priorities for finishes are durability and ease of cleaning. We intend to stay in this house for another twenty or thirty years, so durability is particularly important to us. I am going for a vintage vibe, but not necessarily period perfect bathroom in a French revival style house built in 1926.

Other finish choices are a grey marmoleum floor, cast iron white tub, white toilet, white vanity with soapstone top. The shower over tub area will be white subway tiles with a grey ceramic liner.

I have been debating white wood wainscoting (maybe beadboard) or continuing the white subway tiles around the room as a wainscoting.

The contractor I think we will be using (our top pick out of five estimates, just need to check one more reference to feel like we have done complete due diligence) has suggested wood wainscoting because it is less expensive. Cost difference is $1100. We would rather pay less, of course, but we could make the extra cost work by prioritizing other expenses--either outside of the project or by going with a less expensive vanity and less expensive countertop.

I think the pros for tile would be durability and more consistency with the vintage feel, plus in a very small bathroom perhaps minimizing the number of materials is better visually?

What would you do and why?

Thanks!
Catherine

[truly scrumptious]

I personally love the look of wood wainscoting and would do it in a heartbeat. I would also dig the eclectic look with the white tile, grey border and wood wainscoting. But I think it is a matter of your personal taste and the kind of style you're going for.

[blisstwins]

I would do tile. I think it will have more of an aesthetic impact and give the overall feel you are looking for.

[mackmama]

I would go with the traditional wood wainscoting. It sounds like it will fit in with the look and date of the house more than tile. I think of beadboard as being a little more cottage-y than it sounds like you're going for.

[BunnyBee]

When we redid ours, we pulled out wood wainscoting and trim. Our contractor strongly encouraged nothing on the walls rather than wood if we didn't want tile because wood loves moisture. We went with a marble tile molding around the bottom instead of wood trim too, though we did keep wooden crown molding.

[hillview]

we did tile through out and no regrets (remodel last summer)

[Twoboos]

Although I love the look, I think wood + bathroom is a bad idea. (Almost as bad as carpet in the bathroom - which we currently have. :barf:)

I'd go with tile.

[AnnieW625]

Do you like cleaning tile? If so that is no brainer as I like the look of subway tile. For ease of clean though I would keep the walls bare.

[vludmilla]

I love the look of really nice wainscoting (but not beadboard) in a bathroom but I would only do it in a powder room that doesn't get very wet and humid. In a full bathroom, I would do tile.

[crl]

Hmm, I like traditional wainscoting, but it feels really formal for a tiny bathroom in a not super formal house. I do like the beadboard look. And we live on the coast more or less so beach-y is somewhat appropriate. Our contractor seems to think wood would be quite durable. I have to say I think it is probably more durable than drywall.

As far as cleaning goes, I hate tile floors but I have never had any trouble keeping tiled bathroom walls clean. Again, I think they are actually easier than drywall--certainly way more scrubable.

Thanks!
Catherine

[AnnieW625]

After reading your response I would go with the bead board then. I love the look of it in bathrooms.

[queenmama]

PMing you, Catherine!

Lara

[gatorsmom]

I think either subway tile would look great or the wainscoting. It depends on the look you want. But both done right are stunning.

[Mopey]

What about something along these lines?? I love this blog.....

http://www.younghouselove.com/2013/02/breaking-down-our-57-board-batten/

You can use the same eggshell finish paint allover, or for really traditional, paint just above the board & batten. You could get pretty fun, funky or ornate if you just check out your local Home Depot molding choices. And maybe you could save on materials by picking them up yourselves!

I brought the toolbox to the marriage and I am DIY-HGTV obsessed if you can't tell :wink2:

ETA: the layout could look so cute if you incorporate where towel hooks would go and try to find fun ones!

[theriviera]

I love the look of tile wainscot but I could not get DH on board. We ended up going with traditional wood wainscoting in our master bath.

I think if you have a great painter, the wood wainscot will be very durable (sealed and caulked well).

What do you prefer, look wise?

[crl]

I love the look of tile wainscot but I could not get DH on board. We ended up going with traditional wood wainscoting in our master bath.

I think if you have a great painter, the wood wainscot will be very durable (sealed and caulked well).

What do you prefer, look wise?

In the abstract? Toss up, both looks are great. In the context of a vintage bathroom, somehow tile feels more accurate. And in the context of a tiny bathroom, fewer materials also seems like a slightly better aesthetic choice. To me, the question is, is tile $1100 better?

Catherine

[BayGirl2]

We had a relatively small bathroom in DH's old house (classic Sears catalog house in Berkeley) and it had wood wainscoting. The look was nice even in a smaller space but I have to say I hated cleaning it. Something about all the ridges in the wood made it seem to hold dust. Tile I feel like I could clean "harder" if that makes sense.

In your case I'd probably go with the tile.

[theriviera]

In the abstract? Toss up, both looks are great. In the context of a vintage bathroom, somehow tile feels more accurate. And in the context of a tiny bathroom, fewer materials also seems like a slightly better aesthetic choice. To me, the question is, is tile $1100 better?

Catherine

I think I would try to make tile work then.

[lurksalot]

I think tile is your best option. It is more durable, easier to clean, will give neater aesthetic, and $1100 over 20 years works out to about 15cents per day.

[crl]

I think tile is your best option. It is more durable, easier to clean, will give neater aesthetic, and $1100 over 20 years works out to about 15cents per day.

:D. I was doing the under $50 a year math.

Thanks everyone! I think I am leaning tile, but will see if dh has strong feelings.

Catherine

[Pepper]

Late to thi discussion, and it sounds like you've decided what you want, but I thought I'd throw this out there anyway :)

Our house is a bit older than yours (1880ish). The only bathroom was on the second floor and had wood beadboard all around the lower part of the walls. The previous owner had painted the beadboard a really dark purple, and the trim a really bright blue. From my attempts at paint removal elsewhere in the house we knew that it would be impossible to get the paint off the beadboard because there was milk paint underneath the many layers.

We ended up putting plastic beadboard right over the old wooden stuff. It looks fine, you can't tell that its plastic, and it's waterproof for when my kids splash all the water out of the tub. Hubby found it at home Depot.

Is your tub in good shape? We had our clawfoot tub repainted, instead of reglazed, because the finish dries much faster and we were in a hurry.

[crl]

Purple and blue, huh? That must have been amazing. In a not good way.

There is no existing tub (too bad because an old school cast iron J tub would be awesome. The current bathroom is really really tiny with a leaking neo angle tiled shower. We are annexing a closet to get a couple extra feet which will allow us to squeeze in a 30 x 60 cast iron tub.

Catherine

[quinnsmom]

We put white beadboard wainscoting up in a bathroom a few houses ago and it looked beautiful. Classic and fresh. Looked great with very light blue walls. But I hated cleaning it. Too many ridges. If I had to do it over again I would not do beadboard. I would keep it smooth/panted or do subway tile.

[flatlander802]

I have one bathroom with tile all around and one bathroom with wood beadboard except for the alcove tub which has white marble tile. I don't find either a problem to keep clean. We are careful to mop up water that my daughter splashes out of the bathtub onto the wood; toothbrushing, using the toilet and adults showering have not presented any moisture problems.

Here's some things that others haven't brought up. The beadboard is quieter; tile seems to echo when its on all 4 sides of a room. Our beadboard gets unslightly gaps this time of year when the air is extremely dry here in the northeast -- but looks fine the rest of the year. It's hard to transition from beadboard to tile so think about how they'd look where they abut.

[crl]

Bump for update in OP