Even neutral colors can become dated and ugly-looking if they last for a long time. Ceramic tile is prized for its moisture resistance and durability, but can be a problem if the tile lasts so long it becomes dated or ugly. Ripping out ugly shower tile is an expensive and labor-intensive job some homeowners may not be willing to tackle. There are a few creative ways you can cover the tile to make your bathroom more appealing to both yourself and prospective buyers. Paint If it’s the tile color or pattern that’s the problem, you can cover it with an epoxy paint. Do not paint over the grout. To avoid accidentally doing so, cover grout lines with masking tape before you begin painting. Clean the tiles with a solution of trisodium phosphate and water to remove mold, mildew, scale and soap residue, and then apply an epoxy primer with a foam brush. Cover this with a coating of epoxy paint in the color of your choice. Epoxy paints won’t flake off tiled surfaces as easily latex or oil paints will do, but you should cover the final coat of paint with a waterproof sealant, such as a marine-grade polyurethane enamel, to protect the paint.

Shower Liners Most kitchen and bath supply and design stores stock bath and shower liners which can cover ugly shower tile. This option is less labor-intensive than painting or replacing the tile, but it’s not as permanent. Shower liners are typically designed as an acrylic 3-wall panel system that fits right over your existing shower walls. They run from floor to ceiling and usually have a bull-nose edge on the front to give the shower a finished look. Shower liners are adhered to the wall with silicone sealant and often have shelving or patterns molded into them. The drawback of this option is that if your shower isn’t a standard size or shape, you may have to custom order your liner from the manufacturer. Temporary Solutions Sometimes a temporary solution is all you need to cover ugly shower tiles. If you’re renting your home, painting the tile or installing a liner may not be an option. Homeowners who are selling their house may not want to invest too much time or expense. In these situations, you can hang an attractive shower curtain to cover the tile, or accessorize your bathroom to force the tile into the background.

Sometimes matching the rest of the bathroom to the tile can make it more attractive. You can also add bath mats and towels in bold colors or designs, lighting that highlights other parts of the bathroom, or fixtures that have ornate designs and strong colors to draw attention to these items and away from the shower tile. What to Avoid Contact paper is sometimes used by do-it-yourselfers as a covering for tiled backsplashes in both bathrooms and kitchens, but this is not the best solution to cover ugly shower tiles. Used Patio Furniture In Dallas TxSometimes homeowners try to cover ugly shower tile with wallpaper as well. Tire And Wheels San DiegoBecause of the constant moisture in your shower, both types of paper covering are likely to peel away over time. Leather Pouch For Iphone 4s

If the paper doesn’t peel, you risk mold and mildew forming on and behind the paper. In addition to these problems, contact paper and wallpaper may be extremely difficult to remove later, and they might damage the surface of the tile. Painting can give your dated bathroom tile a modern look with little cost or hassle. Painting can be a fun, affordable way to brighten up your dated ceramic bathroom tile. You can paint the whole tiled area for a new color or finish, or you can add smaller designs or accents to give your bathroom a refreshing update. Regardless of the method you choose, always start with super-clean tile and use high quality primer, epoxy paint and brushes. Epoxy paint adheres to the surface and provides a smooth, waterproof coating that can stand up to a high humidity environment. Open any windows and turn on the exhaust fan, if you have one. Place dropcloths and apply masking tape to any areas you don't want to paint. Put on a pair of rubber gloves and clean the ceramic tile and grout thoroughly with a wet scrub brush and mild abrasive cleanser.

Rinse the ceramic tile thoroughly and dry it with a lint-free towel. Put on a pair of rubber gloves and mix the primer with a paint stirrer and pour it into a tray if you want to use a roller. If you plan to paint along edges or corners, start with a technique called "cutting in." Paint a small strip of primer in one direction along the edges and corners with a high quality paintbrush. Prime the rest of the ceramic tile in a thin, even layer using a roller or paintbrush. Allow the primer to dry for at least three hours. Mix the epoxy paint and activator according to the manufacturer's instructions. Apply the paint to the ceramic tile in a thin layer, following the same technique you used to prime it. Allow the paint to dry for at least 24 hours. Peel off the masking tape and remove the drop cloths. Things You Will Need Dropcloths Masking tape Rubber gloves Scrub brush Mild abrasive cleanser Lint-free towel High-adhesion primer Paint stirrers Paint trays High quality paintbrushes Paint rollers Epoxy paint kit Tips Warnings References Ask the Builder: Painting Ceramic TileRedbook: How to Brighten Up a Bland Bathroom Photo Credits Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images Suggest a Correction

On the plus side, the upstairs bathroom in our new house is a good size (10 feet long and almost 5 feet wide) and has a big window that lets in lots of sun. On the minus side, where to begin? Let's start with the plaid wallpaper. It's not just plaid, it's garish plaid, in intense shades of black, brown, yellow and teal green. It's a large plaid. The kind of plaid that actually makes you dizzy if you stare at it too long. Then there's the tile. I assume it's the original 1950s tile. It's a shade of pale greenish yellow that, as my daughter says, is exactly the color of what you do in the bathroom. The tub, sink and toilet are all the same lovely color. Let's not forget the sink! The sink stands on two wobbly metal legs, and has a faucet so tiny you literally can't fit a Dixie cup under it to get a drink of water. To top it all off, someone who was clearly just discovering the joys of a caulk gun has smeared thick, unsightly ropes of white caulk on every possible surface around the tub and toilet.

Our current budget doesn't include a major bathroom remodel. I'd like to make over our ugly bathroom without ripping up the tile or replacing all the fixtures, but wonder if that’s really possible. Here’s what several designers and design experts had to say: "If there’s something about a room that’s obtrusive, one of the best ways to deal with it is to hide the darn thing somehow," says Mark McCauley, a designer and author of Color Therapy at Home, Real Life Solutions for Adding Color to Your Life. But how do you hide yards of yellow-green tile? It is possible to paint over tile, as long as it’s not next to the shower or tub or in any area where it gets wet. "It really comes out quite well," says designer Sue Adams, of Sue Adams Interiors in Andover, Mass., who suggests hiring a pro to do the job. As far as hiding the fixtures, a less than picturesque sink can easily be transformed with the addition of a fabric skirt, or even PVC pipe, which can be painted or upholstered and then used to cover wobbly metal legs, says McCauley.

Problematic bathroom floors are one of the easiest elements to change; they can be covered with carpet or laminate flooring, or even linoleum, which is making a comeback. Still, hiding your bathroom’s ugliness should probably be your last choice. "No matter what you do to cover one thing, another ugly thing is going to pop up," says Adams. "You can put shirred fabric around the sink but then you’ve got the ugly tub and toilet. You’ve either got to cover everything completely, or don’t do it at all." Paint the walls a color that is as funky as your tile color. "Don’t fight it because you won’t win," says Adams. "Find a color that balances but is equally strange-looking." Some suggestions: With gray and pink tile, tint the walls gray and use pink roses to pull some of that color out. If you’ve got 1970s chocolate brown tile, use latte or cappuccino colors on the walls instead of the orange so popular then. The best color schemes are either analogous (next to each other on the color wheel), like yellow and green, or complementary (opposite each other on the color wheel, like teal and orange.

McCauley suggests staying in medium to light tones on walls because dark values – and certain colors – can change skin tones and mess up the way you apply your makeup. A few bathrooms, though, are definitely too ugly to celebrate and should be ripped out or covered up as much as possible. "The worst is really bad ‘70s remodeling," says Kohn. There are two big issues with ugly bathrooms, says Adams. "One is ugly tile color. The other is dirt." Often an ugly bathroom is mainly a dirty bathroom. With some dirt, even the most diligent scrubbing won’t bring the shine back. Filthy tile and grout, for instance, often have to be torn out. Serious mold and mildew problems also require replacement. But if the bathroom is in basically good shape, as mine is, simply cleaning up and eliminating clutter can make a huge difference. "Some of us still have the hairspray we used at the prom," says Kohn. Her suggestion: Pack as if you’re going on a trip. Then go back to the bathroom and eliminate everything that’s not in your suitcase.

Keep bottles outside the bathroom; give everyone a small travel case to keep their toiletries in and then keep those travel cases in the bedroom, not the bath. Find some beautiful bottles and fill them with your hand soap and shampoo and toss out the manufacturer’s packaging. As for my ugly bathroom, I’m learning to love it. I’m going to add some sheer curtains to the window and a sheer shower curtain to cover up the ugly frosted-glass sliding shower door. I’m going to paint the walls a color that celebrates the yellow tile—maybe lilac, maybe a soft shade of magenta. I have some early 1950s calendars that I’m going to frame and hang on the walls, and I’m already scouring e-Bay for a vintage 1950s chenille bathrobe to hang from a hook. As Kohn points out, "ugly is often synonymous with unloved. Sometimes a bathroom in a modest home should not be overly decorated. It should be clean and modestly appointed and it doesn’t have to make a design statement. We’re so addicted to style and design that sometimes we overdo it.

Sometimes a modest room calls for simplicity, and that’s the best statement of all." "Take attention away from an ugly object by calling attention to other things," says McCauley. Make a shower curtain from sheer material with a little glitter in it so your eye goes to that gleam and not to the tile. HGTV design expert Joan Kohn, author of Joan Kohn's It’s Your Bed and Bath: Hundreds of Beautiful Design Ideas, saw one "very ordinary and plain bathroom" in which the owner had used broken tiles to create a mosaic on the floor of a fish spouting water. "It steals the focus," Kohn says. Similarly, murals on the walls or painted faux finishes can draw attention away from the tile or floor or fixtures. "You want to do anything you can to draw attention away from an ugly floor," says McCauley, because people tend to look at the floor first. "Our eyes look down first without our even noticing it. That’s why women have nine million shoes, they know this." Another idea is to develop a motif for the bathroom, says McCauley, who recently finished working on a kids’ bathroom that he turned into a jungle, complete with tiles with painted bugs and grasscloth wallpaper.