HomeHome Updates: Tips & IdeasHome Update IdeasIdeas to Update your Almond Bathroom – Toilets, Tubs, Sinks & Surrounds

Ideas to Update your Almond Bathroom – Toilets, Tubs, Sinks & Surrounds

Posted on May 18, 2022 by KylieMawdsley

Ask Kylie: How Can I Update My Almond Bathroom Fixtures?

I’ve come across many almond tub surrounds in my day-to-day work, and the first question I get asked is I can’t afford to replace it, but how can I possibly make it look good…?”

And for those of you with an almond bathroom, let me just say this…”I feel your pain.” In our last home, we had a bathroom with bone-coloured (tan) fixtures, and when we redecorated, the budget did not allow for updating them. However, our budget DID allow for two bottles of wine which helped me come to terms with the fact that we couldn’t afford to replace them.

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Best paint colours for almond or bone bathroom fixtures. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, beige and gray painted vanity. Online Paint Color consulting

This is my E-design client’s bathroom – not mine

So, I’ve come up with a list of the most common questions related to almond/bone bathroom fixtures with some straightforward answers to help you update and modernize your space!

(and if you haven’t checked out The Best Paint Colours for an Almond Bathroom, then do so when you’re done with this one!)

CAN I HAVE A WHITE SINK IF MY TOILET & TUB ARE ALMOND?

If you have an almond tub, surround and/or toilet you can have a white sink.

BUT your countertop has to have a blend of white/cream/beige/almond (basically some kind of tone-on-tone blend). The goal is to have your countertop act as a ‘go-between’ between your white sink and almond fixtures.

Ideas to update a bathroom with almond or bone fixtures including tub, toilet and sink

The above countertop is a manufactured marble with a blend of cream, beige and off-white in it – making it a great ‘go-between’ for the almond toilet and tub and the white sink.

A real or fake travertine countertop is a GREAT contender for an almond bathroom! I love the wood and countertop combination on this vanity here as well as this one.

You shouldn’t do a white sink and almond toilet if…

  • You don’t plan on updating your countertop, and it isn’t cream/white. A countertop that isn’t a cream/beige/white blend could further accent the difference between the colour of the toilet (almond) and the colour of the new sink (white)
  • If your bathroom has only a toilet and sink in it. Chances are this is an itty bitty bathroom/powder room, and therefore, the space is too small to have the toilet/sink different colours from each other

Benjamin Moore Kingsport Gray painted oak cabinets with Revere Pewter walls in bathroom with almond bone fixtures. Kylie M INteriors Edesign, online paint color consulting. Client photo

In the above photo, if you look in the reflection, you can see that there is in fact, an almond shower surround!

CAN I HAVE A WHITE TOILET WITH AN ALMOND TUB OR SHOWER SURROUND?

If you are replacing your toilet YES you can have a white toilet AS LONG AS it is not DIRECTLY next to your tub (as in between 12-24″). It can be approx three feet (or more) away, separated by the vanity or on the opposite side of the room – you just can’t have a white toilet right next to an almond tub/shower (says me…).

Why? When your eye roams around the room there needs to be enough distance between the two so that they are not in the same visual sightline. If they’re directly next to each other it will be clear as day that they’re different, which will only ACCENT your almond tub and make it look dirty compared to the toilet (which seems very hypocritical of the toilet.)

Best paint colours for almond or bone bathroom fixtures. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, beige and gray painted oak vanity. Online Paint Color consulting

In the above photo, that accent tile is GENIUS. Why? It has almond AND white in it, making a white toilet feel a bit more at home!

The exception: hang a shower curtain that is closed all of the time and hanging on the outside of the tub, rather than the inside.

Online paint colour consultant Benjamin Moore Sherwin Williams, Vancouver Island, USA, UK. Interior, exterior, edesign colors. Kylie M Interiors, blogger marketing. Best paint color ideas

Click HERE or on the above image to see available packages

WHAT COLOUR FLOORING SUITS ALMOND OR BONE BATHROOM FIXTURES?

Avoid the use of a dominant white in your flooring. Try to find a tile or linoleum that is either a mix of creams (which can include a bit of white) or a tile with other colours and a dominant cream coming through (as shown in the collage below). A tile with cream in it will blend in with your tub/toilet when they meet which will help tie the almond colour into the palette of your bathroom.

If you’re looking for a quick pick, travertine tile (or the look-alike porcelain) is hands-down the best tile to update a bathroom with almond fixtures.

This example isn’t the most affordable, but it gives you a great eyeball on it. Plus, products on Wayfair go on sale ALL THE TIME!

The best tile to update almond or bone bathroom fixtures, tub, sink and more. Travertine. Kylie M INteriors Edesign suggesting Wayfair

French Pattern Travertine Tile

This silver travertine is a great way to lean toward the gray side of the palette, while still hitting the needs of your fixtures. Most travertines have warmer, creamier colours which are well-suited to almond.

Ideas to update almond or bone coloured bathroom tub, shower, toilet, sink and more with tile and decor. Kylie M INteriors Edesign, online diy decorating and paint colour advice blog

  1.  Veneto 12×24 tile |  2. Alterna Mesa Stone tile |  |  3. Antoni chevron tile | 4. Alterna Tuscan Path tile | 5.  Moscow wood-look tile | 6. Hexagon porcelain tile

While you can get away with a touch of white (mixed with cream) in your flooring, TOO much white will contrast directly with your tub when they meet at the base and will only serve to accent the ‘almond-allure’ of it.

IMPORTANT NOTE: How products look online vs how they look when they show up at your door can be TWO different things. Ensure that the undertones/colours in the tile are the SAME undertones as the specific almond/bone fixtures you have.

DOES A WHITE TUB OR SHOWER SURROUND GO WITH AN ALMOND OR BONE TOILET/SINK?

If you have an almond or bone-coloured tub with a tile surround and want to retile, you’ll need to pay homage to that almond tub with a tile that follows a similar premise to the tiles suggested above. However, if you’re going to the effort of re-tiling (which always involves re-drywalling) then you should spend the extra moula and get a white tub. This also means that EVENTUALLY, you’ll want to get a white toilet and sink, but those can come later. However, with having a white tub, you have a cleaner slate to work off of should you want a more updated tile around the shower.

However, things add up FAST when you’re updating/renovating, so if you’d rather keep your budget at a dull roar, check out these tile-choosing tips…

Ideas to update a bathroom with almond, bone coloured tub, shower, toilet or sink. Cream subway tiles with glass mosaic. Kylie M Interiors

These almond/bone-coloured subway-style tiles are a great way to modernize an almond tub as they’re a few tones darker than almond and add some visual depth to the space.

A MODERN LOOK

  • 4×12 or larger tiles. Staggered layout or stacked

TRADITIONAL SUBWAY TILE

  • 3×6 or 4×12 tiles. Staggered/brick pattern

LOW MAINTENANCE

  • Large, 12×24 tiles (less grout to maintain/clean)

A FEW MORE ALMOND BATHROOM TIPS & IDEAS

  • Don’t do a white shower curtain. Follow the same guidelines for tile – layered neutrals are the way to go! A large expanse of white will accent the almond/bone colour of your tub and make it look murky/dirty in comparison. Choose one that is cream or has a pattern on it that suits the rest of your space – it’s that easy!
  • Do a tile baseboard instead of traditional moulding; this way you can eliminate another white product that could enhance your almond fixtures
  • Any metal finish suits almond fixtures – EXCEPT BRASS. However, you will find that polished nickel/chrome are the lowest contrast, whereas black or oil-rubbed bronze will contrast/pop

The Best Hardware to Update Wood Cabinets

the best type of shower curtain to use in a bathroom with almond tub, toilet or sink

6 Budget-Friendly Home Update Ideas

THE BEST PAINT COLOURS FOR BATHROOMS WITH ALMOND OR BONE FIXTURES

To check them out, click here…The Best Paint Colours for an Almond Bathroom

Sherwin Williams gray paint colour with almond bone fixtures, toilet in bathroom. Kylie M E-design, online color consulting

See more of this project here

Well, I hope that info helps you on your journey to update your almond bathroom and helps you choose products that will take it to the next level!

READ MORE

The 6 Most Budget-Friendly Home Update Ideas

How to Update Your Kitchen On a BUDGET!

E-Design: An Updated Almond Bathroom

The Best Paint Colours for an Almond Bathroom

Do you still need help? 

Check out my affordable Online Decorating and Colour Consulting Services!

Online paint colour consultant Benjamin Moore Sherwin Williams, Vancouver Island, USA, UK. Interior, exterior, edesign colors. Kylie M Interiors, blogger marketing

Chat soon,

Kylie M Interiors Edecor and Edesign

 Originally written in 2017, updated in 2022



Comments

  1. Hi Jen, I think it’s a GREAT idea to look towards a pale blue colour (and I was thinking of doing that myself with my good ole Almond fixtures (argh…). Anyways…these are the ones I’d look at as there actually aren’t many that are ‘just right’…I also tweaked you to ones that have a spot of green in them as if they are ‘too blue’ it can look off in an almond bathroom with no natural light.

    1. Palladian Blue – but have it lightened by 1/2 as it’s a wee bit intense – totally the right ‘colour’ though. Ben Moore might not be able to lighten it for you, but if you take the colour chip to H.Depot you can get it done into a tester pot (CIL or Behr) to see what it looks like!

    2. Green Tint – Very lovely and a nice ‘tone’ too.

    3. Gray Wisp – definitely the ‘bluest’ of the bunch. Just a tiny smidge of green in it. This is another one that you might want to have lightned so that you get the ‘colour’ without the depth.

    Okay, I want you to look at those and tell me what you think. I know it’s only 3, but I’d rather give you 3 good ones than 4 terrible ones!

    Oh, of course your other choice is to go with something like ‘Cloud White’ and then accessorize with the blue/green colour with towels, detail on your shower curtain, artwork, vases, etc…

    ~Kylie

  2. I have beige tub and tolite I want to paint it creamy color I have a 3in chair rail down one side what color would go with cream. For rail and baseboards I have pine cabinets. Small hallway bathroom

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  3. I love your website! SO much information! I see almost every dated color, except “fawn beige “, a pinky tan left over from the sixties. My sink, my toilet and accent tile all have it. It’s not the worst at I’ve seen, but it needs help. I’m hoping you’ll address it on your blog in the future.

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      Hi Julie, thank you for the note! I would LOVE to touch on that, but unfortunately, I haven’t consulted with any clients on it! It’s the before and after photos that really do the trick for a good blog post 🙂 My best advice is to focus on slightly softer, feminine tones. This doesn’t mean they need to be taupe, but they can’t have blue or green in them at all. Think greige with a feminine undertone 🙂

  4. Thank you for writing this blog! We’re moving into a home where the main/guest bathroom is huge! Apparently the owners had a thing for beige (EVERYthing) including all the cupboards and almond jacuzzi bath/tub/sink/separate shower, etc. (Yuck) Needless to say, they threw a wrench into things big time by putting in BLACK countertops. :/ we likely can’t afford much other than paint. I may try to convince my hubby to replace the countertops to a neutral colour…any advice on paint or otherwise would be so appreciated! Thank you!!!

  5. Oh my god what is this so much burned a lot but I still need help I don’t know what to do with my guest bathroom it has beige marble tile is 12 x 12 on the floor and in the tub/shower currently I have a dark brown vanity with a beige counter top. I don’t have the funds to replace the vanity for the tile but I could paint the vanity and the walls can you please recommend a suggestion thank you. Would love to send you a picture of my bathroom

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  6. Kylie

    Awesome blog! I was trying to redo my kids bathroom with almound fixtures and you gave me the best paint color ideas. Do you have any thoughts on white crown moulding in an almound bathroom?

    Pete

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      Oooo Peter, that makes me darned nervous as that much definitive white could showcase/highlight the almond of the fixtures…

  7. Hi Kylie,
    First, I love all your suggestions. and was wondering if you could quickly help me with a decision for my bathroom remodel. I have a very traditional style home and my house has a warm color palette. I am not replacing my tub but having it reglazed and purchasing a new toilet. The tub section and toilet are in a separate section from the double sink vanity. The remnant quart piece I got is Viatera quartz, Symphony. It is warm tones of cream, caramel, and some black. My cabinets are cream …so I am wondering if I should use white sinks and tub or biscuit color. I am feeling like the white will be too stark. My marble for the shower is cream tones with glass shades of brown and caramel random pattern border. The reglazer and bathroom remodeler feel we should do white because everyone is doing white. But my house is not tones of gray’s or modern in design like many new homes today. I have rich oak tone 6 panel doors in room and we picked a porcelin wood look floor with those tones (but lighter) to tie in quartz and woodwork. Can you help? We plan to sell our home in a couple years so am worried that a biscuit color (more of off white/cream) will be offensive to potential owners. Thanks so much!

  8. Hi Kylie,
    I love your website, you make some of the scary decisions, like choosing colors, much simpler! So Thank you for that. We just bought a home that is reeking in 1980’s and we have done some updates, but have now started on the guest bath. We can’t afford the tear out and replacement of all the fixtures, so I am stuck with my almond bathtub and toilet. We are going to paint walls and cabinets, replace countertop, mirror and light fixture. We will also add a tile backsplash around the countertop. I love the picture in this blog of the bath with the dark brown mirror and there is a purple leaf picture on the wall. I would download the picture if I could, but I am wondering what color the walls are painted in that picture. I think that would absolutely work in my bath. Again, thank you so much for the information you provide. It will be a big help in our remodel!

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      Hiya! I’m thinking you must be talking about the one that has BM Revere Pewter on the walls and Kingsport Gray on the vanity! There’s one kiiiiind of similar lower down with a purplish print, but I think it’s this grayish one you’re talking about – I’m so glad you’ve found the blog post helpful!

  9. Hello Kylie,

    Stumbled upon your website and I’m dead on when it comes to updating our main and only bathroom. With my husband doing all the renovation and with sticking to a budget we find that subtle variations were necessary. With an updated white soak-er tub and white water conserving toilet. We’ve unexpectedly came upon a contour solid surface vanity top in blend of white/cream/beige/almond’. My wall tiles are what your article tile-choosing tips…recommend. My concern is should I opt for a white under mount washbasin?

    Your professional opinion please,

    Laura

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  10. Kylie,
    I am in the process of giving a master bath a facelift (new faucets, hardware, lighting etc.) and am getting stuck on metal choices. You say, “any metal suits almond fixtures EXCEPT BRASS”. My house was built in the 80’s and has a bone roman tub with cultured marble counter with built in shell sinks. Currently, everything including the eyeballs on the jets and chandelier are 80’s polished brass. Since bone/beige are warm colors, I was thinking a warm color such as antique/brushed gold would be best on the faucets/hardware (since the finish is primarily brown with hints of gold). When you say “EXCEPT BRASS” are you referring to antique/brushed gold?
    Chrome vs. brushed nickel: Since a roman tub is more traditional, do you feel brushed nickel is a better choice? I thought chrome gave a more modern/cool feel, while brushed nickel gives a warmer/more traditional feel? Am I over thinking this? The roman tub faucet system with sprayer/rough in valve are running upwards of $850 and chrome could save me $100 over brushed nickel. I should mention, this is a rental house in an upscale neighborhood.

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