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

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.

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.

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

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.)

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.

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!

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.

  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…

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

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

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!

Chat soon,

 Originally written in 2017, updated in 2022