I’ve worked slowly for eight months, painting every surface imaginable, to update this bathroom with only paint! I painted the tile floors, grout, shower, stenciled the walls, even painted the side of the tub and backsplash! I’ve never had a more dramatic paint makeover than this room. And it cost about $261! You’ll have to see the transformation to believe it.
In this post
- Painting the shower tile
- Stenciling the shower tile
- Painting the side of the bathtub and backsplash
- Stenciling the walls
- Painting the tile bathroom floor and grout
VIDEOS: There is a 1-minute video after each section to show you how I did each type of tile!
Post coming up next
Please read this first
- Nothing is sponsored and I will be entirely honest with you on this post. I did my best to photograph it as accurately as possible.
- I will do an update in 6 months and then again in a year to let you know how it holds up — or sooner if something really tanks!
- Painted tile is not the same as factory-made tile. Painting tile is a risk.
- I am not a professional. I know you know that, but here it is in black and white.
Can you paint tile?
Sure you can! I keep painting all kinds of tile. We just can’t afford to remodel. SO! I figure if I truly don’t like the tile and plan to replace it one day anyway it’s worth the risk. There are different ways to paint tile, but I have been using Stix bonding primer + oil based enamel with pretty great results.
If you’re nervous to try, my recommendation is to try an inconspicuous spot first! My first attempt at painting a floor tile with floor and porch paint chipped easily. I’m glad I started with just one and didn’t and attempt to do every tile right off the bat.
There are many ways to paint tile! I’m just sharing what I have tried. Feel free to share in the comments any ways you have painted tile and how it worked out!
Let’s get started!
I made mistakes along the way and did somethings out of order, so to make this simple, I’m going to share these tutorials in the order that I should have done them, not necessarily did them. (For example, painting the floor first was not my brightest idea, but I didn’t know I was going to paint the shower too. Or wallpaper the water closet.)
Here’s a look at the completed bathroom! I can’t believe it’s finally done!
It wasn’t that I was so against an all-white bathroom, it was that the baseboard was beat up, the grout was stained and some of the tile was scuffed. It just needed some love — and some personality!
Bathroom makeover cost: $261
- Caulk $4
- Stix bonding primer $15
- Oil paint (2 quarts) $30
- Latex paint $25
- Polycrylic $19
- Brushes/painting supplies $45
- Leaves stencil $40
- Circular stencil $40
- Adhesive spray $5
- Wood for mirrors $35
- Liquid nails $3
Furniture source list
- Chandelier ($150)
- Ceiling medialian ($15)
- Artificial banana tree ($129)
- Faux fix leaves ($5/stem)
- Beveled hanging mirror ($40) – World Market
- Fairfield planter ($30) with snake plant- Home Depot
- Wood table ($40) – Ross Dress for Less
- Chair – roadside find refinished
How to paint shower tile
I was so focused on the floor and walls that the shower was kind of an afterthought. But a very happy afterthought! It turned out so unique.
If there’s one spot I’m worried about not holding up, it’s this shower floor. Two people taking daily showers is a lot. And I’m not sure I cleaned it beforehand as well as I should have. Told you I’d be honest! I’ll let you know how it goes.
WARNING: Also, you should know that the floor will be slicker when wet than regular tile. It is probably not ideal for small kids or elderly.
Materials
- Krud Kutter
- Wooster angled brush
- Foam roller and tray
- Extra foam rollers
- Foam brushes (good for touching up)
- Painter’s tape
- 1 quart Stix bonding primer
- 1 quart oil-base enamel for walls (Sheen: satin)
- 1 quart oil-base enamel for floor (Sheen: satin)
Paint sheen: My link here for the oil paint has a semi-gloss sheen. They only have semi-gloss listed online, but ask for SATIN at the store.
Paint colors: I used Kendall charcoal for the floor and white out of the can for the walls.
IMPORTANT:
Oil-based paint is sticky, messy to clean up and takes much longer to cure than water-based paint. Handle it with care and if you’re new to painting, be sure to cover surrounding areas with plastic.
The oil paint’s odor is very strong. Open windows, turn on the exhaust fan. You can wear a mask. Keep the door shut when you are done.
Oil enamel is more difficult to work with, BUT because it dries slowly, you have time to correct mistakes. Also, after it has time to cure it becomes very hard and is more chip-resistant. I did not make any attempt to save my brushes as they’re nearly impossible to clean.
Instructions
- Clean and scrub the shower.
- Krud Kutter cuts through grease and preps tile.
- Apply painter’s tape where necessary. I put it around the shower head and handle, but skipped the the ceiling to save time.
- Open up the windows, turn on the fans! These paints are strong.
- Apply Stix bonding primer to the walls with the foam roller and edges with the Wooster brush.
- Wait a few hours and do a second coat if you really want it to stick. I only did one coat.
- Now start with the floor. Apply the bonding primer in the same way to the floor. Two coats are preferable on the floor.
- Directions say wait 3 to 4 hours to apply on top of the primer.
- Next, apply the oil based enamel with the foam roller and Wooster brush. I went one wall at a time because oil paint starts to become tacky. You cannot go over oil paint once it starts to dry. Take extra care not to drip or spill this stuff! It’s much different than latex paint.
- I used one generous coat because I was tired of painting! But you can do more if you wait for it cure for 7 days.
- Next, paint the floor! I did TWO COATS on the floor because it will take the most foot traffic and water.
- Cure time is at least 7 days!
- If something gets nicked or a spot was missed, use a foam brush to carefully repair it.
Watch this one-minute video to see me do it:
How to stencil shower wall tile
When I saw the shower plain, bright white I liked it much better than the brown! BUT I also saw it as a blank canvas and thought I might as well add some detail.
I chose a beautiful chinoiserie wallpaper for our bedroom (post coming soon, though you can see it at the end) and thought I would echo the leaves in the wallpaper in the shower. So I bought this stencil of dripping leaves on Etsy.
I did the stencil, but as a child of the ’80s, it looked a little too stenciled for my taste. So I decided to go over it with an artist’s brush to make it look hand painted.
I could not have done this freehand! I needed the stencil, but the brush took it to the next level. And it didn’t even take that long! You can see at the top how the stencil looks one-dimensional on it’s own. Adding a few colors and closing up the vine gaps makes all the difference.
Materials
- Stencil
- Adhesive spray
- Foam roller and tray
- Several paint colors
- An artist’s brush
- Polycrylic protective finish
NOTE: I used paint I already had to do this project. You could also buy samples. Oil-base paint would be ideal in the shower, but because it is higher on the wall and less likely to be touched, I went with the latex and coated it with protective finish.
Here are the colors I used:
- White
- Courtyard Green (from this door)
- Sage Wisdom (from the playroom)
- Kendal Charcoal
Instructions
- Loosely think about where you want the stencil to go. Don’t forget you can flip the stencil around so the leaves go the other way!
- Go outside and LIGHTLY spray back of stencil with adhesive. Not too much because you don’t want to pull the paint off the tile!
- Carefully press the stencil in the desired place.
- Roll the foam roller in the tray and then on an extra piece of cardboard or paper bag to get off excess paint.
- Apply the paint to the stencil.
- Pull stencil off immediately and wipe down.
- Allow stencil to dry for a minute and then reapply in the next position. Only spray the adhesive again if you need to.
- After you’ve have the pattern as you wish, start going over the leaves with the artist’s brush in various colors and darkness.
- After the leaves are completely dry, finish with a few coats of polycrylic. Allow 2 hours dry time between coats.
HAND PAINTING TIP: It doesn’t have to be perfect. Don’t do each leaf the same. Do a section of them a little lighter and then others a little darker. The more contrast, the more realistic and interesting it is. Look a picture of actual leaves if it helps.
Watch this one-minute video to see me do it:
Painting plastic side of bathtub and backsplash
And now it’s time for the drama! This is my favorite part of the bathroom — the dramatic alcove with painted backsplash and tub panel.
COLOR: I first thought I would paint this pretty alcove in the bathroom a robin’s egg blue, like the inside of a shell. And it was underwhelming. So I decided to go bold and paint it Kendall Charcoal! I used this color in our last kitchen on the walls and backsplash and it went viral. I love this rich color.
PLASTIC TUB PANEL: Then there was the side of the bathtub. It was plastic. And yellowing. And ugly. I thought about hiring someone to build around it. And then I thought, I paint everything, I should paint this too!
(Check out the condition of that baseboard caulking on the before pic! Yikes.)
BACKSPLASH: There was nothing wrong with this backsplash per se, but nothing special either. I decided to paint over that too! Let’s get crazy.
And it worked! Painting this whole alcove dark gray added drama and contrast. It made it so much more visually interesting.
This project was a quick fix compared to the shower! The shower was by far the most difficult task, so this was a breeze compared to that.
Materials
- Krud Kutter
- Painter’s tape
- Wooster angled brush
- 1 quart oil-base enamel for plastic and backsplash (Sheen: satin)
- 1 quart semi-gloss latex paint (for walls)
Semi-gloss paint is my new favorite for walls and trim! I love the sheen it gives, especially on smooth walls. Looks more expensive.
Instructions
- Clean the tub and backsplash.
- Tape as necessary.
- Paint walls with latex paint.
- Stix bonding primer would create a more durable finish, but I did not use it. One can only paint so much!
- Paint the backsplash and plastic with the oil-base enamel using the Wooster.
That’s it! I’m the only one who really uses this tub (and I was tired of painting) so I just left it at that. And it’s held up great! If kids were going to use it, I would probably use primer first.
Watch this one-minute video to see me do it:
See how I painted my daughter’s shower ombré coral in this post!
Stenciling the walls
This post is mostly about painting tile, so I will direct you to this post on how I stenciled my entire living room for $40. I have all my stenciling tips and how-tos there — including whether you should use a brush, sponge or roller!
STENCIL: I bought this pretty circular stencil on Etsy in a size large. I used Kendall Charcoal paint.
I will say this stencil has a delicate design. That combined with using a roller produced a different result with each placement. Some areas are darker, some lighter and none of them are “perfect.” But I happen to like it that way!
Watch this one-minute video to see me do it:
How to paint floor tile
Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Almost! Now all is left is the floor. I actually started with my floor and it was such a headache to have so much foot traffic as I completed all the other projects! But at least now I know these will hold up ok. Anyway, that’s why I’m recommending doing floors LAST if you have several projects going on your bathroom.
The tile was in pretty good shape, but had a few tiles that were scuffed up. I made sure to make my checkered pattern around the ones that were the worst.
And check out the baseboard and grout in the before picture! Yuck! I had to cut out all the caulking, reapply it and paint the baseboard too.
PAINT COLOR: I love a checkered floor. It’s timeless and elegant. I chose Light French Gray for a more subtle look. I have it all over my house. You can see my house color palette in this post.
Materials
- Krud Kutter
- Wooster angled brush
- Foam brushes (good for touching up)
- An artist’s brush (good for small spaces)
- Painter’s tape
- 1 quart Stix bonding primer
- 1 quart oil-base enamel (Sheen: satin)
- Polycrylic protective finish
Instructions
- Clean floor well. Make sure all hair and particles are gone.
- Use Krud Kutter to make sure nothing is left on the tile.
- Use painter’s tape where necessary on the walls. Don’t bother with trying to tape the tiles. That would be too difficult and time consuming.
- Use the Wooster to neatly paint each tile with bonding primer. See the video below for a visual. I did a checkered pattern so I painted every other one.
- Use an artist’s brush to small crevices.
- Let dry according to directions.
- Apply the oil-base enamel with the Wooster brush, careful to not get it on the grout.
- Touch up any scuffs or problem areas afterward with a foam brush so you don’t have to ruin a painter’s brush.
- Optional: After a few days add 1-2 coats of polycrylic finish with a sponge brush. I did this to make sure they are easy to clean and to add an extra layer of durability.
- Let this cure for as many days possible to ensure the best result.
Watch this one-minute video to see me do it! I’m also painting grout in the end. That tutorial is next!
How to paint grout
The grout was originally white, but was yellowed and dirty in some spots. It was pretty ugly, but still in tact. I decided to clean it and then paint it darker.
If I ever have the opportunity to pick my own tile and grout I will definitely go with darker grout! Even when white tile is clean it can stain. And who wants to seal grout lines every year?!
I read so many articles and was confused about the best way to paint grout. Some of the products are expensive too! I decided I would take the simplest route possible and just see what happens. And it worked!
Materials
- Light French Gray porch and patio floor paint
- Water
- Plastic cup
- An artist’s brush
NOTE: If you can’t find porch and patio floor paint in a quart size you could try a $3 latex sample size in the flattest sheen possible (flat/matte). I just happened to have the floor paint and so I used that.
Instructions
- Mix ratio of 1:1 water and paint
- Use a small brush to paint the grout!
- Keep a paper towel nearby to clean up any paint outside the grout lines.
Pretty simple, right?! My grout was porous so it seeped right in and looks brand new!
I also removed all the baseboard caulking and painted the trim white. I’m not fancy, I just used plain old white right out of the can! I do that so that so I never have to remember a color and can easily patch up moulding. I also like the bright pop of the white!
The only thing I would like to change (but probably won’t) are the yellowing countertops. It doesn’t bother me too much, but when everything is stark white, it makes them stand out too much.
I’ve read you can use appliance epoxy spray ($4) to update countertops. I would definitely try it except I would have to remove the faucet and tape EVERYTHING off and I’m not down for another project in here right now!
And look what else! My mom and I wallpapered the water closet with this super cheap bookshelf wall mural. It’s such a fun touch. I keep thinking I might write titles on the spines with a Sharpie!
Next up!
And just in case you thought I was going to go jump in that inviting bath when I finished this post — this is what was going on behind me when I was taking photos! Haha! Chaos:
6-MONTH UPDATE!
Curious to see how all that painted tile is holding up? Here’s the nitpicky update in this post!
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looks beautiful! well done!
That’s so nice, thank you!
Hi, it looks fantastic. I was just wondering how the shower tile has held up? I was thinking of painting ours but with 2 people showering every day I was worried it would start to rub or peel?
So far so good! I have one very small spot on the shower floor that has started to come up. But it’s not spreading and it’s because I was in a hurry. I remember painting and thinking I didn’t do it well enough in that very spot! I’m going to patch it soon. I plan on doing a complete update here in the next month or so :)
Your blog is amazing it gives so much ideas on how to beautify our bathrooms.
Thanks so much! It’s amazing what a can of paint can do!
Looks great! Did you have any trouble with the final coat of clear being a bit “rough”? I finished my project yesterday and looks great but feels less than smooth. Ideas? Thank you!
No, mine’s not rough, but definitely not the same as factory finish. Did you apply it with a sponge brush? It leaves a smoother finish than a regular paint brush. So glad it looks great! Makes such a big difference, doesn’t it?!
I am so impressed. You did a,great job and your instructions seem so easy to read. I am saving this for future reference.
This is amazing work! Looks stunning.
Your ideas are practical and should make it easier for me to upgrade my home; I have been wondering how I can update my kitchen and bathroom without breaking the bank…I now have a quick and effective solution/s!
Thank you!!
Thanks so much, Brenda! I hope it works for you.
Omg, this was awesome. Where can I find the update? I’m dying to know how the shower floor has held up.
Looks like my link was broken. Thanks for letting me know! Here’s the post: https://www.housemixblog.com/2020/10/14/my-nitpicky-6-month-painted-tile-update/
Bathroom floor tile can look new again with the easy DIY.
Okay, so when you say cure time is 7 days, does this mean we shouldn’t use it for 7 days? Also if I allow it to cute and then use the shower can I later do another coat say 2 or 3 weeks later?
No, I wouldn’t recommend using it while you’re waiting for it to cure. You probably don’t have to wait the entire 7 days, but that’s what I did. You can test it. You could use the shower after the oil-based primer and add a second coat later, but it will work better if you don’t. You don’t, however, need to wait 7 days in between oil based enamel coats. Just wait until it is no longer sticky. Am I making this more confusing? haha!
In the process of buying a modern ocean-front condo….all updated except the master bath which boasts dark teal (tacky) floor tiles, a whirlpool tub with white and teal tile surround and a stall shower in pinks that makes your “before” shower look luxe!
I’ve been stressing about how to update the look (make it less cringy) until we can redo the entire room.
Thank you so, so much for your post. Your decorating style is even reminiscent of my own. Very inspiring.
Hi, love your post so many great ideas! I was wondering if I could pick your brain, since you seem to have painted a lot of tile. I have, for some unknown reason, a wall of tile in my office… it’s just a wall of tiles, no water around obviously. The tiles are strange and ugly, so it thought of painting them so make it some kind of feature wall and not so strange. Since the wall has no contact with water, could think of any reasons why I could not just use regular wall paint, if I sand really well?
If nothing touches it, I don’t see why not! I would use bonding primer first though. And use semigloss for the latex paint so you can wipe it down. Is there an inconspicuous tile you could try first? Let me know how it goes!
I was looking for the grout painting tutorial which was simple and good. I thank you.
I almost did not get there because I had to scroll through soooo much to finally see it. I thought I clicked on the wrong thing.
Hello! Thank you for such a wonderful and informative article for people looking to re-paint their bathroom on their own. This is really very useful information, it’s a pity that I didn’t find your site earlier, probably I would not have spent so much money, energy and nerves on painting my bathroom. I had the most problems with painting the tiles, nothing worked for me, the paint just did not want to lie flat on this surface, and after reading it, I understood what my mistake was. I really liked the final result from you, it is really very nice and cozy, I even borrowed a couple of ideas from you
Oh I’m sorry you had trouble with tile painting, Robin! I did too at first. I did several tests on one poor tile on my bathroom floor and finally found a solution. I agree with you, it IS nerve-wracking trying to get it right. Best of luck to you! — Kate
Another question! Do you think I could use the same process on my tub? I wonder if it’d be safe to soak in… but I’m mostly just painting it because all the tile and tub/shower are pinkish cream colored. I’d be 100% ok not using my tub.
I’m not sure if it would hold up in the tub. I think you’re better off using this kit: https://amzn.to/3sGsj9R
Thank GOD i got this post before doing any change in my bathroom .
You sad very very well am got your all points
Thank you so much
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Hi! How is the shower floor holding up? Do you do anything special after using it? Like dry off the floor, use special cleaning products?
Great and informative content. Thanks for sharing.
Amazing! I’ve read so many posts and this one is most informative. Explaining why things work (and don’t work) is so helpful. Would using semi gloss or gloss polycrylic as the top coat for the sower walls and floor work as well as satin and be as durable? I think I’m ready to tackle painting tile floor and really want it to hold up as well as yours have. Thank you for the wealth of information.
I actually don’t think I needed the top coat on the floor! I even think it yellows very slightly over time. BUT if you’re going to do one, do semi-gloss or something with less sheen than high gloss because it might be slippery when wet :)
Very informative! I love that you add your personal touch. The hand-painted leaves turned out great! Thank you for sharing!
I really love the bright pop of the white too!
With the exception of glazed quarry tile (which doesn’t bond well with paint), you can apply paint to most popular types of tile: ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, or even un-glazed quarry tile.
I once tried a DIY project using stick-on tiles for a kitchen backsplash, but the result could have been more satisfying. Your stenciling technique looks way more professional! How easy is cleaning the painted surfaces, especially in the shower? Also, do you have any tips for choosing the right stencil design to match the existing decor? I can’t wait for your next post on framing builder-grade mirrors!
I am a long time DYIer. I love your easy and clear directions and tutorials. The only thing missing is the follow-up. Can you post follow-up blogs to the project? Thank you!
Thanks so much! Here’s the follow up post: https://www.housemixblog.com/2020/10/14/my-nitpicky-6-month-painted-tile-update/
Can I paint over the grout with the oil based enamel? If I just want to do a solid floor and grout and then do a stencil on the tile?
Yes, you can paint over the grout :)