I'm amazed that this discussion has carried forward for nearly two years! In that time I have moved to another coastal area (cooler climate and better proximity to children) and this time found most of the discussion still rings true. Finding another home here was an incredibly frustrating journey made all the worse by a mad investor rush in the area just when we arrived to start our home search. That search took the best part of six months and in the end there would only be three or four houses to choose from in any week. Result? A rushed purchase, a desperately inadequate building inspection and failure on my part to notice poor bathroom tiling, shortage of closet and storage pace, just how small the lounge room really was, and etc. I disappointed myself because I had let the pressures beat me and now we are trying to resolve all of these issues in a home designed and built by one of this states most respected project home builders 25 years ago. Having now studied the floor plan with more care I realise it was put together (designed) in modular fashion - most bedrooms have similar dimensions and the living areas are all approximately the same size as if the designer simply juggled three boxes of one size and four of another size and then worked out traffic flow. Then he must have thrown them all in the air to see how they would land and that was design number two! And etc and so on. This house aside, we looked at a great many during the six months because we had to broaden our search above and below budget trying to find something. There were massive termite problems, leaky roofs, asbestos galore, gazzumping at every turn, almost all but the most expensive properties suffered at least one substantial fail for the most basic of needs and to top it off the best home in our price range just happened to be built on flood prone land - approved by council who put the flood signs up less than five years earlier. We live and learn. Then there were the real estate agents, but that would take another two years and I doubt the internet has enough free page space available!!! OK, I hear you, they're not ALL bad...

Oh C'mon V Richards...every epoch has its treasures. B4 you make a mad run for it stop a while and consider the period and the reasons for the style...it can be extremely enlightening....unless its not the period you want to escape from but from some of the opinions. I spent many years of my youth outside of Australia living surrounded by old ruins in Europe. I forgot what it was like here. When finally I returned to Australia and found myself living in some of the 60s and 70s places..I found much to admire and wonder about. I may not have fallen in love with much of it but there was a certain mistique and a feel that I can still conjure when talking about certain places. Not saying that it was all romantic and pleasant but it conveyed something of the era and the kind of Aussie from those days.

You could use this great looking tile as your vanity splash back, your shower recess or rear wall and use a standard lower cost coordinating white tile as a secondary filler. Like he main walls in a satin rectangle laid in a stretcher bond like a giant subway, rectified with minimal grout, and then this gorgeous tile with a mid grey grout to emphasize the fantastic form. It would make for higher impact of the feature tile, and add functionality by fully tiling all areas. Easy to clean, reduces moisture related issues or even just unsightly condensation and cleaning scenarios. Mould retardant additives can be put into standard paint, although in a bathroom, I'd go a low sheen white with mould retardant for this reason. Low sheen should be flatter than satin, little shine at all, but equal to a matte tile.

I think you can very well still have plants in a windowless room- as long as you're willing to give them regular little 'windowsill holidays' in another room. I'd go with succulents, there are some great warm colour combos (see Pinterest for ideas) and the geometric shapes mimic your tiles. Of course, there are some incredible fake ones around too, saw one last week I could not pick from the real thing. I'd be tempted to mix in some of both to balance aesthetics with practicality! Separately, I'd be careful of adding any soft furnishings (rugs, spare towels, etc) to a small powder room. We are all aware these days that a flushed loo spreads germs a meter around it- I wouldn't want to be collecting and trapping them! I think (subtle) fragrance and votives would warm this lovely space without impeding hygiene.