I've been looking at the Russian Houzz site and I wish I could read Russian! Some of the places are very bare and yet others like the photo above are really into opulence. Reminds me of the '80's in the US and Aus and no doubt Britain, where everything was about extravagance and big hair and big shoulders!

Sounds like a very stressful situation! If there is absolutely no way the builder will allow you to change things (even if they did, I imagine they would ask you to foot the entire bill of pulling the tiles down and replacing all water proofing in addition to new tiles), I can make a few suggestions for improvement. Firstly I would suggest replacing the tiles above the vanity with a white mosaic, a patterned or a textured feature tile/strip. You could also use this same tile to replace the vertical feature in the shower. There are some beautiful shapes and sizes available to choose from. Secondly I would address the grout situation in this way: Floor - dark colour grout & Walls - Light colour grout. Lastly if it does not prove too difficult or expensive, maybe replace the tiles below the vanity with a plain white tile (could be similar size). Good luck and I am sure once you have a lovely mirror up and some crisp white towels, it will look just wonderful.

Can you post any more photos including the staircase, and how the room next to the staircase is accessed interesting extension not following in the traditional manner of the house, Always follow KISS, keep it simple S for the best result. You could add a traditional front door in black but I don't think it necessary as from what I can see in the photo is the entrance and door already have a lot of character. The lovely Picket will look less fussy if done in one colour quoting Taking the new build/old build divide quite literally, the existing cottage has been redefined as a crisp white entity. In a street of Heritage vernacular, where every architectural shift is picked out in a nuanced tone, this is a drastic departure in itself. Add to this the decision to present the new addition in solid black, and the radical nature of the build becomes apparent (Dulux low sheen black and Lexington white). http://www.wrightsonstewart.com.au/wilston-project

You could try Wet & Forget on the driveway. You can buy it ready to use and attach it to a hose or buy a bottle that you dilute to use in a sprayer. I have used it and it works - slower than water blasting but it won’t damage driveway if it has some damage? I can’t quite tell from photo if that’s grass clippings/mulch or broken concrete on driveway? If you use it be careful not to spray garden bed. I live in FNQ and we planted seaside daisy - doesn’t need watering but it also won’t die from our wet season. It’s a ground over and spreads out beautifully in a courtyard area that’s get a lot of sun. Just needs a trim from time to time. I see you have Rio (purple green ground cover) which you could separate and plant down the path but it does like water. Maybe for the fence you could try attaching lattice to it and plant another passion fruit vine to help cover the whole fence. It does look like you need to get rid of some woody parts of the passion fruit. It’s a tough plant and will enjoy a bit of pruning. We had one that I thought had died last year and it has returned with no help from me. Be careful with the heliconias and gingers ... they can get out of control if you don’t stay on top of them. Anything tall will cover your fence but it will also cover the passionfruit vine which obviously loves the spot it’s in. Good luck!