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.

Yes I agree not to paint or add an faux type treatments as over time they will deteriorate and the bathroom will look tacky. My suggestion would be to hang two large rectangular framed photos. Use a light gold colour for the frame and almost silver looking one but you can just see the gold. Keep the framed photos light and classical, not to busy. On the vanity add a tray the same colour as the photo framed or with a mirrored look. Use white fluffy towels and a Scandinavian style light colour timber towel rack. Possibly a gold colour pot containing a leafy green plant. My

If you are after round mirrors + lighting, I want to suggest the mirrors we offer at Remer. We have round mirrors, 600x600 as well as 800x800, that are LED Backlit with a Touch Sensor Switch. The LED lighting around the mirror makes make-up application and overall lighting on the face a much better than option than downlights, which create shadows over the face. The LED mirrors are modern and are actually the norm over in Europe, where we have been selling for over 10 years. We're new to the Australian market, (6 months in!) so we are educating people on the benefits of LED mirrors compared to a standard mirror. We have a 5 year warranty on the mirrors as well, and they are copper-free meaning there is no oxidation and the mirror will always stay premium quality! If it is something you may be interested in, please send us an email at info@remer.com.au I can give you some more information. :)

oklouise, I have an open side cabinet which will go beside the vanity where I will store rolled up towels. So now it's to decide whether something free standing or on the wall to hang wet towels. As mentioned in my previous comment, I'm worried about my son climbing those bamboo ladders. Plus do towels dry ok with those from your experience? You obviously need to fold your towels for them to fit on the ladder so I'm wondering how effective are they? Thanks again.