Woman at wit's end with deteriorating tub

My desire for refinishing the tub area has taken a back seat to other home improvements for the past five years!!! I don't think I can go through another month taking a shower in this environment.

For some unknown reason, the rest of the family doesn't seem to mind. They must be blind!

Design by Bath Planet

Expert: Dimitris Nacopoulos, www.bathplanet.com/chicagoland.

Budget: $6,000

The bathtub was previously painted, which unfortunately does chip and peel over time. The tub needs a "fix" that will last!

The fixtures would look great in an updated style and color, such as brushed nickel or oil-rubbed bronze. The accessories could use updating, giving the homeowner a nice space to store bottles and soap. Currently, the space doesn't stand out and doesn't have any color to it. It would be nice with some color and possibly a pattern.

Suggestions

• We would suggest a few different options in this case. To address the bathtub, we could either do one of our custom, acrylic bathtub liners to line the existing tub, because it appears the tub is in good condition beneath the chipping paint. We could also replace the current tub with a new one. And we have one other option that is very popular! We could remove that bathtub and replace it was a walk-in shower base that is the same size as the bathtub; many people are opting for a shower base over a bathtub these days.

• We would also recommend one of our acrylic wall systems in a marble or granite look to give the bathroom some dimension and character. These wall systems never lose their shine and really update a bathroom in just one day! They come in many different colors and patterns and can really be customized to the client's liking.

• In order to update the fixtures and accessories, we would install a new faucet in either brushed nickel or oil-rubbed bronze, depending on which color walls were chosen. A new acrylic soap dish and a corner unit with four shelves would round out the space nicely, giving them plenty of space to store all of their bathing items.