Bathroom Remodel -Design Dilemna

Bathroom Before

We have to redo the shower surround in the kid's bathroom (In case you don't remember, it has a big hole in it where Ods ripped off the soap dish so many times we couldn't replace it and then water damaged the drywall behind the tile.).

NOT my bathroom, but kinda what the walls look like

Currently the room has a grey with white veins "marble" linoleum in what pretends to be 4 inch squares with grey grout.  The walls are faux painted white marble with grey veins.  The counters are off white laminate with oak cabinets and the tub and toilet are white.




Options:

See the vertical seams?

1.  Use a white plastic surround - very cheap, but looks it too.
Problem:  The hardware store guy said not to use this option for a house worth more than $188K (weird amount right?  Our house is worth much more than this.).  But it's cheap, and we could always replace it later.  Two DIY types:
(a) Nicer white plastic surround that attaches straight to the studs ($250).  Problem:  we have a window over the tub and the drywall has to be put on after the surround is in place so we'd have to redo the 2-3 foot to the ceiling, including the window.
(b)  Cheaper surround ($59) that just attaches right to the drywall (of course we'd have to repair where the hole is located).  Problem:  Cheaper is right!  It looks really cruddy.

2.  Just redo the plain white 4" tiles ($875-2400).  It is just a kid bath and no one uses it but them, plus the shower curtain covers it all anyway.
Problem:  This is dating the room as it is a "90's style" of way of doing tile in bathrooms.  The house was built in 1995, but we don't have to advertise that.

transition between kitchen and main floor

See the blue diamond tiles?

Alternative (a):  Use the same cheap 4" white tiles, but put in a decorative strip (maybe a diamond shape tile of another color - as seen in the kitchen).

White tile - grey grout

Grey tile - white grout

Alternative (b):  Same 4"tile, but a different color tile or grout.

These would be 4"

Alternative (c):  Use a mix of 4" tiles.  I'm thinking a random mix of white and 2-4 shades of grey.  Shouldn't cost any more than alternative (a).

3.  Use 12-16" floor tiles ($ same as option 2, plus the difference in the cost of the tile- at least another $500).  This is the option recommended by the hardware store as being the most up to date alternative.

Problem:  Most of the bigger tile options are either neutral beiges (which I find boring) or darker tiles like slate.  I don't think either would go with the white tub and counters.  Plus, the added cost means the project will be delayed that much longer while we save up.

Dark can look dumb with white tub!

Slate is pretty, but with white tub?

Part of me thinks I should be able to do the tile work myself.  Another part of me wants to keep adding in other projects.  If we're redoing the tile on the bath then I'd love to throw in the tile in the kitchen (which is white with a blue diamond trim) and doesn't match the rest of the kitchen which is now this beige and sapphire vertical stripe.