We need help refreshing an old bathroom.

Would this work for the broken towel bar? From the picture looks like you just need to put a new bar into the towel ends if that right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh0N7jbPito

For the mold and mildew, vinegar is your solution. Vinegar kills mold spores, bleach does not.

https://restorationmasterfinder.com/restoration/what-kills-mold-bleach-vs-vinegar/

https://www.servicemasterrestore.com/blog/mold-damage/mold-myths-will-vinegar-kill-mold/

https://www.servicemaster-restoration-cleaning.com/2017/03/30/mold-myths/

For the wallpaper border, rent a steamer to get it off, score and steam! Any tool rental will have what you need.

Glad you are keeping the vintage tile! Yes, the towel bar can be repaired or replaced with some care.

Hi Janet! Cool bathroom! You can remove the border fairly easily by scratching it with a wallpaper scoring tool and then either using the hottest water you can stand on a sponge or spraying just the border. Let it set for about 10-15 minutes and then find an edge of the wallpaper and start pulling it off. I'm assuming the border is old and probably not the easily removable kind. The border may come off in small chunks but you can do a bit at a time. Yes, wash your walls well to remove the mold then spray with a bleach/water mixture to disinfect and kill the mold, then rinse well and apply a the Kilz primer. They now have special paints that repel moisture that can be used in bathroom areas. I can't tell from the picture whether you towel bar is ceramic but if it is, you may be able to locate another one at a Habitat for Humanity home supply store. Love that tile in your bathroom!

I hope you'll post the outcome of your redo so we can all see how great it turns out.

You need to have a clean dry wall before painting. Wetting the border with water and wallpaper remover, vinegar, dish liquid or some other recommended concoction will help you to remove it. Your bathroom does not have sufficient ventilation and while you are working on it you should consider improving ventilation so your new walls will not grow undesirable plant life.

Those brackets do not appear to be cemented into the wall so there should be a screw accessible from the bottom. If not, try a gentle tap upward with a soft hammer or wooden mallet. In my experience you will have to buy a complete towel bar set to get the replacement bar.

Lots of good advice so far. My thought is to install an exhaust fan to prevent the mildew, if you don't have one.

You have lots of great advice here but I wanted to share some fun ideas for your very cool vintage tile....https://www.pinterest.com/pin/553520610436024094/?lp=true

You have lots of great advice here but I wanted to share some fun ideas for your very cool vintage tile....https://www.pinterest.com/pin/553520610436024094/?lp=true

I like the old ceramic tiles and would go for new accessories, shower curtain and towels.

You need to install or upgrade to a very good bathroom exhaust fan with auto humidity sensor. Fan should run during shower, and for a minimum of 20 min., after. Wipe ceiling and painted walls with microfiber cloth to remove excess water. Your colors are fabulously retro! Tile work of that quality is generally not found, today!

I think for starters you need to remove the wall paper border and then thoroughly clean the parts where you have mold. If you can, installing an extractor fan is a good idea if the humidity concentrates in this bathroom. Once you have cleaned, I would a good paint primer such as Kilz and then paint with a color of your choice with this green. I particularly like the very pale minty green on the color chart below. You can then add pretty new towels and shower curtain to liven up the room.