Several readers have sent me notes explaining how sad it was to catch a TV makeover show that ripped out a perfectly beautiful vintage bathroom. Surfing around, I found these examples of perfectly excellent 50s or 60s bathrooms that were disparaged and discarded.
HGTV editors went so far as to call the bathroom, above, a “pink plague.” How ridiculous. While I agree that the wallpaper may not be just right (the whole square theme is taken too far…although you must admit: it has style!), the core of the bathroom is delightful. And the blue bathroom that replaced it (in thumbnail) is fine but an unnecessary expense. Prediction: River rock walls and floors will be out as quick as they were in. Alas.
Again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this 60s provincial bathroom. It would be so fun to decorate – and it looks quite high quality. The replacement bathroom is fine…it’s great they kept that floor and awesome mirror… sad sad sad they took out the pink tile…. and overall, again, just…unnecessary.
Update: Another example from HGTV from Brian at Atomic Addiction. Many thanks, B! Super cool blue sink, ROP:
Seems like a bunch of the rest of the world — well behind our curve — actually dislikes vintage pink bathrooms. They will regret what they have done.
Finally, with this post, I declare an all-new category: Pink bathrooms! And, I’ve gone back through all my posts to fill the category up. Have fun reveling in pink pink pink!
UPDATE: This post led to the creation of my Save The Pink Bathrooms micro-site. Be sure to see it here – it is pretty amazing, if I say so myself!
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My husband and I are buying a 60’s time capsule ranch that has everything original, as far as we can tell. The main bathroom has beautiful lavender tub, sink and toilet. The toilet is made by Rheam and as far as I can see the company stopped making toilets in the the 70’s or 80’s, I think. If anyone has any info on replacement toilet parts (mechanical) for Rheam toilets, please pass it along.
Thanks!
We bought a 1963 split level in Birmingham, AL, with only two owners, the second of which had owned it since 1973, and hadn’t changed much at all. The master bath is all pink – and we love it! Anthony is from Florida, so we went with an all vintage Florida motif, with vintage motel accents. We love the house, and hope any renovations we do only enhance the way it was when it was built.
Hi Jonathan & Anthony, sounds fabulous. We need to see your bathroom decor – and what else do you have going on in that Alabama split? Can you send me photos at: retrorenovation at gmail dot com? Thanks!
Only a hue off base here – no pink here – but I have burgundy and peach baths. Actually originally burgundy&grey, and peach&grey&black. I watched hgtv rip out a perfectly gorgeous (& huge) burgundy bath a couple of weeks ago – it hit home for me as I’m in the (slow) process of fixing up my smallish (5′x4′) burgundy fixtures bath.
Bathroom originally had burgundy & dark grey 4″ aluminum tiles for wall tiles as well as tub/shower. That grey was too dark in my tiny bathroom, so I painted the grey wall tiles white but left the burgundy trim tiles. Tub tiles had dried out and cracked – I’m in the process of tiling tub/shower walls right now. It’s a pinwheel design: white 6″ ceramic tiles and 2″ squares made of four 1″ glass tiles in a variety of colors. (I know 4″ field tiles would have be more accurate, but the 6″ just plain looked better to me after a gazillion trials.) I got an awesome deal on end lot sheets of mixed glass tiles. It’s my gesture to the 21st century in my decidedly 50s bathroom. Color “dots” are shades of mauve/burgundy, grey, teal, pink, light blue, purple, yellow (only a little bit of yellow).
Floor had originally been 8″ white-ish linoleum. After a plumbing leak, I redid floor – also in a pinwheel pattern – 12″ ‘white streaky’ VCT “grocery store” tiles, with 3″ squares in a variety of colors (see above). Colors were selected from a VCT sample box – the guy at the floor store got so tired of me looking at the colors that he gave me the sample box – he said nobody had ever looked at that flooring before except for me! I owned that box of color samples for almost 20 years before I got the opportunity to use them! So flooring materials were cheap as dirt – although it took longer to lay because of design, small space, and my color map.
I’m hoping to get my aluminum blinds retaped & reinstalled in bathroom window. I’m searching for just the right fabric – maybe a little window valance or a skirt around my tiny sink (burgundy wall hung with chrome legs). I’m still looking for just the right shower curtain – rod is L-shaped and curves about my little 4 ‘ tub. I cornered the market on replacement burgundy toilet seats – and buy them whenever I can.
I really like my little bathroom, despite what HGTV thinks.
Beth, can’t wait to see some photos of your bathroom – sounds like you are doing a very interesting reno. I laugh at the thought of opening a cupboard in your linen closet and seeing a stack of burgundy toilet seats!
I’m sorry, I don’t share your enthusiasm for my uber pink bathroom with gray blue trim.(basically the same colors as the first pic listed). I grew up with one and just moved into a house with the same exact colors. I would be thrilled to have a white bathroom and just switch it up with wall color when i could.
However, if and when I redo my bathroom, my salvaged tiles are all yours.
I love love love the vintage colorful 4″ tile bathrooms, but I have to admit that pink is not the color I would want. Fortunately, when we bought our 1968 ranch, it still had the original tile and fixtures in both bathrooms. One is a light olive green and the other light brown. Obviously colors more popular in the 60s, but the fixtures have the same shape as those in the photos up there. I’m also happy that the speckled laminate countertop still looks great!
We’re thinking of adding a master bath later down the road, but I’d like to go with white and black subway tiles for that one. Do you think it would still work with the period and style of the other two?
Thanks for having such a fabulous website!
I just stumbled upon your site in my search for “pink bathroom sink”. Love your site and the movement to save pink baths.
I have a little gem myself that I would love to save but I need some help. My small, pink, Crane Oxford sink is cracked and broken at the drain. I tried glueing it with superglue knowing it was a temporary measure. I would love to be able to find the same sink and replace it, but who knows how long that may take or if it will ever happen. My question is, is there a method of fixing this break? Can a professional restore the porcelain break and maybe refinish/reglaze the basin? In pink? I’ve heard about people having tubs redone (in white) but I don’t know if it can be done in colors. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Oh yeah, I’m learning things the hard way about a retro bath. I now know that if I ever see round pink toilet seats available I have to stock up on them. Beth has the right idea with her stash of burgundy toilet seats. If I can save this pink bathroom I will have to stock up on my toilet seats too.
Thank you for a wonderful site, thanks for your effort. Every time I see the HGTV types rip out perfectly good old stuff I have to cringe. I will stay “green” by keeping my old pink bathroom!
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I just renovated my pink bathroom in my 1965 condo. Although I LOVE retro, this retro bathroom was not well constructed. My bathtub surround tile was glued..not thin-setted right onto the plaster walls. Several of the tiles were loose and fell off because of the damage to the underlying wall. My pink bathtub was in great shape, however…the original floor was tiled over and the pink toilet had a crack inside of it, though
Replaced everything…went with a white cast iron tub
I just found my new favorite website! I just rented an apartment with green tile counters in the kitchen and pink tile in the shower/bath area (it is a little cottage). I was looking for ideas on what would look cute with it and typed in “pink tile bathroom”. I love vintage bathrooms. I actually am in a place that is all beige and realized that, while I am normally creative, it has actually been stifled by being around beige all the time (and no, I am really not kidding).
Tanya Sue, a big welcome to you!
My (grown) daughters and I watch a lot of HGTV and we’re constantly calling each other when we see another crazy “update” to a wonderful old kitchen or bathroom. I just watched another one yesterday and that bathroom was really, really nice before the reno. Afterward it looked like every other reno. I grew up in a house that had one plastic pink tiled Jack and Jill bathroom and one ceramic blue tiled bathroom. The guy that bought the house from my parents in 1978 ripped them both out. Such a waste.
One the other hand, my best friend’s bathroom at the time (late 60’s) was covered in silver and blue wallpaper. Now that’s a look we can probably let go!
Hey Colleen, don’t agree with you regarding 60s metallic wallpaper in a bathroom. This one (scroll down) is one of my favorite bathrooms of all time! http://retrorenovation.com/2008/10/06/a-1966-rat-pack-time-capsule-house-in-vintage-las-vegas/
this doesn’t just go for household bathrooms in my mind. i remember dinstinctly how delighted i would be to use the ladies room in one of my college buildings and step into a mamie-pink-tiled slice of the past. since i graduated 2 years ago (i’m a young’un) the building has since been renovated and the bathroom looks like every other glossy, soulless vanilla building on the rest of campus.
Welcome, Barbie. There are some really truly wonderful institutional pink bathrooms. Look here, 3rd and 4th rows down, magnopere’s photos, in our SaveThePinkBathrooms flickr group: The Queen’s residence on Vancouver Island. There are even ballet dancers in the wallpaper: http://www.flickr.com/groups/savethepinkbathrooms/pool/page12/
Hope you also know about http://savethepinkbathrooms.com !
How do I put pictures up of my bathroom so I can get advice on color choices? Dont want to do plain white, but i have NO idea what to do.
html?
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