“Save the Pink Bathrooms!”: TV makeovers that make us oh so blue :(
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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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?
Rest assured, on 50 years on whatever passes for a “blog” at that time, there will be people yearning for the river rock and the raised basins.
Yes, Wayne, you are surely right. We have nothing against any particular decor here. Save The Pink Bathrooms is fundamentally about: learning and understanding this color — which is emblematic of the entire decorating period, including other mid mod pastels — before just gutting the bathrooms because they are not the “current mode.” I hear from owner after owner after owner of mid mod pink (and yellow and blue and green, etc.) bathrooms who, once they read more about them, decide they are great — and keep them. Saves money, hassle, the environment, and a little piece of architectural history. That said, if contemporary offerings are your cup of tea, go for it.
That Mitchell and Webb Look had a great take on this: Avocado Bathroom.
Damian, I love you. Even though this is racy for this site, I must feature it. Thank you, you get an exclamation point!
I hate to admit, on this site, that I just gutted a 1950s bathroom. I just couldn’t make it work with the expansion that was done. Yellow tile with black trim, white tile-in towel rod holders & tile-in TP holder. Also 3 old toilets with the large rectangular tanks & a 1/2 bath with gray plastic tile. I don’t want to trash this stuff. Can you recommend anyone that buys these items or should I just list them on Craigslist? Ebay is out due to shipping costs.
We bought an early 60’s ranch house 3 years ago. It has a pink bathroom and a lavender bathroom. I was especially thrilled with the lavender bathroom, because all of the fixtures, tub, tile, toilet and double sinks were lavender, and like new! Sometime between our last visit to the house, and the closing day, someone STOLE the lavender toilet, and replaced it with a white one. (Our money is on the slimy realtor the seller used.) Anyway, we had no proof of the lavender toilet’s existence, (who takes pictures of toilets when house shopping?), so it is long gone. I have searched high and low. Anybody got one they don’t want?
Kathy — that is a wild story. In some cities, you cannot get approval to exchange a house if the toilet is not low-flow….maybe someone thought they were doing you a favor? If you are looking for a lavendar toilet head on over to our Forum, where Scathing Jane regularly scours craigslist all over the nation for mid-century treasures like this. I think that she just posted on yesterday. That said – all lavendar toilets are not created equal. You might want to post a pic of the tub and sink to see if we can identify it, then, if possible, you are going to look for the same brand. Also: check your local Re-Store/Habitat for Humanity or salvage place…you sound like you are a devoted and humble servant so the retro decorating gods may have one waiting for you nearby. Good luck. Would love to see pics — send ‘em to me at retrorenovation {at} gmail {dot} com.
My husband and I faced the same dilemma when shopping for our home. I wanted a mid-century ranch with knotty pine. The more the better! In face, if I could find a home that had been owned by the same couple for decades – and who hadn’t updated anything – that would be perfect!
Despite telling this to my realtor, she kept showing us house after house that had had the knotty pine painted over, the kitchens shoddily redone.. you know, that horrid after effect of too many people watching those shows like “Sell this house” where they slap crappy paint over everything, including the brick and stone fireplaces. Ugh!
Please save the knotty pine, people!
SO HAPPY to have found this site!!! My RE agent laughs at me, because I LOVE finding a house w/ original (especially pink) tile! My husband and I found an awesome house with original tile in all 3 baths (1 pink, 1 blue, 1 gray) and the kitchen (yellow & maroon.) The pink bathroom was dubbed “the nipple bathroom” because of the lady etched on the shower door.
Sadly, we didn’t get the house — tried and tried and tried, but it went to someone else w/ more $. I only hope they don’t rip out the wonderful old touches that house has.
We ended up in a redone 1950’s 2 story (I’d call it a ranch, but for the 2nd story.) Unfortunately, either the grown kids of the former owner or some flippers got ahold of the house and tore out all the wonderful old tile, (elderly next door neighbors described it — I wanted to cry!) replacing it with Home Depot honey oak cabinets and granite counters. ICK!!!
I’d much rather have been in a kitschy old place, but will have to try to kitsch up our new home (restoring the kitsch, actually.) Do people actually tear out new and put in old? I watch the house re-do shows and SCREAM with I see them ripping out wonderful old tiled bathrooms! STOP!!!
Glad to find kindred spirits here!
Also, found an awesome book at a thrift store yesterday about 50’s decorating by Armstrong (the floor company.) LOTS and LOTS of pictures! Yum!!!