“Save the Pink Bathrooms!”: TV makeovers that make us oh so blue :(
50sPam on Feb 15 2008 at 11:57 am | Filed under: bathroom, pink bathrooms
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 so…2007. 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 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!
26 Responses to ““Save the Pink Bathrooms!”: TV makeovers that make us oh so blue :(”
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Judi's Lexington ranch
Amy's San Diego bungalow
I’m happy to have our tiny half bath in the pink bathroom category. While it is nowhere near as sumptuous as the ones shown here, I am glad to preserve it, because it is such a sweet little surprise. (Still no wallpaper in it, but I did repaint the upper walls in a nice vanilla shade, because I couldn’t stand the lavender-gray paint a moment longer. Now to get towels in chocolate and pistachio, and maybe some cute plaster fish blowing bubbles…)
We watch these shows quite a bit… and we cringe. We wish our bathroom survived the 80’s but it did not. So when we see these major remodels of awesome bathrooms and kitchens we can’t stand to watch the horror. It is hard to think that these on TV are only a fraction of the cool bathrooms being trashed across the country. Everyone looks at their colorful tile an thinks they need a “awesome” stone bathroom…
I hate slate and granite. Mark my words. These will be as dated in 20 to 30 years as the horrible 70’s bathrooms that you see out there. Dark stone seems to bee the “in” thing right now. Nasty in my opinion.
Just type in slate bathrooms on google and you will see the nasty stuff.
Here is another trashed bath…
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/ah_real_estate_selling/article/0,1801,HGTV_3165_5617812_03,00.html
Here you can see some of the horror. Now, given that even for me the blue sink and tub against the pink tile is a little much but… I am surprised to see that they ended up keeping some of the pink tile and the floor. But, being a show about selling, I guessing they didn’t want so spend the money on it. I think the “after” looks stupid. But hey that’s just me.
Sorry for the rant. This stuff just bothers me.
Brian
Atomic Addiction
I just went through the process of taking out a vintage emerald green bathroom with what I thought was really nasty looking mottled green tile, all in hopes of putting in a classic 1950s pink and black bathroom. Unfortunately, I found that salvagers have bought into the modern misguided revulsion for pink bath fixtures. I contacted literally dozens of them all across the US without finding a set in true pink. Lots of taupe and peach, but no pink. Most laughed at me and said they get offered pink pieces all the time, but they refuse them because they cannot sell them … or so they claim. HGTV and others have been so influential in spreading their trendy styles and reviling the classics that they have entirely killed the recycle market for pink fixtures. In the end, I was forced to settle for blue, and was pleased to find an absolutely mint set in regency blue that was actually dated June 11, 1958 (my place was built in late 1958). The odd thing is, my city (Palm Springs) is awash with pink bathrooms from the 1950s that are constantly being ripped out in favor of slate and cultured marble, but I have no idea at all where the pink remnants are disappearing to. The dump, I suppose. Maybe we should all become dump scavengers?
Thanks, all for your comments. Judi - so happy you are proud to be pink! Brian - you said it in the way I really wanted to say it. Stephan - I very much agree with your warning regarding pink vs. pinky beige or taupe. Some of the photos I’ve posted surely are more in the pinky beige taupe family. I happen to like them both - but as per your point, if you want the iconic 50s pink, you are going to have to be vigilant in general, and very careful, specifically, if you are e-buying. I love that you call it Mamie Eisenhower pink. Where did you come up with this?
We also have a pink bathroom in our little ranch and I love it! It was one of the selling points of the house to me. The toilet and sink had been replaced with white porcelain and an oak vanity (ugh) and finding the right pink toilet was indeed difficult, and now we’re looking for the sink. I call it dusty pink, and I’m wondering what Mamie’s pink looks like? One good thing for our color search is that our pink seemed to be a pretty common American Standard color.
And I really enjoy reading about your remodeling progress; it’s very inspiring
Brian,
I have to second everything you said. I dislike much of the fashionable marble and stone that has been going into the MacMansions AND older houses. Perhaps with the economic downturn, some people will actually save some of the good older stuff in their houses and stop tearing out and re-doing everything.
If I don’t see another piece of “tumbled stone” in a suburban tract house, I’ll be happy. Sure, I like that ancient stone look—–in Rome.
Deb
I have a vintage pink bathroom and while I used to hate it( I was in my early 20’s when we moved in), now that I am nearer to 40, I find it charming and stylish. I am so grateful we never renovated it into one of those tacky spa/quasi Asian zen themed bathrooms that seem so poular these days.
I just watched another horrible remodel of a cool bathroom. Now the wall paper was a bit much, however thats a easy fix. They had a really cool vanity and pink recessed soap and toilet paper holders. Don’t they know what those go for now? Idiots…
Boggy Bathroom Burnout:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_bathroom/article/0,1793,HGTV_3365_5090511,00.html
While looking for this episode I found these other episodes that my be just as gut wrenching. I have not seen these and may not want to…
Funky ’50s Facilities:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_bathroom/article/0,1793,HGTV_3365_4836867,00.html
Blindingly Bright Bath:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_bathroom/article/0,1793,HGTV_3365_5197846,00.html
Overbearing and Outmoded:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_bathroom/article/0,1793,HGTV_3365_5417421_03,00.html
Looks like there are a lot of these bathrooms that have some snappy pink tile. This “designer” Krista Watterworth his killed more than her share.
Brian
Atomic Addiction
I’m guilty! We made a big mistake when we re-did our bathroom, 10 years ago. We had the powder blue bath, basin & toilet. Unfortunately the toilet need replacing anyway because it had a crack in it, (that’s my excuse) but our bathroom is still blue but with white tiles, & admittedly looking very dated. I’m growing to hate those big “salad bowls” that sit on benches!!! x
Just to remain on the up & up: I gutted three 1951 bathrooms. My excuse: They all had plastic tile including in the bathtub/showers - which completely rotted out the walls. In two cases, the previous owners had actually pasted vinyl over some of the shower walls. No exhaust fans; mold accumulated. Floors also rotted. Original sinks dinged. I went with white fixtures, colored tile walls, white pinwheel tile floors, laminate counters with simple white vanities, one vintage sink with chrome legs, vintage or vintage-style wallpaper. Five years later, they still look fresh. Proof that if you want/need ‘new’ - you CAN have your retro cake and eat it, too.
Regarding “Mamie Eisenhower pink” … I thought most ’50s fans knew that term! First Lady Mamie Eisenhower was a huge fan of pink, and any or most of her dresses for presidential occasions throughout her husband’s term as president (1952-1960) were in a particular shade of vibrant pink. It was her signature color. People started referring to that shade as “Mamie pink.” And obviously I still call it that. But it is definitely not the rosy-dusty-taupey pink that lasted into the 1970s. It is a true P-I-N-K!!!
Wow, the topic of pink bathrooms, and bathroom renovations in general, really strikes a chord with many people. We all seem to have the same attitude toward the trend in “spa/quasi Asian zen themed bathrooms” as Kimberlygem so aptly put it. When we were house hunting last year, we saw quite a few that had undergone recent granite-and-earthy-tile renovations. Our reaction was, great, we’re expected to pay extra bucks for something that will scream circa 2007 in just a few years.
Surely the TV renovators know this, and they are planning ahead for the next decade of programs in which the granite and tile will be ripped out and replaced with whatever is the new trend. Hey, maybe it will be back to Mamie pink tile, and manufacturers will start producing it again.
You know, Pam, I’m kinda curious if anyone has successfully “saved” those plastic 50s tiles. We also tore them out of our main bathroom; they were gray and black and I loved the look, but the “grout” was all yellowed, and some of the plastic tiles were cracked and even melted (who know what sort of accident someone had with a hairdyer). It’s funny, though, the smaller bath had real ceramic tiles (the white with gold flecks); we redid it using the same tiles.
I have a fondness for those old plastic tiles. We had them in various houses that I grew up in (always gray and black).
Hi Femme1, I’ve had a reader or two tell me that they had ripped plastic tiles out, and had them available - but I’ve never pursued it. The better idea, I think, it to watch ebay for them. I have this as a saved search but haven’t seen anything special enough to post. Note, you need A LOT to do a bathroom including the walls!
On the subject of plastic tiles…we had them too! white pearly ones. I’d never seen anything like it! Now I’m realising they were more common than I thought. As you said Pam, same problem as you, most of them gradually fell off, rotted walls & lino floors that had to be replaced, mouldy walls etc., etc., It was the vanity unit we had I cry for. It had a speckled laminate top with angled drawers & tapered black pointy legs, blue sink with chrome edge, what a ning nong I was! I do remember going over & over the decision at the time though, oh well, it went to bathroom heaven like the rest of them I suppose. x
Ohhhh, every time I see this happen on HGTV I want to cry! Only a handful of times have I seen the bathrooms saved (sometimes the tile is re-painted, which is a tolerable alternative to destroying it). One time, in fact, I saw the mother-daughter team tell someone to absolutely, positively keep their vintage pink tile bathroom as “it’s classic” and “they’re coming back”. I nearly cried with joy.
Having seen several gorgeous vintage ones destroyed, though…ugh. These designers and homeowners apparently have little sense or are too concerned with the latest style.
It makes us SO GLAD the man we bought our ‘51 Cape Cod bungalow from left the aqua-and-black tile bathroom ALONE other than painting the walls white…he did get a new vanity sink, but I gathered that the original was chipped beyond repair. I LOVE our bathroom. It practically sold the house.
You know, Construction Junction in Pittsburgh has TONS and TONS of vintage bathroom stuff, primarily sinks and toilets in nearly every 50s colour imaginable. It’s like walking into a candy shop.
I also have to say to Sumac Sue that I’ve been watching for those plaster bubble-blowing fish…!
Oh my gosh! I LOVE YOU! Or at least, your site.
I just stumbled across it while searching for vintage photos of toreadors. (Not quite sure how that led to you….)
I have a vintage 1952 bathroom that is salmony pink and black. I’ve been looking for a new co-op, and everything now has those awful travertine or whatever bath renovations where everything is huge slabs of beige, beige, or beige. Most NYC bathrooms aren’t large enough to do the soaking tub and glass-walled separate shower combo you see on the home renovation shows, though.
There was once a trend of having a separate tub and shower stall, but of course that was in the thirties and they were beautifully tiled. I keep hoping I’ll find an apartment with one of those, but most of them are being torn out in this frenzy of travertine renovations.
Welcome, Beth! Send a photo of your bathroom!
Hi again, Beth. You have given me my favorite new phrase of the day: Travertine Frenzy! Hey, can I get one of those at the Dairy Queen?
LOL! My bathroom is really not that impressive. It’s original but there are some patches of replaced tile that are the wrong color. (Why would someone put white tiles on a salmon floor? At least it’s behind the toilet….) And I desperately need a new sink! Maybe after I get that I’ll take a picture.
Help! I am scared!! We are about to renovate our ranch style home built in 1948. It has a “Jack and Jill” style bath with well preserved pink wall tiles with a black border and pink and white hex floor completing the two 1/2 baths which are connected to a tub area adorned with mint green tiles and black border. The tub area is a disaster and we are planning to turn it into a stand alone shower. I am trying to find a tile that complements the pink tiles and flooring in the 1/2 baths which I love. Any photo suggestions or weblinks would be appreciated.
Di Di
Di Di, thanks for your passion regarding maintaining what sound like incredible bathrooms. To find the right tile, run don’t walk to B&W Tile. They are known to match anything.
Click here for the post on B&W.
Meanwhile - send some photos if you’d like help from me and our retro renovation community if you get stuck in choosing a color or style.
Hey, can I rant about the irreversible damage HGTV has done to homes across America? My husband and I are absolutely terrified that by the time we can afford an older home, there won’t be any older homes with the original bathrooms and kitchens in tact. We’ve been to some open houses of formally fabulous 50’s homes that were gutted and remodeled according to the HGTV “How To Sell Your Home” aesthetic. I’m sure people think I’m nuts but I’m constantly trying to educate realtors and home owners that not everything pre-1980 is dated! In fact, “dated” to me means anything that looks cheap, was poorly crafted and is just downright ugly! I’ve never seen a 40’s/50’s kitchen or bathroom that looked dated! Anyways, I’m so happy I found this website and like-minded individuals who know that to keep things cool, you’ve got to keep it vintage!
Dear 50sPam,
Thanks for your support and encouragement. After searching the web and picking up a copy of “Atomic Ranch”, I am resolved to keeping my pink bath pink including the mint green tile and tub surround. Convincing my husband will be a challenge. The B&W Tile contact is great! Do you know where I can find replacement faucets for the classic white Kohler sink with chrome legs. The faucets mount vertically on the front of the sink (instead of on top). Also the sink drain stop and plumbing underneath needs to be replaced. I am thinking about sandblasting the pink and white hex flooring and re-grouting (good or bad idea?). I have photos on my computer but can not seem to attach/upload them and will try to get help doing this tomorrow.
Thanks again,
Di Di
I’ve noticed that the 1950’s cabinetry used in most of these bathrooms is site constructed and will last forever. When it is damamged, it is easy for a homeowner to restore it to like-new condition. New bathrooms don’t give this advantage as the cabinetry is usually made in a factory with hard-to-duplicate materials, so when it gets damaged in the future, the homeowner will have to replace the cabinets rather than fix them.
I have a 1950’s pink bathroom that I am restoring and I’d love to find some replacements for the vertical-surface-mounted chrome cross handles and stubby little faucet in the huge pink pedestal sink. They have corroded badly and become difficult to tighten/replace washers to stop the dripping. Also, I’m having trouble finding replacement tiles for the pink 4″ ceramic squares. I’m in the Los Angeles area. Any help in locating vendors would be greatly appreciated.
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