Comments on: A vintage 1949 bathroom — simple pleasures for people who’d been through a lot http://retrorenovation.com/2008/03/27/a-vintage-1949-bathroom-simple-pleasures-for-people-whod-been-through-a-lot/ Products and ideas to remodel your mid century home in authentic vintage style Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:12:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ellen http://retrorenovation.com/2008/03/27/a-vintage-1949-bathroom-simple-pleasures-for-people-whod-been-through-a-lot/comment-page-1/#comment-5521 ellen Sat, 29 Mar 2008 15:39:57 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/2008/03/27/a-vintage-1949-bathroom-simple-pleasures-for-people-whod-been-through-a-lot/#comment-5521 After my father passed away, I moved back into the house I grew up in, complete with the sink in the photo (only mine is turquoise). I've learned to do my own plumbing after asking one plumber to replace the seal between the toilet tank and bowl; he wanted to put in a new white toilet instead! The toilet tank (Crane, desert sand) in the other bathroom cracked so my husband & I went hunting. In L.A. there are a couple of salvage yards that have inventory of hundred of sinks, toilets, etc. if any of you are ever in the area, it's worth walking around. We couldn't find a replacement, but they direct us to someone who could repair the old one. Valentine's Day 2005, my husband drove there (5 hour round trip) and came home with s toilet tank filled with red roses; wish I had taken a photo (I was too busy crying). However, that's not the end of the saga; in Sept. 2006, we had a house fire (kitchen into attic, living room ceiling fell due to weight of water), and are only now rebuilding the damaged areas. It took us over a year to find a contractor who understood I wanted to restore the house not remodel it. At times I thought I should give up, but I just couldn't walk away from my home. I hope to be able to move back in June, but am living in a 1936 house in the meantime (yes, I am crazy). To all of you who are advised to get rid of all that old stuff, all I can say, is hang in there! Those houses were homes. After my father passed away, I moved back into the house I grew up in, complete with the sink in the photo (only mine is turquoise). I’ve learned to do my own plumbing after asking one plumber to replace the seal between the toilet tank and bowl; he wanted to put in a new white toilet instead!

The toilet tank (Crane, desert sand) in the other bathroom cracked so my husband & I went hunting. In L.A. there are a couple of salvage yards that have inventory of hundred of sinks, toilets, etc. if any of you are ever in the area, it’s worth walking around. We couldn’t find a replacement, but they direct us to someone who could repair the old one. Valentine’s Day 2005, my husband drove there (5 hour round trip) and came home with s toilet tank filled with red roses; wish I had taken a photo (I was too busy crying).

However, that’s not the end of the saga; in Sept. 2006, we had a house fire (kitchen into attic, living room ceiling fell due to weight of water), and are only now rebuilding the damaged areas. It took us over a year to find a contractor who understood I wanted to restore the house not remodel it. At times I thought I should give up, but I just couldn’t walk away from my home. I hope to be able to move back in June, but am living in a 1936 house in the meantime (yes, I am crazy).

To all of you who are advised to get rid of all that old stuff, all I can say, is hang in there! Those houses were homes.

]]> By: Sumac Sue http://retrorenovation.com/2008/03/27/a-vintage-1949-bathroom-simple-pleasures-for-people-whod-been-through-a-lot/comment-page-1/#comment-5499 Sumac Sue Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:37:40 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/2008/03/27/a-vintage-1949-bathroom-simple-pleasures-for-people-whod-been-through-a-lot/#comment-5499 My husband grew up in a house with a bathroom very similar to this one. Wayne says his dad could listen to the sound of his children running their bath water, and he knew just when the level had reached two inches. He'd shout, "That's enough!" He had been born in the early 1920s, served overseas in WW II, and was happy to be back home, working at a job that allowed him to buy things for his home such as bathroom fixtures. But he didn't want to see his money just "go down the drain." People of his generation sometimes had been born into homes without indoor bathrooms, and their heating and cooking might have been done with coal or wood. When they purchased an electric range or new bathroom fixtures, it wasn't just to follow the latest decorating fad, it was a major life change. They didn't just replace such things on a whim. I appreciate it that Retro Renovation doesn't just focus on "getting the look" of a bygone era, but also acknowledges the reasons behind the purchasing decisions of previous generations. We might laugh at some of their choices, but, it wasn't all about frivolity, that's for sure. My husband grew up in a house with a bathroom very similar to this one. Wayne says his dad could listen to the sound of his children running their bath water, and he knew just when the level had reached two inches. He’d shout, “That’s enough!” He had been born in the early 1920s, served overseas in WW II, and was happy to be back home, working at a job that allowed him to buy things for his home such as bathroom fixtures. But he didn’t want to see his money just “go down the drain.”

People of his generation sometimes had been born into homes without indoor bathrooms, and their heating and cooking might have been done with coal or wood. When they purchased an electric range or new bathroom fixtures, it wasn’t just to follow the latest decorating fad, it was a major life change. They didn’t just replace such things on a whim.

I appreciate it that Retro Renovation doesn’t just focus on “getting the look” of a bygone era, but also acknowledges the reasons behind the purchasing decisions of previous generations. We might laugh at some of their choices, but, it wasn’t all about frivolity, that’s for sure.

]]> By: Jen http://retrorenovation.com/2008/03/27/a-vintage-1949-bathroom-simple-pleasures-for-people-whod-been-through-a-lot/comment-page-1/#comment-5468 Jen Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:42:49 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/2008/03/27/a-vintage-1949-bathroom-simple-pleasures-for-people-whod-been-through-a-lot/#comment-5468 No way - "sentimental diatribe"? I agree with you 100%. My dad's father fought in WWII and Korea; the other couldn't do so but did the sort of things George Bailey did while Harry was off to war in "Wonderful Life". I don't think it was brash materialism as all...these folks (all of whom lived through the Depression) were doing their best to give their family what they could to make life comfortable, warm, and often give them what they didn't have as kids (like, oh, running water). The colours and playfulness of the designs really make me think of exuberance, joy, and great hope for the future, too. Nothing wrong with that at all! :) No way – “sentimental diatribe”? I agree with you 100%. My dad’s father fought in WWII and Korea; the other couldn’t do so but did the sort of things George Bailey did while Harry was off to war in “Wonderful Life”. I don’t think it was brash materialism as all…these folks (all of whom lived through the Depression) were doing their best to give their family what they could to make life comfortable, warm, and often give them what they didn’t have as kids (like, oh, running water).

The colours and playfulness of the designs really make me think of exuberance, joy, and great hope for the future, too. Nothing wrong with that at all! :)

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