We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming with breaking news: The New York Times has done a big ole story on the resurgence of vintage pink bathrooms — spotlighting our little Save The Pink Bathrooms quest and moreover: Readers Glamorlux Nancy… Janice… and Nora… as well as advertiser John of deabath.com… flickr friend Tamelyn… and STPB commenter Michael. Oh my goodness gracious, it’s not every day you see pink bathrooms on the front page of the New York Times (well, online version, at least). The big photo inside is Nancy, glamming it up in her pink poodle bathroom. And, there’s a whole sidebar story about Nora, who, with the help of reader Christopher, I also was able to connect to Times writer Kate Murphy. Thanks to everyone for participating, you done good for pink bathrooms!
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This post isn’t just a yeehaw!, though. I want to welcome new folks coming in via the NYT and point you to some of the additional back stories about the readers featured:
- Read more about Nancy’s pink poodle bathroom here.
Read more about Nora and see her awesome pink and blue bathroom here
- Read more about Nora and her time capsule pink and blue bathroom and pink-countertop kitchen here. Oh, and Nora sent a thank-you note, as well.
- Check out Janice’s 1960s/70s kitchen renovation.
- Do you want to read even more about pink bathrooms? There’s tons on the STPB site — but even more in my pink bathrooms category.
- Otherwise…. just noodle around… it’s a retro wonderland… and we are a friendly and welcoming bunch!
Readers — Be sure to check out the entire New York Times story on “Bathrooms – Pretty in Pink” … along with the lovely sidebar on Nora, who wisely advises, “If you love something, it never goes out of style.”
I’m so proud of you Pam. And I never would have guessed 51. Not even 41.
How exciting!!!
Congratulations everyone. Good job, Pam!
Wow! that’s great!!
I have a pink swatch painted in my bathroom, does that count? LOL One day it will become something more (and a not so bubble gum of a color)
A few years ago a client of mine had me paint her interior this soft pink, she paired it with black and warm earth tones, and nice creamy molding. It stays with me. I’ve been calling it a ‘pink neutral’ it was very comfortable and soothing….hmmmm. And I’ve loved Nora’s theme of pink since you posted about her home…..When I bought my house the plan was for it to be all pink (but the house had other ideas) and now this is all making me think of getting rid of my bright colors and making everything ‘pink neutral’ –think it would help to make me a less scattered person?
Great stuff!
Oh, this makes me very happy! In our previous house – built in 1954, everything was pink originally. When we bought it, only the pink kitchen remained (and the inside of the closets were still pink!). It had the wonderful pink boomerang countertops. The owners before us *tried* to hide the pink with a patriotic theme (ugh!). When we embraced the pink, found great atomic inspired wallpaper, tied in some grey accent walls, it was the happiest room in the whole house! Pink is lovely! Though I wish I had a pink bathroom, I’d happily accept seafoam green – it caused me a little pain to read that one person was destroying her green for pink. This article proves that SAVE THE PINK BATHROOM is paying off! Hip hip!
Hi Kersten – this is Janice and I’m the one in the article with the once light green bathroom being demo’d to install a pink tiled bathroom. It pains me,too, to have to tear out this originial tile, but a previous owner who couldn’t see the beauty in light green tile, painted over it (and not that well I mght add) with off white. Removing the paint doesn’t seem like an option so removing the tile is the only way I could get away from the awful paint and paint job. If you can’t SAVE A PINK BATHROOM, then create one, right?!
Awh, Janice! What a total bummer that it was painted and can’t be removed! Was it plastic tile? Does this mean that you are going to find a pink potty, sink and tub too? In full disclosure, I’m in the (overly painful) process of retro-renovating our bathroom. I went with a blueish tile color, although my daughter and I REALLY wanted pink. (I’m pretty sure that the original tile in the bathroom was pink and blue speckles. I found some in the basement…) I applaud you for going with pink! You know we’re all going to want pics, right? I was telling Pam that I have 2 of those cool hallmack revolving cup/toothbrush holders. If your re-do lends itself to one of these, let me know. My New Year’s resolution is to downsize all my extras! Good luck with the bathroom! I’ll pass onto Pam my before and afters once it’s done!
Kersten, I want pictures!! It sounds lovely
I’m going to do our kitchen in shades of turquoise and blue, and I think some pink accents would do a nice finishing job. I need some inspiration!
Sara, I’d love to share pictures. I’ll have to see about digging some up. We moved out of the house about 5 years ago, and it really hurt me to leave my perfect kitchen. Oh, it was lovely. It was an eat in kitchen where we proudly had a chrome 50′s table and chairs (with pink and white upholstry) and a 16 armed sputnik over the table. I often wonder what the state of that kitchen is now…
I think pink would definitely add some great accent to a blue and turquoise kitchen!
Ha that’s awesome. Go Nancy! – ADD moment – I have fond childhood memories of Grandma’s pink bathroom and smelling the Caress soap in there)
I have finally painted my bathroom Pearl Gray and it seems the tile is going to be a deep pink, inspired by a 1957 American Standard ad…
http://file.vintageadbrowser.com/1s90scbezvw53j.jpg
I have lived in a rental for going-on six years now with an aging pink and gray and beige bathroom. It took me ages to find a gray toilet seat. I have struggled locating fun towels so please share any resources. It has metal cabinets in the kitchen that had been painted white but I swear they were originally a wood grain of sorts. One kitchen wall still has the Paris wallpaper mural.
Congratulations! As soon as I saw the headline, I knew that you and the blog must be somewhere in the article. But actually, your blog almost IS the article!
Kersten, I was also sad about the homeowner losing the green bathroom, but she did say that the tile had been painted over by a previous homeowner, so maybe it was already ruined.
Yep– sounds like she’s doing what she’s gotta do! If I had my choice, I’d have one pink bathroom and one seafoam green.
You have done so much to encourage and inform people about “loving the house they’re in,” pink bathrooms and all, and I applaud you. Love seeing the Times put their seal of approval on the movement you’ve done so much to foster. Kudos, Pam.
Congrats!!!! You are rocking your way into 2011. Happy New Year!!!
Happy New Year Everyone! This is Janice and I’m the one in the article with the once light green bathroom (color only discovered after taking a knife to the tile and scraping a bit of paint) being demo’d to install a pink tiled bathroom. It pains me, too, to have to tear out this originial tile, but a previous owner who couldn’t see the beauty in light green tile, painted over it (and not that well I might add) with off white paint. Removing the paint doesn’t seem like a feasible option so removing the tile is the only way I could get away from the awful paint and paint job. If you can’t SAVE A PINK BATHROOM, then create one, right?!
P.S. Pam, thank you for giving me/us this opportunity to talk up our love for the pink!
Awesome, Pam! Hopefully this article will make even more pink bathroom converts!
this goes beyond the domestic realm into the commercial, but if anyone has access to the Colony House Motor Lodge in Roanoke, VA,(http://www.colonyhousemotorlodge.com/) those rooms all have pink bathrooms. here are my flickr photos –
http://www.flickr.com/photos/87039192@N00/4316257515
http://www.flickr.com/photos/87039192@N00/4316257403
the best part is that there is a vintage tiki restaurant across the street, the Fiji Island.
http://www.fijiislandroanoke.com/
Uber cool, Pam. Congratulations from BOTH of our pink bathrooms!
Yay! That’s just awesome!!
(I am so glad we have a pink tiled bathroom.)
What a great start to the new year! And welcome to all the new readers who can share their RetroReno stories with us!
Pam,
How very exciting! It is a great article. I remember how I found Retro Rennovation. I just searched on Pink Sink and it came up. I have been a daily reader ever since! Congrats, this is a great way to end the year or start a new one.
What a way to start the New Year, Pam! Congratulations on well deserved recognition.
Pink champagne for everyone!
Hee-hee…I just bought Pink Champagne the other day for the first time in…hmmm, maybe for the first time ever! When I passed by them in the store it just suddenly reminded me of Marilyn Monroe or Dean Martin (he was swimming in a giant champagne glass once in a movie
Happy New Year!
I’ll bet that movie was “What a Way to Go” with Shirley Maclaine and Dean Martin from 1964.
sweet ! just this week on HGTV i saw a demo of a pink bathroom and almost cried. hopefully some positive exposure can save some of the originals and/or create some new ones.
Congrats, Pam!
Something tells me it won’t be long until we start seeing plumbing fixtures offered in pink again…
Congratulations, Pam, this is Big Time exposure—well deserved!—for our beloved pink bathrooms—and for your blogs! Mine was also what the realtor thought could be a deal breaker, when actually it was a primary selling point for our 1952 Cape Cod (along with a turquoise tiled bathroom and an original aquamarine kitchen!)
Yay!!!
Sorry for all the exclamation points—it’s such an exciting topic I couldn’t help myself!
Congrats, Pam! What a great article — and how awesome to get such positive recognition!
HA! We are justified. My daughter keeps saying, “Mom, what is it with this pink bathroom stuff?”
I peruse the homes listed on Trulia.com in Fort Worth, and reject a perfectly decent 1950′s home in a good neighborhood because they updated the bathrooms.
Will I ever find the little mid century home of my dreams?
Wonderful recognition for the blog…and the STPB cause!
My bathroom has original tile in a light peach color with gold specks. It’s still in excellent condition and really adds to the charactor of my home. My love of all things MCM has been passed down to my daughter…in 2 weeks, she closes on her first home, a little 1948 charmer with lots of original details. The place needs work, but she’s so excited it doesn’t matter!
Brava Brava Brava, Pam!!! Great visibility for the blog, the color pink and all things retro…..what’s next??
Just saw the article and was headed over to tell you congrats! Great spotlight on the blog. As soon as I saw the article I recognized Nancy’s fabulous poodle bathroom.
Very cool to be on the NY Times front page! We are now facing our own bathroom redo…our 1954 shower tile is just too far gone now and must be replaced. It’s not a pretty color combo (light yellow and terracotta) so I’m not too sad about it. It’s hubby’s bathroom so I doubt I can pick pink, but maybe can convince him on my other fave color robin’s egg blue.
How funny! My MIL has a pink bathroom still
I love and well remember the pink, baby blue, mint green..aqua..bathrooms of the 1950′s…they were very, I thought, Hollywoodish….I would love to have one and wouldn’t think of tearing it out if I did!!!
WTG Pam!
Sorry I didn’t get my pix in to you sooner, but you can see some views of my pink bathroom on EyeForDetail.biz. Click on the remodeling page. This is not a vintage bathroom (except for the sink, which we got from the Habitat for Humanity scrap yard for $20). The bedroom & bath are a new addition to my 1941 house in Burbank. (Photos of the red & white kitchen are elsewhere on your website.)
You’re a champ!
–Suzanne
Oh, yeah, the poodles! And that plastic sliding shower door brought back memories. What ever happened to those? How about accordion doors?