Reader Noelle is in love with the unusual pink bathroom in her 1930s home, but it has her puzzled. Just what are the panels covering the walls and built-ins made of, and how might she go about repairing some of them that are water damaged in the tub area? Noelle has tried to seek help from professionals, but the only advice she’s received from them is to gut and start fresh — something she is trying to avoid.
I am so glad that this site exists! I can recall my grandparents’ drafty victorian mansion circa 1907 with the most luscious pink bathroom -it was such a tribute to creative beauty and charm to my child-mind. Vintage homes have an identity all their own; they’re a character in the story of our lives. Thank you for preserving that value!
I found your site while living in Long Beach, California — a mecca of preserved duplexes and bungalows. I had an amazing teal and yellow kitchen that I was hoping to duplicate when we had a home of our own. Searching the site led me to your pink bathroom series, and I only hoped to someday have one of my own. Not two years later, in the heart of Central Washington, we found a perfect little gem built in 1930 with a rounded front door, sparkly, speckled linoleum, yellow/gold appliances, and (hallelujah) a PINK bathroom!!
The bathroom, however, doesn’t quite look like any featured on your site, so I’m writing to see if you might have some insight into the era so that I can authentically replace some of the worn features, mainly flooring and the bathtub/shower.
The most notable difference is that the bathroom does not have any tile. The walls have large pink panels that aren’t wood (perhaps plastic of some sort?), and the perimeter of each wall is edged with chrome. I have several built-in drawers, a bench, and a vanity area with original chrome accents, and a laundry chute on the floor that runs to the basement.
The floor is linoleum in blue and red speckled squares similar to that in old school buildings.
The tub is built in, but has a rounded conversion kit that encloses the area for showering.
I have sought professional advice, but the response is always to gut and remodel to a fully contemporary bathroom. No way! I want to save this pink bathroom.
I would appreciate any response to the following questions:
- What decade does this reflect?
- I found glazed, pink, 4″ hexagonal tiles that perfectly match the color of the bathroom for only $.20 each at the Habitat for Humanity thrift store that I plan to work into flooring, and I am wondering which accent colors go with pink in traditional, original homes — or is that where creative license comes in?
- The shower enclosure causes irritating convection/suction from the two-sided shower curtain. Unlike a claw foot tub that sits in the middle of the room, this tub is built into the wall and has a fully functioning enclosure; however, the wall panels are not waterproof so an additional shower curtain is required. Is there a way to waterproof the wall panels so that I do not have to have a shower curtain on the wall side? Have you seen others do this?
Noelle, your bathroom is amazing. I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. I’ll have to pass the buck to Pam on these questions though, as she is more knowledgeable in this department. This bathroom does however, remind me of the pink bathroom Pam visited in The Wilson House, which also had paneled walls.
Pam responds to Noelle’s questions
What decade does this bathroom reflect? Well, I think it reflect the 1930s, actually. My first guess is that your bathroom is original — although the sink and toilet are replacements of a more current vintage.
Back in the day — including through to the 1950s and possibly even later — companies like Masonite (see image above) sold wall panels with glossy top finishes like those in your bathroom.
Moreover, companies like Micarta (above) also sold laminate just for this purpose.
Your bathroom panels — with the chrome or steel connectors between each panel — look like they would have been marketed to do-it-yourselfers. This would have made lots of sense in 1930 — the Great Depression had just hit.
Note, my second guess is that the panels went into the bathroom later. Tile could be underneath. You will only be able to find out by removing a panel.
I have seen panels like this on occasion. In our archive, we have photos of Larry’s kitchen, which had similar panels (one photo at right). Cool, huh?
- Noelle, we do not know what your panels are made of. It could be that different manufacturers used different compositions for their panels. Yes, time for a Precautionary Pam warning: Our old house can contain vintage nastiness such as lead as asbestos; get your own properly licensed professional to determine what you have so that you can make informed decisions how to handle. Noelle, this goes for the panels, their adhesives and the substrate below… and same for the flooring.
Adding a tile floor is very practical indeed. Looks like you need “dots” for your octagon and dot tiles — Chippy at World of Tile has dots in 72 colors — however, they are quite expensive. You should check Daltile to see if they have mosaic pieces the right size… then you could pop them in.
As to your question about color palettes: How about considering my 1940s Crane toilet seat palette (above) for inspiration. I see these all as color that would harmonize with your prewar bathroom.
Even though companies like Masonite and Micarta marketed these panels to be waterproof, I am a skeptic about their long-term functionality in the wet, steamy environment of a bathroom. In addition, all the minerals in our water is likely deleterious to the finish, unless you take great care to wipe down the shower wall every time. To ideas to consider: (1) Remove the panels surrounding the tub and apply 4″ pink tile from B&W (assuming the match is good) in the panels’ place. I know this idea might sound like preservationist heresy — but golly, you want a shower wall to be waterproof or else bad things can happen behind the wall. In fact: Do you know what’s happening behind that wall? Second: Replace the laminate. When I visited the Wilson House — and saw the shower with laminate walls — I asked Wilsonart about the viability of laminate for this purpose. They told me that, yes, laminate can be used for wall panels in tub/shower enclosure — you will just need to be sure it is applied correctly and in a way that seals all the edges. Noelle, we have identified numerous laminate suppliers. Perhaps you can find a pink laminate in the color you need.
Good luck, Noelle — let us know what you decide. And thank you for Saving another Pink Bathroom!
Sean Ryan says
I just removed two bathrooms with that material in the my 1936 house. We were unsure about it because it was damaged, painted and wallpapered over. It was just a masonite fiberboard with a very glossy paint finish that had been blued to the walls with a brown oil based mastic. Obviously it didn’t survive in the shower stall or near the tub. The main bathroom had alternating colors in a horizontal pattern (jade green & Spring green as was written behind a dressing mirror). The small powder room had a 4×4 tile pattern on the panels in a puddy yellow.
I even have the same mirror!
I’ve gots lots of photos of how it was put together. Oddly, the builders had put the bathroom walls behind together in the same manner as would be done if it were tiled. So maybe it was a cheap fix for expensive tile?
I want to replace the same pattern of paneling with vitrolite if I can get my hand on it.
laurie magpie ethel says
Super awesome bathroom and so happy you want to keep the flavor of it. The little vanity area is my favorite spot. Really an amazing and one of a kind spot..good luck with the project!
Christine says
Well, looky here:
http://marlite.com/volta-finishes-page.aspx
It looks like you can get custom painted/powder coated HPL to replace any that’s been water-ravaged over the years.
I’m lovin’ the pink – good luck with your bathroom restoration!
pam kueber says
wow. thanks!
TappanTrailerTami says
Great link!
Jay says
Thanks for the link. Wondered if the company was still in business. Apparently the company shifted its market from residential to the commercial segment.
JKM says
A most interesting bathroom – and I’m scratching my head in wonder. I especially love the angles sink with flanking lights – wow. My initial feeling was that this was a remodeling from a long time ago that covers existing wall tile and, perhaps, patched walls. The seat with angled back and drawers is perplexing to me as is the frosted window above it that appears to open to an adjoining room. Do you think the frosted window used to be a door into the adjacent room that was walled over? This area, especially where it meets the exterior window sill, is somewhat awkward – at least in pictures. The floor tile is definitely asbestos {Precautionary Pam notes: Noelle and readers: Get with your own properly licensed professional to determine what you have and how to handle safely….} and might have been adhered to ceramic tile. Maybe the panels were an “update” to an otherwised “old fashioned” ceramic tile bath? Funny how things come full circle.
Carol says
I do like your bathroom very much, however, there seems to be two time periods going on in there. The floor is very much art deco and the pink seems more midcentury with the bench seat. This makes me wonder what is hiding beneath the pink, if anything. Maybe they just went traditional on the floor and progressive on the walls and it is an original design. My grandmother had the masonite on her kitchen walls and it is still there and has held up beautifully for 66 years. Your panel pattern is an earlier version that was from the deco period. Please let us know what is underneath when you redo the tub area. Oddly enough, as much as I like pink, that floor is awesome. I really love the curved molding between the floor and cabinets.
Janie4 says
I am willing to bet those floor tiles are asbestos, which means having a licensed contractor to take them out. It’s a hazardous process, which I think does mean you may not be able to save the fixtures in situ, which is a pity. I would try to see if your contractor can get them out in one piece and put them back after the floor and tile work is done. {Precautionary Pam repeats: Noelle and readers: Get with your own properly licensed professional to determine what you have and how to handle safely….}
Those built ins are wild, and if the laminate doesn’t have asbestos in it, I’d try and keep it for the area around the vanity. The backsplash to the sink doesn”t match the color scheme. Might change that. I’d retile everything else in pink square 4 by 4 tile, or pink subway tile. Pink subway tile wouldn’t be historically accurate, but it was a 30’s era tile, and it would look great, especially with white accent tiles.
Chris says
Is the blog eating posts? I commented earlier and it was on there. Now it isn’t. I’ll repeat myself…. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE! This bathroom is probably the neatest thing I’ve seen in a long time!
pam kueber says
I was on the run all day yesterday and had moderation turned on.
Chad says
I’m pretty sure that you could use laminate for the wall surface, but that you’d need the substrate to be waterproofed really well. I’m using Redgard on HardiBacker in my bathroom, which I’m tiling. From what I understand, this is very good, perhaps excessive, and with the Redgard up it would be waterproof without the tile. Trouble is, even if you have really good waterproofing behind the laminate, the laminate itself may take a beating and need to be replaced every 20 years or so. And from the looks of your photos, I get the impression that it wouldn’t be fun to change it out in the whole bathroom.
So short story, if you really want to preserve the laminate as a waterproof shower enclosure, get ready to put the fanciest backer boards and waterproofing products possible behind it. And get ready to call all the manufacturers to make sure that they’ll work with your setup. Your setup definitely qualifies as weird and won’t be in their spec (Redgard says it works for fountains and pools though – and I guess that means it can go under plaster)
Or take Pam’s advice and work wall tile into the design.
pam kueber says
I also would bet: The front of the laminate is the likely the waterproof part. If any water gets behind the laminate — onto the kraft paper part — I bet you’d get a delamination mess….. Yes: Find yee pros who know what they’re doing….
Chad says
Hmm, I would have assumed that the kraft paper was fully impregnated with the plastic resin, making it waterproof, and that the real problem was the corners. That metal trim will trap water. Maybe it could be installed in a bed of caulk, making it better than it was in the 30’s.
But here’s another option. Those companies that make acrylic surrounds to go over existing tubs and tile, like bath fitter. Since it’s made to order anyway, could they fabricate an acrylic version of this? It would mean going back and forth from pink to white, and then there’s the question of the metal banding. If there were consumer demand for bathrooms that look like this, I’d bet you could get something with a similar look made out of more functional modern materials. As it is… maybe worth a call.
pam kueber says
hmmm…. could be. I am not sure about laminate and whether the top/decorative layer of melamine makes the top more waterproof than the underlayers of kraft. See: https://retrorenovation.com/2013/06/04/how-laminate-is-made/
pam kueber says
Plus, I agree re the “bath fitters” possibility… thanks!
Chad says
Yeah I’ll vouch for the quality of Bath Fitter because the previous owner of my house put in a tub liner and enclosure (over bad plumbing and a beat up bathtub) and I had the pleasure of ripping it out.
Also, a friend’s parents used Bath Fitter to cover a damaged tub while retaining the original tile.
Carrie says
I have panels like these in my bathroom, only with large butterflies on them from the 60s. Recently, my boyfriend and I went to a salvage yard where you “pick” off older trailers from the 50s and 60s. We removed 3 pink and blue starburst panels, and on the back they were called “Marlite” By Masonite. Plastic coated Masonite…In the bathroom, they do not make the best for shower walls. A scratch, or hole and it puffs out the masonite backing and so starts a slow deterioration. I have several small places I have matched the paint to, and am going to attempt painting on my bathroom butterflies. I dont have the heart to get rid of them, and this is my last ditch effort in saving my funky butterflies.
pam kueber says
WOW! Butterflies and pink and blue starburst panels!!!!
Jay says
Yes, Marlite! Not very moisture proof. It was in the kitchen of my last house – floor to ceiling. It was 25 + years old, from the 60s. It was peeling and scaling badly, most likely from repeated cleaning. I bet it looked nice when new. Once the lamination goes, forget it! I replaced it with knotty pine planking.
Jay says
Sharp looking bathroom! I’m with Pam, redo the tub surround in ceramic tile of like color. Also, I would consider tiling the section of wall that the sink is attached to as that looks like a problem area / patched section as well. It will provide a more cohesive look. Some clear tempered glass panels on side and end of tub (not doors) like Pam’s picture will add a luxe touch and a historical 30s design touch as well.
Be sure to confirm the floor is actually linoleum before ripping it up to ensure its composition is free of hazardous materials, same goes for the tub panels.
Chris says
Absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this bathroom! One of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time! Good luck to your in your research and repair!