Lynne and Bob loved the green bathroom original to their 1955 ranch house, but it was riddled with problems that necessitated a complete remodel. Wanting to keep as much midcentury charm as possible, the couple created a detailed plan to renovate the space. The new bathroom, shown above, is gorgeous — and suits the original architecture of the home beautifully. But… read on… and you will see that this lovely result came after more than a few *hiccups*. How about: Termites and squirrels and mold — Oh My!
My house is a long sprawling rancher built in 1955. There was an addition added in the 1960s, but it was so well done, one would never know it.
There were multiple reasons why we decided to remodel our original green bathroom, and it wasn’t an easy decision. We’re vintage lovers, obviously, and tearing out an original bathroom seemed very wrong. The original green tile was in perfect condition. The twin green sinks were also near perfect.
But: There were problems.
First, there was the small telephone booth sized shower in the corner. We were told the original had been a metal one that had rusted and leaked. It was replaced with a cheap, not quite the right size, molded, plastic deal, probably from a big box store. It was installed badly and I couldn’t keep it clean and mold free.
The floor wasn’t original — it was a cheap piece of vinyl that had developed an odd stain across it. The stain will be important later. I also started noticing that the window crank was loose and jiggly………hmmmm.
That loose window and the odd stain on the floor? Turns out that leaky old shower had been a dark, warm, paradise for termites. Almost the entire window wall was…eaten. The wood was just flaking away. That’s why the window was loose. There was nothing of substance holding it in. It was old damage, we knew the house had been treated before we bought it, but we had no idea of the damage within the wall.
Then on the other walls and the floor was old, black mold that extended three feet up the wall and onto the floor (hence the stain) even into the adjoining room, which then also had to be redone. There had also apparently been squirrels in the ceiling. We found that mess when the ceiling came down. All of a sudden, we didn’t feel so bad about tearing out that bathroom.
The toilet was oddly placed, and right inside the door. Not very private. We found out later that the reason for the constant unpleasant odor — even though it was all sparkly clean — was that is had been installed improperly. Just plunked down on a pipe out of the floor. No gasket or wax ring, and the gasses were coming through. We removed the closet, and pushed the toilet way down into the far corner with a half wall to give more privacy. The new placement of the toilet put it right smack on top of a floor joist, which then necessitated a 14″ rough in toilet instead of the planned upon 12″.
From the doorway on down to the half wall would be a 7′ long vanity with two sinks. But then we discovered that the space was not deep enough for the standard vanity I had chosen. A standard vanity is at least 22″ deep, which would have extended into the doorway! We had to totally regroup. The drop-in sinks I wanted so badly were too deep as well.
We had to go custom. We found a kitchen/bath place that would build exactly the odd depth and length we needed — for a price and many weeks in the making of course, but we had no choice. We chose a cherry wood because with the proper stain it matched our existing mahogany paneling in the rest of the house and the doors. We also had the doors inset just like the old original green vanity, plus not having slab overlay doors we bought another inch for the vanity.
During this time, I had to find new sinks to fit an awkward depth vanity. I wanted drop-in basins, but they were too big and ate up the entire countertop surface. I’m not a fan of the undermount thing, but I had no choice. A small undermount sink was the only thing that would fit.
Then, in the middle of the job, my tile setter had a herniated disc and was out for weeks.
All of this being said, despite all of the angst, inconvenience, and frustration, it paid off. The bathroom looks great. It functions well, its sleek and easy to clean. I actually gained more storage than I had in the tiny closet. While not totally midcentury, I think we combined the best of the past and the present.
Lynne shares the resources for her blue bathroom:
- Wall and floor tile: Field tile is Dal Tile Spa 4×4, semi-gloss. The floor is Keystones Arctic White with Spa sprinkled about. I think the grout was called….moonlight?? It’s a very pale grey.
- Vanity: The vanity is custom, from Creative Kitchens and Baths in Bloomington, IL.
- Countertop: White Diamond by ECO. It is made of all recycled material, nothing was mined, which was important to me. It is made of crushed cups, plates, glass and mirrors, etc. I loved the fresh, icy look of it, and the tiny mirror chips were the closest I could find to “glitter”.
- Sinks: The sinks are Highpoint Collection Petite from Overstock.
- Faucets: The faucets and tub fixtures are Naru by Symmons.
- Bathtub: Aker. It was supplied by my plumber, sight unseen.
- Toilet: Kohler Wellworth.
- Cabinet hardware: The chevron handles are vintage Weslock. We got an entire box of 40 or so sets, on eBay if I recall. These were the same as the original on the green vanity.
- Lighting: The hanging globe light is also vintage. It was $2.50 at a flea market I cleaned it up and spray painted the old rusted, pitted brass silver. This one is 10″, but we also grabbed the 8″ one for another $2.50.
- Wallpaper: The wild wallpaper was a gamble and I believe from York. The book name escapes me for the moment.
- Shower curtain: The shower curtain is temporary from the clearance bin at Bed Bath and Beyond for $12.99. I always make my own shower curtains and I will do the same here as soon as I find the right fabric. But, this works fine for now.
Building a new bathroom can be one of the most complicated interior designs project there is — because of the need to fit so much function into a small space. This story proves it — not to mention, that as much as we may love old houses, the “surprises” that come with them are not always good ones.
- See our story: Bathroom remodeling — a checklist of 84 decisions to consider (plus read the comments, readers have piped in with more!)
Great job, Lynne & Bob. The bathroom is gorgeous — you deserve to be very proud of your tenacity in pulling it off. Thank you so much for sharing your story — and enjoy!
Carol says
I also love original, but in this case the remodel is stellar. Moving the toilet was necessary to gain space and the room flows now. It was awkward before, and the open ended vanity was strange and not very neat. The floor is just beautiful and the knee wall for the toilet is perfect. Thanks for the inspiration because I have the exact same vanity problem and have been thinking of the knee wall. I think I will do it now, my bathroom floorplan is identical. Love the tile kick area under the vanity and the fact that you saved the original vent. The custom vanity makes the room. So well done.
Tisha says
Beautiful! We should all be so lucky as to have your skills at modernizing so seamlessly. I love it all, but I think the wild wallpaper totally makes the room.
Here’s a vote for you to share more of your home with us, Lynne!
Amber says
I actually like the before as well as the after. Love the custom vanity, it’s gorgeous!
Amanda Kretchun says
Lovely update! This is my goal with our next bathroom project. An update with the charm of the retro maintained. I just really need to start planning! Love the tile you chose, and I know we will have the same vanity depth issue. Thank you for sharing!
Lynne says
Thanks, Amanda. We planned VERY carefully. I also talked to 3 contractors before I found one that “got it”, and could manage to replicate our unusual curved molding edges.
I also talked to 2 or 3 tile guys before I found one that was willing to tackle the job the way we wanted it done. One guy wouldn’t even consider the job.
Julie says
I love this so much! It solves all the problems of the old bathroom with a very clear, recognizable nod to the original style. That hardware in particular is spectacular!
Kelly Wittenauer says
Wow! Gorgeous bathroom. Looks like it could have been there all along and I like it better than the original.
Sarah Janeczek says
It looks great and I especially love the pattern that you chose for the floor! It just goes to show that with a little creativity, you can get a big impact from simple tiles.
I’m not sure if you did this or not but when removing original building materials, please donate to your local Habitat Restore. Not only does this keep the material out of the landfill, but it gives other homeowners a chance to use your old fixtures in their next remodel!
Lynne says
Sarah, I agree 100%. We have the two green sinks stored in the attic. My son painstakingly pried off the tiles, and I believe he lost only 2. They are all boxed up. I have absolutely NO idea what we’ll do with them, but by golly we saved ’em!
Allen says
This makes me very happy! I love the new bathroom as well!
Debbie in Portland says
I was SO hoping that those fabulous sinks found a good home, thank you for saving them! I love your new floor and countertop, and those cabinet pulls are perfect. 🙂
Kari says
Take some photos & try to sell on Craigslist. If they don’t sell, donate to a Habitat for Humanity Restore or a local salvage warehouse in your area.
Maria says
The bathroom in my grandmother’s house, a 1954 ranch-style, has had its fixtures replaced over the years, and based on whats already been ripped out (pink sink, pink toilet, mirror/cabinet, etc.) and what it’s been replaced with (boring beige, faux wood cabinetry), I’m sorry to say that any renovations that might get done in the future are not likely to be loyal to the time period. I weep for the day when the small, hand-laid tile squares are sheared off the floor.
Your bathroom renovation, on the other hand, did what had to be done for functionality, but still allowed the space to retain the charm of its Mid-Century predecessor! Well done!
Dan says
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do – the happy result here is a bath that works better and looks just as at home as the original.
Your story reminds me of when we had an electrician check an oulet that didn’t work – one that was oddly placed and only used to check the Christmas tree lights once a year. Well, one week and $6,000 later…….
Karen S says
Beautiful job. I love the color and the ‘wild’ wallpaper. I would love to see a closeup of the cabinet hardware. It looks really cool.
Lynne says
I can take a picture, if Pam would want me to. I’m not sure, but there may have been a close up sent in the original batch of pictures I sent. I was worried about getting a “kitchen look”. It’s walking a close line in that direction, but it was what was on the original green vanity.
Phyllis says
Well done! This story reminds of what historians say about the well known travails of the famous Farnsworth House – it doesn’t show. Which is the ultimate praise for a difficult and trying renovation. I think it looks fantastic. Enjoy your beautiful bathroom to the fullest.