You are here: Home / Product Guides / bathroom (click here for all items)

bathroom (click here for all items)

Here are some basic recommendations for Bathroom products and design tips with an authentic midcentury feel. Important: We all care very much about managing environmental and safety issues properly, so when undertaking your restoration project, be sure to familiarize yourself with and use recommended best practices. For example, the EPA hosts a website on lead in the home and a website on asbestos in the home. Consult professionals regarding these materials, and also about the proper disposal of debris, etc.

Tile, floor:

  • Daltile mosaics – really nice – click here
  • More Daltile – click here
  • Nemo Appiana mosaics in 60 color combos — also fabulous — click here
  • Nemo octagon and dots in 13 color combos — click here
  • Many varieties of porcelain mosaic floor tile from American Universal — click here
  • Porcelain mosaic floor tile in 33 colors from mosaictile.com — click here
  • Penny rounds from Modwalls – click here
  • Porcelain ceramic in many retro colors and styles from American Universal – click here
  • American Olean Chloe is a nice choice – click here
  • I love the 60s and 70s style tiles from S.J. Masters – click here

Tile design tips:

Tile, wall:

  • Major suppliers of 4×4 field tiles are: Daltile, American Olean and U.S. Ceramic. Daily, it seems there are more colors suitable for retro renovations
  • If your house is late 50s or later – you can also look at 2″x2″ and 1″x1″ tiles for the wall. Daltile Keystones offers the 1×1’s.
  • B&W – for 48 vintage colors including pink  – click here
  • Liner tiles from B&W – click here
  • S.J. Masters “Flintstone tile” (also for countertops and maybe floors) – click here

Recessed ceramic fixtures:

Sinks & sink legs: click here

Lavatory faucets:

  • An 8″ spread and a 4″ spread, each with two handles – click here
  • 4″ lav faucets from Gerber – click here and here
  • Retro bathroom faucet with a shampoo sprayer – click here
  • A single-handle 4″ that’s fine – click here
  • And, these basic Delta single handle or crystal knob models are fine, too – click here
  • Parts to fix old lav faucets — click here

For vanity countertops:

  • See my complete Fast & Easy page for retro-style laminates – click here
  • If you want a solid surface material, I like the look of that Caesarstone-Blizzard

To construct a vanity:

  • In my two bathrooms, we ordered vanities made out of MDF, painted., full overlay doors, radius edge. I’ve seen these from Cabico; and from Diamond/Aristocraft – however, they do not offer the radius edge. There may well be other companies that offer them.
  • You can have a local cabinetmaker construct your vanity from MDF — and paint it. This can be very affordable — see the complete post here.
  • Or – there are plenty of 50s 60s and 70s precedents for vanities made from laminate. See the slide show of vintage bathroom vanities now in the Gallery.
  • For your cabinet pulls — see the Cabinet Hardware Category – click here

Tubs:

  • Several classic choices from Kohler – click here
  • Also try the Kohler Villager – it’s their most popular model, and just fine for a retro renovation.

Shower pan and doors:

  • Terrazzo shower pan from Crane or Fiat – click here
  • Terrazzo shower pan from Stern Williams - click here
  • Swanstone solid surface or Tile ready – click here
  • Or: use unglazed 1″x1″ mosaic floor tiles
  • Shower doors: Get the very basic sliding door installation, mottled glass or fluted glass

Bath & shower fixtures:

  • Retro style Delta – click here
  • I used a very basic Moen in my bathroom
  • The “Mississippi” set from antiqueplumber.com is also very nice – but more expensive.

Toilets:

  • The basic round-bowl Kohler Wellworth suitable for a 40s, 50s or 60s home – click here
  • The Kohler Cimarron’s tank is little more rounded, nice, too – click here
  • Gerber Ultraflush has retro pizzazz – click here
  • An elongated toilet suitable for a 60s or 70s home – click here
  • Parts to fix vintage toilets — click here

Toilet seats:

Toilet tank covers:

  • Yes, someone hoards these for re-sale – click here

Lighting:

  • Please see my Fast & Easy Lighting Page – click here
  • See “What Else?” below – for instructions regarding putting an exhaust fan/light in tub/shower. Two sets of lights — one in the tub/shower, and another over/flanking your sink/mirror – should be enough, if your bathroom is a typical small bathroom. If you need a third – recessed or very low profile – ceiling/centered.

Rugs, towels, shower curtains:

Medicine cabinets

Chrome accessories:

  • Where to find vintage soap dishes, plastic soap trays, etc. – click here
    Lots of towel bars, toilet holders, soap holders, etc. from Franklin Brass – click here
  • Vintage recessed Hall-Mack — if you can find it! – click here
  • How to re-chrome your existing fixtures – click here

Wallpaper:

  • Your retro renovation bathroom needs wallpaper. Review the Wallpaper Category on my site for continued research on appropriate wallpaper at all price points.

Window treatments:

  • I used simple pleated shades in my bathroom
  • I also recommend 2″ metal blinds – click here
  • I personally love old-fashioned hinged, wooden shutters. If these are original to your home – you are lucky! They are expensive to have made, but you can do it.
  • I love pinch-pleated valances
  • And/or pleated curtains

Recreate a complete Pink Bathroom - click here

How to add storage to a small bathroom

What else?

  • In most climates, you need an exhaust fan – moisture is your home’s enemy! Put it on a standalone switch – and add a timer so that you can leave it on for 10 minutes.
  • I put the exhaust fan centered above the tub/shower and use the kind that includes the light. Put the light and exhaust function on separate switches.
  • Medicine cabinets – I don’t have any posts on this. I tend to prefer large vintage etched mirrors – if you don’t need the storage. If you do need the storage – use a vintage cabinet or a good quality simple cabinet new.
  • Other storage – can be created by building into a wall. I prefer doors – I used old folding shutters, framed in. Quite sweet.
  • Wastepaper basket: Fun to find at estate sales
  • Scales: Ditto – find something vintage. DO NOT USE. Dangerous to your health, both medical and physical. You don’t need one of these to tell you if you need to lose a few pounds! They are decorative only.

Salvage places:

  • Deabath.com – great service, experts at Crane, know their stuff
  • Historichouseparts.com
  • For sure: Your local Habitat for Humanity/Re-Store
  • In England – click here for an amazing place

Yummy historical tile examples:

  • Combine 4×4 and 1×1 tiles in an authentic 50s way – click here
  • An authentic pattern for 2×2 and 1×1 porcelain ceramic floor tiles – click here
  • Please search the site Tile Category for even more info and inspiration on how to create great tile patterns that can really spice up your bathroom


Retro Renovation