Retro Renovation» porcelain

Colvin’s pink unglazed porcelain ceramic bathroom floor tiles

pam kueber — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:59:53 +0000

Vintage pink unglazed porcelain ceramic bathroom floor tiles – pinwheel pattern. Could there be anything more luscious to find in a mid-century home?

Upon request, Colvin has sent in a close up of the floors in his pink and gray vintage bathroom. It really is so lovely – notice the slight shading of the dot within the pink 1×2′s. Ahhhhhh. Thank you, Raymond!

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60 colors of mosaic floor tile for a mid-century bathroom

pam kueber — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:00:27 +0000

JOHN SPOTTED THIS GREAT PORCELAIN CERAMIC MOSAIC bathroom tile, which would be great for a 1960s bathroom floor. It’s from a company new to me — Nemo Tile. There are 60 different color combinations to choose from.

Notice the multicolored mosaic on one wall only - you can see it in the mirror

Design tips for your bathroom renovation: Choose a mosaic pattern… select one color from the floor tile and pair it with a matching 4×4 field tile. For the bullnose, I’d probably stick with the same color as the field tile. I’d also likely use a matte finish for the field tile with this particular flooring. Another possibility: You could choose one single color from the multicolored mosaic floor and use it on the walls. In this case, it could also be great fun to run the multicolor mosaic up one wall like this bathroom (look in the mirror to see what I mean).

John writes:

Hi Pam,

What do you think of the photo attachment from Nemo Tile Co.? I was at an architects office today on business and I saw this sample in person and it looks kind of retro 1960s to me. The company is Nemo Tile. This pattern is called Appiani, and they are 1″x1″ ceramic and they come in small slabs with a net backing. This color combo is called Country 01. I also like the aqua 06 and also lavande, which is a mix of two medium blues.

Best, John

John – love love love it. Thank you! Nemo Tile also has other fantastic patterns that I will continue featuring. Great find.

Magically delicious.

Lawrence Bill, you were looking for a new floor for this bathroom. These Nemo Appiani tiles look like they *might* have a color that could work for you...

Nice. These remind me of the the vintage Romany Spartan tiles ubiquitous in the 1960s — some of them even have splatters (molded into the tile, rather than a glaze, it appears).

: This was Cindy’s original tile floor — matched with 4″ wall tiles.

Numbers one, three and number nine — my favorites. I so badly want to be an interior designers with a gazillion clients, so that I could do a bathroom in each and every one of these 60s colors.

Link: Nemo Tile.

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Recessed ceramic soap dishes & more in 33 colors from HCP Industries

pam kueber — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:00:51 +0000

THANKS GO OUT TO JOAN (I *think*) for finding this new resource (other resource here) for recessed porcelain ceramic bathroom soap dishes, shelves, towel bars and toilet paper holders. The manufacturer is HCP Industries, and they make these pieces in 33 colors, many of them great for a midcentury bathroom retro renovation. Click through for some tips on installing recessed shelves… a slide show and the link to HCP…

Some advice on recessed shelving in the bathtub surround:

More is better, when it comes to shelving. I swear I am not a bathing beauty diva… I am very low maintenance in this regard… and even so, I have: shampoo, conditioner, super conditioner to keep my hair from getting all static electricity-y, shower gel, shaving cream, clearasil face wash, clearasil super scrubber, buffer cream stuff I got on a trip 2 years ago, etc. etc. etc. Now, aren’t you glad you know what’s in my bathtub.
Also, if you have the choice, recess the shelves at the far back of the bathtub – not on the side. That way, when the shower curtain is open, you are not staring at the shelf.
Oh and there’s more: I was told by the guy who installed the tiles in my tub surround, that after you shower, you should indeed leave the curtain open for as long as practical. This encourages the water on the tile and grout to evaporate, which will preserve the whole situation longer. I believe it.
One last tip: Seal the grout in your shower/tub surround, too, he said.

Here’s the link to the HCP Industries webpages.

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