Vintage pink bathroom tile. We see it all the time. But….this is 4″ x 6″ pink bathroom tile, run vertically. So it qualifies as a wonderful oddity — a woddity. Lookie that nice Hallmack glass shelf with chrome bracket too. A perfectly beautiful shade of Mamie Eisenhower pink.
This story goes under the “Hmmmm, Let’s See What’s in My Photo Files?” file. I took it more than a year ago. It is inside the girl’s bathroom at Monument Mountain High School, down the road from me, in Great Barrington, Mass.
I was at a garden lecture that Margaret gave in connection with the launch of her book. There were other people walking in and out of this bathroom, wondering, surely, who was that nutcase snapping photos. Yes, I am a woddity, too. I think I asked one of them to take a picture of me sitting against the wall. However, I did not like how I looked in that photo, not even with all the retro botox aka pink bathroom tile reflecting deliciously all over me.
I do not know whether you can even get 4″ x 6″ tiles anywhere today. I have a vague recollection of seeing the size listed in a vintage catalog or brochure some time; among my piles somewhere, someday will dig it up. And, I am not sure whether I even *like* this look. It is strange to me. Things look *strange* when you are not accustomed to them. Just as vintage pink bathrooms — even with *plain* 4×4 tiles — may initially repel the uninitiated. The 4×6 tiles railroaded vertically certainly seem to create “height”, compared to what you’d get with a 4×4.
Alas, I bet the girls down at Monument don’t know what a vintage treasure they are experiencing.
chris says
My elementary school, which is gone – sadly, was pink and turquoise.
The roof line, columns, doors, and other details were painted pink. The metal panels down below the crank-out windows were blue. (I think. It’s been a looooooonnnng time…. but I’m totally sure about the pepto bismol pink!!!!!!!!)
Crazy, huh? Can’t believe I don’t remember the bathrooms…..
Retrosandie says
WOW! It’s beautiful! I love the way it looks. And it looks like beautiful condition and sooo clean!!! Kudos to the high school maintenance dept. for keeping it so nice for so many years!! Lucky girls! So….is the Boys bathroom BLUE??????? (Pam, ya gotta check it out, too!!!) 🙂
deb says
I agree – check it out and let us know!
Kate says
I was just doing some research for my upcoming pink bathroom mood board for my Master Bath remodel and I found that Cinca tiles come in 4×8, 6×6 & 8×8 in a few shades of pink!
http://www.cincausa.com/glazed-floor-and-wall-tile-trim.html
Personally I like the coral pink, but the champagne pink is a nice retro pink!
http://www.cincausa.com/images/champagne-rose-ceramic-tile.jpg
pam kueber says
Great find, Kate!
Annie B. says
I really love the pink stall doors.
karen says
Forget the fact that it’s pink – forget the tile size, the shelf bracket, etc. I can’t believe how CLEAN this bathroom is! A high school? I have never seen a bathroom this clean in any high school I’ve attended or my kids have attended.
Kudos to the cleaning team!
Megan Chandler says
Looks very similar to the pink bathrooms in my high school in Springfield, MO, (built in the 50s). Our wall tiles went horizontally and there were a a few green tiles mixed in the floor tile. The bathrooms even came with a novel female urinal, which one used. I used to hate the pink because I thought it was just for girls, but now I truly appreciate it.
Puddletown Cheryl says
I think this size was used usually in institutional settings. Makes sense, bigger bathrooms bigger tiles.
clampers says
Yes! This is bringing back school-days memories for me. I am pretty sure I had a Mamie-pink public school bathroom at some point…maybe elementary school…
Karen S says
That tile looks to be in great shape considering it’s in a high school bathroom. I think the larger tiles look kinda neat.
jay says
Never mind the pink tile, I agree; the size is disconcering. It was the glass and chrome shelves that caught my eye. I would love one of these over my loo.