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  • Home » Bathroom Help Category -- Also note those subcategories in the orange navigation, above! » readers and their bathrooms » Checkerboards, polka dots & surfer decor perk up the pink bathroom at Joe’s house

    Checkerboards, polka dots & surfer decor perk up the pink bathroom at Joe’s house

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    Posted by: pam kueber • May 30, 2012

    retro bathroomjoe and his familyWhen Joe and his family bought their 1960 house in Ontario, there was one original feature remaining: The pink bathroom. They loved it, and for their bathroom design idea, they added surfer decor. It only took a few cues, and they were ready to make waves. My other takeaway from this example: So many midcentury bathrooms have such wonderful design features, you don’t need to do a heck of a lot to breathe happy new life into them. Joe writes:

    My wife and I moved into our bungalow in Ontario, Canada back in 2006. Built in 1960, the home had suffered some sketchy renos and aesthetic choices in its life, and in our estimation, we had a collection of the worst of the 70s, 80s, and 90s had to offer.

    bathroom design idea for 1960 bathroom

    That is except for our pink bathroom!
    starburst counter topLeft virtually untouched, it was one of the primary selling points of our purchase.
    glass rod light fixtureoriginal vintage chrome toothbrush holderreed glass dividerpink bathroom in canadaHere’s what we loved:
    *Starburst counter top
    *Glass rod light fixture
    *Laundry chute leading directly to the laundry room
    *Lockable medicine drawer
    *Rippled vanity glass
    *Original cabinetry, hardware, pink tile, pink sink, pink, toilet, pink bathtub
    locking medicine drawerAt present, it serves as our kids bathroom. At ages 7 & 9, she gets a daily work out from our kids. This bathroom has thoroughly earned its survivor status!

    retro wood bathroom vanityThe only modifications we’ve done have been adding the checkered laminate flooring… surfboard bath mat…

    david bazan… framed tour poster of one of our favourite musical acts [www.davidbazan.com] …and [clashing in my opinion and not my wife’s – some battles just aren’t worth fighting] a polka dotted shower curtain.
    wood bathroom vanity with retro drawer pullsAt 52 years, though showing her age in some spots, she’s a real looker and we plan to keep her just as she is.

    joe and his familyThanks again for the knockout blog!

    Joe Thank YOU, Joe, for sharing your your knockout bathroom with us, and oh my goodness, your family could not be more gorgeous. Hey, as a woman of 53, my favorite line for sure is: “At 52 years, though showing her age in some spots, she’s a real looker and we plan to keep her just as she is. P.S. I think the polka-dot shower curtain looks great. It adds another geometric dimension — kind of balancing your checkerboard floor and the lines of the reeded glass — AND, the polka dots repeat the circles of your glass rod lighting fixture. Your wife done fine with that choice. Don’t mess with the wife!

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    Comments

    1. Lisa says

      May 30, 2012 at 10:57 am

      The house I grew up in had the pink sink, tub and toilet! It had green tile, though. So sad that when I went to see my childhood home it was abandoned and someone had brolen all the fixtures : ( So glad you are keeping it original!!!

      Reply
    2. nisiepie says

      May 30, 2012 at 11:05 am

      what a cute family 🙂

      Reply
    3. Marta says

      May 31, 2012 at 9:01 am

      They bathroom’s great, but the family pic is the cutest ever!

      Reply
    4. Alan says

      June 1, 2012 at 12:16 am

      Ha! Just moved into a house with a pink bathroom – shower stall, sink, toilet and tub. Pink subway tiles on the walls, pink and grey floor

      Gerber makes a pink toilet – we had to replace the old one but new one is pretty much exact color match.

      What’s funny is we also did a surf theme and actually have the same exact surfboard rug – got ours at a place called bungalowbeachdesigns.com which has all sorts of cool surfer and Hawaiian decor

      Reply
    5. tammyCA says

      June 2, 2012 at 11:33 pm

      Love that starburst countertop…and, those cool ties! 52?! Wow, I thought she was in her 30s – she looks great.

      Reply
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