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

When 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.

That is except for our pink bathroom!

Left virtually untouched, it was one of the primary selling points of our purchase.

Here’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

At 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!

The only modifications we’ve done have been adding the checkered laminate flooring… surfboard bath mat…

… 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.

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.

Thanks 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!