This week’s Retro Design Dilemma comes to us from reader Pat — who has just become the caretaker for the 1953 ranch home where she grew up — after moving back in to care for her aging mother. Pat is trying to clean up the home little by little — and is a little overwhelmed with the task at hand. Deciding to start the process by fixing up her peachy-pinky-beige and maroon bathroom — Pat knows the peeling wallpaper and missing grout will need to be fixed. What she’s not sure of: What kind of treatment should replace the aging wallpaper? Pat needs help with ideas on how to decorate this mid century bathroom.
I have a 1950s bathroom in a ranch-style house that was built in 1953. (I grew up there and have now moved back in to assist my mother who is no longer able to live alone.)
The bathroom has maroon floor tiles, and in the 80s my parents replaced the tub surround with beige 4″ x 4″ tiles because water got behind the wall and the original tiles had to be removed.
The tub and toilet are the original “flesh” color (for lack of a better description, but I’m sure you know what I mean).
My parents also replaced the original vanity, not sure when but now have an oak one w/matching mirror, probably from Home Depot or something similar.
It’s got a few layers of wallpaper; the present one is peeling, but underneath it’s all rough and bumpy from the old glue and the previous layers.
I’m just wondering about what kind of wall treatment I could use after I remove the old wallpaper, and if we replaced the vanity and mirror, what would look appropriate?
The dark lines you see between some tiles are missing grout (the whole shower enclosure needs to be regrouted), and there is some rust along the seam on the tub.
There is so much to do in this house, this is just a very small part! I’m doing the best I can but it’s overwhelming.
Thank you!
Readers, what should Pat do with the walls when the peeling paper is removed? How about the mirror and vanity situation?
Kate’s solution: warm & woodsy
Aside from tackling the removal of all of that peeling wallpaper and missing grout, I would remove the shower doors and replace them with a curtain. The curtain will be easier to keep clean — plus the right shower curtain will help tie the room together. It is hard to tell the exact shades of maroon, peachy-pink and beige that are found in your tile, tub and toilet, but this butterflies shower curtain from Overstock.com seems like it might have the right colors for your space.
Since the shower curtain is patterned, I would keep the walls a solid color. To add more interest and contrast to the space, picking a light green from the shower curtain and using it as the wall color will help visually pull the space together. Red (maroon) and green are complimentary colors that work well together.
For the mirror, I’d choose a simple, frameless oval shape — like this Moen mirror from Home Depot — which will feel light and airy by comparison to the large, oak framed mirror currently in place.
To finish up the look — green hand and bath towels will repeat the green wall and shower curtain color again, for further cohesiveness. For a slightly retro kitschy look, add a pine cone bath mat and a shelf over the toilet with some cute vintage knick knacks, like this family of chipmunks Pam found on Ebay. Alternately, if kitsch isn’t your thing, a solid bath mat in one of the colors found in the room would also work wonderfully.
Pam’s solutions: Playing up the ruby red jewel box
What a wonderful daughter you are, Pat, to be there to help your mother! Here are my thoughts on your bathroom:
- As other readers have mentioned in their comments: Safety First. Please consult with properly licensed professionals to ensure you know latest safety guidance on securing this bathroom against slips and falls. I bet that they even have this advice at the doctor’s office! Now on to decorating….
- To me, that rich red mosaic tile floor file seems to be the major star of your vintage bathroom. It sure looks gorgeous. However, that beige-colored tub and tile and toilet. Umm, not so much. So, I would most definitely play up the ruby red… and treat the beige like a neutral.
- If your safety experts agree with the advice to take out the sliding door and install properly secured hand rails instead, I would take out the slider. That way, you could use a bold shower curtain to add color and pattern — and it would play down the expanse of beige tile. I would find gorgeous ruby-red towels to go with.
- I would add a beige-colored toilet seat… and as another reader suggested this morning, I’d change out the sink to match the other fixtures.
- Since in this design I added a very bold shower curtain, I think I would just paint the walls — probably a classic ivory. Nothing too harsh.
- I might leave the oak vanity as is… the oak tones kind of meld with the beige-colored fixtures. I think I’d change the pulls though — I might choose an oak pull to keep it simple.
And…
- Since you asked for wallpaper, Pat, how about something like the design above. As described above, I looked for a wallpaper with a ruby red design. It was actually difficult to find this color in the several places I looked. But finally, I found this light and airy floral by Brewster. Wallpaper is such a personal design decision… and this is not particularly retro — I’d call it traditional… but I wanted to show it to illustrate how I got to it: (1) the color of the pattern is close — ideally you want to match that ruby red floor, (2) the field, or background, seems to work — I did not like how brite white fields looked in this bathroom; a color that picked up a bit of your beige tone (but not toooo much) seemed to work best, (3) the scale of the pattern looked right — you need to bridge the mosaic of the floor and the squares of the shower/tub surround when you choose the wallpaper, (4) the wallpaper kept the room airy, and (5) the price was not too bad.
- I’d add ruby red towels and a creamy shower curtain in the same color as the field color of the wallpaper.
Thank you, Pat, for submitting your Retro Design Dilemma — good luck with all — and let us know what you decide!
Matt says
Oooh. Looking forward to seeing the ideas on this. Lots of these sort of baths out there with opportunities to improve.
Ada says
If it were me, I think I’d go with black add in black as a colour with the beige and maroon (good GOD, I love that floor!!) to kind of ‘pick up’ the mood. The first thing I’d do is either paint the papered wall white or find a great kitschy print (in a black and white or a black, white and maroon) to repaper with. You could even bring in a bit of pink in your accessories or the paper to lighten things a bit. I’d find a lovely dan-mod chest or dresser and paint it black and insert the sink to replace that Home Depot Vanity…you could even keep the mirror if you wanted, just paint it the same black as the vanity. Or you could find a great MCM medicine cabinet online or even at the Restore….and replace the light the same way, NOS. Whatever you do will be wonderful though. Such a pretty bathroom…did I mention that that floor is TO DIE FOR??? Oh, I did? Well let me say it again….I LOVE THAT FLOOR!!!
Melissa L. says
I agree with the others’ comments on safety suggestions. I’d remove the shower doors and replace with a shower curtain. Install handles for getting into and out of the bath and a hand-held shower head and shower seat. I’m a bit worried about the water stains on the ceiling and the wall paper falling off. Is there a lot of moisture build-up in the bathroom or was there a roof leak at one time? If the former, you may need to install a ventilation fan. I love the maroon floor and think you need to tie it in more, maybe with a wallpaper with maroon and bahama? pink. I also like the suggestion to replace the sink to match the toilet and bath. It looks like the size of the current sink may work to just drop another sink into the vanity which would be your cheapest option. The Gerber sink featured on this site looks like it would work just fine. Paint the cabinets bahama pink or white, regrout the tiles, and you’ve got a lovely vintage bath.
Erin in Ohio says
Unsolicited: I’m not the first to say it, but put a Bemis color-matched toilet seat on your holiday/Christmas wish list. It’s the first thing I bought to begin the “fixing up” of my multi-blue 1952 bathroom, and I could not believe what a difference that one simple change made! I have a “flesh” colored one on my wish list for my master bath this year. I love that the Bemis seats not only match our retro toilets but have the modern whisper-quiet closing feature. No more slamming the toilet seat down. A beautiful marriage of retro form and modern function!
Solicited: I defer to lynda, Mary Elizabeth, Janet in CT, Roundhouse Sarah, Pam, Kate, etc. 🙂
Roundhouse Sarah says
Don’t forget to repaint the ceiling white. One usually doesn’t realize how unwhite the ceiling gets over time until you start painting it. It will reflect light better and make the space seem brighter and cleaner.
Pat says
My son actually repainted the ceiling white last year. That room retains moisture. It’s always been difficult to keep it aired out.
Jay says
I experienced something of this when I moved back home for two years after selling my first home and planning my next move when my parents agreed to move with me to a ranch house that would be so much easier for them. My father had suffered two strokes. Yes the sliding doors do need to go if a transfer bench is needed for bathing. Also, grab bars are needed. If you don’t have the time or physical inclination hire a wallpaper stripper who will remove the layers and gunk so that you can prime and paint or repaper. If the tub tile is solid, a regrouting should sufice. When the walls are free of the paper you can decide what you want to do. Perhaps an economical fix for the vanity and med. cab. if in good shape is painting them. The porcelain sink bowl and laminate top appear to be in good shape. Once the wallpaper and tile issues are addressed you can have fun with color, inspired by the floor.
Marjie says
Thanks Jay for mentioning the transfer bench in the bathroom.I am also caring for an elderly parent who is also blind except that we renovated our 58 ranch to accommodate her needs. Everyone please be aware that grab bars need to be installed at locations convenient for the intended user . A diminutive lady will not benefit from bars installed for a 6+ foot man and vice versa. Be sure to have your parent go in the room and test out where the bars by the toilet and tub should be( also test out what angle of the bars is best). You’ll want to do this Before you apply you decorative finish (whether it’s fresh paint,new paper, or wainscotting). The grab bars need to be attached to a secure framework like a stud or additional blocking in the wall not just a molly, so it’s highly likely that the portions drywall will need to be removed so that the blocking (aka “universal framing”) can be installed in the wall , once the drywall is patched then the finishing can commence – whether is be fresh paint, wainscotting half wall , or paper.
. .
Barbara says
It is a good idea to consult with the nursing team about safety before you do anything. Shower doors can be unsafe if an older person is holding on to them for support. Also, make sure you have space for a bath chair. One easy thing we did for my mother in law was add a handheld showerhead. As for decorating, I love the red floor tile and would use it as the jumping off point for selecting wallpaper, curtains, art, etc. Keep the other major features simple and neutral.
Pat says
We do have a hand-held shower head. I worry about a shower curtain because my mother might think it was a solid wall (she has dementia)and lean on it and fall (not to mention what a job it looks like to remove those heavy galss doors).
marjie says
Dear Pat, I tried to carefully re read your bathroom issues. I moved my elderly blind mom in w/ our family 2 1/2 years ago so I have an idea what you’re needing to do (Our house was built in ’58). I get what you mean about a curtain (I guess you could save the curtain ideas to use at a later date) and agree w/ another comment that the room should be neutral – super simple w/out a lot things sitting around that might add to your mom’s confusion and uncluttered so it’s easy to clean and maintain…I leave everything in my mother’s bathroom in the exact same place so she can always find her toiletries and towels w/out a lot of extra help from me..We had to widen the doorway to accommodate a large walker..We leave the bath chair positioned in exactly the same place so she can shower whenever she wants and the shower head is kept at the same position for her as well. By the way, I don’t have much to sew or shop in between taking Mother to the various Dr. appointments and physical therapy so I won’t make similar suggestions for you either. That said and having looked over your pictures again (and keeping the budget as low as possible since I didn’t notice a $$ amount or whether you are doing all the labor yourself ),I would probably do the following:
1)Hire an electrician to Install a quality exhaust fan in the ceiling (The ceiling should look better than it does in the photo especially if your son painted only last year). More than likely it will require venting thru to the roof for code – may run around $1000 + , but well worth the $$. You won’t have to be fighting mold and dampness in addition to caring for your mom. (This room seems a little dark to me , some nice fans are available w/ light socket in them.)
2)Clean the ceiling and repaint the ceiling w/ a stain blocking primer like zinsser 123 plus or similar and top coat w/ an anti mildew paint.
3)Remove the paper- rent a steamer or maybe a good friend or co-worker has one you can borrow…
4)If the current cabinetry(vanity & medicine cab) is in good repair (looks nice in photo) lightly sand it and re stain (if you want) and apply fresh varnish(urethane).
5) Can your mom easily open the cabinets? Would a handle work better than the knobs? Consider changing to handles (wooden would look nice as mentioned by Pam)
6) Perhaps change round door knob to a lever style (easier for arthritic hands to open).
7)If you do install a fan,the electrician can also install a more linear light fixture that can be positioned on center over the medicine cabinet and vanity in a chrome like the faucets,shower door trim .Just depends on how much you want to correct and how many changes your mom can cope with…
8) As far as the “lipstick” for the room, I agree w/ buying towels that match the floor for the punch of color and painting the room a shade in same color family as the wall tiles . I’d be tempted to sand and re paint the window casing/ trim to match the wall tiles and mask out an edge outline along the outer trim in the color of the floor tile plus getting the matching toilet seat. Miracle method can recoat the counter and sink to match the original fixtures …just depends on what your mom can tolerate, is there another bathroom you can use for her during the reno or she staying at someone else’s house for this?all this stuff takes time to coordinate….
9) You don’t mention a time constraint, and we don’t know how long it would take to make the walls smooth enough to really look nice w/ paint (that’s why contractor’s would just put up new drywall rather than pay someone to repair old wall surfaces). so if you’re thinking wall paper – I have been very happy w/ paintable architectural wallpaper on the walls in our house. My childhood home had combed plaster in the front room and I put up a similar look in wall paper in my living room(walls were pretty severely uneven, plus there was a 2ft by 3ft patch where we assume someone banged thru the wall all the way to the garage on the other side) and get lots of unsolicited compliments when people visit our house. The texture in those papers really hides uneven,inconsistent wall texture and I have it in our main floor bath room as well. I’ve used a stripe in the bath (which I left unpainted) and a woven in our basement.The stripe has been up for 2 years and the woven for 8 years w/ no peeling .I primed it w/ kilz premium and then top coated w/ eggshell paint. My most favorite paint is Benjamin Moore (nice and thick, very little dripping)—oh I prepped the walls w/ Shieldz primer before putting up the paper.
Keep us posted
marjie says
Oh yeah, forgot to mention I’ve used whink to remove rust, maybe you can use it on the tub seal and let the tub dry or blow dry w/ a hair dyer then follow up w/ caulk on the seal
Janet in CT says
First off, I agree with Mary Elizabeth and would get a matching pink toilet seat. You can get “add-on” seats to add extra height to the toilet if need be; I wouldn’t replace that great toilet unless absolutely necessary. I would swear in the photo with the heat vent, that I can see wallpaper beneath the current wallpaper that has a sea scene with waving fronds and fish. If this is the case, I think it would be difficult to remove that bottom layer; often they went on so well, you can’t scrape them entirely off. My idea would be to do what my sister did. She put up that grooved beadboard half way up her bathroom and painted it and the bathroom was really nice! I would paint the vanity and medicine cabinet too, which is what I did in this house and always preferred it to the oak. I would then wallpaper the top, because I don’t think you would have an easy time getting that bottom layer off well enough to paint. I am redoing a bathroom soon too, and am in the same quandary about how to set about it. Good luck and how wonderful that you are committed to take care of you mom.
Mary Elizabeth says
Pat,
First, you are a dear to move in to help your mom. She is very blessed that you are able to do so.
Although the tile needs regrouting, it looks like great tile. I love the color of the floor. Sometime in the future you might want to redo it in an appropriate color, but in the meantime you can make the wallpaper pull together the maroon (or wine) color, the beige, and the pink tub and toilet.
Kate and Pam will do their magic, I’m sure, and will give you some decorating ideas. First step, I think, is to get color samples for the toilet and tub and the floor.
Take a look on this site for “Mary Elizabeth’s Pink Bathroom.” The colors in the photos of the tub are pretty true to what I have. Is that the same pink as your tub and toilet? If so, it has a number of names, depending on the manufacturer–Bahama Pink, Venetian Pink, and Blossom Pink. Believe it or not, the first thing I did while redoing my bathroom was to buy a toilet seat the same color as the tub. There are instructions on this site for finding a Bemis seat that will match your toilet. They send you color samples in the mail as part of the process, and there are about five pink/peach/flesh colors that yours could be. There are also chips for the wine color that matches your floor, as there were also toilets and tubs made in those colors too.
Another approach is to get paint color chips that might match your fixtures and other elements in the room. Benjamin Moore and Sherman Williams stores have the widest variety.
Once you have your color chips and some idea of what you want to start with (I’d say the wallpaper and the vanity), you can plan out the other steps. For the vanity, look through this site, including the article on my bathroom, for ideas on style. You may be able to keep the one you have, if it is in good condition, and just replace the drop-in sink when you find one to match your tub (and you will! you just have to be patient), then paint the vanity and the mirror. If you have the funds to have a vanity made by a carpenter (or make it yourself if you are handy) or buy one unfinished, I’d suggest you do that before wallpapering, as the new vanity might not be exactly the same size or configuration. Then paint the vanity one of the already existing colors of the room–beige, pink, maroon–and do a Formica top.
If you choose paint for the walls, rather than patterned wallpaper, consider a window curtain (you don’t need a shower curtain) that picks up the colors of the tub and floor tile. Can you sew? There are tons of vintage style fabrics out there to choose from.
There are many other tips from readers whose baths are featured here. While you are stripping that wallpaper, take a look at what others have done.
Another tip: One thing you shouldn’t do with an elderly mom in the house is to use throw rugs in the bath, because they can cause falls.. Our family learned that as our parents aged. And if you are having visiting nurses, they will come in and evaluate your bath for safety. Should they tell you the old toilet has to go for a taller one, you will find that, too. It takes a while, but search on “Amber’s pink toilet” for the adventure of finding one.
Pat says
We don’t have any rugs in the house, and toilet height is not an issue because my mother doesn’t use it-just Depends.
lynda says
Well, you could spend a ton of money on a “fix’, or you can just freshen up. Of course the wall paper has to go and the walls need cleaned. Perhaps a steam rental would make the job go faster. I think I would just paint the walls and the cabinet and mirror and live with it until you decide what to do. You can grout tile as necessary and touch up the tub with rustoleum paint to stop further damage. I am sure you are really busy right now being your mom’s caretaker. New towels and a cleaning of the tub and tiles with Gel Gloss or something else that would give it a little shine would help. If you can take the sliding doors down without damaging too much, I would do that and hang a shower curtain. That would give a little pattern to the room. It might not be easy to find colors that work. Maybe something like this:
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/Retro-Chic-Fabric-Shower-Curtain-100-Cotton/111862?categoryId=12030 Then you could use other colors for towels. A picture above the toilet might help make the space cheerful too. Later, when you have more time, you could do a big retro redo.