Update: Voting is closed. Stay tuned for announcement of winner Friday, Jan. 23.
We believe that bathrooms are the most excruciating rooms in the house to renovate — and when you’re trying to do it the retro vintage way — The Hard Way — well, golly, there goes the ante, up up up! This year, Pam and I selected five finalists in our The Hard Way Award Bathroom Remodel category. Wanna help us select the winner? Voting is open through Wednesday night Jan. 21, we’ll announce a winner Friday, Jan. 23.
- Don’t forget to see our four Kitchen Remodel finalists, too!
1. Rebecca’s mid-century mud set tile bathroom
Rebecca and Keith won our The Hard Way Award – Kitchen Remodel in 2013 for their mid mod mad men kitchen remodel. In 2014, the pair jumped into another meticulous renovation, a gut remodel of their bathroom. Rebecca and Keith searched high and low for the perfect shade of aqua tiles for their midcentury bath, and after a long search, they found just what they needed from Nemo Tile. Installing the tiles with today’s standard approach was too easy, so they found a tile setter to install the tiles using the mud-set method — the old-fashioned hard way — a time consuming process that is nearly a lost art.
- Read the complete story and see all the photos of Rebecca’s mud-set midcentury bathroom built from scratch (opens in new window)
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2. Nanette & Jim’s Mamie pink bathroom from scratch
Our next nominees — Nanette and Jim also are previous The Hard Way Award winners, in 2014 for their gorgeous vintage blue bathroom. Mere moments after their blue bathroom was completed, Nanette and Jim jumped right into a second major project, gut remodeling their main floor bathroom and turning it into a Mamie pink paradise. The couple filled the space with carefully chosen details — vintage fixtures and faucets, a tiled countertop, an arched shower opening, an inlaid Marmoleum floor, and vintage wallpaper and accessories. The results are stunning and as we like to say, the pink = retro botox. Makes you look at least 10 years younger. As long as you don’t leave the bathroom. Which we might never.
- Read the complete story and see all the photos of Nanette & Jim’s Mamie pink bathroom built from scratch (opens in new window)
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3. Kristen & Paul’s 1940s style aqua and black tile bathroom
Kristen and Paul’s 1940’s style aqua and black tile bathroom was completed on a careful budget. The couple special ordered their aqua glow Daltile months ahead of time and stored in their garage waiting until they were ready to remodel. The aqua glow tiles were perfect to recreate the look of the bathroom’s original wallboard — we loved seeing tile brought up higher on the wall, such a great look. To keep the budget in check and preserve the original character of the space, all of the original fixtures were saved. The couple used readily available, inexpensive black and white hex tile flooring, black bullnose, liner tile and base tiles which added a lot of bang to the space for very little bucks. In the end, this bathroom is both beautiful and budget friendly. Bravo.
- Read the complete story and see all the photos of Kristen and Pauls 1940s aqua bathroom built from scratch (opens in new window)
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4. Shelly and Greg’s 1958 Universal Terra Cruiser pink bathroom covered under layers of 1980s paint
When readers Shelly and Greg purchased their 1958 Universal Terra Cruiser — dubbed “The Love Shack” — they knew it needed some work. What they likely hadn’t realized, was the number of hours — and bottles of Citristrip — they would need to spend carefully removing a 1980s paint job from the original pink toilet, tub, sink and shower surround — and their pink kitchen sink and pink gas stove, too. It would have been too easy to rip everything out and start over from scratch, but Shelly and Greg persevered and now have the original, adorable vintage pink bathroom — and kitchen — of their dreams. (Special thanks to the Retro Decorating Gods, too, for cheap crummy 1980s paint.)
- Read the complete story and see all the photos of Shelly and Greg’s heroic effort to remove all the paint and uncover the delicious pink bathroom underneath (opens in new window)
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5. Robert and Caroline’s sizzlin’ midcentury bathroom remodel
Robert and Caroline get kudos for restoring the original St. Charles steel kitchen cabinets and kitchen (gorgeous!) in their 1953 ranch home, but we were also super impressed with the genius idea behind the renovation of their home’s main bathroom. The original tiles and grout in the bathroom were in bad shape, and needed to be replaced. The couple wanted a colorful and quirky midcentury bathroom, but didn’t want to blow the budget buying pricey tile. With a little help from their creative daughter Roundhouse Sarah — owner of a Gilbert Spindel round house and a super active reader-contributor to Retro Renovation (we love you, Sarah!) — they used builder basic, affordable white tiles for the bulk of the bathroom and used NOS vintage sizzle strips that we spotted on ebay and featured here on the blog to use as liner tiles. The result is as versatile as it is amazing — by repainting the walls or changing the shower curtain, Robert and Caroline can completely change the look of their bathroom. We love it!
- Read the complete story and see all the photos of Robert and Caroline’s (and Sarah’s) ingenious use of New Old Stock liner tiles (opens in new window)
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Sarah says
Gosh they are all so beautiful and are inspiring!
carol says
Wow, I thought the kitchen vote was hard. Like the kitchens from yesterday, all of these bathrooms are amazing. In the end I had to go with Kristen and Paul’s aqua glow bathroom. That bathroom is sparse and graphic, but has tons of character, just the way I like things. The aqua glow tile is what got me. Usually not my favorite color, but on the computer screen LUSCIOUS.
Kristen says
Thanks Carol,
The aqua glow tiles are even more beautiful in person… it was hard to capture the depth of the color in the photos. The photos look almost blue gray in some angles, but the glaze is very entrancing, like you can look through it… i guess, hence the name aqua glow. Thanks for your vote!
tamiam@socal.rr.com says
It took me forever to make a decision on the kitchens and now this! They are all so terrific but oh my stars, I just adore the little cozy trailer with all the pink, starbursts, glitters and absolutely everything in it..so this one has my vote.
Roundhouse Sarah says
I’m honored to see my parents bathroom nominated but am having a hard time deciding on who to vote for : ) Nanette and Jim make the most beautiful ‘from scratch’ vintage bathrooms ever! And all the paint scraping Shelly and Greg did is true restoration work…. It’s a tough decision!
Mary Elizabeth says
As always, all the candidates had wonderful projects. My vote (for Shelley and Greg’s trailer bathroom) was based solely on emotion, not logic. Having lovingly restored as much as possible (and then having to give up) an old trailer in the woods, I really understood their passion. And although everyone worked their tails off to make their dream baths come true, I know first hand about all that stripping and cleaning.
Nicole says
Two pink bathrooms! You made us choose between TWO pink bathrooms?
pam kueber says
hehe!
cellen says
This is like voting for your favorite child! They are all great. I’m wrapping up my own bathroom remodel and each of these provided inspiration for my final product. Thanks to all!
midmichigan says
They’re all really great. I like all of them so it’s a tough choice.
Steve H says
This is going to be a very difficult choice. They all did such a really beautiful job.
Carol K says
Super Job without spending an arm and a leg!! SOOOOOOO glad you saved this beauty and made it yours!! I’m looking for one of these treasure trailers in Northern Michigan.
kirk says
about to make an offer on a mid century house in escanaba…will also be needing to do some “updating” and bringing it back to it’s original feel. where in Northern Michigan are you? Sourcing product up north is a bit tricky. I live in LA, CA so can get anything I need/want here….the UP…not so much.