Reversing a blah big box bathroom remodel in her 1954 house, Dana sent the dreck to the dumpster and heck to the Mamie yeah, restored a pink bathroom in its place. It was a thrifty project, too: Dana found salvaged vintage fixtures and trim tiles, filled in the gaps with new B&W pink tiles, and then pulled everything together with DIY sweat equity. Now, her bathroom again suits her house — and, it is a good match for the other, original Ming green bathroom that, fortunately, escaped the dreaded previous-owner evil glee sledgehammer.
Dana writes:
In 2014, I bought a beautiful 1954 home with an original Ming green with cream accents bathroom suite, dove grey and pink kitchen, and a bathroom that was gutted and replaced with generic white replacements. I absolutely HATE house flippers and remodels that rip out perfect vintage personality because they think there is no resale value in the original product.
It became a mission to retro fit the boring white bathroom with a pink suite.
I found the perfect 1939 lowboy toilet and sink in pink on Craigslist, and had tile created to match.
I bought burgundy tile accents, trims, toothbrush holder, soap shell, and toilet paper roll holder at B&W Tile in Riverside, California. The only thing that is untouched in this bathroom is the shower.
We got the the mirror cabinet, mauve tile, and edge tiles from Habitat for Humanity.
The cork flooring and lighting was installed by my boyfriend, and I collected the gold shelf cabinet and accessories.
I put wallpaper and picture frame trim on the front of plain wood cabinets.
The green bathroom’s cork flooring and lighting also was done by my boyfriend, the fresh coat of ceiling and cabinet paint, by my daughter and me. Otherwise, it is the same as the day I bought the house.
My Ming green bathroom is one of the things that made me happiest about the house, and the reason I wanted to recreate a colorful pink bathroom! I absolutely love my house!
An appraiser came through today and said he had just walked into a time capsule. He said he never sees homes like this in our area anymore, and that is a shame. My whole neighborhood was built with the rainbow of colors.
We even have the original light fixtures, cabinets, honey oak floors, coved ceilings. I am proud of my home.
Viva Pink!!!
Wow, Dana — both of your bathrooms are fantastic — and it is seems impossible to tell that your newly created pink and maroon bathroom isn’t original to your home. You’ve done a great job — thanks so much for sharing your story with us! Viva la Pink — and the Ming green, too!!!
Maria says
Wow! I love the shape you made your counter — it really adds to the vintage look.
I’ve searched the site and can’t find the answer, so can someone tell me how one rehabs the guts of an old toilet? I got a 1959 American Standard, but don’t know if the new box store stuff will work in it, and do you rehabbers out there use new low flow water savers or can you still get original parts?
Thanks!
pam kueber says
I don’t know the answer to this. I don’t believe that you can convert vintage toilets to low flow very easily or effectively.
For orig parts, see our stories in Bathroom / Toilets category. We have a few stories that identify companies that might be able to help.
Dana says
The fill valve is a regular Corky, but the flapper is a specialty plumbing supply which alone cost $50.00. He called around until he found an older plumbing supply store that caters to the local city, which has a high volume of vintage homes.
My pink and green toilets are still in non water saving states, but I put plastic bottles filled with water in the tanks to cut back on the water waste.
My boyfriend says that many places won’t let commercial plumbers install the old/vintage lovelies of the kind that I own because of the water loss and regulations. That only the homeowner can do such a thing.
sherree says
Great job Dana! Both of your bathrooms are gorgeous now!
Dana says
Thank you, I’m so glad others like them so much.
Karin says
Wow! Two great bathrooms. What a treat for the eyes. They are truly art projects. I never thought of them that way before.
Dana says
Flippers lack the personal touch of ‘the art’. The original bathrooms have art feeling to me, they are worth protecting.
Debbie in Portland says
What a wonderful job you’ve done on the pink-and-burgundy bathroom! The Ming green one is fabulous, too. Can we please have a look at the dove-grey-and-pink kitchen? That sounds like the perfect 1954 color combination!
Dana says
I surely got the perfect color plan, I was so lucky! If Pam will have me, I will be glad to keep you all updated on my kitchen and laundry room, which was converted from a pantry/broom closet area by previous owners, probably when they did the neighboring bathroom conversion.
sandy says
I would love to follow your kitchen restore. My early 50′ cottage kitchen was remodeled when bought. I so wish they had left the original layout and cabinets. Can’t afford new cabinets, but redid the counters in white tile with black liner and trim. Restore is a big resource for most of my needs. They always seem to have the long mirror storage units. At one time they must have had 24 plus pink, green, lavender toilets and sinks. Took a while to sell, but did, so someone is revamping the era.
I’m with everyone that sees the flipper shows trash so much that could be used.
Dana says
Well, I just refinanced and I will be investing some of that money into finishing the kitchen and laundry, so it might be sooner than later!
Mary Elizabeth says
Fabulous job, Dana! It really is an art project, isn’t it? I especially like the two kinds of pink in the tile. I wouldn’t have thought to do that.
I am developing a cluster of theories as to why people would remodel one bath in a home and not another. First and foremost, there may have been leaking in the shower (as with my 1939 house) or a crack in the toilet, or both. Then when the tile mason and the plumber come in, they usually say, “They don’t make that color tile [toilet] any more.” Then the workmen start pressuring you to do the whole bathroom over in white and black or “greige,” etc. Being young when this happened to me, I was tempted to give in to the pressure, but I was also broke, so I settled for a slightly different color tile in the shower and a different style, figuring it would be behind an opaque door and wouldn’t show much.
Another theory (as in your case) is that the color pink began after the 1960s to be associated with only girls and women. (Remember in the mid century our dads and boyfriends wore pink button-down shirts?) So the man of the house doesn’t like one of his bathrooms (maybe the master bath) being pink and “girlie.” So when the plumber and tile mason come in complaining that they can’t match the tile or the toilet, the man says, “Well, there you go. We can’t fix it, so we’ll tear the whole thing out.” Then it’s three against one (assuming the lady of the house is holding out for keeping the pink). And because now the homeowners have decided to redo a whole bath instead of replacing a toilet and one small section of tile, the price is prohibitive and they settle for cheap components. Sigh!
Dana says
Well, the house was originally set up as a two bedroom with the Ming green full bath, living room and a family/bonus room with a powder room (toilet, sink, one light). The bonus room is basically now the master with two doors, and they pushed out the wall of the bathroom to add a shower and hot water closet. I don’t know when it was done, but it was done many years ago, probably by an amateur or do it yourself-er with little experience.
They left the light next to the door over the original medicine cabinet, moved the sink to where it is and just hung a framed mirror over it without a light. They used pressed board as an underlayment under the flooring only in the expansion area, at sometime there was water damage which they never fixed and the pressed board sagged right in front of the shower. Don’t get me started on the walls of the extension…
Needless to say, it really took the whole year and a half!
1940sCrazy says
Absolutely fantastic! And love the artful and professional way you installed the tiles on the diagonal on the vanity. And the fact that you got some of them from Habitat! Love thriftiness and what we can do with recycling, hard work, and elbow grease, if we only look hard enough. : )
The aqua bath is beautiful, also!
Dana says
All the mauve tiles with the grid pattern that I found at Habitat were used on that counter. Out of necessity I used them on the diagonal because fewer cuts were made to them so I got to use as much of the whole tile possible, and the fact that it looks like Argyle made me happy.
ModCodAli says
This project is so cool. I’m not sure why people take the cool vintage baths in mid century houses and replace them with beigeness, but I wish they would stop.
I realize that 50+ year old bathrooms may need remodeling due to functional and wear and tear issues, but even if you decide to go with a new toilet, sink, tub, etc., there are so many great tile and plumbing fixtures out now that match the original vintage style–why don’t more people go that route?? The other way is like ripping the soul out of your house IMO.
I admire the extra mile you went to restore your bathroom. Kudos.
Dana says
It’s true, the house can be updated with new old stock if they can’t bring themselves to use pre-used items even. Even furniture is made new that fits into a mid century home, I love used items, I’m not so sure about a sofa or the like though.
Just standing in my kitchen or green bathroom I’m in awe that someone else stood there looking at the very same room 50 years ago with new pride of ownership.
ModCodAli says
I still feel the same way about our house. We have a pink bathroom and a blue bathroom and they are SO COOL. They provoke the most interesting reactions, too. Some people are as geeky about it as I am and others are all, um, so when are you renovating this?
The thing is if we ever decide to renovate, I would want to recreate a bathroom that looks like it was always there, and when I see what so many original bathrooms in my area are turning into, it makes me a little sad.
Dana says
The houses are having their romance and style ripped from them.
I feel you about the sad, we are becoming a dying breed
Dana says
BTW are your bathrooms online? I love looking at the vintage rooms
lynda says
Looks like you had a very fun time! Great job. I know you will enjoy the bath and home for many years.
Dana says
I will, thanks 😀
Scott says
Dana is a Retrorenovation Hero!
Dana says
It’s a great thing!
Tom says
Go Dana!!!
Looks amazing!
Dana says
YaY! Thanks, got plenty more updating/retro fitting to do