Christine has been very busy. Not only did she update her kitchen — complete with vintage pink Lyon steel kitchen cabinets, she also added a bedroom and bathroom in the basement. Taking cues from the original 1962 bedrooms and bathroom upstairs, Christine’s goal was to make the rooms look like they had always been there. Her mission: Accomplished!
Hi Pam,Here are the photos from my basement remodel. We took about 500 sq.ft (of our 800 sq.ft.) unfinished concrete basement and created a bedroom and bathroom that we hope look as close to their 1962 upstairs counterparts as possible.
Christine took cues for the new basement bathroom straight from her existing pink-sink bathroom upstairs.
Ten years ago when we remodeled our master bathroom, I tried to find a source for an authentic looking bathroom vanity, but didn’t have any luck.
The new basement bathroom vanity.
So, this summer when a cabinet maker told me he could recreate my original bathroom vanity and put in a hudee-ring sink, I was beyond excited. I think they did a stellar job.
- Pam says: You don’t know what hudee rings are? Well, we have all the history here.
Kohler Tahoo with metal hudee ring
When designing the basement bathroom vanity, the cabinet maker, Dan Lester, insisted I go with the hudee ring sink so it could keep its 60s look and was willing to alter the vanity to fit it. The vanity had already been built to fit another sink, but he added onto to make the bigger sink and its ring fit.When the plumber put in my new sink with a new hudee ring, he said he’d been in business for decades and taken many hudees out, but never put one in.
The new closet and built-in drawers and storage in the basement bedroom.
My general contractor, Sean MacNeela of Corrib Construction, usually works on big houses with big budgets that feature the highest end styles. But as my neighbor who also owns a 60s ranch, he knew a lot about the value of good bones, mid-century styles and how to find those same materials in today’s building market. Corrib Construction installed the vanity and built-in, in addition to designing and installing the closet. He really is an amazing craftsman. Couldn’t have done it without him.He referred me to the cabinetmaker and designed the closet so it is identical to all the closets upstairs – all wood rods, same stain and shelves, no metal racks.
Most of my supplies were purchased from our local building materials shop, 52nd Ave. Hardware, where the brothers who own it shared tricks they’d recently used re-installing new interior clamshell trim in their father’s 50s ranch. These tips were invaluable since I stained all the window and baseboard trim in my basement myself. They were all happy to help me find just the right lights, wood, colors and materials needed to help me keep my kitchen in the mid-century where it belongs and fool the eyes into thinking the basement rooms were there all along.Thank you for being an incredible inspiration and conduit for keeping this loving era alive and growing.
Resources for Christine’s basement bathroom and bedroom remodel
Bathroom Resources:
- Vanity: Custom crafted by L & Z Specialties
- Vanity Counter: Formica Paloma Polar, purchased through The Floor Store, installed by L & Z Specialities
- Edge: Stainless steel, purchased and installed by L & Z Specialities
- Sink and Faucet: Kohler Tahoe with metal frame, Delta Faucet Lahara, purchased through Home Depot and Consolidated Supply, installed by Sharpe Plumbing and L & Z Specialites
- Light Bar: Progressive, purchased at Home Depot, installed by Precision Electric
- Toilet: American Standard Cadet Pro, purchased at Consolidated Supply, installed by Sharpe Plumbing
- Floor: Azrock VCT Salt & Pepper and Pinch of Salt, purchased and installed through The Floor Store
- Shower: Daltile, Delta Lahara Shower head and handle, Kohler shower pan, purchased at Home Depot, Consolidated Supply, Ferguson; installed by Corrib Construction, Eamonn Doherty Construction, Sharpe Plumbing
- All Trim: Clamshell, Pocket Door, Zissner Amber Shellac on all, purchased at 52nd Ave. Hardware, installed by Corrib Construction
Bedroom Resources:
- Built-in: Custom crafted by L & Z Specialties
- Closet: Birch door slabs, interior rod, shelving, Zinnser Amber Shellac on all except doors. *Purchased at 52nd Ave Hardware, installed and designed by Corrib Construction
- Egress Window: Milgard * Purchased at 52nd Ave. Harware, installed by Eamonn Doherty Construction and Corrib Construction
- Floors: Click LVT Northern Lights * Purchased and installed through The Floor Store
Christine in her pink kitchen. She asked if she should wear a vintage dress for the photo, and of course I said YES!
Howdy hudee, nicely done, Christine! Thank you for sharing your photos and resources for your basement remodel — and for the kitchen remodel we featured earlier. But ack! She’s still not done:
I have a 450 sq. ft. family with fireplace, pool table and gorgeous wood paneling that needs freshening up, and we will be finishing the rest of our basement to match the existing Douglas Fir tongue and groove wood paneling, I hope.
Have fun, Christine!
Amy’s 1930s bathroom remodel — classic and elegant 
Julie’s bathroom using 4″ pink tile from Classic Tile 
Lynne & Bob’s new blue bathroom for their 1955 house 
Glamorous deco-style bathrooms for the Wren & Willow 1940s cottage 
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What stain did you use to mimic the look of the era on you closet doors and draws?
I took one of the doors of my original vanity to the cabinetmaker to match the stain. He said, “We just mixed a toner and sprayed it so it wouldn’t be blotchy. You might be able to brush a clear finish with a toner in it. Maybe Sherwin Williams?” I don’t know what a toner is, so I’m not much help there. I left this to the expert and it was worth every penny. Good luck!
I love this! It looks so much like some features that were in my parents’ last apartment (married dorms at Indiana University, at the time) before we were in a house, that – fun fact – seem to still be in those apartments after all these years! Great job!
Lovely reproductions! Keep up the good work, Christine!
Excuse me while I drool…I just love sinks with hudee rings!
How lucky you are that you found a true craftsman who was willing to work with you and truly listen to what you wanted. Beautiful result!
Christine,
The wood finish is gorgeous! We are restoring our 1962 ranch and I was very interested in finding out how to get that color and finish myself for our doors and our china cabinet built in. I didn’t know what toner was either, so I googled it and found this information at Rockler Woodworking and Hardware. http://www.rockler.com/how-to/altering-wood-stain-toner-glaze-clear-finishing-products/
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful remodel.
Christine, I love your remodeled bathroom. Like you, I own a mid-century, 1962 ranch home. I’m almost finished with renovating the bathroom but have yet to locate and purchase a 1962 vanity light bar. I shopped at Home Depot today for your Progressive vanity light bar and had no luck. Horton’s Lighting is far too expensive. Is “Progressive” really “Progress”? I hope that you can help me locate this vanity light bar. My original bathroom vanity was very close to your vanity. All of my fixtures are pink. My wall tile and bathtub are my home’s original as well as the ceramic towel bars.
Beautiful job- but this made me sad: ” he’d been in business for decades and taken many hudees out, but never put one in.” ughhhhh… a travesty!! Don’t people realize that if these installs lasted THIS long, that they’re quality stuff? That they were built by craftsmen, not laborers? Grrrr! there oughtta be a law!
Wow your closets are like mine; however I can’t find anything that attaches to my hardwood floors to keep the sliding doors on track. Where did you find yours? Absolutely beautiful!
Hi, Christine,
Both rooms are gorgeous! I hope you’ll see this comment even though this story is from back in March.
My husband and I are in the process of buying a time-capsule 1962 ranch (we close in four weeks, so stay tuned for photos!). Both bathrooms are wonderfully pristine, right down to the Kohler Arrowhead hudee-ring sinks. The floors are awful sheet vinyl in need of replacement, though. What led you to choose Azrock VCT? (I’ve been thinking of using Merola mosaic tile in at least one of my new bathrooms, but I was unaware of the Azrock product until I read this post.) Thanks!
Felicia, see this story: https://retrorenovation.com/2015/02/10/23-companies-flooring-cork-linoleum-midcentury-house/
In addition, we have several stories on Azrock — I used Azrock Cortina Autumn Haze in my kitchen and several readers followed suit.