Elizabeth wants our help: Which tile should she choose for the floor for her 1963 blue bathroom Retro Renovation? And fun: The renowned architects of the house built the Austin, Texas, airport, and Elizabeth is taking the color of the still-standing control tower for her color cues.
Elizabeth writes:
Hi Pam! I’ve been enjoying your stories, as usual. I mentioned to you recently that my husband has bought a 1963 house in Austin that has nine bathrooms. I’m ready to beg for your and your readers’ assistance on the first one.
Be forewarned, there is nothing original in this house. We did get the original floor plans from the Austin History Center, because the architects are locally reknown. (There were only two bathrooms originally!).
Here is the powder bathroom of the foyer. Many of the bathrooms will have to stay as is, because we do want to move in sometime this decade. But this, the only public restroom on the main floor, is going back in time to 1963.
Our architects (Fehr & Granger) built our house in 1963. In 1961 they built the Austin airport, which is now gone except for the control tower. We are using the control tower colors as our theme for the house, which we named Sky Crest.
Here are the givens: new Dresden Blue toilet and sink from Peerless Pottery*; I think the sink that drops into a floating vanity. We definitely want the Blue field tile from Gardena, Calif., through Clay Squared. The sticky decision is the floors:
* Pam added link to Amazon, the blog earns a small commission for purchases completed.
#1 — shown above — Do we go with the Merola Crystalline Square Blue [See this tile in Pistachio on Kate’s floor] or …
#2 — above — American Olean in a Pinwheel or Windmill pattern, using Glacier, Ice White, and Ocean Tide?
Thanks!!
Elizabeth
Thank you, Elizabeth, we love to decorate vicariously! And I LOVE that you are using the Austin airport control tower for color and pattern inspiration. Brilliant!
I have my own ideas, but I’ll let readers comment first.
Mandrake says
Of these two I vote number one. Much more unique. But I also think that the Merola University blue tile would look awesome in that bathroom. https://retrorenovation.com/2012/11/01/bathroom-floor-tile-in-production-since-the-1970s-merola-university-random-mosaic/
Elizabeth from Texas says
Mandrake, I totally agree with you! I thought I had ordered the Merola University blue tile sample, and didn’t love it. But it turns out I had ordered Merola Academy blue tile sample. I just this moment ordered the University, and we will see how it does!! (Let’s just say the Merola website is not the most intuitive in the world…) (And I guess I’m not the most intuitive in the world, either, haha!!)
Donald says
I purchased the Merola Tile University Blue, actually got it on Overstock because Home Depoot was out of stock. On Overstock it’s SomerTile Collegiate Blue. I like both options, but the Merola looks more 60’s to me and the pinwheel more 20’s-30’s.
I don’t see how I can post a picture here, so I’ll post one on FB.
Felicia Alexander says
I’m pretty sure that the Somertile Collegiate Blue on Overstock is the same as Merola Academy Blue, not University Blue. They’re very similar patterns, but Academy is a slightly larger-format pattern with wavy grout lines. (I have samples of both from Merola, in beige.) Happy to have both available, though!
Elizabeth from Texas says
Donald, I agree that the pinwheel reads older than the Merola. (At least it feels that way to me.) Thanks for the picture on facebook. I tried a sample of the Academy Blue, but the “larger-format pattern with wavy grout lines” (as Felicia aptly described it) somehow didn’t remind me of my childhood. When she started discussing the University tiles being different, I started an hour-long search on the Merola website! I finally found the University Blue (which I had never seen before) as well as three other blue samples I ordered. Thank you two for giving me even more ideas!!
Felicia Alexander says
You’re welcome, Elizabeth! Whichever tile you decide on, I’m sure it will look splendid.
Donald says
I wasn’t aware that there were two styles (wavy & straight) of the Merola either! Thanks for that Felicia. At the time I ordered the “straight” was out of stock, I have the wavy now so that’s what I’m going with.
Felicia Alexander says
You’re welcome, Donald! I didn’t notice the difference in the grout lines myself until I received samples of both from Merola.
When our flooring project is done (using University Beige) in our otherwise intact 1962 time-capsule master bathroom, I’ll send before and after pictures to Pam. (I’ve already sent her photos of the fixtures!) One cool thing about University Beige is that the mosaic pattern is very similar to the all-white mosaic of the shower stall floor.
Elizabeth from Texas says
Your bathroom will look wonderful, Donald. I can’t wait to see it!! And yes, thanks, Felicia! I ordered four more samples from Merola so goodness, the choosing continues! I can’t wait to see your bathroom also!! (Normal people must think we’re weird that we’re all obsessed with other people’s bathrooms, lol!!!)
Eliza says
#1!!!! So pretty!! And who knew that there were colorful bathroom products on Amazon? I wish we had a bathroom to do over so that we could get these.
Kate says
#1! Having lived with the same tile in my bathroom for a few years now I can say the stuff is awesome! Easy to clean (use grey grout!) and I’m just as in love with it as I was the day I put it in. I get lots of compliments on it too, even from those that aren’t as in to retro decor as myself.
Elizabeth from Texas says
Kate,
Of course YOU are who I got the Merola idea from! Thanks for all your research! Your work on RetroRenovation lives on, while you do the more important work of raising your baby! (More important to your baby, but we do miss you, haha!)
Laura says
I like #2!!
Jayne LaFleur says
I would use the Merlot Chrystalline.
Janice W says
#1. I used it in gray in my bath remodel last year and it looks great. Don’t use a really light colored grout.
Dave says
I am having trouble understanding the question with the information provided. The description is not precise enough to sort out what is presented in the pictures.
Pam Kueber says
See the two photos on the bottom — Elizabeth will use the blue 4×4 field tile on the walls; she will use Dresden blue sink and toilet; the question is the floors — photo #1 shows one flooring option, photo #2 shows the other.
Dave says
OK, The 2 larger tiles looked different and since I wasn’t processing the smaller tiles as the floor tiles wondered why they were there.
Elizabeth from Texas says
Sorry for the confusion, Dave–I think one photo was taken in bright sun and the other in a little shade so it made the field tile appear a totally different color. The powder bath has no window so that’s something to think about, right there! It will always be slightly dark in there (at least not sunny). Thanks!
Joe says
Definitely #1. That’s your classic 1960’s floor! Just don’t use wallpaper or over-accessorize.
I would only use #2 in new home construction or a basic remodel on a nondescript tract house (it looks like the stuff they use when they flip a house for profit).
Mary says
#1, for all the reasons already mentioned. I also agree about saving the #2 combination for a bathroom that will not be used as much so won’t need to be cleaned as often. Both are lovely.