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.
Mel says
I vote for #1. If you want people to walk in there and ask you, “Wow, is this bathroom original?” that’s the tile.
KakiMack says
I vote for #1! And yay you’re in my hometown! I love that our old control tower was saved, and that you’re using the colors for inspiration.
Elizabeth from Texas says
Hi Neighbor! Yes, it was wonderful of the City of Austin not to tear that landmark down. The airport tower always reminds me of my Grandma. And of course, my husband and I are old enough to remember flying in and out of that location!!
Felicia Alexander says
Wow, what a choice!
One factor to consider is the square footage of the floor space and the effect each tile pattern will have on the eye given that space. It’s a little hard for me to gauge it given the mirror effect in the photo, but it appears to me that you have a fairly spacious powder room.
I actually really like your American Olean tiles and proposed pattern for this room. It appears that you have a nice amount of space to work with, so it will look interesting but not too busy. Also, slip resistance isn’t quite the issue it would be if this were a bathroom with shower and/or tub–a situation that might incline me more toward one of the Merola options (your Crystalline Square, University, or Academy). Your American Olean colors and pattern more closely reflect the control tower colors, and the pinwheel pattern is also kind of reminiscent of a propeller! Cleaning issues can be addressed by using an epoxy grout or, as my tile guy does, a grout with sealant mixed in, and keeping grout lines as narrow as reasonably possible. But whatever you choose, best wishes, and have lots of fun with your (p)remodel!
Elizabeth from Texas says
Thanks, Felicia, I will have to measure how big that powder room is. It’s a weird shape with that accordion wall on one side. You have a lot of good ideas and experience. I like your word (p)remodel. Easier than saying “un-remodel”!
Felicia Alexander says
You flatter me, Elizabeth! Ideas I have in spades, but experience–not so much, unless you count having been a kid in the ’60s and ’70s. My husband and I have just bought a 1962 time capsule ranch house, and I confess I’ve gotten obsessive about flooring. Thanks to discovering Merola mosaic tile on Retro Renovation, we’ll be replacing the sheet vinyl in the master bathroom with University Beige, although Crystalline Square Beige was a contender for a while too. The hall bath may get the same treatment, or we might end up going with something a little more adventurous.
Liz says
I have a 1940’s home that has the original bathroom tiles in the pinwheel pattern with splatter tiles. So I’m for mixing the two! Which I’m sure doesn’t help at all. Lol
Nikki says
It’s not technically one of your choices, but using the colors of #2, I would do a custom mosaic from American Olean with 2×2, 1×2 and 1×1 tiles, instead of the pinwheel. Then you can have more color and less white. We just did that in black/white/grey from DalTile (so essentially the same) and it turned out awesome.
Laura says
I had that exact Merola spatter tile in the upstairs bathroom of my 1948 house. The texture makes it a dirt and grunge MAGNET, and it was very difficult to clean. We got rid of it. Just thought you’d want to know….
Kathy says
I see #2 isn’t mosaic tile, which would make tile setting more difficult and expensive. So that is something to consider too.
Kathy says
Number 1, hands down. I saw the swatch and thought perfect!!!!! and why mess with perfection?
I think the color harmony in Number #1 is nicer anyway. It needs that speckle to tie it all together, early 60s style. I have something similar in yellow in my 1962 bathroom and it has held up very well for 55 years.
Kristy says
Number 1. Love the tile!
I have so many questions about why anyone would need or want 9 bathrooms. So confused! Where would you put them all?? 🙂
Kathy says
Was it a B&B or maybe a licensed family home to take care of the elderly? Or divided up into apartments?
Would be pretty cool to turn it into an MCM AirB&B to help fund those renovations!
Felicia Alexander says
What a great idea, Kathy–if Elizabeth and her husband are up for it. Then she can host a Retro Renovation conference/workshop and participants can stay there!
Elizabeth from Texas says
Kristy, we didn’t need or want 9 bathrooms, but that’s the house we ended up with. We bought it from a bachelor, no less, so technically he needed half as many bathrooms as we do. Haha.
Where would we put them? That’s an interesting question. We left them where we found them– in each of the five bedrooms (except that the master has two bathrooms), plus a powder on both floors, plus one outside by the pool.
Kathy, the house was originally built in 1963 for a doctor, his wife, and four sons. Then it was sold to a couple who doubled it in size I believe. Then the bachelor, then us.
Our five grandkids will be filling up the place, so I don’t think we’ll be able to have a B&B! But anytime Pam Kueber wants to put on a RetroRenovation workshop in Austin, we will open up for tours for all you helpful mid-mod cyber-friends out there!
Kristy says
Wow! Thanks for letting me know where they are. That is a lot of bathrooms to clean, but I’m sure it’s nice to have your own personal one to go with a bedroom!
Abby says
#1!