Retro Renovation

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Monica’s retro bathroom remodel built around a blue Crane Oxford tub, sink and toilet

Pam Kueber - January 15, 2019, Updated: August 6, 2020

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

blue retro bathroom with toilet bolts
In a story that only Retro Renovators can only truly appreciate: Monica very excitedly HAD TO send me this updated photo of the bathroom just yesterday. Because: The sky blue toilet bolt caps had just arrived! This. Is. Why. I. Love. My. Job. And. All. Of. You.

When Monica fell in love with midcentury house design, she fell in head over heels in love with vintage pastel-colored bathroom fixtures. So, when she created this new bathroom from scratch, she searched for vintage blue bathroom fixtures, then paired them with new tile with retro-style. Let’s take a look >> 

Pink kitchen retro remodel
See Monica’s kitchen remodel in the same house

Monica first told us about this entire project when we looked at her darling kitchen with pink-painted Sears metal kitchen cabinets taking center stage.

blue bathtub

The bathroom in the weekend cabin got similar salvage-meets-new treatment. Bonus points for using wallpaper — what a statement it makes in a bathroom!

retro metal bathroom cabinet

Resources that Monica used to create this retro bathroom:

  • Blue sink, tub and toilet — “Our bathroom fixtures are all from the Oxford line by Crane and the color is Sky Blue,” Monica says. I found the complete set on Craigslist!!
  • Floor tile — University by Merola and was purchased from Home Depot.
  • Medicine cabinet — The medicine cabinet was ordered from a big box store. Pam notes, see cabinets like this on Amazon – they come in various sizes (affiliate link).
  • Linen cabinet — The linen cabinet is a vintage piece that my dad, a fellow collector of all things old, had in his shop. He was storing hardware in it? We had it repainted to match the birds in the wallpaper …
  • Wallpaper — … which is Daydream by Hygge and West. 

Lovely, Monica! Thank you for sharing!

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  2. Keith says

    This bathroom is FANTASTIC. I recently went through a retro blue bathroom renovation too. It seems that maybe “our blues” match. I used your site as and endless source during the process, from where to get tile, to lighting, fixture…the typical endless list. I would love to share my story with you too and see what you think (as you are the expert!!) how can I share with you and your readers. I figured I’d tap into the blue bathroom conversation too 🙂 Thanks, Keith

  3. Jay 1965vw says

    Gorgeous! I’ve been contemplating the gold/pink colourway of that wallpaper for our ensuite. It’s great to see it on real walls.

  4. Ben Olson says

    What a great bathroom. Beautiful re-use of fixtures for an updated take on vintage. Nice combination of them both for a result that brings the best of both worlds.