Now that it seems I have my master bathroom floor plan figured out, it is time to do some of the fun stuff — like putting together the retro modern looks that I might use for my final bathroom remodel. But where does one start to figure out a decorating plan? Well, I like to start with an inspiration photo…
In this case, my inspiration came from a post that Pam featured — this 1957 time capsule house in historic Houston. As I scrolled through the photos of this amazing time capsule house, I kept getting drawn back to one photo in particular, a bathroom with pink tile, stone and wood all in one!
I had already decided that my bathroom remodel should have two things — a retro dresser as the vanity, and if at all possible, the bathroom should be at least partially pink. Unfortunatly for me, my bathroom doesn’t have the high ceilings and copious amounts of space like this time capsule bath, but that doesn’t mean that I couldn’t bring the feeling of this space to my house, mix in a little modern and call it a possibility, right?
So, here is my first mood board — Pam came up with the name for this design combination, “Flintstones meet Jetsons” — too much fun! –>
1. Just because my bathroom doesn’t currently have a stone wall doesn’t mean I can’t fabricate a small one! Honey ledger tile gives the look and feel of a real stone wall.
2. The inspiration room has awesome chrome pin hole lights that hang from the ceiling. My bathroom doesn’t have high enough ceilings for that treatment, plus as much as I love that type of light, I wonder if would be the best light for doing hair and makeup, so I opted for these chrome light sconces that are not only affordable enough to splurge and get two, but also could be customized by adding stenciling to the glass.
3. I bought one of these STAVE mirrors from IKEA a while back. Note: Stave now discontinued, but Ikea usually has a variety in mirrors at any given time.
4. I’m a big fan of this Belle Foret modern bath faucet (link now gone) because of its modern design. The handles, while modern, are reminiscent of the old retro hot and cold knobs found on so many retro bathrooms.
5. On my last visit to Home Depot, I noticed a display for custom bath counter tops that was intriguing. St. Paul Home Products will make a custom bath counter top (link now gone)with or without sink to meet your exact needs — and it is affordable to boot! I’m a fan of solid white counters and sinks in bathrooms, but they do have some fun and exciting color choices such as Waterfall (light aqua), Sunflower (bright yellow) and Cardinal (bright red) for those who are looking for a bit more excitement in a bath countertop.
6. This is the retro dresser that I scored on Craigslist for a mere $25. I wanted something that was simple yet definitely retro, and this dresser fits the bill with its clean lines and tapered legs. It also is exactly 52 inches long, which is the perfect size for the space.
7. It is hard to see exactly what is going on with the floor tile in the inspiration room, but it looks to be a pink, white and beige combination of small tiles. My take on this floor, complete with a modern twist, is to use travertine tiles set in a retro inspired pattern (availability of designs varies).
8. Remember the story I did with 17 lights to consider in a retro modern bathroom remodel? Well I really am over the moon about this flying saucer inspired flush mount ceiling light. I think it would add some lovely light to the space as well as a touch more of the retro feel.
9. Ever since the day Pam broke the story on these starburst bath accessories, [alas, now discontinued] I’ve been drooling over this towel bar from Rejuvenation. Adding this to my bath would amp up the chrome and the retro factor in one swoop.
10. This 8″ by 4″ pink tile, which I hope I can still order from B&W tile (they don’t have their colors online and I’m hoping they have a light pink available) would be retro in color but modern in shape. To save on cost and make it feel more modern, I would be only tiling the shower area and painting the rest of the walls a coordinating pink.
11. To finish off the bathroom, I would use white porcelain floor tile for the shower floor. I know this choice is authentically retro because this is the same tile I currently have in my shower floor. I like small tiles for shower floors because of how they feel under my feet as well as how they look.
So there you have it — my first option for my retro modern master bathroom remodel. I think this idea board captures the feel of the inspiration bathroom, adds in a touch of modern and still has a design that is thoughtful when it comes to the lower ceilings and smaller space in my master bathroom.
What do you guys think? Could this idea board be a contender for my retro modern master bathroom remodel?
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Alejandro Ugalde says
Thanks for mentioning our Vanity Top Customizer in the article. We work very hard to provide our customers with high quality products that are affordable too. We would like to invite everyone to like us on Facebook and sign up for our newsletter so you can participate in some exciting promotions we will have very soon!
Thanks again and keep up the good work!
The St. Paul Team
Marta says
Love the dresser, Kate. It will be so easy to clean under there, and I think it makes the bath look roomier. I have a little vintage wicker hamper, the rectangular kind, that has a starburst “brooch” on the front. Just love the shape of it.
Twisted Time says
HA! I got that exact same dresser at a thrift store for $12 I am using it as a TV stand in the living room (sans legs for now.) Like you said, it was just the right size.
Jen says
Ooooooh, Pam! So glad I read this story and saw that starburst towel bar! I do believe I need that for my own bathroom as well. I love Rejuvenation!
pam kueber says
Yes, see my story here: https://retrorenovation.com/2011/07/02/breaking-news-atomic-star-towel-ring-from-rejuvenation/
Rocket Doc says
I saw 52″ vanity and I just had to let out a heavy sigh, because the only full bath in my house is 5′ x 7′ including a linen closet that takes up 2′ x 2′ of floor space. Once you allow space to swing a 28″ door, a 5′ tub and a toilet, there’s not a lot of room for counter space. And nowhere to expand that isn’t also critical space.
Ilana says
I love it! Is the dresser of a comparable height to a normal vanity? I would think it would be a little low. I love your style!
Steve H says
I really love the idea of using the dresser as a vanity and I definitely would keep the legs as they are. I’m sure that you could find some type of little metal cap thingy for the ends to protect against moisture. I’m guessing that one of the drawers will be sacrificed for the sink basin. You should consider trying to convert it to a tilt out bin like a lot of kitchen sink cabinets have now – very handy.
richmond says
for the vanity I would suggest mount the back to the wall as if it is floating and remove the rear legs and some furniture stores sell metal buttons the front legs would sit on raising the wood off the tile
Kohler Canada offers there toilets in “vapour pink”
and 2 aquamarine blues
Holland says
Removing just the rear legs and securing the vanity’s back to the wall is an excellent idea. I have two-legged cabinets from CB2 that mount exactly that way. Your eye does not miss rear legs and it’s so much easier to clean the floor underneath the vanity.
richmond says
I was in correct about Kohler as the colours I thought was for the toilets was for there cast iron sinks and the toilets come in only a VERY mild pink almost white