Vintage Bathroom Remodel

[northwesty]

Well it has been quite a saga about what to do with this room. The previous owners had remodeled it in the 80s but left the 1962 pink bathtub and toilet, and replaced the sink with a bulbous blue gray oval drop-in and put down gray tile. Anyway I was a bit ambivalent about the pink, and even pulled out the toilet and had it sitting in the front lawn, ready for the crusher but kinda had a change of heart and decided to embrace the pink and go for it. First I called around for a replacement drop-in sink, pink in color, and had no luck at all – it was described as a “dead” color. I called New York and a store in Pasadena CA that I’ve been to, and they told me about 2nd Use up here in Seattle of all places. Well I called over there and wouldn’t you know it they had a Crane (that’s my fixtures by the way) 1959 sink, NEVER INSTALLED so I drove over there and got it for just $20 no returns. It came from a closed-down warehouse, new old stock.

Wish I had a before picture but here is the “new” sink. It has been sitting on the floor in the office for over two years. It is a “tile-in” and a bit more of a challenge than a simple drop in. I’ve never done tile before…

 

[frontaloadotmy]

Nice sink Brian

Great that you decided to keep pink.
Looking forward to seeing the finished lav and the rest of the bathroom

 

[northwesty]

Well, part of the reason it took so long was trying to find a good tile to go with these fixtures. I might add that I’m trying to get the house back to the 60s retro look, or even 50s in some cases. I have been looking for ideas for years and fortunately just recently found some really neat vintage looking mosaic tile at the Home Depot of all places. About two weeks ago the cheap particleboard that was under the floor I put in in the 90s turned to mush too. Soo, I was planning on doing this anyway so up came the floor. Anyway we have been having fun with our various remodels. Here is an ad from a 59 Better Homes and Gardens. This style is real specific to this 58-62 era as far as I can tell.

 

[northwesty]

Here is the bathtub and a bit of the toilet there. That is the old gray tile I still have to remove. You can see some missing at the edge of the tub, that’s because the front of the tub was actually tiled over! I was so relieved when I removed it to find the pink cast iron tub-front still in perfect condition (after some cleaning up). I like the “L” profile and how it matches up with the soap indentation detail on the sink too.

Also the detail on the front of the bowl of the Crane toilet – they really did a good job on this design, I am sure glad I kept it – I have seen this style only once – in a 1930s Better homes and gardens, neat how they had different shapes and designs. It really is in good shape too after all these years.

 

[frontaloadotmy]

Is the tub

tile original or a subsequent redo?
It is interesting looking.

 

[northwesty]

Anyway here is the basically finished bathroom. It is really bright and shiny and everyone here loves it. I might mention the colors of the glass mosaic look a bit different in these pictures than they do in real life – they match remarkably well considering the 45 year time span. I did find the pink tiles for the backsplash at Tile 4 Less, though of course it is discontinued so I bought the last batch. Thanks for looking.

 

[appnut]

Brian, congratulations. Beautiful job. Is this the only bathroom in the house or are there two? What do the kids think of it?

 

[mielabor]

Are those tiles with rounded edges still available in the USA? I have looked for them here in the Netherlands to replace some broken ones and it seems that they are not produced here anymore.

 

[drmitch]

Wow, It looks great, Brian! we are adding a small bath and wanted a vintage look, and a freind of ours has removed a Lavender set from the 1920s that we are hoping to buy.

 

[sheerlookhomes]

nice job

you have done a really nice job - period perfect! well done

 

[oldhouseman]

Well done!

It's good to see you keep the look of the period of the house. To each his own of course but I hate to see people rip out a kitchen or bath in a house and modernize it. I like to see a 1920's house keep it's look and it always feels odd to see a Ranch house with modern fixtures. If things like wall cabinets are in disrepair I would much rather see replacements that are reproductions of the originals instead of stock fiberboard installations. Sure it may take some extra time. Budget is always a concern too but it can be done with reasonable cost if you are willing to go the extra mile. Great job there and VERY WELL DONE!! LOOKS GREAT!!! Don't forget the period look when picking out your shower curtain and textiles.

 

[gansky1]

Nice work, Brian. Keep us posted on the progress with the shower, that will be a job, but so worth it.

A good friend of mine just ripped out all of his pink tile and is replacing with all beige - not nearly the fun character of the pink!

 

[48bencix]

Wall Hung

Beautiful job, nice to see a restoration and not a complete change out. I love those pink fixtures.

I always wanted a wall hung toilet like in the Better Homes and Garden American Standard ad. Seems that the floor/toilet joint always gets pretty gross.

Martin

 

[eddy1210]

wow Brian

That's a very cool retro job, love the pink!

 

[northwesty]

Hi all and thanks for the kind comments

Darrel, I'm sure that is a re-tile from the 80s, anyway it has been there a while so it's time for a change.

Yes Greg, it is too bad this pink color is on the out. I googled pink tile looking for some replacement and all I found were folks who couldn't wait to get rid of it. Anyway this particular shade they had in the 60s is pretty muted - not pepto-bismol at all so I thought it worth preserving.

Hi Bob, Yes the kids love it... I do have another bathroom that works okay, but I've been trying to do a little remodeling on it for awhile as well. Here are the other set of fixtures sitting in my office waiting to be installed. These are 1958 Koler fixtures, Seafoam green, a real pretty color. I noticed these sitting in a pile of rubble at a house remodel, and pulled a U-turn and drove in the driveway, maybe it was the 53 suburban but the owner new I was after his "junk" I wish I had offered him $20 dollars for them on the spot, I was really stupid, because when I called him back he had called a plumber and was asking $500! Anyway few people knew more about the value of these old fixtures than me so I started to set him straight. Anyway, with alot of patience -- he was threatening to hit them with a sludge hammer, etc., -- I did talk him down to $20. Though they were sitting outside there they are in perfect condition and saved from the landfill.

Another funny story about these fixtures is the lecture I got from the Re-store up here that they can only be used for garden planters now! Phooey on that!

 

[sudsmaster]

Embrace the Pink

I made a similar decision when I bought my home. The '41 original (mostly) bath has pink fixtures and pink/maroon tiling. I based my decision mainly on the original (mostly) tiled shower stall, which has the doorway done in the maroon tile. The bathroom is not 100% original because at some point they replaced the sink (probably wall attached, maybe with porcelain pedestal) with a cheesy vanity, but at least they put a pink sink basin in it.

 

[rp2813]

We have a pink tile shower stall in our master bath and it' definitely 1956 Pepto Bismol Pink. Nothing else in that bathroom is pink so after nearly 18 years of living with it, we are looking to change it. Pink just isn't my color but I can certainly appreciate it in certain applications.

Brian, your situation is different and those pink fixtures are in such good shape, you did the right thing in designing your re-do around them. And don't listen to those people about older toilets only being used as planters. If your house is the right vintage, who is ever going to be able to prove one way or the other if those sea foam fixtures were original or from a remodel prior to low flow rules being implemented?

As my partner and I start on a project to remodel our main bathroom, I am hoping to find a vintage toilet to integrate into the new look. It will have to be a pristine and modern enough looking one for my partner to agree, but the last thing I want in there is a low flow model where the surface of the water in the bowl is only a few inches in diameter and that can't clear the bowl with a single flush. They defeat their own purpose.

 

[oldhouseman]

Appreciation

I have a great deal of respect and appreciation for the work you have done here. My home was built in 1797 so I know there was not a bathroom in it originally.

A back porch was enclosed about 1910 and when I bought the place. That enclosed room was still there. Unfortunately the claw foot tub had rusted through and the sink was also. The "lou" was a bad redo from the late 60's to maybe late 70's.

I had to gut the entire room. Ceiling, walls, floor. Massive repairs to the sills. Total replacements actually.

I was away tending a medical issue when the plumber decided to install a garden tub in my 18th century house that I had told him to stop work on until I could return (I was bitten by a brown recluse spider on my left hand, I almost lost my hand).

He thought he was doing me a favor. He installed a Roman tub in the master bath. And he decided the specs for the other baths and laundry.

In a way he did me a favor. He was practical. I would have made some other choices but it was done. Plus he was not expensive. He wanted to get the work done while I was away so his company could give me a good surprise when I was able to return and see the house again.

All of his choices worked well except for one thing; all of the items such as sinks, toilet, etc. are new. I would have opted for vintage items.

In time I will replace them. Except for that Roman tub,...damn I have come to like it.

 

[classiccaprice]

I wish that my 1958 house hadn't been flipped prior to my buying it in October. They just replaced the pink bathroom a few months back, with this ugly one foot grayish brown tile on the walls and floor. I would much rather have the pink than the mess they replaced it with. oh well. Enjoy the redo! I'll follow suit eventually, assuming I keep the house long enough!