Retro bathrooms

After much sweat and toil, Nanette's vintage 1940's bathroom is complete! All of that hard work definitely paid off, because her retro basement bath looks great. I love the beautiful blue tile and the authentic vintage fixtures. Nanette's 1945 transitional ranch home needed a second bathroom in the basement, so...

When we last heard from Kristen and Paul, the couple had a stash of Daltile Aqua Glow wall tiles stacked in their garage and were eagerly awaiting the day when they could be installed in their charming 1899 home’s main floor bathroom. Fast forward a year — and their bathroom is now complete. Kristen loves it so much she…

Mosaic floor tile patterns, from simple to elaborate, can be a great fit for old-house bathrooms.

Reader Naomi’s new-to-her house came fully equipped with a retro pink and maroon bathroom — which she loves. However, there are a few problems — the toilet is broken and must be replaced, and there is also a non-repairable crack in the sink. Naomi is okay with replacing the broken maroon fixtures with white, but…

Bungalow bathrooms before 1920 were of the “sanitary white” persuasion. Not so in the bathrooms built after the mid-1920s!

Yellow and green were a fairly common combination, but the floor is a showstopper. The unusual pattern was created by the homeowner, who implemented many fashion trends during her home's construction in 1932. (Photo: Andy Olenick)

One of my favorite design challenges to take on in a remodel is infusing the homeowner’s personal style and taste without compromising the space’s original character. It’s a tricky balance, but it feels so rewarding when different styles work together to create a cohesive space. When circumstances like a limited budget or living in a […]

Montgomery Ward Fall & Winter Catalog 1958

The rest of the space gets an update, though.

The late 1920s witnessed a shift in thinking on the ideal bathroom's design, transforming an austere white space into one that was blooming in color.