Tickled Pink in the Bathroom

The pastel bathroom fixtures of yesterday (pale pink, light blue and mint-green sinks, tubs and toilets) are becoming a thing today, and they’re eliciting strong reactions. In the comments on a recent ideabook about preserving these items, Houzz readers have been reacting with delight (the comments are filled with accolades and nostalgic remembrances) and horror (“I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now,” one Houzzer writes. Another says memories of a pink bathroom still elicit nightmares).

But admiration seems to be triumphing over horror. The ideabook closes by inviting you to show us your pastel bathrooms — and you have responded in spades. Here is a look inside the homes of Houzzers who are thinking pink.

Take a look at the elegant pink and burgundy bathroom belonging to Houzzer betsy9796. “I had a feeling if I just resisted the urge to renovate, my bathrooms would be chic again,” she writes.


Claralou154 has mixed emotions about her pink fixtures. “I haven’t yet started renovating, but am already torn between trying to keep original fixtures in my 1920s home and really disliking the color of these,” she writes.


Other readers have no such hesitation: “I love the old tiled baths — so much so that I cry when they rip them out on design shows. I always shout at the TV (like they can hear me) to choose a different home and leave the vintage bath intact,” writes todddec. “I’m so glad others are preserving them.”


Houzzer 4125riley shared a very special vintage bath that contains all the hues of a bag of jelly beans.


The fantastic tile floor says it all in shades of pink, gray, violet and mint green. The photos are accompanied by a simple caption: “From [a] home built in the 1920s.” The comment by lessismoore about the bath is equally succinct: “Wow!”


Hodgepodge is the owner of a large pink and blue bathroom. “The sink counter goes the entire length of the wall for a built-in vanity, and across from that is a large tiled bench with a mirrored cabinet,” hodgepodge writes. “The only thing I replaced was the low-boy pink toilet with a new Toto white one.”


The large step-down shower has tiled planters and a full glass block wall. We couldn’t help but notice the swan etched in the shower door.


Nmp19 shared a photo of a peach and black bath in her 1937 Detroit home.


“My peach floor tile is original and in perfect shape,” nmp19 writes. “A renovated bathroom would not suit the character of my home.”

Linda.Linda2 backs the decision, saying: “These pictures are charming, and I say if your home supports this look then go with it, or stay with it. So many times you see homes that have tried to update and have become a mishmash of disjointed styles. All of these pictures show a clean look with no stained or dirty grout, no cracked tiles; the sinks and tubs look like they are all in good shape, and faucets are not corroded. That’s what makes these colorful bathrooms look so good.”


Samcdaniel bought a home with an old bath.


It’s a 1950 house just bought in Tacoma, Washington, samcdaniel says, adding that “everything is still in perfect condition, including what I now know is called a Cinderella tub.”

That’s a corner bathtub that’s inexplicably named after that famous glass-slipper-wearing princess.


And where you have a princess, you must have a throne, a pink one in this case. As Laini Henry-Cano observes, pink toilets are “definitely for the lighthearted. Not for those who take the potty too seriously.”


Casey Lehner was eager to share her recent project: “I love these old bathrooms. I painted the walls and cabinets grey. I also scoured the Internet to find a trough sink that would fit over the flush-mounted old sink. I was remodeling the kitchen on the other side of the wall so we could do the new wall-mounted faucet as well. It’s my favorite part of a huge remodel.”


Jean Benelli loves the look so much, she did some detective work to preserve it in her home. “Two years ago I remodeled my hall bath,” she writes. “I found the company that still made the original tile. Here is my new pink bathroom. I wanted [a] pink sink, toilet and tub, [but] the new pink [fixtures] did not match the tile, so I went with white. I am very pleased with the result.”


Linda shared the single but unforgettable bathroom in her 1931 Georgian home. “The fixtures are Standard’s Orchid (which is a mauve tending towards lavender) [along] with lavender and mint green tilework,” she writes. “The room is huge with a door to the master bedroom, linen cabinet and separate linen closet, two windows, tub and walk-in shower with four showerheads. The powder room has cobalt-blue fixtures, light yellow tile and a black and white basket-weave floor.”


Jpatsey moved into a 1958 split-level home a little more than a year ago. One of the bathrooms came with pink and black accents.


“Although much has changed … that peach/pink tub remains,” jpatsey says.


Make no mistake; not every owner of a pastel bathroom is thrilled about it. Barb420 is the color-weary owner of two: one pink and green, the other pink and blue.


“They are in pretty good shape, but we are really tired of all the color,” she writes. “We only buy white towels.”


Many readers remember a pink resurgence in the 1980s and early 1990s. That pink had browner tones. Mamma G is still living with it and is happy with her decision.

“We have a Kohler Desert Rose sink and toilet in my guest bath. We built this house in 1992. This year I considered removing both fixtures, but they are in perfect condition,” she writes. “Thanks for helping me reconfirm my decision. … We just can’t toss everything that is outdated. It is all a function of money. I just looked at the current Kohler bathroom colors, and they’ll be outdated 20-plus years from now too.”

Perhaps donaflor sums it up best by saying: “Like any period style, it’s not for everyone. But honestly, I cannot imagine walking past these rooms, let alone spending time in them, and not smiling.”

Are you a proud (or not) owner of a vintage bath or kitchen? Show us your style in the Comments below.

More:
Homeowners Give the Pink Sink Some Love
Bathed in Color: When to Use Pink in the Bath

URL: Tickled Pink in the Bathroom http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-25219.html