Perhaps you can show us a bathroom makeover with a specific budget, how it can go a long way with the right selections and make an impact?
I said “Boy…… do I have the perfect bathroom in mind!”
Loving the challenge, I wanted to think of how I was going keep the bathroom’s charm!
It’s in the design, right! Let’s say the bathroom is small, how small? In and out, one at a time…kind of bathroom!
To give you an idea, it’s 1950’s styled bathroom. This is the time period where the kitchens were in that mustard or avocado green color!
It is so common to find a 1950s bathroom decorated in pink, blue or peach-colored tile. This bathroom was all pink, with a burgundy floor!
Don’t laugh..some of you have had a mint green colored bathroom in your lifetime. You just don’t want anyone to know, as with others – they’re quite actually proud of it! They will tell you it’s vintage in a minute!
So let me give you some trivia, why Pink?
Pink was THEE representative color of the 1950s. It’s popularity is attributed to First Lady, Mamie Eisenhower, who loved the shade so much it became known as “Mamie Pink”.
She even decorated the presidential bedroom in it, right down to the monogrammed wastebasket. Reporters even started calling the White House the “Pink Palace.” And when she was staying in an adjoining suite at a Denver Hospital, where Ike Eisenhower was recovering from a heart attack. It was said that she even had a pink toilet seat flown in. I’ll leave that alone…no comment! Later on through the years new design colors followed, like blue, peach and the infamous mint green!
Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse
So my home improvement store choice for this project was Lowes. Reasonable prices for getting the materials needed for this bathroom renovation.
I’d picked out the tile, determined to make the bathroom seem a little larger that is it really was. The space was small and when you included the tub, you had 4.5 feet of standing space.
So a complete tear down, remember the hampers in the wall? Well gone! The huge tub, what we called a real tub (built like a truck)! Gone! The old-time mirrored medicine cabinet in the wall? Gone! And last but not forgotten, the old exhaust fan, which sounded like you were in the airport, ready to take off! You know what I mean, especially when you turned off the fan, as the blade is slowing down to stop – you can still hear the clinking with a ding, ding knock sound! 🙂
Great memories, but it all had to go! A deadline of 5 days turned into 10 days. The first day of construction, we had a minor delay – which ultimately worked out to my advantage; for I took some more time to think about making a few changes and finding a mirror. Whether to get a traditional vanity mirror insert or stick to my instinct and get a classy mirror; which still reminded me of the 1950’s.
The construction workers were very talented and did great tile work. There were some miscommunications with the head contractor; which I am not used to; so I found it a bit frustrating. I’m used to having a certain kind of energy, anticipating the client’s reaction and having the crew’s chests sticking out, often about the great work they’d performed.
For this job, it was a little nervy, however everyone was professional; which is very important. Don’t get me wrong delays and changes are to be expected when doing a renovation. When asking when the work will be finished, remember it is a projection, you should add a week or two to the date stated; in order to get a real sense of the time you are going to be inconvenienced.
Now… if you have surprises. Then there’s bound to be more money to be put out, so be ready and extra time will be added to the projected date….definitely to fix those surprises!!! 😦
It was a bit different for this renovation, the home was renovated a few years back (including the electrical) – however this bathroom was not included in the renovation. Memories, kept the owner from changing the bathroom (sometimes we like to hold on to memories for a while and leave things just as they are!).
Let’s talk about the design which is very simple; giving you the sense of new, but an old classy feel:
- White tiles were laid in a subway style design around the entire perimeter of the bathroom 4 ft from the floor. For tub area, the tiles were placed all the way up to the bathroom’s ceiling; giving height and depth.
- Multicolored glass tiles were selected as an insert border, placed the entire perimeter of the bathroom. I carefully chosed a glass tile, which had squares of white, celandon, light beige and clear. By having the clear glass included; whatever ensemble chosen, the color would be picked up and reflected.
- Flooring was also a white mosaic tile, giving an old edge.
- Modern pedestal sink, no cabinet to give more room and a slightly higher energy-efficient toilet (16.5 from the rim), to also add the appearance of height.
- Art Deco inspired light fixture with the option to brighten or dim.
- Dual shower heads and new hardware design for sink and tub.
- For a feminine touch, a mirrored/crystal shower rod with matching hooks for magazine photo. Then changed for a masculine touch, a curved shower rod with silver hooks and barber styled accessories.
- Lastly, a vintage styled mirror. Glass edge of mirror embossed with leaves, picking up from the same colors of the multicolored glass tiles.
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HGTV Magazine
How much did I go over the budget $54.37! I am happy about the outcome!
The goal was to use a local improvement store, not too much over the top detail, deflect the size of the bathroom, stick to the budget, make an impact and most of all…SAVE MONEY! Everybody is happy!
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Letia 🙂
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HGTV Magazine, Food Network Magazine published by Hearst Magazines Division, Hearst Communications, Inc. © “HGTV” and associated marks and logos are the registered trademarks of Scripps Networks, LLC and are used under license. All Rights Reserved. Design by Letia Mitchell LifeStyle & Design LLC., Contruction by Metro USA Construction of Jamaica NY, Bathroom materials purchased at Lowes: American Olean, Aquasource, American Standard, Booz. Benjamin Moore Paint – Halo OC-46. Marshalls® for bathroom ensemble.
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Tags: 1950, bathroom, colored tile, Construction and Maintenance, diy, first lady mamie, Lowes, Mamie Eisenhower, Materials and Supplies, Renovation, Tile
Letia 🙂
Letia Mitchell LifeStyle & Design® 