Bathroom tile

[SweetieStarr]

Hi everyone,

Apologies if this was posted elsewhere --

I am going to be redoing my bathroom, and of course I want to decorate in vintage style! I am going to be retiling the floor, so I am looking for ideas. I was thinking maybe 50s style, but I also love the Golden Era glamour. I was thinking of staying in a white/black/grey/pink/mauve color scheme. However, it has been blue for a long time, so I keep leaning towards blue a little.

I was thinking larger white square tiles with smaller colored accent tiles.

Any photos, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all!

 

[Paisley]

I'm not sure about 50s bathrooms, but I have photos of some of the bathrooms in the Hearst Castle--the ultimate in Golden Era glamor. They used black marble or granite on the walls and small white hex-shaped tile on the floor. The fixtures were gold toned. If you want to go with natural stone, use granite, not marble. It holds up better under soap and water.

Yes, pink and turquoise blue were popular in the 50s. But this reminds me of a column I recently read about a man who was trying to sell his house: his unusual, Asian-themed bathroom was a turnoff to half the people who saw it. I'm pretty sure white tile or black granite wouldn't have that effect.

As for price, tile is expensive. I had my small (5.5 foot square) bathroom tiled this year. Just to have the tub area and floor tiled was $1,400 and took two days.

 

[Sefton]

I don't know if this photo gives clear enough view, but we have hexagonal white floor tiles. The wall tiles are vintage art nouveau. They were put in by our homes previous owner so I don't know what the cost was. Good luck with your project!

 

[Miss Neecerie]

A whole bunch of ideas are here:


http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=29435&highlight=bathroom

 

[Paisley]

Here are some more. There's even a picture of a pink, turqoise, white and gray bathroom. Scotrace posted a link to some 1911 illustrations that were the inspiration for my remodel.

http://thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=24760

I also used gray grout. It's hard to keep white grout unstained.

 

[MaryDeluxe]

I would suggest getting samples of tile you like. I have read that Olympia Tile produces some tile colors that are very 50's colors! You might also want to think about using Subway tiles! The possibilities for tiling are endless!

I redid my bathroom last summer and did everything black/white. I wanted a classic vintage look. Got all my supplies from Lowes and it cost my 800 bucks and a week to do myself. The floor is Octagon shaped and dots which came in that pattern. All you have to do is lay them down.

Edited to correct my mistake and to add a blog site you might enjoy checking out. http://retrorenovation.com/

 

[Paisley]

I have the same kind of floor tile, but with white dots. The dots come in a few different colors. It feels good in bare feet, and it isn't slippery even when it's wet.

 

[dhermann1]

First shot, hexagon, second shot, octagon. Third shot, totally gone.

 

[Sefton]

First shot, hexagon, second shot, octagon. Third shot, totally gone.

You forgot the chaser!

 

[dhermann1]

Yeah, I was too far gone.
I'll bet that one floored you, huh?

 

[Sefton]

..."Out on the tiles", as Mr.Plant once said.

 

[HadleyH]

SweetieStarr, i like the idea of a black and white bathroom, here are some more suggestions:


white/black scheme with mauve walls

1930s kind of bathroom

 

[Paisley]

Hearst Castle Bathrooms

I looked at the booklet I bought at the Hearst Castle. I think I might have had some of the bathrooms mixed up. There were two photos:

One bathroom had 3" or so terra cotta tiles arranged in a diamond pattern. The walls were golden tan and the fixtures were white porcelain. There was a mirror with an arch on the top and etchings. Here's a photo of it:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_6xq1KvXYv_0/SCd80J-tfoI/AAAAAAAACww/NtOIipFvcPU/beach+house+trip+069.jpg

The other bathroom had black and white marble on the floor and walls. The tub, toilet and sink were black and the fixtures were brass. The mirrors were square with no frames or etchings. The windows were covered with sheer white panels that pooled at the bottom. Very sleek and elegant, but the floor looked like it would be slippery. At the ceiling a band about a foot wide of coppery brown wallpaper or tiles with an Arabesque design.

 

[SweetieStarr]

Thank you so much for all the great photos, everyone!
Paisley, the black and white bathroom you described sounds divine. Do you happen to also have a photo of that one?

 

[dhermann1]

Lighting

Slightly o/t, but still relevant: Here are a couple odf sites I found with very authentic period lighting fixtures. Each has a really nice procelain bathroom fixture available.
http://www.schoolhouseelectric.com/fixtures-detail.asp?FixtureID=149
http://www.rejuvenation.com/fixshowW987/templates/selection.phtml

 

[Tomasso]

white/black scheme with mauve walls

1930s kind of bathroom

I've got just the right commode, Hadley.

 

[HadleyH]

I've got just the right commode, Hadley.
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Right commode sweet Tomasso?
Who cares about the right commode ? [huh]

 

[Paisley]

Thank you so much for all the great photos, everyone!
Paisley, the black and white bathroom you described sounds divine. Do you happen to also have a photo of that one?

Sorry, I don't have one online. The photo I linked to was actually someone else's. Maybe your library has a book on the Hearst Castle.

 

[LocktownDog]

I've got just the right commode, Hadley.

Hah! I can only imagine the look on my 8yr old's face. The kid would hold it in until he exploded!

 

[goldwyn girl]

This morning while in my bathroom I decided to give it a hard look over as something just did'nt seem right. The tile was sitting to far from the wall. Well I discovered to my delight that the original tile is under the ugly newer one. Has anyone removed tile from tile with any success ? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Hope this is in the right thread