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Friday, September 23, 2011

When did our bathrooms get so boring?

We need to renovate the two bathrooms we have.

One is circa 1964 and in original condition, everything except the lino floor that arrived sometime in the 90s.





The bath is green, so are the tiles, and the vanity sink. The shower base is a speckled concrete thing that is so good at hiding dirt and mould, I am not sure if it needs cleaning or just looks that way.

The eighties bathroom, is all sorts of glamour that you will never find in a current bathroom shop. I have loaded the tapware to facebook before for comments, and all our friends that visit comment on them. They are certainly a talking point.

As we accept the reality that we need to update, all I can find is white.

Bathrooms are now all just white.  Vanity, bath, shower recess...white, white white.

You can add some minor colour with a cupboard, some charcoal perhaps, or a natural shade (otherwise known as brown). But otherwise it is white.

I actually love our 1960s bathroom, but the tiles can't be replaced.

I love the taps in the 1980s bathroom, but changing the washers isn't enough anymore and we really need to replace.

So if you are a bathroom designer or supplier and have something that is not white, please let me know.

If you have a bathroom that you think has some style about it, maybe load the pic to my facebook page and give me some ideas.

If you recall the 1960s, and have any idea what the original floor coverings would have been, I would also love to know that.

Basically, give me your bathroom updating tips, especially in avoiding the stark white bathroom choice.






10 comments:

  1. I had a very similar bathroom in one of our houses (built in 1954) and the floor was terrazzo. I wonder if there is something similar under the lino.... Worth a look.

    Not only are all bathrooms white but they have all the interesting bits either streamlined or hidden now. There is such a thing as too much minimalism. I am currently renovating a bathroom and am going for a heritage type style as that fits the rest of the house and a modern bathroom would just look weird. Plus they remind me of laboratories.

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  2. I agree, the sterile lab look is very now. Looking at a few mags I see that most amazing bathrooms really use the wall tiles as a major feature. A deep claw bath would be wonderful, but not very circa 1964!

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  3. We're doing our en suit bathroom atm. I'm going very neutral and stone looking. The white can look fabulous - but it will date quickly in my opinion. I'm for the classic look that I hope will last for ages. Big stone-ish tiles and a clear glass shower screen. The basin will be white thou!! Love to see what you come up with.

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  4. I don't know the correct term for it, but we had a partially renovated 1960s bathroom in our last house - the floor was original, and was made up of tiny little tiles (maybe 1.5cm square?), all in different shades of green and off-white. It was really funky. The previous owners put in white basins/bath/toilet, but left the floor green, and then also painted the walls a co-ordinating green colour. Was very simple and nice, and not a gross hospital green at all. Maybe I have a pic I can send you ;)
    I hope to be joining you in bathroom reno land before too long, and we have the same vision, I think. I hate the sterile white look.
    x Rhi

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  5. I have one word for you - Pinterest :)

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  6. White might be boring, but it won't date like the pink toilet and baths.

    Ours is all white and it looks clean and gorgeous. And it's not going to date anytime soon.

    Sorry, no advice from me. Because I LOVE white.

    xxx

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  7. Keep the green bath and tiles- everything else in white- then you will end up with something unique,modern and a nod to its sixties roots. Kylie.

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  8. I seem to remember black and white lino tiles like a chess board in my parent's first home (new) in the 60s in the bathroom. Actually the whole bathroom was black and white.

    When we moved, the bathroom - again 60s was an eau de nile (bit like yours but paler) and had a beige carpet! Since replaced with parquet style lino.

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  9. It would have been shag pile purple, yes?

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  10. I'm with you - bathrooms are so boring these days. But all I'm seeing is beige/chocolate and more beige. The houses and their bathrooms are looking the same. I would love to see what you came up with for your bathroom.

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