Easy changes to update a retro bathroom without a remodel.
The other day a bunch of my friends were discussing how they all had retro aka old bathrooms in their home. While our house has a retro bathroom as well I actually enjoy it, because it’s a classic white and black situation. Very easy to work with! My friends were not so lucky! We had an all pink bathroom, pink, green and black, powder blue and mellow yellow. One friend sent over a photo of her retro bathroom and I rounded up a couple of wallpaper and shower curtain options that would really update it without having to do any sort of massive remodel.
Here is what she is working with:
Ok, so at first glance it’s not amazing, but I saw potential. Pink is currently having a moment, so why not embrace it! The tile is all in great condition including the floor tile. The toilet is white! The sink cabinet is bold and green, but you can totally work with it’s retro feel or swap it out without much work and not involve any sort of massive renovation.
Here are some options I send her for different directions she could go in.
Option 1: Florals & Stripe.
The floral wallpaper gave me a Rifle Paper sort of vibe, which I really enjoyed. It helped bring all of the colors in the room together. I would pair it with a classic striped shower curtain.
Option 2: Preppy Pineapple
This was a more daring option, but I really enjoyed it. I loved the preppy pineapple pattern and since it was so busy I would pair it with a classic hotel stripe shower curtain with black accents that pick up the black tile border.
Option 3: Feminine Florals
This watercolor floral wallpaper has been around for awhile, but I still really enjoy it. It’s girly than the top floral, which makes it a bit more traditional. Since the floral pattern is so tight and busy there is not a lot of white space in it. For the shower curtain I would break it up with something that had more white space and a larger scale like this gingham shower curtain.
Option 4: Beverly Hills Hotel
When I saw the bathroom my mind immediately went to the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, which is know for it’s love of banana leafs and pink and white. Since the green in this bathroom was not as bold as the green in a banana leaf I needed to find something in a different shade. I hit the jackpot when I found beauty from Cole & Sons. Keeping in theme with the Beverly Hills Hotel vibe I paired it with a pink and white striped shower curtain.
Option 5: Vintage Florals
If you didn’t want to commit to wallpaper than a pretty neutral paint color for this space is would be melted ice by Benjamin Moore. I like that it’s a very pale pink, which can act like a neutral, but is more adventurous than white. I would pair it with this pretty floral shower curtain. Since the curtain has a vintage inspired pattern on it I would recommend to updating the sink vanity to give it a more modern feel.
What’s your favorite? Do you have a colorful bathroom in your home?
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ON THE BLOG
My living room is one of the rooms that evolved drastically from when we first moved one. Originally I painted the walls chocolate brown and did accents of white, blue and orange. That lasted maybe 2 years.
Our dining room sat empty for months. Okay maybe it was empty for just a handful of weeks and then we couldn’t take it anymore and put in a folding table and plastic outdoor chairs, but in my mind that was still empty.
On the main floor of our house we have a Florida room. Being that it’s a Florida room it is a considered a 3 season room, because there is no heat in the room. The previous owners used it as an indoor patio with outdoor furniture and it looked like this when we moved in.
Option #5 for sure!
My powder room (off the master bedroom) is stuck in the 1970s. Harvest Gold/Avocado hex tile and a dated, gross vanity. I think we are going to rip out the vanity and put an updated one in because this one is water damaged and then put wood-look LVT over the tile floors (which are actually in decent shape, just ugly),
Of your options, I love Option#5!
Loving option #4
What a great idea! I’d love more of these work with what you’ve got type blog posts. So inspiring!