We're On Our Way

ebay

Well, the tub surround has been ordered and will arrive within the next seven days. When it does, I'm off to local hardware stores and lumber yards for furring strips (we may not need more than three), backer board (four pieces), adhesives and fasteners. Also, framing and casing for the window. We've almost decided to use vinyl lumber and molding for the window. It costs a little more, but it's invulnerable to water damage. It comes in stark white, and the baseboards and door facings in the bathroom are cream colored, but the vinyl can be painted.

The way I'm planning to do the bathroom doesn't look very MCM.

This is what a bathroom in a small, suburban ranch house in the early 60s looked like: Lots of ceramic tile, colors we now call "retro" (pink, turquoise, sea-green, along with neutrals like gray and black); sometimes with Formica countertops. 

The Real Awakening Blog

It's probably been a long time since our little bathrooms looked like they did when the house was built in 1957. The only thing "retro" is the Pepto-Bismol pink walls in the  hall bath, revealed when the 1990s floral-striped wallpaper started peeling off....

Lowe's

In any case, my plans for the space include a the new tub surround discussed in the previous blog entry, and vintage-style sliding glass shower doors.  Walls will be painted light brown -- a somewhat desaturated cafe au lait... Vinyl floor tiles with a faux stone look in browns with touches of green...

Here are a couple of before and projected-after images.



You can't tell in these images, but the faux marble vanity is a cream color with (thankfully) not much marbeling. When the tub is refinished, the vanity will be refinished as well -- both in glossy white. The vanity cabinet will be painted a semi-gloss dark brown, and get new hardware.

ebay

The wire shelves above the toilet that my husband took upon himself to install (for towels and other storage) will disappear. Since there's so little MCM in the room, I'll be looking to accessorize with vintage items, and one will be a shelf above the toilet like this (though I would prefer atomic starbursts instead of the scrolls....)

And I still love the idea of using a vintage telephone stand, like the one pictured at the beginning of this entry, to hold a plant on the top and for storing rolls of tissue below.

Ace Hdwe

I love the look of the "Futura" bath hardware set by Franklin Brass. It is aptly named  We would need a towel bar, towel ring, recessed tissue holder. We also plan install a grab rail on the end wall of the tub enclosure (opposite the faucet).

ebaty

I'll be on the lookout locally for a vintage metal mesh trash can -- these are sometimes way overpriced on e-bay and they can arrive damaged. E-bay has a refund policy for damaged merchandise, but its best to avoid that, if possible. And if the items purchased locally are a bit worn or rusty, no matter. A little sanding and some spray paint will do the trick. Metallic spray paints look so much better than they did just a few years ago.

Lastly, I'll be looking to gradually supplement our white bath linens with beige, sage and olive...  It may not be fanciest decorating job, but it will certainly be an improvement over the worn, damaged bathroom we have now.