Studio Day Design
That’s right. As an interior designer, I am telling you NOT to remodel. Weird, huh? Well, it’s for good reason. The Art Deco period was one of the coolest design periods ever. Chances are, if you are living in a prewar building, you have an art deco bathroom and it needs to be preserved. There’s design, there’s history, there’s the ever so popular vintage appeal. So, today, hopefully I can convince you not to remodel your vintage art deco bathroom. It’s perfect just the way it is.
I have an art deco bathroom and I didn’t know it until today. The graystone I live in is prewar and I assumed because the tile was colorful that the bathroom was from the 70s. Wrong. I was DELIGHTED when I started researching retro bathrooms for this post and discovered that my bathroom is much older than I thought. My building was built around the 1900s and my art deco bathroom is from anywhere between 1920-1940. HOW FRIGGIN COOL?
Money Crashers
I would like to think that my bathroom is from the roaring 20s; it makes me feel sassy. Now I am even more proud of my “outdated” bathroom because it holds a piece of history. I am grateful that it is a vibrant blue. I am proud that it is old. I am happy that it is mine. It’s funny, we seem to appreciate something more when we know if its significance.
Now, I live in NYC, and most residential bathrooms I’ve seen here are in the art deco style. It seems it was a big hit here in New York. My vintage art deco bathroom is in a blue palette and accented with black. You might also be familiar with the most well known palette: black and white. I have also seen them in pink and peach palettes.
The Sweet Beast
In college, I lived in an apartment for a year that had a pink art deco bathroom. I thought it was tacky (ugh, youth). But looking back, I appreciate it. It had a tub with round edges, a vintage console sink. and pink floor and wall tile. I wish I had known its significance.
The point is, don’t let social media, magazines, shows, what have you make you think that your bathroom isn’t good enough because it wasn’t updated in the last 2 years. That’s not true! Now more than ever, we are really appreciating vintage decor elements. So many people are thrifting vintage items because they provide a key piece of decor that you can no longer get.
PLEASE Don’t Remodel Your Vintage Art Deco Bathroom
BHG | Decoholic
Apartment Therapy | Elle Decor
This Old House | Remodelista
How stunning are these palettes? The same colors are in style now so the only difference between a new bathroom and your vintage art deco bathroom is that you have $40,000 more in the bank by not doing a renovation. Besides, black and white tile, in any shape, will always be in style. It’s classic.
SO many elements of modern design are taken directly from the art deco period. Be proud you are a trend setter. It was a classic design period fully of beauty and unique details. But, okay, I get it. When you are given a colorful tile off the bat, you’re not really sure how to move forward with the decor. Totally understandable!
Most rentals or homes are super traditional and neutral (hey, beige, what’s up?). It’s not so much that you are actually opposed to color, it’s just that you haven’t seen it before. Biologically speaking, we are naturally predisposed to be risk averse. Because you know, survival. But just give it a minute and you’ll come around. After all, color is good for the soul. Just like I explained that my client did.
This gives me an idea to teach you how to decorate while working with your art deco bathroom style and not against it. So, stay tuned for a lesson. And in the mean time, keep your hammer away from that bathroom!
-Kristen
More Inspiration…
18 Responses
Hello! My bathroom is like the pink and black one but instead of black it’s burgundy! I could live with it but what if the bath is just not functional for you – no exhaust fan, no overhead lighting, no storage, and tiny. I love it but don’t like it. What to do then? I find myself trying hard to like it vs blowing it up and spending the bucks to get a dream steam shower with places to put my things so I can both love it and like it. Advice?
Hi!! I’ve seen the burgundy version. In fact, my client had one and so did my old boss! What I did with my client was advise for neutrals with the shower curtain and textiles–if a color, make it a muted tone in a warm color to speak to the burgundy. Then accent with art that speaks to the burgundy. As far as functionality–that’s super tricky. Installing overhead lighting just requires an electrician! So that’s an easy fix. The exhaust fan will be a bit more technical because you need to vent through the roof probably but you could definitely hire that out and price it. If you are okay with the cosmetic updates like decorating to make you LOVE it, and installing those little things for functionality, you can get it to be your dream bathroom as is most likely! A bathroom remodel is at least $20k, so even if those smaller task items end up costing a couple thousand, that’s still a great savings! You can also get a nice $200 shower head that will still feel luxurious and can update your faucet and medicine cabinet to something more towards your liking. Same with storage–what we did in our blue Art Deco bathroom was install a wide overhead shelf with baskets. You can also swap out the pedestal sink for a vanity with storage. It will be a nice balance of working with what you have while also putting your personal touch on it–without spending $$$ and having an out of commission bathroom for months and months. At this point in the pandemic, I would really avoid a remodel because labor and the supply chain are both so iffy right now. I believe in you! You can do it:-)
Thanks sooo much. And you’re so right – the delays for supplies and labor are ridiculous! I have to stop looking at those stand alone soaker tubs, steam showers, and wet rooms. They’re lovely but even with those elements, I keep coming back to my mine! Saving 10s of thousands helps too!
I recently purchased a house with burgundy tiled walls with pink accent tiles in the bathroom. Complete with the pink tub, toilet, and sink! Unfortunately the sink and the toilet are not functional and will need to be replaced but the tile work is still pristine. I’ve been racking my brain on how to “refresh” the bathroom while maintaining the retro vibe and embrace the beautiful tile workmanship. Do you have any advice on color scheme or fixtures that will compliment the art-deco vibes?
Oh my! Pink is definitely the toughest lol. What I always suggest is not to overcommit to one style (in this case it’s Art Deco). You want to be able to ease the bathroom into a more “neutral” style that pulls from many different aesthetics! Checkerboard rugs always look great and give a Moroccan flair, and I like vintage Turkish oushak rugs (I have 2!) the best to balance the overwhelming tile geometry. I would keep walls a light neutral and then opt for smaller pieces of art (no larger than 11×14) that pull from the rug colors. Keep the shower curtain neutral and maybe add some floating shelves with woven baskets. We are trying to bring life and texture to the space so the tile won’t be the only thing you focus on and it will feel more complete:-) For fixtures–keep it simple! Something that speaks to a midcentury style would be really nice. Look up retro style fixtures on etsy!
What is your opinion on adding overhead (can) lighting to vintage bathrooms?
Hi Stephanie! If it’s a small space like a bathroom, I wouldn’t. With lighting a house, necessity comes first (how many lumens you need to properly light) and then aesthetic comes next. In a kitchen or living room, you would need some can lights, but in a bathroom, you can totally stick with the original wiring which is probably an overhead light and mirror light(s). Bathrooms are a great place to add personality so I would get a cool overhead light that is updated but in keeping with the vintage aesthetic:-) I have an original Art Deco bathroom and we just swapped out the bulbs on our mirror lights for Edison style and it works great!
Hi Kristen, thanks for the quick response! I’ve decided not to add can lights. My bathroom has an original over-mirror sconce but of course that is not good for doing makeup; I am thinking of adding side-of-mirror sconces or just getting a separate mirror w/ ring light.
If you can get by with a ring light, I would do that! Unless you have a large bathroom that would still look ok with double sconces and an over the mirror light. Ring light is portable and affordable so that’s my vote if it works for your space!
I have the same problem as Jessica. I live in Sydney, Australia (where we also have Art Deco bathrooms :-)). But mine is a combination of black with a horrible, mustard vomit-colour. The black and white, pink and green Art Deco bathrooms are beautiful. Mine, however, is a monstrosity.
Oh no! Thankfully my Art Deco bathroom is blue with black trim so it’s palatable! Are you able to paint your tile? My friend Jewel Marlowe did the spring One Room Challenge last year and painted her shower tile. Here’s her blog post talking about it if you wanted to learn more about the process and what she used: https://jeweledinteriors.com/2020/06/kids-bathroom-spring-2020-orc-reveal/
I only just checked back at your posts and saw your reply – thanks very much! Yes, I am considering painting the tiles but the only colour that would really work is black, if I want to keep the mustard and black floor tiles (the floor tiles are really the only palatable tiles in the room). Appreciate your reply.
What if I have an art deco bathroom but it is absolutely hideous? All of the photos you posted are gorgeous. My art deco bathroom was build in 1928 and it looks like a horror movie set. I dread using it. I have chronic vestibular migraine and the colors/patterns make me feel like I am going to pass out. I want to rip it all out and remodel but I am willing to listen to some tips and advice before I bust out the sledgehammer.
Oh my goodness! Get that sledge hammer out and demo, demo, demo! Interior design is meant to make your home feel better for your soul, and if the design is triggering a medical issue, it is never ever worth keeping. For real. My plea was just to help people appreciate what they have and not buy into the idea that in order for something to be beautiful and special, it has to be new. Old and historic is just as beautiful:-) But nothing comes before health, so you have 2 options: 1) DEMO and 2) there is paint specifically designed for tile, and it’s not bad. You can paint the tile one solid color (like a calm white). That would be cool because classically Art Deco tile is different shapes and positions, so you would still have some variation, but it would be one solid color. Good luck!! Remember, health > everything so don’t feel bad about making your space work for you!
Wow, thank you for such a detailed reply! Coincidentally I discovered a company nearby that will recolor and gloss my tub, sink, toilet etc! I am going to go with white basically on everything and put in some gold hardware. I’ll rip out my (non original) storage and put in some nice new cabinets to go along with the white. I’ve decided to keep it as original as possible while not sacrificing my health or my wallet! Do you have any good websites for inspiration?
Oh, my! Recoloring the tile was meant to be! Thank you for choosing that option instead of gutting–the landfill thanks you! And you’re preserving history, which is so special and is the best way to ensure your home keeps its character and charm. I also have an Art Deco bathroom in my rental so I extra appreciate it:-) Loveeee brass hardware–it’s my favorite. So what I would do is go on pinterest and type in search words like “minimalist bathroom”, “Scandinavian bathroom”, “calming bathroom”, “all white bathroom”. You can get some good inspo on how to pare down a bathroom using light colors and interesting finishes and decor. Another budget hack is to use IKEA cabinet boxes and get cabinet fronts from another company (or IKEA). Gives a high end look without the price:-) Also, I wanted to thank you for commenting back–you are literally the FIRST person in my 2.5 years of blogging who has said thank you for my help lol. Makes my heart happy:-) And you’re so welcome. Let me know how it goes!!
Now that is a brilliant idea to use Ikea cabinet boxes with another companies cover fronts. Genius! Ill definitely be sure to check out Pinterest to start getting some inspiration going. I can’t believe I am the first person to thank you, I am so sorry to hear that! Your post regarding preservation of vintage bathrooms was literally the thing that made me change my mind. I was ready to take a sledge hammer to it all hah! I am excited to get this project going. Ill be sure to come back and post a before and after picture for you when its all finished but it might not be for another year! Thanks again 🙂
Hooray! Yup, whenever possible, it’s never a bad idea to preserve/restore. Happy you’re keeping it and changing it in an affordable way! Feel free to pop back in with questions if you have any. Cant wait to hear how it goes:-)