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Love or hate them? '50s tile bathrooms of yellow, pink, green or blue get our writer's nod for glamour
Mid-century bathrooms, characterized by their vibrant tile colors such as yellow, pink, green, and blue, elicit strong opinions, with many homeowners either embracing or rejecting their distinct aesthetic. While some view these colorful bathrooms as outdated, others, like the author, celebrate them for their unique charm and historical significance. The author, a self-proclaimed lover of all things midcentury, found her "bubblegum pink" bathroom, complete with dark green trim, to be a dream come true when she moved into a rental property.
Mike Helmstetter, a renovation specialist with 40 years of experience, notes that many clients express dislike for these colorful tiles, particularly pink, opting for modern-day favorites like white, beige, or gray. He estimates having demolished at least 50 such bathrooms, replacing the original pastel constructions with contemporary designs. These demolitions often involve significant effort due to the robust, old-style masonry, which was built with masonry wire and two layers of concrete, making them "bulletproof" and challenging to remove.
However, there are growing instances of homeowners choosing to preserve and even highlight these vintage bathrooms. Elaine Forstall, a retired luxury drapery maker, initially planned to gut the "highlighter yellow" bathroom in her newly purchased 1950s condo. She envisioned an all-white interior but ultimately decided against it, seeing it as a creative challenge to incorporate the existing color. By strategically adding bold colors and patterns through a floral shower curtain featuring monkeys, artwork, and a rug to cover mosaic floor tiles, she transformed the space for under $2,000. Her guest bathroom, now her favorite room, stands as the only one in her home with significant color.
Similarly, Nancy and Jeffery Helmstetter were drawn to the midcentury bathrooms in their Bayou St. John home, which they found after a two-year search. Their primary bathroom features mint green tiles with sea glass-colored bullnose trim and diamond-patterned mosaic floors, complete with original Art Deco vanity lamps. Their second bathroom is pink with black bullnose trim, adorned with a midcentury-designed shower curtain to enhance the vintage feel. They appreciated the good condition and unusual design of these original installations.
The flamboyance of 1950s home design, including brightly colored bathrooms, was a direct reflection of the post-World War II optimism and economic boom. This era saw a departure from the all-white bathrooms prevalent during the Art Deco movement. Millions of suburban ranch-style homes built for returning veterans and their families featured bathrooms tiled in vibrant pinks, blues, greens, and yellows, often with contrasting trims. Pink, in particular, gained immense popularity following Mamie Eisenhower's pink ballgown at the 1953 inauguration and Elvis Presley's pink Cadillac, leading to the common term "Mamie Pink" for these bathrooms.
Recreating such bathrooms today would be difficult due to the scarcity of skilled artisans capable of the original quality masonry work. Modern homeowners, in contrast to those who appreciate the vintage aesthetic, often seek spalike luxury, roomier showers, and taller vanities. Despite these contemporary preferences, the author found a way to enhance her pink bathroom, repainting the walls with Benjamin Moore's Mascarpone to highlight the pink tiles, and completing the look with a black and white midcentury styled shower curtain, ceramic vases, and plants, creating her own "Mamie Pink tile-palace."
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