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Text by Terry Winkelmann •
Photography by Barbara Elliott Martin •
Styling by Dianne Josephs
From Cheesy to Pleasing
"Sometimes there's a fine line between dingy and funky," Janet says. When she and
Tom bought this '30s-era bungalow in 1993, "everything was aqua and gold." The
bathroom's fluorescent lighting was especially alarming, turning everything and
everyone in it a sickly green. After careful study, the handy couple realized
the basic bath was perfectly good and could be terrific with just a little help.
Tom turned his carpenter's eye to the task, crafting an unusual window valance
and a useful mirror. Next, a pedestal sink replaced the "cheesy '70s vanity"
from a past remodel. Clean white details, like vintage guest towels and
ironstone creamers, perk up old tiles, while a retro pendant light reveals the
room's good bones. In the end, it didn't take a complete re-do to cross that
line between dull to delightful-just a bit of imagination.
Revive a Washed-up Bathroom
one. Add dimension and grace to your window treatment with a curved wooden
valance, (a). Janet's scalloped linen curtain billows in the breeze, hanging
from buttonholes slipped onto hardware hooks.
two. Open up a small bathroom with a big mirror, (b). Simple lumber-yard
moldings frame a flat mirror cut to fill the width of the wall. A ledge at top
and shelf at bottom offer room for trinkets and mementos.
three. Check your lights. Not only do they play tricks with your makeup,
fluorescent lighting tends to turn tiles and wallcoverings weird shades. Play
with incandescent and halogen bulbs to lighten and brighten your space.
four. Perch collections anywhere you can squeeze them. Plaster casts of kids
Beecher and Ezra's feet walk the ledge above the mirror, (c).
Where can I go to find old-school fixtures for my brand-new bathroom?
It's never been easier to find just the right porcelain and plumbing fixtures
for your perfect bath. Not only are manufacturers making the most amazing tubs
and sinks, but with a laptop, you can window-shop from bed. (We'd say "bathtub,"
but the soapsuds might ruin your keyboard!) At www.bathclick.com you'll find
free shipping from more then 70 manufacturers and if you're bargain hunting, try the
plumbing auction site www.baths.com. Antique Bath Boutique, www.oldtub.com, and
Affordable Antique Bath and More, www.bathandmore.com, are two great sources of
reproduction tubs. A fun site honoring the early days of indoor plumbing, www.vintagetub.com, specializes in clawfoot classics. www.kallistainc.com
features 1930s retro sinks and a copper tub. The bathrooms at www.duravit.com
range from the strange and modern Dreamscape collection to a tribute to the
Medicis. And of course, www.americanstandard-us.com and www.kohlerco.com cover
all the bases, from Victorian to futuristic. Lastly, Renovator's Supply, the
urban pioneer's must-have catalog since 1978, is now on line at www.renovatorssupply.com.
Getting The Goods
Homestead, 230 East Main Street, Fredericksburg, TX 78624; (830)997-5551; www.homesteadstores.com.
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