I'll Always Love This 99-Year-Old Bathroom's Sophisticated Makeover
Living in an old home can make for a tough balancing act when it comes to remodels and renovations. While some aspects of these old homes definitely should be changed — like dangerous knob-and-tube wiring, for example — there are plenty of other features that are worth preserving. That said, most people don’t want to live in a complete time capsule. So how can you make your old home feel like your own without sacrificing the charm that made you love it in the first place?
As the owner of a 1956 mid-century-modern house, I think about this balance a lot. My husband and I like to shop vintage when we can, and we overall gravitate towards mid-century-inspired fixtures. But sometimes it takes a little bit of a modern touch to make the original features sing. For example, painting the wall in our living room where we hang the TV a dark green plays up the original stone wall that’s opposite it.
I think this nearly 100-year-old bathroom’s makeover — previously published back in 2022 — is a prime example of modern updates helping original features sing. While some parts of this 1925 bathroom hadn’t stood the test of time (hello, textured walls), there were a lot of gorgeous features hiding within, like the patterned tile floors, the pedestal sink, and the original medicine cabinet.
The “after” here is a complete 180 from the dingy, dark before. With fresh wainscoting on the walls, painted in a deep blue-gray, the pedestal sink suddenly pops and the flooring feels like a centerpiece instead of an afterthought.
What I love most, I think, is that the medicine cabinet got a new look without sacrificing a single bit of character — in fact, I’d say it gained some. Its original white painted finish made this feature blend in, but stripping that paint away and staining the wood a deep brown gives this medicine cabinet a starring role in this reinvigorated bathroom.
There are some modern touches, too, like the new lighting and herringbone peel-and-stick wallpaper, but they all feel like they’re in service to the overall vintage vibe of the bathroom. And I think that’s what makes this bathroom makeover work so well! Everything that made this bathroom special before is still there — but now you can actually appreciate it.
Want to see the rest of this project? Check out the full bathroom makeover here.
For even more old home inspiration, take a look at these 12 gorgeous 100-year-old homes we’ve featured over the years.
Further Reading
I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Store Paper Towels in Your Kitchen (It’s a Game-Changer!)
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
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