This Stunning Bathroom Makeover Keeps the Original Purple (!) Fixtures from 1962
ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER
HOME TYPE: Historic Home
PROJECT TYPE: Bathroom
STYLE: Colorful, Vintage
SKILL LEVEL: DIY, Professional
RENTAL FRIENDLY: No
Pastel tiles and fixtures are a hallmark of 1950s and 60s bathrooms, and the bathroom in Laura Bindloss’s 1962 home was no exception. The primary bathroom has a lavender-hued Rheem-brand toilet, tub, and sink.
Although these purple plumbing fixtures might have seemed garish in the heyday of white and gray homes about 10 years ago, they’re actually an interior design gold mine now. (As Laura points out, they go for a lot of money on eBay right now!) See how she’s styled them in her 2025 bathroom.
The carpet was replaced with heated tile floors.
Although the tile, tub, toilets, and sink stayed the same, the bathroom did go through a bit of a demo process because Laura and her husband, Simon, tore out the carpet (!) from before and had it replaced with a marble mosaic hex tile. Best yet? Laura and Simon had heated flooring professionally installed.
A pastel color palette complements the purple.
They also had a professional install Breegan Jane’s Malindi Wallpaper for Clarke & Clarke, a pastel-filled print to tie in the purple. The ceiling, window frame, and door got a pastel paint job, too, in pink (Little Green’s Masquerade) and green (Little Greene’s Pea Greene).
Laura says the bathroom “marries original 1960s elements like the lavender bathroom [fixtures] with clean-lined furnishings and bold color choices.”
The vanity got an upgrade.
Although Laura and Simon saved money by saving the sink, they did replace the dated vanity surrounding it and opted for a rose-colored marble countertop. There’s a new white-framed mirror and a vanity light and table lamp from Pooky to finish the look.
For more bathroom makeovers that embrace their pastel bones, check out this $750 pink-tiled transformation, this bathroom with green tile from the 1950s, and this blue bathroom makeover for $500.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Ashley — Here Are the Best to Suit Your Style and Space
We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sofa at West Elm — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Pottery Barn — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
