It’s been almost ten years since we purchased our 1920’s home, and during this time I dreamed of renovating our upstairs hall bathroom into something, well, nicer. The bright yellow painted tile (whyyyy did someone paint it this color?), cracked floor tile, cracked plaster, and cramped space combined to make this bathroom my least favorite spot in our house. I never even painted the walls because I disliked it so much.
For years I dutifully knelt at the tub, bathing my babies . . . 
helped brush teeth at the sink with marred console legs . . . 
and potty trained at the toilet with a wall-mounted tank.
I did my best to overlook the poor aesthetics over the years, but in addition to the cracks and plethora of yellow tile, the plumbing started failing in here. Multiple plumbers told us we should plan to remodel “soon” (meaning, before we were forced to do so in a state of emergency).
So we started planning, and saving, and planning some more. And we decided that the time was right to say goodbye to our vintage yellow bathroom. We got our plans, got our permits, got to work (well, got to work picking finishes. We hired a contractor to do all the hard stuff!).
Being the “old home meets modern living” lover that I am, however, the plan for the new bathroom had it looking very similar to this bathroom – just updated for 2019 – with important items being salvaged and re-used (hint hint: this 1927 date stamped mirror will probably look familiar).
But, before we said goodbye to our 1920’s yellow bathroom, we had a little fun. We pulled out the Sharpies and let the kids write all over the walls. They were beside themselves. If you ever do a gut renovation on a bathroom, I highly recommend that you give your kids a Sharpie and let them go to town.
Their joy over writing on the walls made our last night with the yellow bathroom bittersweet. Lots of memories with little kiddos in this space, but hopefully the new hall bathroom will serve us better (and look much better)!
I cannot wait to show you the fully remodeled bathroom!
-Bre
Susan says
Bre, came across this and thought I was looking at photos of My bathroom, (1923). I am getting ready to demo the entire bathroom, mostly due to plumbing issues, and a full re-pipe of the downstairs. I am trying to save what I can but after 102 years sadly some can not be saved or repurposed. Would love to see any after photos of the bathroom, is there somewhere I can see these?
thank you, Susan
Bre says
Hi, Susan! Oh my gosh, you have an exciting project ahead! Yes, I have photos you can see. If you visit this blog post you’ll see exactly what we did. I hope it helps!!https://averageinspired.com/2019/05/1920s-bathroom-renovation-our-true-to-period-remodel.html
Dorene says
Hi Bre. Just came across this blog post as I search for a replacement for the etched mirrored medicine cabinet in our 1920s Tudor Revival home that’s chipped and cracked. Can you provide some advice on where to get ours replaced or refurbished?
Bre says
Hi, Dorene! Oh! I’m so glad you’re interested in trying to save it! I’d suggest calling a glass and mirror business nearby and asking if they can do that restoration. If not, I’m sure they can refer you to someone! It will be worth it to fix it up – such a treasure!
Alicia says
Hi Bre! We’re just getting to the end of a very similar bath remodel in our home from 1923. I love the dark paint you used- what’s the brand and color? Thanks!
Bre says
Hi, Alicia! I am so sorry for the delayed response to this question!! It is Benjamin Moore and the color is Charlotte Slate. It’s a fabulous color!!!
Mississauga handyman says
Bathroom renovations is one of the most common and worthwhile home-improvement you can do. The two main areas in your home that should be right up to snuff is the kitchen and the bathroom. These are the most used areas in the home. Modernizing your bathroom makes it more convenient and aesthetically pleasing. Mississauga handyman has found just by removing the toilet and vanity and bathtub and putting a new floor down will really make the bathroom far more appealing. There are different ways of attacking the situation. You can completely got and demolish everything or you can cover many things. Done properly covering (such as doing a very careful and accurate plaster repairs/drywall repairs and patching and smoothing of the walls making sure corners and ceilings are properly plastered) will be just as effective saving the energy and cost of rebuilding from scratch. Low-cost home improvements can be done effectively if plan right. I suggest researching all your options with this home-improvement.