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Transitional "Pink/Green" Bathroom remodeling ideas?

3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago

Thanks for everyone who gave excellent and creative ideas for my previous post regarding the vintage green master's bathroom. I really appreciate your help.


Now that we got the rental house back. I'm in the process of brainstorming about the scope of work for the 2nd bathroom. Here are some photos:





To make it more competitive on the rental market, how would you redesign/remodel/stage this bathroom to attract the most potential tenants? Thanks again for your help!!

Comments (34)

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Im usually all for keeping vantage tile, but the amount of work to keep the floor clean and the grout yuck. also you dont need a tub in all bathrooms, a really attractive shower will boast a lot for adults. In my last rental one of the things I was excited about was the walk in shower.

    if I could spend all the money.

    Id move the toilet

    put in a double vanity

    create a shower

    basically gut it.

    if I was to put lipstick

    id put in a new toilet

    put in a shower surround over the tub

    put vinyl flooring over the tile

    get a new medicine cabinet

    add more lighting

    and paint.

  • 3 years ago

    It looks like all the tiles squares don't match on the wall you could paint the tile got to get special paint for that and you could put a fake plant sitting on the back of the toilet to make it more attractive him if there's room one on the floor by the bathtub paint the bathroom tile and the walls the same shade and the ceiling the same shade for openness

    W Chuang thanked happyleg
  • PRO
    3 years ago

    The same ideas we gave you before apply to this bathroom, too. And my original advice stands: nothing about these bathrooms scream "high end". If you don't want to pay to remodel the bathrooms entirely, then resign yourself to not getting top dollar, especially in this market where people are leaving SF in droves.

    W Chuang thanked Sabrina Alfin Interiors
  • 3 years ago

    The other bathroom had vintage appeal

    This one is a hodge podge


    If it where me, I would try to maintain the vintage appeal.


    Are the tiles on the floor the same as the ones on the wall?


    If it is pull out the tub and make it into a shower, using the floor time to patch the places on the wall where the tub is now. Add a glass wall for a shower.

    Then retile the whole bathroom floor, but in appropriate colors.


    Thassos White Marble 1x2 Basketweave Mosaic Tile Green Dots Honed, 1 sheet · More Info

    Clean up the grout, possibly redo grout, so it is all fresh and new.


    Replace the toilet and vanity, sink.

    If you can get your hand on an authentic sink in good quality, that would be awesome, but if you cant, then a nice vintage new replacement.


    Add period appropriate wall paper, lighting, and medicine cabinet. Some 20's artwork.


    These details are the difference between old and dingy to vintage, high end and appealing

    W Chuang thanked shira sobel
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Unlike your master bathroom, this is IMO a complete gut. Please donate the pink fixtures though - someone will restore and use them. I'd retile with the same 4x4 and trim pieces, just in new tiles to keep the same vibe in the whole house. I'd replace lighting and the medicine cabinet (stick to vintage designs but invest in new ones), and paint the walls. That vanity has to go - I'd get a custom unit created that allows for storage but feels vintage - stay away from Home Depot! Avoid painting tiles or plumbing fixtures and installing wallpaper in rental properties.

    W Chuang thanked JP L
  • 3 years ago

    The epoxy paint for tile is supposed to be pretty good that's what I heard

    W Chuang thanked happyleg
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    We purchased a home with reglazed tiles/counters in one of the baths - it lasted for a while, but several years in, it's starting to crack/peel (it's a bath that gets daily use). All in all, for rental properties, you want bulletproof/low maintenance materials whenever possible, and painting tiles just isn't it IMO.

    W Chuang thanked JP L
  • 3 years ago

    I loved the other bath. This one no because the mish mash of the materials.

    Do all white toilet, sink and large shower instead of tub.

    Redo walls in a white tile (either square or subway) with a black border and then do a white floor tile with black "daisys" or the basketweave shown above.

    Similar to what I did.


    W Chuang thanked cpartist
  • 3 years ago

    Agree that unlike your other bathroom, this one is too far gone. I would absolutely go for a vintage look, as cpartist suggests. These photos aren’t the greatest, but here’s my “new vintage” bathroom. I kept the tub, because it’s the only tub in the house, but if I were you I would remove the tub. My Oakland Craftsman was built in 1914.

    W Chuang thanked chinacatpeekin
  • 3 years ago

    Beautiful chinacatpeekin

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    @shira sobel: Yes, the tiles on the floor are the same as the ones on the wall.

    Also, what kind of "nice vintage new replacement" you have in mind, to replace the current sink? Thanks!

  • 3 years ago

    I that case I would look for a professional who can asses if they are in good enough shape to patch out the tub and turn it into a shower


    The rest of the fixtures should be white, and find a floor tile that matches.

    W Chuang thanked shira sobel
  • 3 years ago

    In your green bathroom thread, I mentioned a tile place in SF that I believe has that type of vintage tile, not expensive. A friend used them , but I haven’t been.

    For the pink bathroom, I think I’d replace the whole vanity top , fixtures and hardware rather than just the sink. Those current features are jarring. Since your apartment is vintage, I would embrace the existing style in any updates you undertake- otherwise it will just look like a “remuddle “. Aim for cohesiveness throughout.

  • 3 years ago

    @cpartist and @chinacatpeekin: Wow I love what you did for your vintage look bath! It looks amazing! Eventually we will want to gut it all for this bath, as we were thinking of converting the bathtub into a shower, then open up the wall above the tub and create a door so that guest can enter the bathroom (from hallway) without having to enter one of the bedrooms to use the bath. However, for now we just want to refresh it as much as we could to make it presentable. Here are the scope of work that I'm thinking of:

    1. Replace the toilet seat (I think the color is called Venetian Pink).
    2. Re-grout around the bathtub and possibly floor
    3. Replace the vanity light (or at last polish it?) above the mirror as it's a bit rusty now (per rental agent/consultant's suggestion) - see photo below.
    4. Possibly replace the sink/vanity? Still debating form vs functionality (not sure what kind of sink would fit right in to create that original vintage vibe)

    Now, regarding the vanity light, here is a close up. Should I replace it with a similar one, or maybe one with 3 lights? Any suggestions about what kind of vanity light (maybe vintage look?) we should be using? Thanks again!!




  • 3 years ago

    When I said replace the sink, I meant the whole thing

    With something like this


    Kingston Brass Victorian Console Sink With Stainless Steel Legs VPB33081ST · More Info


    Kingston Brass Widespread Bathroom Faucet With Plastic Pop-Up, Brushed Nickel · More Info


    Kingston Brass VTC1991 Victorian 1.28 GPF One Piece Elongated - White · More Info

    maybe something like this for the floor in colors that match more

    Carrara White Marble Hexagon Rosette Mosaic Tile Green Jade Honed, 1 sheet · More Info


    W Chuang thanked shira sobel
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    @JP L: Do you know where we can donate the pink toilet? Thanks!

  • 3 years ago

    Try Ohmega Salvage and Urban Ore, both are in Berkeley.

    W Chuang thanked chinacatpeekin
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    My daughter was able to convince my wife to save the pink toilet (yay) so we will try to repair the pink toilet with one of those Toilet Tank Repair Kit. Now the question is, where can we find venetian pink console sink? Should we consider pedestal sink instead? Thoughts? Thanks!


    Also I think we will try to find "tile stickers" for those 8 pieces of 4x4 tiles that have mismatched color. Any recommendation about what tile stickers we should get? Maybe a green one (or pink one)? Thanks!

  • 3 years ago

    So glad you are saving the pink toilet! If you cannot find a pink seat for it, a black seat might look better than white. I think either a console or pedestal would work. Try etsy.

  • 3 years ago

    search online for a sink

    I found this one (in NY) within minutes

    https://www.etsy.com/listing/1349163890/vtg-deco-coral-pink-porcelain-wall-sink?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=vintage+pink+sink&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&organic_search_click=1


    Please don't do tile stickers

    That will look really "off"


    Can you pull those tiles of and build a recessed shampoo niche in the same color green as the accent tiles?

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I am ALL ABOUT salvaging vintage tile, but yours needs a complete redo. "Tile stickers?" I'm starting to think you're messing with all of us. This is a rental property - expect your tenants to treat the fixtures as such. They won't baby your tile stickers. I'm not as familiar with the Bay Area in terms of resources, but can recommend B&W Tile in Los Angeles ( https://www.bwtile.com/ ) and they do ship - they have affordable vintage tiles (and all trim pieces) that would make for an incredible remodel of your bath. If you stick with the pink fixtures, you could pick a complementary tile color (I'd go with mint green, but it's an entirely personal decision) or play it safe and go with bulletproof neutrals/white. If you do choose to keep it white (and no shame, your fixtures bring the color), you can also opt for DalTile's Restore line which is available literally everywhere and has all of the trim pieces, etc. (and is super affordable). An added bonus is that it's easy to source extra pieces for repairs, etc. using this product because it's been around forever. You'll get lots of recommendations on these forums for things like marble, which are pretty and great materials, but this isn't the house you live in - it's a rental. Stick to basic durable materials that look great but have the ability to stand up to abuse. For the floor tiles, I'd maybe do a mosaic pattern (like folks are suggesting). Personally, I'm partial to the square mosiacs popular in the 1940's/50's (like this: https://www.wayfair.com/home-improvement/pdp/merola-tile-academy-random-sized-straight-edge-porcelain-versailles-mosaic-wall-floor-tile-eml1301.html ) but I also recognize that many people are not, so find one that speaks to you and fits in with the rest of the house. This is another pretty option: https://www.wayfair.com/home-improvement/pdp/merola-tile-crystalline-market-13-x-13-porcelain-grid-mosaic-wall-floor-tile-eml1288.html

    For pink sinks, search for architectural salvage shops in the Bay Area - you will likely get something local that matches well enough. Go to the actual shops and talk to the people that work there - they source stuff all the time - if they don't have it on the floor/in stock, they may be able to refer you to someone who does. Is there any storage in this bath besides the vanity? If not, search for a salvaged pink counter sink and have a small cabinet built for it. It's not as expensive as you think and will definitely look better than what's there now. Definitely invest in a better/larger medicine cabinet and lighting.

    Also, skip the massive kitchen remodel. Maybe get a new fridge. People don't rent properties for the gorgeous redone kitchen in SF - they are all about location, function and price. Work with what you have and make all of the surfaces durable and long-lasting (if that Formica ain't broke, don't rip it out!). Address any items that may require too much maintenance or require repairs - these are the things that cause problems for tenants.

    W Chuang thanked JP L
  • 3 years ago

    The tile is probably vintage to the house. The tub and toilet are not.

    W Chuang thanked cpartist
  • 3 years ago

    I would not keep the pink toilet unless you can find a matching seat--the one there now sticks out like sore thumb and is going to be a flag for a prospective tenant to wonder what's going on with it. This bathroom is so mishmashed compared to the other one that I wouldn't lose sleep over gutting it if you decide to go that route--but also, that is a BIG project, and if your concern is rent, then I think you want to get the house on the market sooner rather than later, which means sticking to cosmetic projects. Replacing the tub is a big project.

    I would replace the vanity, which looks way out of place, with a pedestal or console sink, replace the toilet, and call it a day for now. At some future point, replace the tub as well, or consider refinishing it if it's in good condition otherwise. (Not generally a fan of that approach but here, if you have a good vintage tub without matching pieces to go with it, it may make sense.)

    W Chuang thanked artemis78
  • 3 years ago

    If you keep the pink toilet, and are 100% sure it is american standard venetian pink, get a Bemis silent close seat on amazon, just make sure you get the right size (round or elongated). if you get the right color, the matches are perfect. highly recommended, have three for each of my colored bathrooms.


    Bemis 200SLOWT 063 Will Slow Close, Never Loosen and Easily Remove Toilet Seat, Round, Venetian Pink https://a.co/d/6iaB9Oj

    W Chuang thanked Stephanie
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Dear all,

    By the way, I think the correct color for that bath tub and toilet should be Peach Blossom (or Fawn Beige??), instead of Venetian Pink, right?

    I bought a Venetian Pink toilet seat from Amazon but the color does not match:



    Also, in the future if we are to replace the existing "transitional" vanity/sink, what would you recommend us to replace it with? A matching color (Peach Blossom?) pedestal sink? Or something else? Thanks again!

  • 3 years ago

    No V. pink is the color.

    W Chuang thanked happyleg
  • 3 years ago

    I’d replace the vanity with a matching pink console sink or pedestal sink. Shira Sobel posted a link to one on Etsy above in this thread. EBay is another place to look. Local salvage/ vintage plumbing businesses may have one that works for you.- Urban Ore, The Sink Factory and Ohmega Salvage are in Berkeley; I imagine there are similar places in the Bay Area. Google is your friend here:)

    W Chuang thanked chinacatpeekin
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Here's a link to an American Standard color chart - https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f9/1a/72/f91a728aea0632b0734185a25a20219f.jpg

    There are actually lots of different shades of pink/coral that were available.

    This Retro Renovation article on the use of pink in bathrooms over the years can also serve as some inspiration: https://retrorenovation.com/2016/03/22/bathroom-color-pink/

    If it were me, considering this is a rental, I'd invest in a pink undermount/counter sink and have a vintage style cabinet made to allow for storage. Going this route also allows you to utilize different (modern) sink options in colors that are close to the original in the event that you aren't able to source a true vintage match. I'd also replace the medicine cabinet and light fixture with something that fits better with the style of the bathroom.

    W Chuang thanked JP L
  • PRO
    3 years ago

    IMO there are 2 spaces in any home vintage or not that need to be brought into the 21 century. That is bathrooms and kitchens Function is always the first thing and no vintage rooms of those were functional in our era. Toilets wasted huge amounts of water , designs are much simpler and more funtional now both in water saving and usually the electrical has to be brought up to code for sure in sapces where water is used. Sorry but honestly I do not see much worth keeping in that space and for sure not for a hot rental climate . You need to redo to attract decent renters .

    W Chuang thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • 3 years ago

    @Patricia Colwell Consulting - you can bring a bathroom into "the 21st century" without slapping large format marble or grey tiles everywhere, and in honoring the original architecture and style of the home, you can actually create value via a charming and cohesive atmosphere that is very appealing to many renters - especially those inundated with fast flips and builder grade fixtures on the California rental market.

    W Chuang thanked JP L
  • 3 years ago

    You need to redo to attract decent renters .

    In SF, "decent" renters appreciate the older homes. Just because you want aremuddled home, doesn't mean everyone does.

    Once again, YOU are giving YOUR OPINION, and what YOU LIKE, versus what may be best for the OP.

    W Chuang thanked cpartist
  • 3 years ago

    Ok we tried our best to save the venetian pink toilet but it's just too difficult - lots of labor to take out the base and replace it with the entire valve system. If you are living near SF Bay area and you can use this toilet, please let me know and I can donate it to you. Thanks!

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Last call - anyone who lives in the SF Bay area and want this venetian pink toilet please text or call me at 415-498-0664 (Google Voice) before we donate it to SF Building Resources or dump it. Thanks!