Historic Bathrooms

Walking into a historic bathroom can be something to make you wonder what types of sacrifices you would be accepting by living with one versus a modern bathroom.  Yes, a modern bathroom can be inviting and pleasant but there is so much character within a historic bathroom.  An irreplaceable thing is much more valuable in my book.  

With that said, dealing with period bathrooms can prove to be a challenging restoration project indeed.  Many were built before indoor plumbing, and require just the right fixtures, tile and furnishings.  Updating it without sacrificing your historic home’s unique style should be at the top of your list.

There are several different era and styles to mention.  Bungalow-era baths were of the “sanitary white” persuasion.  Not the case for the bathrooms built after the mid 1920’s!  Bright color and Jazz Age glamour continued through the 1930’s and by the mid-40’s, white tile was back. 

A bathroom of 1923 probably looked very similar to a bathroom of 1907: utilitarian and sanitary with white paint and tile, a wall-hung or pedestal sink and clawfoot tub, nickel finishes and exposed plumbing. Just a couple of years later, colored tile was in and, around 1927, colored fixtures would be introduced, and everything would change. 

Tile is possibly the biggest design element of any bathroom. And if you are working on a vintage bath, it’s important to use historic floor tile patterns that fit your home. If your house is older than 1900, it’s very possible the bathroom was an addition since indoor plumbing wasn’t considered a necessity until after that time. Before then, only the wealthiest homes had a bathroom. The rest of the world made due with a chamber pot and a commode which was a type of a nightstand for when nature called in the middle of the night. Because of that most vintage bath designs, even on much older houses, will fit into the 1900-1930s style. The small format of these tiles served an important purpose. The small size of most early 20th century bathrooms makes them poor candidates for large format tiles. These little tiles allowed for unique designs and the small tile made the cramped spaces feel much bigger than they actually were. 

The early 1900s were more colorful to fit the sensibilities of the fading Victorian style. Other than the earth colored tiles found in Craftsman style homes, the late 1910s and 1920s were obsessively white tiled rooms because of the recent discovery of germs and the resulting sanitary craze. It was thought that white made it easier to spot germs. The 1930s was a mix of the sanitary white and the crazy bold colors found in Art Deco homes. In the 1940s the other color schemes faded and pastels like pink, blue, yellow, and green rose in popularity along with creme colors.  If you have one of these infamous pink bathrooms you should visit the website: SaveThePinkBathrooms.com before ripping things out, this site can offer some interesting perspectives on your bathroom.

Pedestal sinks were used, as were streamlined console sinks on chrome legs. The tub, often with Deco curves, was now built in. Tub recesses or niches were all the rage. Like an inglenook near the hearth or a breakfast nook in the kitchen, a tub niche is an architectural device that creates a cozy room within a room. The tub area was a perfect place to add sculptural effects—and a broad expanse of colorful tile.

Black and white made a return around 1940. Square white tile replaced the subway tile of earlier years. Often white tile was used with accent tile in a deep color. There was also a fad for red and black. The look was machine-age—less decorated than Jazz Age rooms. Luxury colors were rare during the war years, and when color returned it was more somber: clay pink or burgundy with grey, for example.

Although plenty of black and white or grey and white baths were built in the first decades of the 20th century, originals from the period tend to be more fanciful than “revival” baths are today. More recent retro bathrooms—designed by architects working in Arts & Crafts, Spanish Revival, and Art Deco or Moderne idioms—tend to use white or nature-inspired colors tempered with wood. Some new revival bathrooms are pretty wild, however, designed around brilliant, decorated tiles. Once again, architectural effects include a shaped opening, a tiled ceiling, a deco-tile border or insert, and an in-the-wall niche.

For those creating the look today, four-inch-square and other popular 20th-century tiles are readily available. Many art-tile types available in the 1920s and ’30s have been revived; the selection, in fact, is bigger than ever before. Choose among patterns influenced by Hispano–Moresque design and Art Deco motifs. Pick bath fixtures with a streamlined silhouette—no neo-Victorian details. Both angular geometry and clean curves work. 

Classic white fixtures have always been in style, so that remains an option, as does the reuse of salvaged fixtures. You can still get bath fixture suites in ivory or bone, some in beige and grey. Kohler makes a black toilet. Some manufacturers offer select fixtures in pastels, red, or navy.

By the mid-1940s, wartime shortages and the ascendance of International Style dictated a return to the spare white bath. But most 1940s homeowners were not ready to forgo all color. They enjoyed a cheerful pop of green or blue first thing in the morning. Also, they had absorbed a decorating tip broadcast by design magazines during the early 20th century: You can give a tiny room the illusion of more space by running a horizontal band around the middle of it.

What important changes would you consider making to your historic bathroom that preserves its history and still makes it stand out?  Whatever that may be, it would be best to hire contractors with experience and knowledge on the historic preservation involved within. 

If you are looking to buy, sell, or have any questions regarding Miami Historic Homes, call 305-986-7041 or fill out the contact form. We would love to connect with your regarding your interest in Historic homes and we specialize in renovating, researching,  purchasing or selling Historic Homes in South Florida.