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Mixing Old + New In Our Vintage Pink Bathroom

This post is sponsored by The Tile Shop. We’re sharing how we’re incorporating the vintage pink fixtures in our bathroom with new tile and chrome finishes!

black and white and pink bathroom using vintage sink and bathtub | via Yellow Brick Home
gloss subway tile | pencil tile | tile capcharcoal grout | toilet | chrome shower kit

Unit 1’s vintage pink bathroom is the little gem of our Two Flat. It must seem like I say that about every room, but this room? This room has a pink bathtub! It has a pink sink! Those are two big reasons that had me falling in love with our Two Flat, and throughout the entire renovation, I babied those fixtures and guarded them with my life. (Well, those and my hutch; you all know how I feel about my hutch!)

Those pink fixtures are now installed – along with our tile! We shared our tile plans in this post, but today I want to talk about how we blended the old with the new, in a way that honors the history of our home. As a refresher, this bathroom is in Unit 1, straddled between the kitchen and the staircase that leads down to the den.

Note: As you can see, we still need to add a stair railing, plumb and clean the sink, and reglaze and caulk the tub. After which, we’ll be adding lighting, artwork and all the finishing touches! This is very much a ‘progress’ post.

black and white and pink bathroom using vintage sink and bathtub | via Yellow Brick Home
gloss subway tile | pencil tile | tile cap | marble skirting | mosaic floor tile | toilet

When planning our design for this room, we knew we wanted to work with classic elements. But with each choice comes a myriad of other decisions – matte or gloss, stacked or running bond, chrome or nickel? Let’s break it all down.

Choosing Finish + Size

The Tile Shop has a massive selection of subway tile in any color your heart desires, but wait, there’s more! The color range is not only vast, but many colors have finish and size options, too. Matte? Gloss? Glass? 3″ x 6″? 4″ x 12″? We initially toyed with the idea of a creamy-colored tile, but I’ve long admired Sarah’s guest bathroom, and we knew we might regret not staying with the most classic color scheme of them all – black and white (and pink)!

detail of the pink sink with glossy white subway tile | via Yellow Brick Home
gloss subway tile | pencil tile | tile cap

We really had to step back and think about what would work best for this home. We found that we continually came back to a glossy finish, which would not only help to reflect light in this small room, but I’ve always loved how glossy tile just feels clean. And while we considered gloss subway tile in every size from 4″ x 12″ to 4″ x 24″, we knew that in this case, less was more. In the end, we landed on the most traditional combination possible: Imperial Bianco gloss subway 3″ x 6″ with this cap and this black marble pencil tile.

Deciding On a Tile Pattern

The next step was deciding on the tile pattern! We didn’t feel that this was the room to reinvent the wheel, and running bond – which is when tiles are staggered by half – was a clear cut choice for us. But let’s narrow in on those finishing pieces:

detail of subway tile with charcoal grout and black pencil tile | via Yellow Brick Home
gloss subway tile | pencil tile | tile cap

Subway tile – even when traditional in size and pattern – can still be far from boring! The addition of black marble pencil adds contrast and dimension to the room, and this cap keeps things looking polished.

black and white bathroom with a vintage pink bathtub | via Yellow Brick Home
gloss subway tile | pencil tile | tile cap | toilet | shower trim kithandle 

We waffled on whether or not we should tile the sloped ceiling (a result of being tucked under the staircase between Units 1 and 2), but after sharing our dilemma with Sarah, she encouraged us to go for it! Not only are we happy we took that plunge, but we think it makes the room.

detail of tiling a sloped ceiling with subway tile | via Yellow Brick Home

Adding Natural Stone

Another way we kicked up the subway tile was by pairing it with marble. There’s a non-operable frosted glass window in the shower, and we added this Carrara marble curb as the sill (also in a polished finish). Marble has been around for centuries, and while we’ve heard concern and hesitation over using it (with outcries over the maintenance), I present to you the other side: Marble will only continue to get more beautiful as it patinas. Aged marble, I think, is the most beautiful.

detail of subway tile with polished chrome Delta fixtures | via Yellow Brick Home
gloss subway tile | Carrara marble curb (sill) | shower trim kithandle 

We continued the marble onto the floor by using this black Marquina polished marble skirting as a baseboard and this marble mosaic basketweave tile. If the basketweave tile looks familiar, it might be because it’s the same tile we’ve had in our entryway for years!

black and white and pink bathroom with marble basketweave tile on the floor | via Yellow Brick Home
detail of marble basketweave tile | via Yellow Brick Home
Hampton Niles marble mosaic 12″ x 12″

The Jewelry of the Room

The metal finishes you choose for wet rooms are akin to jewelry, don’t you think? It’s the added oomph! to your tee and jeans, and it should come as no surprise that we went with polished chrome. We continue to use polished chrome throughout most of the bathrooms we design because it’s timeless, cleans up beautifully and will never, ever go out of style. (And for what it’s worth, we are Team Mixed Metals, so don’t be afraid to try more than one in the same space!)

detail of polished chrome fixture with cross handle in shower | via Yellow Brick Home
shower trim kit + handle 

Our Old + New Bathroom

There’s a reason why subway tile is used over and over again. It’s classic. It’s nostalgic. You simply can’t go wrong! And while the choices we used throughout are certainly a nod to the history of our 130-year-old Two Flat, we think that it’s the power of mixing old + new that bring all of the elements together harmoniously.

black and white and pink bathroom using vintage sink and bathtub | via Yellow Brick Home

Unit 1 first floor bath selections | Hampton Niles marble mosaic 12″ x 12″ | Imperial Bianco gloss subway 3″ x 6″ | Black Marquina polished marble skirting | Black Marquina pencil tile | Imperial Bianco Barnes (cap) | charcoal grout | shower trim kit + handle | Sarasota toilet | chrome sink base

PS: We shared our tile choices throughout the entire Two Flat in this post, and here’s a mood board of this bathroom!

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  • Brenda7.8.20 - 7:14 AM

    I like the marble on the window sill and that you tiled the whole shower. What a sweet bathroom!!ReplyCancel

    • Kim7.8.20 - 9:48 AM

      Tiling the ceiling was a game changer, we think!ReplyCancel

  • mockginger7.8.20 - 7:29 AM

    Love love love love! ReplyCancel

  • Lro7.8.20 - 8:17 AM

    Beautiful! The tile selection is gorgeous and gives this bathroom a glamour kick!ReplyCancel

  • Brianne7.8.20 - 8:53 AM

    This is pretty much perfect. ReplyCancel

  • Sara7.8.20 - 10:06 AM

    I love this!  It’s so fun to see you work with the pink.  The black and white with marble touches is so charming.ReplyCancel

  • Nancy7.8.20 - 10:17 AM

    Where did you put the toilet paper holder?!ReplyCancel

    • Kim7.8.20 - 10:40 AM

      We haven’t installed it yet! We’ll definitely share when we do.ReplyCancel

  • at home with ashley7.8.20 - 12:02 PM

    The pedestal sink and the bathtub are so adorable. I love the other pieces you added, it blends together so wellReplyCancel

  • meredith7.8.20 - 1:58 PM

    I especially love the black pencil tile! ReplyCancel

  • Mya7.8.20 - 2:46 PM

    That pink is sooo good!!!  Another great job.  Question about toilet shopping – how do you pick one?  What features do you look for besides aesthetics?  Wondering what the diff is between this $200 one versus the $400 one you installed in your home – is it just the Kohler brand name making it more $$?ReplyCancel

    • Kim7.8.20 - 3:07 PM

      Not much beats a Kohler. We have NEVER had an issue with any of our Kohler toilets, ever. That said, because we needed to purchase a few toilets, we took a chance on this one! It looks nice and had great reviews, so we’re hoping it does well! The flush doesn’t feel as powerful on this one, but still no issues regardless. :)ReplyCancel

  • Nicole7.8.20 - 3:39 PM

    Beautiful! I love how you kept the pink. It looks updated and timeless!ReplyCancel

  • Vanessa7.8.20 - 4:30 PM

    Very pretty!ReplyCancel

  • Laurel7.8.20 - 5:17 PM

    I love the pink tub! Our hall bath has a yellow tub with white and yellow tile. When we gutted the bathroom I didn’t have the heart to switch it out – it works and it was clean – so we designed the room around it. Our floor tile is grey with a yellow undertone and all of the other touches are white or grey, so the tub *accidentally* became a feature. I’m not mad about it!ReplyCancel

  • Michelle7.8.20 - 5:49 PM

    I used to rent an apartment in Long Beach, CA and the bathroom was huge and had this exact tile look with the black trim.  It’s a look that will never be out of date, it’s perfect.  Beautiful jobReplyCancel

  • Eileen7.8.20 - 6:17 PM

    Gorgeous! Would you I consider a black toilet seat?ReplyCancel

  • […] love that Yellow Brick Home decided to save the vintage pink pieces in their Two-Flat bathroom, but made it feel so fresh with their tile […]ReplyCancel

  • Mariella7.10.20 - 2:14 PM

    Love it! Question: Why did you decided to go with a new sink base instead of refinishing the existing one? We bought a house with and old bathroom (also pink) but the sink base is pealing and we are debating if we should sanded and refinished it or just buy a new one. ReplyCancel

    • Kim7.10.20 - 5:38 PM

      The original sink base was rusted and it somehow got tossed during the demolition stage. This is so much nicer and more sturdy!ReplyCancel

  • Sarah7.10.20 - 4:54 PM

    Love that you’re keeping the pink! Question re: the tub—how did you find someone willing to work with refinishing the pink tub? Most of the companies I’ve found online only refinish in white/neutral colors, but I want to keep my pink tub and give it a little love to extend its life. Thanks!ReplyCancel

    • Kim7.10.20 - 5:38 PM

      It’s been a whole THING of trying to figure out the exact pink. I’ll definitely share more about the reglazing once it happens!ReplyCancel

  • Syndi McCabe7.12.20 - 3:48 PM

    This is absolutely stunning. I love seeing that more people are embracing the colorful bathroom items. I saw the pictures and immediately thought of the opening song to Funny Face ????????ReplyCancel

  • anna7.13.20 - 12:01 AM

    I know you’ll share more about this bathroom soon but I’m really curious about the window. What’s on the other side and is there concern for privacy even though it’s opaque? I have a window over the tub that’s currently glass block but I want to replace it and tbh didn’t think a regular window would work til I saw this :)ReplyCancel

    • Kim7.13.20 - 3:02 PM

      Haha, there’s literally a brick wall on the other side, because the houses are so close together! More to come!ReplyCancel

  • Staci7.13.20 - 1:48 PM

    I love this marriage of old and new, and have been sharing it out everywhere. One question though – how high is the sink and how low is the toilet seat? They seem weirdly high/low to me. Is it just a trick of the eyes? ReplyCancel

    • Kim7.13.20 - 3:01 PM

      Maybe a trick of the eyes? The sink is at 34” (I think) and the toilet is comfort height.ReplyCancel

  • Amanda5.24.21 - 11:33 AM

    Hope this behind-the-scenes question is ok… for the walls NOT in the shower, did you tile directly onto the drywall? Or did you put drywall above and cement board on the lower half of the wall to receive the tile? Thanks!ReplyCancel

    • Kim5.24.21 - 12:04 PM

      We tiled directly onto drywall outside the shower. :)ReplyCancel

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We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

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