Bring Retro Glamour Back With 5 Vintage Bathroom Designs

A vintage bathroom design is ideal for adding timeless elegance to a modern interior. Likewise, if your bathroom is holding onto its retro style from the ’60s and ’70s, there are things you can do to refresh it and make it the focal point of your home.

A Love for Nostalgia: Why Vintage Bathroom Designs Are Making a Comeback

Vintage refers to something less than 100 years old — it’s not quite antique but certainly doesn’t meet today’s contemporary aesthetics. There’s a reason why you’re noticing bathrooms with unique, older characteristics from wide-ranging eras. For one thing, people are drawn to nostalgia — a reminder of simpler, familiar times.

 

It’s also an opportunity to veer away from cookie-cutter designs and lean into more versatile, refined details. For some people, retro glamour offers a way to add big personality to a small space.

 

You could also be attracted to the sustainability aspect of embracing a vintage bathroom design. Restoring outdated fixtures or decor gives a second life to old things and reduces waste. 

Key Elements of a Glamorous Vintage Bathroom

The elements you include in a glamorous vintage bathroom ultimately depend on the underlying interior design. For example, bright pink subway tile belongs in a 1960s time capsule, while a floating vanity against boldly painted walls captures midcentury modern interiors.

 

Other key retro-glam elements to consider using include the following:

 

• Whimsical vintage wallpaper with busy patterns
• Asymmetrical mirrors
• Classic penny floor tiles
• Black and white colour scheme to capture art deco style
• Chrome fixtures and hardware
• Pedestal sinks
• Freestanding tub

 

Another consideration would be to include a vintage medicine cabinet with a mirror. In today’s contemporary bathrooms, sleek, flat mirrors are often the norm. However, it was once common to find mirrored cabinets jutting out from the wall a couple of inches, with rounded corners and elaborate framing or accents.

5 Stylish Ways to Achieve a Retro Bathroom

Are you ready to bring back the good old days with a glamorous retro bathroom? Use these five stylish tips to achieve a vintage design that allows you to pamper yourself.

1.   Integrate Geometric Tile Patterns

Geometric shapes and patterns are no-frills but striking features to include in your nostalgic ensuite or powder room. Including these designs in tile materials can significantly impact the appearance of your bathroom.

 

For instance, why lay traditional subway tiles on the floor or in the shower when there are more intriguing options like herringbone, chevron or hexagon? Of course, subway tiles are classic, and you never have to worry about them going out of style.

 

Opposing or bold colours within geometric prints and markings can also boost vintage charm — think pink and black, white and black, forest pine green and white, or orange and plum purple.

2.   Hang Opulent Lighting

Enhance the ambience of your vintage bathroom with various types of lighting. For example, an opulent chandelier is grand and extravagant, paying homage to the Hollywood Regency aesthetic.

 

Wall sconces alongside the vanity mirror or pendant lighting above the bathtub are other functional fixtures you can add to whatever era you’re trying to capture. These options might include vintage details like frosted glass shades or brass coatings.  

3.   Add Elegance with a Clawfoot Tub

Real estate trends show homebuyers are most interested in showers — however, bathtubs haven’t lost their allure entirely. According to one survey, 80% of respondents want three features in their bathroom — a tub-and-shower combination, linen closet and exhaust fan. Installing a tub-shower combo may come with a 67.2% return on your investment.

 

To keep with the vintage style, choose a porcelain, freestanding clawfoot tub. This element’s iconic curves and raised legs exude luxury and glamour. If you have a large shower already, you can place a clawfoot tub inside. Otherwise, you can install a shower system above the tub.

4.   Integrate Mirrored Surfaces

Mirrored surfaces are quintessential art deco decor and a beautiful way to cultivate glamour in your retro bathroom. Perhaps you’d prefer a mirrored tile backsplash or dig the look of a floor-to-ceiling mirrored accent wall. Mirrored trays and photo frames also offer subtle reflectiveness.

 

Strategically placing mirrored surfaces in smaller bathrooms is a good idea to reflect more natural light — this will also help these small spaces feel bigger.

5.   Include Metallic Finishes

Like mirrors, metallic finishes deliver a captivating shininess to your vintage bathroom. Faucets, showerheads, flush handles and pendant shades all look great in chrome, gold, silver and bronze. 

 

Vanity hardware is another popular way to add metallics. Although a small addition, it can drastically change the overall look of your vintage design. You can find these knobs and handles in different shapes and sizes, some more ornate than others, to capture more of a particular era.

Out With the New, in With the Old

Allow your bathroom design to stand out with vintage elements. A few pieces from the past can make your washroom feel grander and more interesting. You don’t have to transform the space entirely, but adding a few retro decorative pieces will make a difference.