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Vintage Bathroom, need tile help!

12 years ago

Hi everyone, I an in the middle of a MAJOR restoration od a 1937 house, with 4 little bathrooms. The master is a decent size, we enlarged one 5x8 bath a little and the 2 others are small, 5 x 8's.

I want these bathrooms to feel vintage (and somewhat "cottagey"). I want to use subway tile in the bathtub/shower areas along with Hex tile flooring (one bath I'll use the black & white spiral).

Right now.. I'm focused on using Daltiles since it is affordable. I have looked at Subway Tiles .com, and they are beautiful but pricey!

Anyway, I'm rambling on, and need to get to my question in regards to the subway tile with the hex flooring..

Question, what color subway tiles? White or Biscuit? What finish, glossy or Matte?

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Comments (10)

southerngalinnyc
12 years ago
Hi Tinker,
Little bathrooms are waaay more challenging than one initially thinks, aren't they?
I am a big fan of the asthetic you are going for. You can find lots of inspiration out on the web. I think cocozy has a blog full of photos.
That said, it probably all comes down to personal preference.
Here's a link to two of my bathroom projects with some inspiration photos... they are mostly glossy, excepting the carrara there is one lovely one in a creamy version with blue trim that is to DIE for...
I am in the midst of considering floor to ceiling subway tile in my not quite 7x7 bath.

Have fun!
From tiny 3rd floor guest bath under the eaves

From tiny 3rd floor guest bath under the eaves

From lovely pink and green 2nd floor bath in all its glory

From lovely pink and green 2nd floor bath in all its glory

From lovely pink and green 2nd floor bath in all its glory

Here is a link that might be useful: Cocozy bathrooms
southerngalinnyc
12 years ago
PS... as a renovator of smallish bathrooms in a 1930s home (as mine is)... if you have a minute and care to share your thoughts on my layout dilema... I would be grateful...

Here's a link to my query, with two different layouts in my first and last post.
cheers.

Here is a link that might be useful: southern gal's post
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Comments (3)
I think that is going to be one fabulous bathroom, is what I think! So it was a bit hard to see from your pics, but looks like you're doing white tile, yes? No need to worry about color reflections off that. Love the floor; we have two lino floors (kitchen and bath) so far but both are pretty tame...hopefully the last bath will have a floor more like yours. Know what you mean about it getting a *bit* less wild when spread out. Re paint options -- I always treat red as a neutral, the floor allows for pretty much anything, and you do have plenty of gorgeous natural light (jealous!). So AFAIC you can do pretty much whatever you want. Your original paint choices were quite neutral -- more on the grey in a minute -- but since you say you're leaning towards warm tones you could certainly do that. I did a fairly pale grey floor (Forbo's "Concrete") with a dark vanity and while some were a bit dubious about the combo I *love* it and find it very appealing. IMO the dark trim/matching paint *is* your biggest hurdle; I found colors like Latte just deadened the richness. Unlike you I have a dark bath, so the pic isn't that great! And yes, I did try a lot of tans to offset my Crayola colors elsewhere, ha! The ones that worked best had a yellow, peanut-y/camel undertone (that I disliked with my floor, hence my use of a pale greyed down aqua that looks like one of the ubiquitous RH shades). Are you a color-color person or more of a "whisper of a hue" one? Some random ideas, many of which are in the Sherwin Williams historical lines: * a nice mild apricot -- or push it more towards a squash-y shade (I happen to be someone who loves oranges and reds together) * a buttery yellow or warmer gold -- I love my pale yellow tile with the dark vanity/mirror and grey spots * any number of pale to dark greens (sages, olives, aquas) * a plum shade, which tends to read warmer than paler lavender) * not warm, but a classic 20s cornflower blue * a peanut-y or camel shade (gotta get the tone down so your wood doesn't suffer!) I'm a broken record about this on the Decorating Forum, but I often look to vintage textiles or graphics for color ideas. A few for you.... Here is a link that might be useful: A zilllion vintage poster color combos at AllPosters.com
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There are lots of vintage inspired floors that you can do that aren't necessarily lots of little pieces. Bill V shows a bathroom with a honed marble floor on the diagonal with a thin dark border and then a polished marble border beyond that. You can search around a bit to find his website and take a look at it. Also you might want to search back on claire de luna - she shows a similar look with terrazzo tiles and a border in a creamy and warm rather than grey and cool palette. This could be pulled off with travertine and coordinating ceramic and stone for a vintage but not a slave to period feel. You could also do a checkerboard with larger format tiles - either a subtle tone on tone checkerboard in earthtones or black and white for something more graphic that would pop. There are many ceramics out there that either look like stone or not but have colors that would look great together in a checkerboard.
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amysrq- great idea for black and white, but we have that theme going on in the vintage bath that is in my oldests new room (back in the day it was the maids room) so she is in the room over the garage with her own bath which has black tile half way up the wall with black and white tile floor. I did see a pic in a magazine with BIG black and white paisley wallpaper accented with hot pink towel and decor with a white shower curtain that was monogramed in black. no green- nice idea never thought of that either for the bath, funny i had a color combo like that in a guest room, moss green walls and navy blue toile spread and plates on the walls with blue accents. Ive got to check the navy with this particular green in this bath
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Comments (46)
If the accent tiles had been painted in place, the artist would probably have gotten paint on the grout. I don't see any. So although I don't know for sure, I'd guess that those are actual production accent tiles from the 1970s or so, maybe even into the 1980s. That kind of whimsical art was popular back then, kind of like psychedelic motifs were in the 1960s. The flowered tiles look like they were supposed to be used with more tiles below them. The other tiles would have had stems and leaves to complete the flower image. Similarly, maybe the "squiggle" tiles were designed to form a border of sorts when used with similar or identical tiles to the left and right. This is admittedly speculation, as I don't recall ever seeing those particular tiles in anyone else's home. Someday, a future generation will be posting to ask how they can tear out and replace the "dated" design features that are popular in houses today. :)
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southerngalinnyc
12 years ago
Gosh, I am obsessed. Here's another blog, search for matte on this link and checkout those baths!

Here is a link that might be useful: remodelista matte subway tile bath
tinker_2006
Original Author
12 years ago
southern gal, great photo's, and I actually have 3 of them in MY inspiration folder, including the die for one with blue accent trim!!

Today, I'm home trying to figure out what I want before I met with the tile man tomorrow morning.. so much to think about and plan!

I looked at your post too, and I didn't read all the comments, but I do think that if the window is original, leave it and I don't know if I'd go all the way to the ceiling, but maybe 6 inches above the window....?
bill_vincent
12 years ago
These were all done with Dal's 100 white. The hex was American Olean, but I can't remember the color name. I know it was their flat white, though. In fact, it was done for someone who found me here in this forum (although I don't know their forum name!)

(oh, and BTW-- before I get the comments from the pros in here, the wall grout was not completely dry when these pics were taken. :-) )
tinker_2006
Original Author
12 years ago
Bill, beautiful (as your photo's always are!) What size hex is on the floors, 1" or 1-1/4" ? I think I like the 1-1/4" the best. I'm trying to come up with different ideas for 4 small bathrooms.. I don't want them all to look the same! Love the chair rail cap too, is that also from Daltile?
southerngalinnyc
12 years ago
Hi Tinker,
Guess I went a little overboard, on re-read, seems as if your question was fairly simple. Thanks for your patience.

And apologies as I was not trying to hijack your post. I do think I am going with your recommendation to tile above the window but not to the ceiling... although now I am obsessing about whether I can put a glossy crown-like trim with matte subway tile...

Anyway, Let us know where you land on the matte vs. gloss. Would love to see photos.

Have fun!
palimpsest
12 years ago
Not all the bathrooms have to be subway, although the Daltile is really affordable.

By 1937 the format probably would've been square tile, so perhaps you could do some of the baths in simple gloss square tiles and do a feature bath in fully rectified subway if thats what you really like.
canadianmiss
12 years ago
I am a huge fan of crisp white glossy subway tiles and white hex porcelain or marble floors (depending on budget). I currently have 3 bathrooms done in this (or a variation of this) and love it!

You can change up that vintage look with pennyrounds or square tiles on floor. Stunning!
bill_vincent
12 years ago
Those are 1"

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