Oh my, well I have to say I am really biased towards keeping existing things when you can, it is really unique.

I would seriously suggest stripping the wallpaper, repainting the woodwork, getting new shower glass, then seeing how that works for you to improve the space.

FTR, I have not heard great things about getting tubs reglazed in-place. I can't tell if you are thinking of doing that or not. Whatever you do would last a max of 10 years (which doesn't sound like much until you realize how long the tub has been there).

What a great sink!!!!! I agree with kats that there is so much you can do to change the overall look while keeping the integrity of the home.

I just went an looked at it on my laptop since the pics were so small on my phone.... LOOK AT THAT FLOOR!!! You'd have to carry those tiles out of my house over my dead body. There is NO WAY I'd give those up.

The fussy old lady curtains and the wallpaper need to go- all of the tile is a true gift from the bathroom gods, It's so hard to find a great tiled vintage bathroom that hasn't been "updated."

trying to update the original post to upload a couple more pics but i will put them here, please continue to try to talk me out of it! Like i said I am open....the sink bowl is pretty worn and also the plumbing is a concern, although there is nothing leaking(except for shower needs to be regrouted) it has brass threaded pipe with galvanized waste lines that are not indestructible and have alot of age on them.

I love your bath! I never in my life thought I would ever say this, but I even love your use of a toilet cozy in it! It fits. In my area well maintained orginal baths are a selling feature! To me this is a perfect case of if it ain't broke don't fix!

I just keep looking at that floor...... it's awesome. Really. White walls, black or white towels (the mint green does not work for me personally but if you like the combo run with it,) some black and white artwork, a much simpler curtain.... you'd have a killer deco bathroom. A much more sophisticated look than you have now. That wallpaper is really cheapening the look right now- spend a weekend taking it down (it's super easy!) and repainting and then spend some time with it and see how you feel.

If you were to tear it out it the house would be permanently damaged, you can't make it original again and if you were to need to sell in the future it would be a shame to have ruined it. The bathroom would always be awkward and disjointed from the bones of the house. Of course I've never understood people buying an old house and then trying to make it look like a new house....

Find a plumber that has experience in old houses and they will be able to do any repairs or updating of the actual pipes without causing damage. There are companies that clean and restore grout that do an excellent job. You can totally have a new-to-you look for a fraction of what you would spend on a remodel.

Well I am glad I am not alone. I think you can also give this a shot for fairly low-cost (but a little bit of effort) If you still really hate it down the line, it's your house and you have to live there, so I do get it, but hope you will try!

This is a really great guide on how to clean vintage fixtures, going through a couple processes of how to get it nice.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/clean-restore-old-bathtub-87087.html

As for the galvanized plumbing, it can be a bear, but there are dialectric unions you can put in between that and copper, where you need to. You can access the plumbing from the other side of the wall and not open up the bathroom.

For your floor, give it a deep scrub with some scotch brite and barkeeper's friend, rinse, repeat, over and over. Do a final polish with sealant to clean and shine them.

We had a 60s era bath in our 1928 bungalow and stripping the wallpaper, painting it white, and giving it a thorough cleaning did a lot for the space, see how it goes from 'good god!' to 'vintage cute'?

Eventually we were able to do a proper historical remodel, but retained the vintage exhaust fan, radiator, and salvaged the original mud-set floor tile that was hiding underneath the mauve ones.

People pay a premium for houses with original tile, woodwork, tubs and sinks. Tearing it out would be a crime. Please don't.

I am building a new house to look old and to put tile like yours in my house is cost prohibitive. I know because I've looked as I wanted a bath floor similar to your floor. Replace the faucets in the sink which are not original

I like the pink and black bathroom. To give it a modern spin, I'd use black wooden blinds, black and white towels and black rug. Is toilet white or pink, I cant tell. Too bad if not pink though I bet you could find one. I would. Remove wallpaper and paint wall white, pinkish white or pearl gray. Adore floor, one of a kind and criminal to remove.

agree with everybody..pretty amazing space. consult a plumber as for what needs/has to be redone..the rest, is just cosmetics. White or black or gray, whether in paint or accessories, would look so chic. Blinds are a cool idea. Definitely keep the archway, the tiles, the tub etc.

If possible, keep that tile floor - it's a winner. I'd replace everything else - it's just...well...just too... Clear glass door for shower, white fixtures, a toilet with a tank in back for a box of tissues and bathroom spray etc. The arch? See what it looks like with the wallpaper/curtain/fixtures gone. It may or may not work.

I'd keep the glass, it's too hard to replace if there were a future restoration and it is correct for rhe bathroom.

I would get rid of the wallpaper and paint, and get a new toilet.

Quite shocked how much people dig this bathroom, if I do keep it, being a single guy it needs to be a bit more masculine ...the bowl is the same color as everything thing else and even when I look at it I can't tell if it's purple pink or a combination of purple pink!!

Swap the toilet for a urinal. Instant manliness!

In all honesty, I really think once you take out the wallpaper and the fluff, it will improve remarkably. Really work with that black accent - you could do more bold black framed artwork, crisp (not fluffy) towels. Replace light fixtures with streamlined art-deco reproductions.

If you were really hurting to swap something, you could put in a black vanity/white sink and white toilet/black seat.

I seriously want to just come strip your wallpaper.

Leave everything the way it is, maybe go with plain cream or white walls and lots of black and gray accents, gray towels, etc.

But please don't mess with that tile or any salvageable fixtures. Old houses are much more valuable with original baths than with anything you could do to change it. And you couldn't match that wall tile today no matter how big your budget.

ETA Ditch anything green. Green, being the complementary color to pink, is making everything look pinker. (Although pink/lavender and green was a super popular color scheme back then, when colors were not as genderized as now.)

I showed it to my very manly diesel mechanic by day/ custom car builder by night DH and he practically drooled over it, especially the tile. He had the same suggestions I did- no wallpeper, no mint green, ditch the curtain, get the right toilet. He has replaced "upgrades" and restored the tile here in our 101 year old home and in houses before this and he really appreciates a historically correct original job.

Don't get caugt up in gender stereotypes- Art Deco is a very smart, sophisticated look when done well.

Save the pink bathrooms!

I like the toilet! Keep it!

DD1 had a very similar bathroom in her last house which was built in 1933. We called it the "purple haze" bathroom, but your floor is cooler than that one was. I wish I had more pictures of it . . .

I would vote for keeping as much of it intact as you can and changing what will make you feel more comfortable as noted above.

The floor tile is amazing!!!

That tile looks very much like mine (1932) although mine has the green accents built in! To make it more masculine, ditch the flowered wallpaper and ruffly curtain. Then paint in a color that brings out the purple more than the pink. Our floor wasn't nearly as nice as yours so we redid it.

a couple of you have VERY cool tile

Black toilet seat is pretty much mandatory.

ok so I think its safe to say you guys talked me into to keeping depending on a couple things. I ripped down the wallpaper and i think the walls can be skim coated. I would get the shower stall regrouted, I would regrout the whole thing but i dont think they would be able to regrout the floor and think it may look stupid with new grout on the surrounding walls. Maybe the grout on the floor will really clean up nice enough for a full regrout. The tub was refinished once before, The color is a bit off anyway, what would u guys think of refinishing the tub black? I refinished one of these tubs in the 2nd floor apt about 6 years ago and still going strong. Next the ceiling, it a drop over a drop....any recommendations on that...i dont mind dropping some cash into restoration...i was prepared to drop 15 or so on the bathroom...i think dropping 5 k on restore is ok no?he's some updated photo's, still think i should continue on?

much better already

continue i say..will be smashing!

I'd leave the tub pink. I'd be afraid to overdo it so to say. Now it's a very cool example of pre-war bath..I think black or gray paint will temper it enough for you..and maybe black toilet seat as per Fori's suggestion, and accessories that can be also black or gray or white..or imagine striped or plaid towels even, in these colors. Very graphic of course-but reads very masculine too. You can take them to be more muted of course..say, dark gray plus lighter gray.

Take the wicker out, too country.. put one of these modern trash bins in..(lol! looks like they thought of you..https://www.aliexpress.com/item/5L-Round-stainless-steel-Pedal-Waste-Bins-bathroom-trash-can-mute-creative-fashion-household-trash-can/32701301108.html?spm=2114.40010308.4.159.PHf9JC...but you don't have to repeat the colors so precisely lol)

when you decide on paint-i wonder if you can paint the heater(? the thing over the mirror..a bit hard to see) too..without harming its function? or are you're looking to replace it? anyway, that's already secondary

i'd change the shower door..the thing is from my experience, it's a pain-you want to change the door and then you find out you need this and that..ours fell, in the previous shower(when I was a-washing..luckily it fell away from me that's how i can still give my precious input LOL)..because a bolt or whatever the detail called the door is attached with, rusted and broke..everybody told us we need to change the whole stall..in short my obstinate husband did get just the detail but it took several months..to get a bolt that will fit a door..and many many conversations with Home Depot..in the end we were already, like, friends with the lady from their customer service

i might be dead wrong though maybe your door is simpler to change out. than our door.

PS hope someone smarter than me will chime in, with recommendations on the ceiling..

in general, waiting impatiently for others' comments..such great suggestions here sometimes.

A black tub would tip towards more masculine, if its not possible to save the original color that would be a sound compromise.

Why wouldnt the floor be able to be regrouted?

Out of curiosity.. What part of the country are you in? That might help get recommendations on resources and qualified tradespeople. I would be hesitant to make ceiliing suggestions without really understand whats going on up there.

The ceiling might have asbestos in those mounted tiles. I'd check with that, and have them removed. Then I might have someone come in and mount the special lightweight ceiling drywall up there and have it all finished with your wall skim coating. Don't take out the lath and plaster. Probably could put furring strips on the ceiling to mount the ceiling lightweight drywall to that. These are just my thoughts. I am not a remodeler. If you want more info on the actual construction methods of your project, you can go to the "remodeling forum". There are experts here too, but they may not post. MongoCT comes to mind.

You might need to update the electrical per code. When rewiring old lath and plaster, you don't want to cause trauma to the lath and plaster. The plaster "keys" that are on the back side of the lath, hold the plaster to the lath, thus you have plaster walls that don't fall off, lol. When an electrician goes banging around with saws, etc, they can damage the keys, because they are fragile to the vibration. Then your plaster walls are no longer intact.

Are you sure the tub has been refinished? People haven't always been as matchy-matchy as they are now so the color could well be original. If it hasn't been refinished, don't, unless you're gonna be bathing babies (and even then I'd do a lead test to confirm it's needed).

im positive it has been refinished, my mother left drano in there one time and etched it up. Im in NY. And as far as regrouting that floor i personally would not want to be the guy that does that!!! that takes a special type of patience!!

in you last picture, is that a couple of holes in your tile, or is it debris?

debris, I am also "billy" on here i thought my account was broken and made a new one, the floor is in very good shape

Thanks, so that must be debris on the floor, when you took off the wallpaper. I couldn't tell, and in the first pictures you had a rug there. Glad to hear that the floor is intact :)

that more like part of the mat stuck to the floor or something, definitely not broken tiles. what about putting a new white pedestal sink and white bowl? the sink there is kinda faded in the bowl....i know they can resurface that also. and maybe even make the tub white or leave the tub the color it is?

I adore that sink. For pedestal sinks, that is one of my favorite styles. And I love the tub and the toilet. If you switched them out, it would be very expensive to get a color I think. If you got black, it would show spotting all the time. It would need to be highly maintained, wiped down after each use.

When people visit, what do they have to say about your bathroom?

they think its an old piece of crap :)

I'm in NY and bathrooms like yours bring big bucks if in great shape. Why regrout if the grout is solid, just clean it very, very well. I have used Finazel, amazing stuff if you can find it.

As for the ceiling, try to bring it back to the lath and plaster, it might even have a cove where the ceiling meets wall. Looking at the walls you might need to just wash them down with TSP (be careful and wear protective gear) which is available at hardware stores and paint and have them carefully patched. Nothing looks the same as real lath and plaster.

To me the bathroom will be stunning and I dislike pink in modern homes, but love historic homes.

I encourage you to keep it simple, but with exacting and super high quality finishes. For example the molding around the window, is it new or is it original? If original strip putty any dings , holes etc and careful paint in a high quality enamel paint. If not try and replace with molding that would match the original. When you pay attention to details in everything you will get an exquisite bathroom and a piece of beautiful history.

Good luck!

Nice work so far.

With the talk of swapping the sink, toilet, refinishing the tub, I would suggest you just hold on a minute. Figure out what is going on with the ceiling - i am sure there's a reason they dropped it twice, let's find out!!!

And once you have the ceiling, I'd say do any electric you need/want to do, and then you can get an actual plaster guy to come in and plaster.

Once the ceiling and walls are fixed, maybe it will give you more of a clear direction to go with the fixtures.

My guess is the ceiling is dropped so they could insulate between the units. It looks like there's water stains on the upper ceiling, so maybe the fix for that was to put in a new dropped ceiling below it. Or maybe the original dropped ceiling was also to cover up water stains. In any case, replace the ceiling with drywall and take the opportunity to investigate what's going on with the plumbing above. Is it still a separate apartment up there? If so, you might be required to put in a fire-rated ceiling (no big deal).

The ceiling might have asbestos in those mounted tiles.

Is it still a separate apartment up there? If so, you might be required to put in a fire-rated ceiling

2 very solid points by a few hawkeye's !

So glad you decided to keep the bathroom. It is a gem!

I like old things. Virtually every single piece of wood furniture in my house is an antique. I like old houses, preferably pre-WWII. But you'll never get me to like this bathroom (other than the floor), original or not. It's hideous.

I'm late to this thread, but I'm so glad you're going with restoration. The tile and fixtures are fantastic. A restored-height ceiling, better light fixtures, paint, shower door and a no-frill window covering (simple roman shade? )will go a long way towards making it a sharp, current-looking retro bathroom.

I've been staring at the photos trying to decide what wall color would look good. We recently redid the bathroom in our 1912 (or so) bungalow and painted it a matte black, albeit with a white shower, floor and board and batten wainscot paneling. I was worried that black would be very dark and confining, but it isn't at all. I don't know if it would work with the pink tile, but it might look cool.

Is the floor tile pattern off just inside the door?

I'd paint it white with black and white photo art work.

Avatar, yes I see the "off" tile setting. I do know that tile setters in the past would switch out a tile to be a "not" perfect layout. I found that when I was a teen in my junior high school that was build early 1900's. And since then I've heard that this was done on purpose. But that is a large change up, so maybe it's not on purpose.

I like your idea of the black walls, could you post a picture of your project?

Good eye!

If you look at the first picture it almost looks like they ran out of tile or something. Like they were tiling from the back of the room out towards the door and left those last two 'X' closest to the door frame and closet.

Very cool @ avatarwalt

That is a very sophisticated look! Avatarwalt. Love it!