I love that tub! That is a very cool bathroom and I am happy to hear you are keeping it.

This is heaven! Some wallpaper to work with it can being in other colors. Gold, gray, green, navy… a lot goes with pink!

https://www.wallmur.com/wallpaper/dutch-peony-floral-1dd6b.html?fee=5&fep=9993&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=googleshopping&gclid=CjwKCAiA1uKMBhAGEiwAxzvX9z0dQSbB-aNCEhul9MZ-xhG72FJi2rp3AlygMrdJMTrQBEOQ5EybpBoCe2AQAvD_BwE

https://www.2modern.com/products/anthriscus-wallpaper?variant=29724421390381&gclid=CjwKCAiA1uKMBhAGEiwAxzvX9zxp-_rb7x6GKZi7AWbSSyjNlEUGViywE2RJDSBMYb89ynRPLFoKSBoCsTYQAvD_BwE

https://www.burkedecor.com/products/midnight-tropic-wallpaper-from-the-exclusives-collection-by-graham-and-brown?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=39400332951588&variant=39400332951588&gclid=CjwKCAiA1uKMBhAGEiwAxzvX9_tobPYqa5Ss2RoU7gUveZl7QX43K48d59vtbdbF2SqMs8e7J6qx1BoCP5QQAvD_BwE

https://www.decoratorsbest.com/products/cole-son-flamingos-ink-plaster-pink-wallpaper?gclid=CjwKCAiA1uKMBhAGEiwAxzvX9_4ZH7m5rQdJzA7jzCF3W7S8QoBkFjpG7rEQWut_QCjXqrdhkztL2hoCp_gQAvD_BwE

Look at all the beautiful wallpaper!!!!

@palimpsest what do you think about the mirrors? They are in amazing shape.

@jesstroft, I would keep them really, as odd as the arrangement is. There may not be any tile under the makeup mirror. I would probably also keep the varnished finish on the vanity, if it could be cleaned up and redone. It's probably thin Philippine mahogany so it may be hard to refinish.

This is the one I was thinking of.

You have a lot of mirrors… I have no need for the makeup mirror so would probably lose that one…

@palthars that’s all so pretty! I have been looking up banana leaf wallpaper. This bathroom is the smallest room in the house, so starting with this one first.

York has a banana leaf paper that is pretty nice with pink flowers thrown in. Has a few colorways so one might have that perfect pink. :)

Bradbury has some interesting Googie-type and other '50s reproductions.

Is that a "princess" tub? Very nice.

I hope the rest of the house is in the condition of that bathroom. Congratulations!

I think most of it is in great condition. Sunken living room has been covered. A lot of parquet tiles and slate tiles. I’ll post separate discussions for different rooms that I need positive feedback on, lol. Like I said very overwhelmed and out of my element!

When I remodeled one of my inspirations were the classic black and pink bathrooms of the Art Deco period. Google pink bathrooms and Art Deco bathrooms and you will find a lot of inspiration.

My bathroom incorporates a bit of pink tile as well as pink Chinoiserie wall paper so it doesn't resemble any of those :-)

https://retrorenovation.com/category/bathroom-categories/pink-pink-bathrooms/

Check out Retrorenovation. She doesn't post on the blog any more, but maintains the site for reference and inspiration. There are over 100 posts on pink bathrooms. I grew up with a pink bathroom from the early 60s-what a great tub you have! If that was my primary bathroom, I'd probably lean in a pink+dramatic wallpaper direction.

I would completely redo the vanity cabinets, counter and sink new mirrors. if the tile doesn’t go behimd the mirr

silly finger slip. Yes, completely redo the vanity and wall, mirrors, med cabinet lighting in the mid-century style. The tile countertop is a hidden reservoir for mess and gunk. A marble counter with some pink veining would be pretty. Soft wallpaper print. And please replace the shower curtain rod!

Look at Spoonflower for mid century modern wallpaper.

I love this spoonflower website!!!

Bradbury and Bradbury creates reproduction papers from the 40, 50's and 60's. Some great funky stuff.

Very cool project!!! I’m super excited to watch this transformation.

I would get a new vanity.
New hardware
Add wallpaper and lighting.
And maybe new floor tile - penny rounds?

Inspiration

I'm so glad to hear you're planning to preserve the history of your house. Letting houses be "vintage pieces" instead of getting dated and gutted every ten years is good for your wallet and the planet. A tropical wall paper was my first thought too. If you don't mid going a little kitschy, some flamingo wallpaper would be really fun.

Or if you get to a point where you decide you just don't want to deal with wallpaper, painting the walls grey would make the space look polished and updated.

Authentic Mamie Eisenhower. She is wideoy credited for being the inspirstion for pink bsthrooms 😂😂

Houzz: "Modern LED Strips if: You like the space-age look of glowing LED light emanating from a mysterious source." I post this in case your room will have simple, 'cool' look.

"Don't just throw LED strip lights everywhere. Stick them in LEDdrop channels for beautiful lighting ambiance. LEDdrop aluminum channels: the perfect companion to LED strip light installations."

SCHOOL HOUSE · More Info

Idea to try this type. This small size is 158:

Frameless LED Backlit 2 Strip Design Mirror, 18"x36" · More Info

contemporary sandblasted frosted circles within / 23.6 W x 31.5 H

$81

TuHome Modern Mirrored Glass Bras Bathroom Mirror · More Info

If for some reason you decide you can't work with the pink, you can have the tile and fixtures refinished. I see that the room no longer has a pink toilet.

With pink, these could make it Mrs. Jetson's bathroom. ;)

Looks to be a built-in vanity. Any idea if the floor runs completely underneath? Can't imagine removing the vanity won't affect the wall tiles. I do think the wall tiles run behind the makeup mirror though. (Why can't I enlarge pictures anymore?) The wall and floor grout look pristine. I'm envious. You just bought the place? You might want to live with this bathroom a while before deciding on what to keep and what to replace. Something that looks functional at first glance might not end up being so for your lifestyle.

Keep the vanity. Just have it cleaned up.

I would remove the countertop tile for the reasons mentioned about dirt but that's about the only thing I'd remove.

Think about what pleases your eyes, as well as preserving the retro.

Those cabinets, mirrors, and the light fixture would annoy me, TBH. So, I would be looking at refacing or rebuilding the cabs with something still true, or at least compatible, to the era (more 1960s than 50s perhaps.)

I couldn't stand any of the wallpapers suggested so far, either, but there were plenty of wallpapers from that era that I would like - more subtle, gentler patterns and colors. YMMV!

I would paint unpapered walls with a crisp white, and replace the towel racks etc with white porcelain.. Or, if the floor is in good shape and will be preserved, and if you like the gray in it, match that gray (slightly paler perhaps) with the white fixtures.

Also I would see if it was possible to add some thin framing to the mirrors, since they make me think of school lavatories and cheap motels in their current bare state.

All of those mirrors would drive me crazy. Could you get one big mirror to cover the entire space so it doesn’t matter if the tile is there or not? I might repaint vanity white and pic some more updated hardware.

I think at least one of those mirrors on the right is part of a built in medicine cabinet which is definitely worth saving. The mirrors look to be in good shape, and I think they are fine. I see some of the tile on the vanity is missing. If you want to preserve the vanity top, look on the Retrorenovation website for ideas.

I think it’s great your boyfriend doesn’t mind the pink tile and wants to keep vintage elements. You can have fun with this!

I would definitely introduce at least one other color on the walls, preferably wallpaper with a background color other than pink.

This is a fabulous bathroom. Consider living with it for a while before you make any changes. It is very different than what you are accustomed to seeing, so it will not be until you live with it, that you will potentially be able to understand the beauty of it.

I love all of the wallpaper ideas that have been posted - especially the flamingos. :)

Here are a couple of mine:

Black might also be amazing.

If it were my space - I might just keep it simple (since I really love to keep it simple) - and I’d just paint the walls -

and maybe bring in some black detail, such as in the faucet(s); maybe also in light fixture(s), etc.

And I might also bring in some black and white art/photographs. Or probably, for me, more likely I’d bring in at least one flamingo. :)

"Flamingo Splash" Floater Framed Painting Print on Canvas, 16"x24" · More Info

Dont forget you have that nifty mosaic tile on the floor - can we get a closeup? What colors are in there? Maybe take one of the darker shades from there for the walls. I can't see clearly if there are browns in there but brown + pink + creamy white is a fantastic color scheme very much of the period - and quite a different look from just pink and white.

Wow, thanks to everyone for all the comments and ideas. It’s a lot to process. I definitely want to be in the space before making too many decisions. I appreciate the ideas about preserving as much as possible. Since this is the “master” bathroom, I also appreciate my boyfriend for wanting to keep the pink, but you should see some of the other areas that he wants to keep vintage/original. We are compromising! I’ll take some close up pics soon. Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to suggest ideas and comments! I think I can take your ideas to modernize and update but keep some original appeal.

Our first house had pink tile and the walls and cabinets were Battleship grey. We ask the landlady if we could paint and she paid for the white paint to brighten the place. But I could see just doing the vanity grey especially if you had grey veins in a new countertop. Be care with greys clashing with the brown in the floor mosaic tile cream might be better. I love keeping period details but mixing in some new things like adding a handheld shower and updating the mirror wall. If you are careful removing the counter tile you could have enough to re do the wall tile if you change mirrors. I would go for large sleek medicine cabinets to cover most of the wall. Then you would only need a few tiles to fill around them to continue the tile to match the side walls.

Instead of wild wall paper, have the banana leaves or flamingos on the shower curtain. Keep the walls neutral with white, cream or very pale grey.

Good luck with all the challenges of renovation of an old house.

Not a designer, just grew up with a pink bathroom and lived with another later. Since it is a small space and the one you will use daily, I’d stay away from the bold, as much as I like it. I like something lighter in feel, and love the one Helen posted. I had a kitchen with similar underneath another layer of wallpaper, so cute. Or a chinoiserie. And a simple white waffle-weave or other pattern shower curtain. I love the floor.

Will you be replacing the missing tiles on the vanity? I’m on the fence about tile countertops. I hate to change something so good-looking and authentic. I get the ”hidden traps for gunk” but gee, we have tiled showers and floors; just clean it regularly like you do the rest of the tile. Look how well it has lasted for 60+ years, and looking great! and probably no one got sick from it.

Thanks @bpath, I love the bold wallpaper, too, but you are right about living in it and using it often. My boyfriend actually broke those tiles. I was sitting in the tub to see if I fit, and he leaned against those tiles, and they fell off 😬, so I could like to see how we can fix it. I like the idea for the shower curtain. I do need to get new handles for the vanity. I LOVE the floor as well.

Fabulous bathroom, congratulations on your house. :)

More wallpaper suggestions:

https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/honeysuckle-tulip-wallpaper?category=wallpaper&color=005&type=STANDARD&quantity=1

I love the funkiness of gold and pink.

https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/seasons-by-may-wallpaper?category=wallpaper&color=060&type=STANDARD&quantity=1

https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/house-of-hackney-flora-fantasia-wallpaper2?category=wallpaper&color=040&type=STANDARD&size=One%20Size&quantity=1

I also like this very quiet and neutral off-white wall color:

It just depends on what direction you want to go, how it’ll flow with the adjoining room, etc.

Thanks @bpath, I love the bold wallpaper, too, but you are right about living in it and using it often. My boyfriend actually broke those tiles. I was sitting in the tub to see if I fit, and he leaned against those tiles, and they fell off 😬, so I could like to see how we can fix it. I like the idea for the shower curtain. I do need to get new handles for the vanity. I LOVE the floor as well.

Here’s a close up of the floor

Needs some heavy cleaning

Mirrors would be first, i.m.o. I'd want to minimize the busy chrome look..

Mirrors would be first, i.m.o. I'd want to minimize the busy chrome look.I understand too, if you're looking for a different, larger,sink. I don't know if floor might contain asbestos if 50s vct. In any case, you can go over it with a penny tile or other 50s tile that pulls the look together. More than anything, I think striving for a cohesive loom in all you do willi.orive things a lot. Maybe the penny could be black and white or all white with subtle pink and other color shimmer, and you could play this color up with accents know if floor might contain asbestos if 50s vct. In any case, you can go over it with a penny tile or other 50s tile that pulls the look together. More than anything, I think striving for a cohesive loom in all you do willi.orive things a lot. Maybe the penny could be black and white or all white with subtle pink and other color shimmer, and you could play this color up with accents

I actually have a similar situation- mint green. I have to remove vanity to remove rusted out sink unless a top mount might be an option.

I have to remove tub too, so I'm grieving the possible loss of mist of my mint green tile because, as with yours, the vanity is tiled into the wall, and who knows what will happen with tub tile.

If it's I will save all I can and polish it cover old terrazzo with loose lay.

If top mount sink won't save the day, I'll use a nice pedestal sink and either try to match lower walls with diy paint tile glaze or use ship lap wainscote.

I began trying a diy to remove vanity and felt horrible cutting into that wonderful, old tile job. It was impossible to do, and I mangled it badly. Tile is backed with metal lathe.

Yours will be too.

That said, don't live with this design if you don't like it.

Just keep you design in keeping with the period of your home. Please do that. If my tile can't be saved, I'll go with the white walls wood look planks with rivets, pedestal sink or pink ceiling, black and white tile and white vaniGood luck. Don't spend too much unless not an object. Lol.

Needs some heavy cleaning

A good tile shop could probably advise you on the best way (and products) to clean and maintain that tile floor. (The ones in my neck of the woods sell specialized products the big box stores don't.) Here's a short article that shares the Tile association's DIY cleaning recommendations for old floors including steam cleaning. Once the floor is restored, the right sealer would help you maintain it.

Can't tell for sure, but it looks like the floor tile might need some regrouting too. I hope it is just dirt.

I LOVE your pink bathroom and am so glad that you plan to keep it. The only thing I don't like is the brass/gold with pink. Would you consider changing that out to brushed nickel or chrome? Can't wait to see what you do!

Bought a new light, chrome shower rod, and white waffle weave shower curtain per suggestions about. Still working on cleaning, etc. thanks everyone!!!

New light

that is a wonderful glam light for a pink retro bathroom! but you will still need some kind of additional lighting near the mirrors.