I have the pleasure of working on quite a few older home in the Denver Metro area. A few of my clients want to maintain and replicate the vintage charm of their bathrooms but more of them want an updated classic look for our current time. It’s rare to see an unremodeled bathroom from 75 years ago.
These bathrooms are in a 1920’s bungalow on a Historic Block in Denver. You can read about the kitchen remodel in this post. We went with an updated classic look. The original bathroom in the home had been remodeled long before the current owners took up residence. There was nothing historic to save or replicate. We also added a bathroom to make a primary suite.
Marble mosaic on the floor, marble on the countertop with unlacquered brass fixtures and walnut cabinetry. This is the new bathroom that we added. (Photos by Jordan Katz for Laura Medicus Interiors)
Site photo I took before grout. Really shows the marble!
The bathroom faucets are unlacquered brass. This photo shows you how they start to tarnish immediately in spots where they’ve been touched. You’re either going to love the way they patina or you’re going to hate it. (Photos by Jordan Katz for Laura Medicus Interiors)
A photo I took after the shower fixtures were installed. We could not put niches in this shower. Instead, we had the marble from the countertop cut into curved corners for shampoo and soap. A photo of the hall bathroom floor I took before grout. I love this marble picket. It’s a classic material in an interesting shape.This is the Guest bathroom. There’s not a window in this room so we embraced the darkness and went with a dark wallpaper by Hope Johnson. (Photos by Jordan Katz for Laura Medicus Interiors)
We chose polished nickel and brass for the metals in this hall bathroom. I’m a fan of mixing metals. I think you get a more naturalistic, less model home-like look when you mix things together. I also don’t think of black as a metal, I tend to think of it as a color. Black goes with everything and makes a good detail for a light fixture or a mirror in a small room.
A photo I took of the wallpaper shortly after completion. If you have a windowless space, going bold with your colors can amp up the drama.
My favorite mirrors in bathrooms are wood. I like the way wood warms up a room that can feel cold with all the tile.
When aiming for a classic look, I love choosing traditional materials. These include marble, natural stone, unlacquered brass, polished nickel, and wood. If you want to keep your fixed finishes very simple, adding wallpaper or a vintage mirror is an easy way to get some style into your space.
And always remember:
“The best things in life aren’t things.” — Art Buchwald
Laura is a Denver Interior Designer who runs an Interior Design Studio based in sunny Colorado with a strong commitment to livable and interesting interiors. She also runs The Colorado Nest, a Denver blog about Design, Art and Life in the Mountain West and co-hosts the book podcast "The Inside Flap" on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play.
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