A cast-iron bathtub and plank flooring are worth saving in an old bathroom.
An old bathroom often has architectural features that are beautiful when blended with new upgrades. Even if you rip out all of the walls and flooring, try to preserve some of the wood trim, cabinetry and interesting light fixtures from a bygone era in a 1940s bathroom. These can be recycled into the new bathroom design for a rich, artistic look. Do research to learn about tile designs, bathtubs and colors used in the 1940s. This will help you design a good blend of materials, fixtures and colors from the past and present for a pleasing look.
Instructions
1. Measure the bathroom floor space and wall facades. Draw the bathroom interior from different angles. Sketch a basic plan for a new shower, bathtub and vanity. Figure out if an existing window or entry door opening will need to be enlarged or moved.
2. Raise the ceiling height or install a skylight to add natural light. Go into attic space to see how ceiling joists might be raised higher to make a tray ceiling, for example. Figure out if a skylight well might be a good idea. Build this by creating a pyramid-shaped shaft from the bath ceiling to the roof. Open the ceiling about 6 square feet and taper the shaft to about 4 square feet at the roof level. Install a 4-feet square skylight cap on the roof.
3. Tear out walls and flooring. Revamp old wiring and plumbing in the walls, ceiling and floor joists. Leave the toilet drain in its original place, if possible, to make the project simpler to complete. Install drains for the new shower and bathtub before rebuilding walls using drywall or plaster.
4. Make the vanity space the focal point wall. Buy one or two pedestal sinks to face a wall with bead-board paneling. Install the paneling 4-feet high and add 1940s wallpaper on top for this one wall. Rewire an old light fixture to hang in the vanity space. Use a dark oak mirror over the vanity and a dark oak cabinet for storing towels.
5. Install a pre-made shower and bathtub with new faucets. Use a combination shower-tub if floor space is limited. Add wide baseboards and wide window facing that is similar to what was used in the 1940s. Paint woodwork and walls white or cream to give the space a neat, clean feeling. Add a couple of rugs with colors used in the 1940s, such as dusty rose or pale blue.
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