When we opened this reader email, our first thought was that someone had stolen photos of our guest bathroom and just adjusted the color to turn our yellow tiles green. Seriously, how similar are they (our yellow guest bathroom is here on our house tour page)? But it turns out Susanne was just lucky enough to have a real-life green-tiled bathroom of her very own. Here’s her letter.
Hi John & Sherry! We just completed a total DIY renovation of our 1956 en-suite bath. Prior to the renovation, the bathroom looked a lot like your yellow bathroom…. lovely green tile up to your eyeballs (well, your eyeballs when you’re 5’2″). Three different patterns of green tile, a scary, small shower with little ventilation, cramped quarters… and so on. We did our best to update the look with accessories, but at the end of the day it just wasn’t our cup of tea.
Like you, we’ve tackled big renovations before (our kitchen in 2011), but this was a whole new beast. Trying to level concrete floors is something I’d rather never attempt again. However, we did it all ourselves, we did it on a dime, and we did it all together…. and the end result was so worth it!
Going from old dated tile floors to new marble hex ones was definitely a welcome change…
And we even framed one of the old tiles to remind us of how far we’ve come!!
Thanks for your time and for considering us! – Susanne
You can check out more jealousy-inducing pictures over on Susanne’s blog, including this post with a few more detail shots. What do you guys think? Are your mouths hanging open like ours were? What’s your favorite part? Mine is the awesome floating glass shower door (so much more open than the small tile stall that was there before) and Sherry’s obsessed with that marble hex tile.
Kristen says
floorfloorfloorfloor…
Sorry. I think I just passed out there for a second from the sheer awesome.
Melanie says
They did a fantastic job! I love that they framed an old tile. :)
Linda says
I love that they framed the old tile. The room’s gorgeous but it’s the little details like that make it more personal/homey to me.
KB says
I also found it really endearing that they framed that old tile. What a great new bathroom – those hexagon tiles are gorrrrgeous!
Kaely says
It’s a wonderful remodel, but yes the old framed tile really stands out. I love that detail.
kristin says
i agree. it’s a nice way to say, “yes- this room finally rocks, but we appreciate where it started.”
Brenna Y. says
Gorgeous work =) can’t wait to have a place of my own to tackle this kind of project!!
Anna-Lisa says
I normally hate when people rip out perfectly good vintage tile and put in neutrals, but this looks good. It’s not jarringly non-period-appropriate for a slightly older home, just nicely updated. Is that the original sink, even? So cute.
val says
I logged in to say the same exact thing. But that shower does. not. lie.
Emily says
Vavavavoom! Inspiring to overcome such a seemingly restrictive space and make it work!
Stephanie says
WOW. The whole thing is gorgeous. LOVE the hex tile. Is it weird to want to pet it?
YoungHouseLove says
Not weird. I’m right there with you.
xo,
s
Emily says
BEAUTIFUL!
Any chance y’all might tackle something similar with your guest bath down the road, or are you working with what you have?
YoungHouseLove says
At least for now we’re happy to work with what we have, but we bought this house fully expecting (for some structural/maintenance reasons) that we may have to eventually redo all three bathrooms, so you never know what we’ll do down the line!
xo,
s
Krissy says
Oh my goodness! BEAUTIFUL!
I am ga-ga over that shower door. <3
Ali says
Me too! I also really like that they framed the old tile. Cute.
Courtney says
I think my favorite part is the framed old tile! Also, I noticed on your house tour page that you haven’t updated the dining room picture. It looks so different now with the yellow door and craigslist buffet – I think you should change it!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I still have to do that!
xo,
s
Elaissa says
OMG that is our green master bathroom! Love the redesign and it is a great inspiration! Thanks for sharing.
Angela L says
That’s an amazing transformation! The glass shower door really opens up the room and makes it seem spacious!
Stephanie says
Beautiful! I am in LOVE with the new shower – it feels like it doubles the size of the room!! I could go on (there’s not a single thing in the room that I don’t love!), but I especially like that they framed one of the old tiles – I’m a sucker for nostalgia :) Great job, Susanne!!
Molly@TheNestingGame says
Holy Moly! We have pretty much the exact same bathroom! And we’ve been dreaming of hex tiles and glass shower doors too. I love this! I’m hoping we can swap our toilet and sink so the toilet isn’t the first thing you see when you walk in. So glad you posted this!
Our bathroom (at the end of the link):
http://thenestinggame.com/nest-tour-2/nest-tour-bathrooms/
YoungHouseLove says
I like the toilet/sink swap idea! Never thought of that!
xo,
s
Megan says
They did a fantastic job and I love that they kept an old tile. What fun. Err…now I wanna do my bathroom. My friend’s daughter used our bathroom and was like, “Look mom! They have magic carpet tiles!”. She thought they were cool. I think they are outdated and GROSS!
Kristi says
Love the new shower, tile floor, wall color, beadboard, medicine cabinet, new lights…okok I love it all!
Jessica D. says
I love how they reused the pedestal sink, it looks so fresh with its new surroundings. The openness that the glass shower provides is soo nice. All in all, I give it a 9.9, need to change out/spray the door knob, lol. It looks so timeless and cheery!
Jessica says
This is our bathroom! We have a house from 1956 or 1957, and that is almost exactly our master bath…we’re green and pink, with the original pink sink and toilet (the other bathroom is pink and blue). Even our bathroom ceiling is pink.
I’m so motivated to tear them both apart now!
Deanna says
To quote a “famous” book I read recently – “oh my!”
That looks awesome and I am sure the wheels in your guy’s head (i re-read this and realized I only wrote head singularly, so you must share a brain) are already spinning with ways to redo your guest bath. What a beautiful job!
Amy @ PaintWineRepeat says
WOWSERS! That bathroom is to die for. And what a cute idea to frame an old tile… I wish I had done that now! I love the glass shower door and those hex tiles… it’s hard to pick a favourite part!!
Julia @ Chris Loves Julia says
I love the hex tile too! But I think it is absolutely charming they framed and displayed an old tile. I just love things like that.
Gabriella @ Our Life In Action says
Very pretty! Looks brighter and modern.
Meghan says
I love that they framed an old green tile- it’s such a meaningful piece of art for them!
Maribel says
I loveee the shower!
Reader Redesigns are my favorite posts!
Becca says
Ha, the “before” looks a lot like our downstairs bath–but nicer! I love our green tile, but the rest of the room definitely needs some improvement.
Of course, if I had to use it constantly, I might feel differently.
Kirstin says
Obsessed.
Dani says
So beautiful!
I’m sure you guys already know this but when you link to your house tour page you can actually make it pull right to wherever you want it on the long page with a little trick. You’ll have to add a smidge of code but its super slick.
On the overview page in the HTML add these codes for your sections:
etc wherever your section breaks are.
Then in your link to the page just add it like this:
https://www.younghouselove.com/photo-gallery-2/our-current-house/#bathroom
Should work like a charm!
YoungHouseLove says
Love the tip!
xo,
s
bria s. says
I LOVE THIS BATHROOM! great job!
Heather Gearhart says
I am in love with the fact that they framed an old tile… such a cute idea!
Dani says
Woops looks like it killed my code.
Here’s a weird rendition. Hope it makes sense.
(opening bracket) a name=”rates”(closing bracket) (opening bracket)/(closing bracket)
YoungHouseLove says
Love that tip Dani! Thanks again!
xo,
s
Rebecca says
When we renovated our bathroom we wanted to keep a piece of the old wallpaper trim and hide it for remembering in the closet or something. It was purple and green frogs/flowers, but were so glad to rip it off that we forgot!
RLR says
My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw the glass shower door! Wow!
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
WOW! They did an amazing job! I love the hex tile AND the floating glass door! :)
Angela at A Typical English Home says
Love that they framed the old tile.
One of our bathrooms was green when we moved in – worse than the one featured here because it had a green suite and green carpet to match the wall to ceiling green tiles.I’m not sure it’s ever a good colour for a bathroom (although I’m willing to be proved wrong)! Ours is still a work in progress, but I’d be a happy bunny if it turned out as beautiful as Susanne’s!
Heather Flint says
Fkgfjncc nufvb bh jghh fvb hjhvc…….sorry, I passed out on my keyboard for a few minutes after seeing that before and after. Gahhhh!!! that is gorgeous!! Love the glass shower so much, and adore how they framed the old tile!! :)
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
This is so like our green tile bathroom… it’s giving me all kinds of ideas…
Absolutely beautiful! I love your reader redesigns. Maybe one day our bathroom reno will be completed and I share it!
Traci @ yellowWISHBONE says
love the new bathroom! including the framed tile and that rug! i’m heading over to their blog to see if there is a source list! :)
Rachel says
I love the idea framing one of the old tiles! Great way to remember the past, yet move forward.
Gracie says
Oh my, I think this is the best Reader Redesign I’ve seen so far! Hard to believe that is even the same bathroom. I just love it! I think glass doors would look awesome in y’alls bathroom as well. Would have never thought of that.
Christine says
I, too, love the framed tile, and all the soft gray tones. That shade of gray on the walls look so great with the crisp white. And putting the glass shower in makes it look like a whole different room!
Casey @wafflingdesign says
Hey!
Clara and Burger are on people.com!!!!!!
http://www.peoplepets.com/people/pets/gallery/0,,20491019,00.html?xid=icanhas
YoungHouseLove says
Love that pic:)
xo,
s
Julia says
My brother has a bathroom EXACTLY like that (must have been popular in the 50’s/60’s). I must show him this, it’s a show stopper!
Amanda says
this gives me hope for my teeny-tiny master bathroom… just plain awesome!
andrea @ my kinda perfect says
i loved the framed old tile…but probably because i kinda like that old tile look. (i’m crazy, probably, but that’s okay.) it’s a nice way to commemorate the event of demolition/reconstruction and it’s a nice conversation piece. =)
Karen F says
that is absolutely gorgeous!!!
Jen says
WOW! I think the glass shower door makes the biggest difference, makes the bathroom look twice the size. Such a great job. Crazy that it’s so identical to your bathroom.
Carolyn Ellsworth says
There must have been a huge sale on green tile in ’56 because our 1956 bathroom is full of it too. Yuk!
Elizabeth says
Love that they framed one of the old tiles. Definitely a great reminder of how far they’ve come and what the two of them have accomplished themselves.
Elle says
I know we’ve discussed this before, but can we have an honest conversation about sealing grout? Does it really, REALLY work? I ask because my husband and I are pigs and the grout in our old, disgusting shower is an abomination (partially due to lack of cleaning). We’re going to redo the bathroom but we both don’t want grout. I like penny tile, etc. a lot but I’m afraid to rely on grout sealer being enough to stand up against the likes of slobs like us. What do you think?
YoungHouseLove says
We didn’t clean our bathroom in over a year after grouting and sealing it. Well, we cleaned the toilet and wiped down the sink, but never did a thing to the shower! Even when we put it up for sale it didn’t need any scrubbing! The real key is to get is 100% clean before sealing it. Otherwise it’ll always look dirty instead of clean.
xo,
s
Elle says
Just got a chance to read your reply, thank you!! You may have just swayed me to give it a go when we redo the bathroom. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, good luck Elle!
xo,
s
Jessica Matthews says
I really like everything about it but my favorite thing is the old tile they framed. I love sentimental art (not that they’re sentimental about their green tile, but, you know, it means something…)
Susanne says
Oh my goodness, we’re on YOUNG HOUSE LOVE! I just about passed out when I realized it today! Thanks for all the sweet comments, you have made my week (year)!!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! It’s well deserved. Thanks for sharing your awesome makeover!
xo,
s