apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I love this tub! I'd paint the bathroom walls in a nice dark plum color.

In my bathroom the tile is a beigey-gray, so I painted the walls a very, very light blue. I found a Marimekko shower curtain with different shades of light blue and a chartreusey green and then have bright green towels and I love it! Maybe try some light greens elsewhere in the room. Also, going with a light blue and white theme could be really relaxing too.

I'd get a second opinion from a different contractor. Anything can be changed, and I'm sure it would not entail "taking the house apart."

I'm so jealous because I love those tubs, but they are too wide for my bathroom.

They can't take the tub apart instead?

I think it's pretty fabulous. Just have it reglazed in a bright white and update the hardware. Easy!!

I currently am renting a bathroom with the same blue color for the bottom of the walls, floor, shower tile. I painted the upper wall white and used a simple white shower curtain, the Asker from Ikea as a tooth brush holder, and multi color rag rug (IKEA), a red pop towel hook (connects to the red in the rag rug), white towels and some bamboo in the window for a little more color. Surprisingly, using the white as your main color becomes a nice pop in the room and keeps it all looking fresh and clean.

i dont have this awesome bathtub but i am the proud owner of a 60's tiled blue shower stall and walls.
we've painted the walls a deep khaki and accessorized with dark brown and other complimentary shades of blue.

There are two ways...

First... try and research what would be around this tub back in the day... the floor, ceiling, fixtures, windows, sink, toilet.. everything down to the towels, plants, soap dishes.... yes, even the toothbrush holder.. ..you get the picture.

After you have an idea of how the whole group looked... start thinking about what you love of it and try to get it... edit everything else... After you have what you're sure to love, start thinking about the rest.. you'll notice it'll be much more simpler, keep colors to the basic side, there where not much colors in paints in those days...

There are lots of stores with vintage pieces or reproductions... since there is no other choice, it's important to bring up the vintage sense of the bathroom without having to picture grandma there by updating accesories....

PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T GET MATCHING SINK AND TOILET!

Second... this blue color is perfect for matching with dark stained wood....that is.. in everything you can have wood shown... mirror frame... sink stand... stools... you know....
If you have such tub i figure you have high ceilings.... get a cool modern big lamp, one with a sculptural round shade, the walls maybe just white or a light grayish off-white. The accesories are the ones to match the color of the tub... can you picture a dark wood stool with a pile of plush light blue towels right next to the tub... touches of vintage looking hardware in chrome would be nice too....

I'm neither for or against this tub but there is very little that a reciprocating saw can not remove from a house

Yes there is such thing as a tub that cannot be removed, I had one. Mine was in an apartment building with concrete walls, and the tub had been brought in BEFORE they put the walls around the bathroom.

What I know for sure is that I would frame the ad and hang it in the bathroom.

White sink & toilet, white floor with a few blue accents, dark wood. A themey vintage bath would be too much, and you don't need to do that, the blue is not that offensive.

Just because it can't be taken out in one piece, doesn't mean it can't be removed in pieces. (We just removed a tub that way).

I dislike blue, so if it was me (and I had to keep it), I would choose shower curtains that I liked. I'm assuming it would take two and then I'd hang them so the bottom of the curtain nearly touched the floor. Then I wouldn't have to look at it every time I used the restroom. Of course, others like blue, and if you do, some of the suggestions about playing up the kitchy-ness of it seem fair.

Tubs can be broken apart instead of breaking apart a house. Even old cast-iron tubs.

But if that is too extreme for you, I highly recommend using dark greys as a means to update an old color. Slate tiles with a little blue in them can look nice and even purposeful next to that blue. Or you could even intersperse some matching blue tiles in with others to make it all look original. And then for decorating, you can stay with blue and grey or branch out into black and white, or even a dark brown too.

On a separate thought, would it be feasible to encapsulate the tub as though it were a big shower? You'd still have the blue to deal with on the inside, but then you could have the overall look on the outside look more contemporary.

Grey walls and wenge wood.

I think you could go two routes to tone down the blue, depending on your household colors.

Either varying shades of grey, or varying shades of khaki/brown. The light blue could look nice with either of those. I, personally, would avoid any other colors, but I'm a sucker for neutrals.

You could always have the tub resurfaced in another color.

Oh and I want to add to my comment above... Pull the light blue in somewhere else in the bathroom, somewhere small and subtle. Otherwise the color looks like an accident.

I think a more modern looking naked person (male or female, depending on your preference) would definitely make a difference.

I'd reglaze it white (probably update the fixtures) and leave it. It's probably a perfectly good tub. Obviously you have room for it since it's there, why not enjoy it?

I'd suggest definitely keeping a white toilet and sink and probably even painting the walls some sort of a cream color. Add a few blue accents in the same shade and it'll look like you wanted it there instead of you're stuck with it.

I had my peach tub reglazed bright white and it looks fabulous. And its way cheaper and less hassle than buying a new tub.

Idontdobeige . . . that made me lol.

I'm weird like this . . . I'd paint the walls the same color as the ad and get yellow shower curtains and mat and frame a nice print of the ad. Because that's my kind of awesome. Like I said, I'm kinda weird. I'm guessing nobody else is going to agree with this idea. But I like it!

I have that tub, except, thankfully, it's white.

The horror is that the rest of the bathroom is peachy-pink tiles, on walls and floors. I'm using a lot of brown, and dark bamboo blinds.

I'm assuming you're putting up a shower curtain for the blue tub. It'd be a large part of the bathroom decor, so you might as well make it the starting point. I'd find (or make) a fabric shower curtain that pulls in the blue, but which gives you the rest of your color scheme. Either a dark brown/blue/white/celery green pattern or stripe (I've been on etsy recently and liking the amy butler fabrics I've seen) or something cooler in blue/charcoal/white/light grey. Go with tile, accessories, towels in shades dictated by the

I think the yellow and blue will look like the ymca pool decor.

I think the tub is amazing- and the comments so far make me wish I could play around with ideas! If you do decide to reglaze the tub white- please don't DIY it. Our rental had canary yellow tubs that I really didn't mind. The landlord did though and had her dad reglaze them with a kit. Needless to say, the paint comes off on my feet and flakes away every time I wash it with a foaming cleaner and soft rag. I'd much rather have a cheery yellow than something white and messy :(

I would go with black and white myself, and I would go with a really bold, modern black and white pattern for the show curtains.

If you're keeping it, I'd go with a lot of white, a little more light blue here and there, and some pale wood. Kind of a Swedish look. I really like the thought of someone loving it so much that they built the house around it!

http://inspiredroomdesign.com/blog.php

@idontdobeige - you're hilarious!

If I had that tub, I'd complement with dark brown and white, or do what Editor suggests and go yellow!

Love to see the after pictures!

I'd go with black and white. Choose a large scale modern black and white floral wall paper for one accent wall. The other fixtures should be clean white. Then add one large statement something-or-other in a sympathetic shade of blue. Fluffy white towels.

I'm with paintitbright... black and white large-scale geometrics, or any color combo strong, high-contrast and graphic, would help modernize the blue tub (and might distract from it entirely).

I'm glad you're planning on using the existing tub rather than trashing it!

Check out RetroRenovation.com for more fun info & ideas on retro bathrooms - personally I'd go for the full-on 50's effect w/ blue & white tiles, chrome fixtures, etc.

I like farmhousemodern's suggestion of a Swedish theme with only pale blue and white. Or maybe a Greek Island sort of look.

We bought a house with a blue tub too - combined with white tiles. Although I don't like blue so much, the combination 'blue - white' looks really good.

If you love the tub, definitely keep it and work around it. It's greener than replacing the old tub and if you like the retro vibe you could have fun decorating around it.

However, if you want to get rid of the tub, get rid of it. The contractor is telling you it can't be removed because he either doesn't want to deal with the mess and the hassle, or your budget doesn't cover the work involved. If you want to get a new tub, you basically need to destroy the old tub to remove it in pieces. You can either saw it into pieces that are small enough to be removed or just cover the sucker with a tarp and take a sledgehammer to it. If it's cast iron, call a tool rental shop and ask them about renting a saw that will cut through cast iron.

Blue and muted silver and silvery gray are very fashionable right now. Blue always looks good with a bit more blue in other shades. You can warm things up with artwork and flowers or plants. I would have lots of fluffy white towels, too.

I agree that is an awesome tub - and a period piece. Probably way more solid than anything available right now.

i thought that's why they made sledgehammers??

NorNor, I agree completely! That bathroom could become a true vintage gem.

Oh man, I have this same bathtub in a dirty pink color at my Mother's house, I have never been able to find a color combination to work well. The rest of the bathroom tiles all over are a reddish brown; the floor, sink and toilet are the same pink color as the tub. Any suggestion for what to do with the wall color with dirty pink and reddish brown?

I like the silvery gray and blue ideas for the blue tub, that sounds lovely.

Audreka --

Your plumbing fixtures aren't "Dirty Pink" - They're "Dusty Rose" ;-)

I'd choose green, white or even a pale yellow for a bathroom like that - check for more ideas at Retrorenovation.com and Savethepinkbathrooms.com

This might not be exactly what you'd choose, but you can have a lot of fun with it! I'd "update" the tub to the sixties mod era. Lots of blue, white lime green turquoise stuff. Think of Marimekko, and other Scandinavian imports like Arabia Finel and Dansk for example when choosing accessories.

If you really don't like it, I agree with the people who insist that anything can be undone. You could offer the tub free to anyone who will get an expert to move it out of your house!

I'll agree with you, NorNor!

I'm nut sure what your tastes are exactly, but I think you could go with the color, as opposed to fighting it, and make the room more modern with something like this:

Mosaic:
http://www.personism.com/wp-content/uploads/tubandtile.jpg

A little well-done lighting would go a long way:
http://www.mtoo8.com/attachments/2009/07/1_2009070713304729177.jpg

I'd get rid of that tub the same way as I would a body... in pieces.

-Dex

*backs away very slowly, avoiding eye contact*

You know, you could just re-glaze the tub (white?)....

Without seeing YOUR room, of how your tub is configured in the whole space, here's a guess: A purpley-blue on walls the tub is attached to. White or off white on the other two.

We have a bright-pink-can't-be-removed tub. Wally3 is right...the builder probably put the tub in before the solid wall.
I'd get the contractor to build a custom shelf unit for the back corner and paint it whatever lovely color you pick for the walls. It should help mask the size of the piece and create a *more* modern built in look.

Your contractor is wrong, sledge hammer it out! Cast iron does shatter. We took out our tub that way. Note that a reglaze will only stay bright white for a few years at best, but then will start to get dingy.

I'd get a second opinion before I did anything but if it's trully not removeable without undoing the house first then I'd work with it, or sledge hammer it out as has already been said.

Now I don't know the circumstances of how they got it out but I once worked at an architectural salvage yard and they had one in white like that and I'm not sure how they got it out but it may have been a total opening of the walls or more to get it out to salvage but man, I'd only seen the template for them but never actually seen one in person.

And even then, have it professionally reglazed if you really can't stand the color. I happen to like it and wished mine were in better shape but it IS a dusty blue (vintage 1960 apartment building). Some of the units actually have canary yellow fixtures which would also be totally cool to have. Oh well.

But whatever you do, I don't think those tubs are terribly common to all the standard tubs found in most modest homes.

Good luck with with it

Er, the template on the architectural templates.

I agree with Nornor too! Do something similar to the ad and frame the ad as your bathroom artwork! Don't fight the vintage!

whats wrong with the tub?! its hot lol. i have a blue tub too..although not an awesome corner one...

It can be demo'ed out to avoid tearing down walls. But why not simply have it reglazed and go with it...it actually is sort of nice.

I really don't understand how you couldn't love this unique part of your home. I think you should find a way to make this feature work for you instead of trying to hide it.

We had a company come in and reglaze a gold tub in a condo we own and at the same time do the period claw foot tub in our home. The gold tub is one piece with shower walls and the cost was under $600 the claw foot was less.

I too would frame the ad in the bathroom, but I wouldn't re-create the decor in the ad (blue, pink & yellow? Is this a baby's room?). I would either re-glaze the tub, or do the rest of the bathroom in black and white with an accent or two of blue.

I think that's a wonderful tub! It would be snatched up in a week at our local salvage store. I would embrace your beautiful old tub, they just don't make them like that anymore. I found an old cast iron from the 50's and I love it, it holds the heat in better than modern tubs and just feels so nice and solid.

I am currently installing subway tile with a thin band of pale blue in my bathroom. It is going to match the sconce lights with blue stripes that we bought from Rejuvenation. Your tub would look great with a similar scheme. Another idea is putting white hex tile on the floor, and having a little row of blue hex's dot around the tub and floor- they will help tie it in.