Before & After: Designing Out the Danger in a 1950s Bathroom
Eek! Nadya’s bathroom not only had some structural issues, but it was also lined with asbestos. In the midst of another renovation, Nadya had to tackle the issue on a budget.
From Nadya: Our small post-war house in Brisbane, Australia was built in 1959, and like many similar houses of the era, had an asbestos-lined bathroom. As you can see, it was dingy and awful, and water from the shower was seeping into the wall. The nasty stuff had to go!
We were also getting an entirely new kitchen done at the same time, so could not afford to gut and re-do the entire bathroom too – besides, the old cast-iron tub is perfectly good despite its color, and the vanity is basic but decent and works for us.
So we got the asbestos professionally removed, the walls waterproofed properly, large white tiles done around the bathroom and vanity, and painted the rest of the walls in Dulux Antique White.
And what a difference it made! Still the same bathroom but a much cleaner, brighter, and happier place to start the day. Maybe we’ll have the bathtub refinished in white later on, maybe we won’t – I’ve gotten used to it and it actually has a bit of vintage charm.
Thank you, Nadya!