This Stunning Bathroom Makeover Keeps the Original Purple (!) Fixtures from 1962

Written by

Sarah EverettAssistant Editor of Home Projects
Sarah EverettAssistant Editor of Home Projects
I organize the Before & After series and cover DIY and design. I joined AT in October 2020 as a production assistant. I have an MA in Journalism from the University of Missouri and a BA in Journalism from Belmont University. Past editorial stops include HGTV Magazine, Nashville Arts Magazine, and local magazines in my hometown, Columbia, Missouri.
published Feb 4, 2025
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About this before & after
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Pastel tiles and fixtures are a hallmark of 1950s and 60s bathrooms, and the bathroom in Laura Bindloss’s 1962 home was no exception. The primary bathroom has a lavender-hued Rheem-brand toilet, tub, and sink. 

Although these purple plumbing fixtures might have seemed garish in the heyday of white and gray homes about 10 years ago, they’re actually an interior design gold mine now. (As Laura points out, they go for a lot of money on eBay right now!) See how she’s styled them in her 2025 bathroom.

The carpet was replaced with heated tile floors. 

Although the tile, tub, toilets, and sink stayed the same, the bathroom did go through a bit of a demo process because Laura and her husband, Simon, tore out the carpet (!) from before and had it replaced with a marble mosaic hex tile. Best yet? Laura and Simon had heated flooring professionally installed.

A pastel color palette complements the purple. 

They also had a professional install Breegan Jane’s Malindi Wallpaper for Clarke & Clarke, a pastel-filled print to tie in the purple. The ceiling, window frame, and door got a pastel paint job, too, in pink (Little Green’s Masquerade) and green (Little Greene’s Pea Greene).

Laura says the bathroom “marries original 1960s elements like the lavender bathroom [fixtures] with clean-lined furnishings and bold color choices.”

The vanity got an upgrade. 

Although Laura and Simon saved money by saving the sink, they did replace the dated vanity surrounding it and opted for a rose-colored marble countertop. There’s a new white-framed mirror and a vanity light and table lamp from Pooky to finish the look.

For more bathroom makeovers that embrace their pastel bones, check out this $750 pink-tiled transformation, this bathroom with green tile from the 1950s, and this blue bathroom makeover for $500.