Bathroom Renovation
small yet functional 1940s colonial bathroom
My mood-board before the project began.
1940s Bathroom
When we first moved into our 1940s colonial in the Chicago suburbs I hit the ground running with projects. We painted both the interior and exterior of our home, added wallpaper to the dining room, updated one of our two fireplaces to gas, and began decorating.
Upon moving in, we knew the larger bathroom on the second floor wasn’t in the best of shape. It didn’t bother me at first, but after using it for a bit I knew there would come a time where we would have to gut the whole space.
I am all for preserving a vintage bathroom, but ours was not a gem worth saving. The floor tile was cracking in multiple places, the shower had permanent stains resembling a crime scene, and the entire room felt claustrophobic. With a toddler and another baby on the way, we knew we had to do something sooner rather than later.
After months of planning and about five weeks of in-home renovation, the dust settled and the project was complete. I shared the bathroom’s final reveal on TikTok last year and still regularly receive questions about it. While it isn’t the largest or most beautiful bathroom, I am proud of the result. We worked with our (amazing!) contractor to make this small bathroom clean, functional, and chic in a way that worked for our family.
Video below of the walkthrough the week after it was finished. You can can find links to all the appliances and hardware here.