Retro-style bathroom – rich aesthetic, functional interior!

The classic style, also known as retro or vintage, is the kind of aesthetic that looks particularly striking in bathroom schemes. The effect truly impresses, however, when the individual elements of the bathroom décor harmonise with one another. It’s true that the retro style is rich in ornamentation, but it’s worth using embellishment judiciously. Then a retro bathroom becomes truly captivating, functional and… timeless!

A retro bathroom and its fittings

Bathroom furniture, fittings, sanitaryware and baths need to have a specific aesthetic in a vintage bathroom. It isn’t uniform, but it has several features that set it apart from modern or minimalist styles. If you’re going for a retro bathroom tap, opt for one with handles made of brass. Retro mixer tap: https://lazienka-rea.com.pl/bateria-umywalkowa-rea-retro-old-black.html in the basin shouldn’t be too modern, so it’s best to avoid contemporary solutions and choose the classic ones!

A vintage-style bathroom will, in its fittings, hark back to a distinctly pre-war aesthetic. To the interiors of the bathrooms of the well-heeled middle classes, even the aristocracy! Modern bathroom radiators are devoid of ornament, whereas those in a vintage/retro style stand out with an abundance of details, grooves or reliefs. They are indeed more expensive than simple radiators and are made from different materials (brass, copper), but their aesthetic and design are hard to mistake for anything else.

Basin, bath and shower fittings are also distinctive. Models in the vintage style are chiefly gold, copper and brass, more rarely silver or steel. The latter—if you opt for them at all—are usually made of stainless steel. The shape of retro fittings will also be characteristic, echoing the trends of the 1920s and 1930s (wide, bell-shaped shower heads, tap handles with knobs and long spouts).

The aesthetic of the basin or bath itself is also important. An ornamented basin and a bath made of cast iron or stone on beautifully carved legs will make a retro-style bathroom interior even richer. Of course, a bath on legs needs a bit more space (and if it’s heavy, a sturdy floor/structure) than a modern built-in one, but for smaller bathrooms you can opt for a styled shower enclosure.

Colour palette and accessories

There isn’t a single answer to this question, but there are colours associated with the retro style. These are primarily light tones, gold, shades of grey or silver, but also black and dark hues. The latter work especially well when used as accents.

A large, airy vintage bathroom full of white, with pre-war-style tiling in light colours, will look even more impressive when the bathroom furniture and the floor are kept in dark tones. Of course, countertop basins will also then have a light, creamy colour, but their black bases provide an excellent contrast that harmonises with the room’s light backdrop!

By contrast, bathrooms styled to be particularly opulent will look great when most of their elements are kept in gold. Ornate chandeliers, mirrors in gilded frames with fanciful shapes, a bath on golden legs and the obligatory taps in similar tones make for an intriguing recipe for a vintage bathroom with a hefty dose of glamour!

Beyond the essential fixtures—the basin, bath or toilet—it’s also worth selecting accessories carefully. These might include styled, gold towel holders, soap dispensers, little vases for flowers or baskets for toiletries. You can have quite a few accessories, but in smaller bathrooms it’s best not to overdo it. Granted, the retro style assumes a degree of opulence, but in somewhat larger spaces.

It’s worth stressing, however, that a retro bathroom can draw inspiration from other styles—just adapt them appropriately to achieve an interesting effect, for example by combining retro with glamour! There really are plenty of possibilities, and the style should adapt to the household, not the other way round, so it’s worth experimenting and not being afraid to break (some!) of the rules of a given style!