Another retro trend renaissance: hello pink bathrooms

Pink bathrooms are a trend a-brewing, I'm telling you, and I've been eyeing them longingly for a while. 

I thought it might just be me, but then these much maligned blasts from the past started popping up all over Pinterest. (Though not especially looking like this one, below, even though it's incredible.)

Then I visited the beautifully designed Bill Granger restaurant in Clerkenwell (read about it here) and was delighted to be greeted by a wall of muted bubble gum pink wall tiles (but alas no gold taps, though there was some gold trim). See it below.

And THEN I stumbled across an even bigger sign that love for pink bathrooms was big right now. There is a website campaign devoted to the revival of these divisive mid-century set-pieces. But before we get to that, let's have a look at some good ones.

Images: Retro Renovation (more of which below)

Images: Apartment Therapy

Above: images above from a rather slinky home in Melbourne, via Dustjacket-attic 

Above: this is the bathroom in Jo Woods' home. Love the matching giant 80s perfume bottles. See the rest of it here on the Daily Mail website

Images: Apartment Therapy

So the campaign, a brilliant, brilliant idea, is run by Retro Renovation. I'm incredibly late to it (it launched several years ago but since I obsess over interiors websites more than most, you may also not have come across it). The idea, as you might guess by the name of the website, is to preserve the classic 1950s/60s originals, to inspire new owners not to rip out the original bathroom suite simply because it's not white.

And Retro Renovation weren't messing about. Fuelled by wilful destruction on interiors DIY shows on TV, they launched a proper campaign, complete with Flickr group and pastel bathroom messiah merch (above). Yes.

If you love the originals, check out this incredibly well preserved 1962 house I wrote about a couple of years ago. You'll love it. And if you're hankering after a blush bath, look no further than HM James, who own the patents to some of the original avocado, rose and lemon suites and now reproduce them. I'm all for it, just trying to work out how I could incorporate some pink into the freshly painted all white bathroom...

But what do you think – could you perform your ablutions comfortably with a candyfloss backdrop, or is white the only way to go in the 21st century?

(Ridiculously kitsch) Object of the day: John Hinde tin box

I'd gone out to buy something from the DIY store, but it had just closed.

On my way back to the car I had to pass the farmer's market, which sells all sorts of random stuff, not just food. Serendipitously I thought (always a good approach to impulse buying) I passed a stall I often linger at, full of enticing old bits and pieces. No need to feel sad about the closed DIY store – here, surely, was the real reason I'd left the house. I just didn't know it till I saw it...

My love for John Hinde postcards from the 1960s-1980s era, as several readers will know, is large, especially the Butlin's series, as seen on the sweet tin above, which the lady from the stall sold to me for £8. I was too excited to haggle.

These images and many more were immortalised in Our True Intent is all for Your Delight edited by Martin Parr, an oft-flicked through book round my house. The equally colourful story behind the richly hued photographs is one I wrote about in a piece in the Independent a few years back, in case you're interested.

Meanwhile, since these tins aren't common (a quick trawl of Ebay and Etsy revealed nothing, I'm afraid) I can at least lead fellow Hinde fans to a some alternative resources for a photographic fix.

There's the above-mentioned book (the photos from which look great in frames – as seen in my recent radical loo makeover), and also Surface View, where you can purchase giant prints of various JH postcards, in all sorts of formats. There's also the John Hinde Collection, a site set up by even bigger fans than I, where you can buy original prints, lovingly restored and stripped of their trademark technicolour tints. Well worth a look.

As for me, I just have to decide what to keep in my new tin. Any suggestions?

Post by Kate

Introducing... Homestuff with history

I'm not sure I love the say-what-it-is name of this shop I recently discovered, but I do like what it does. And at least the owners are making that clear.

Homestuff with History, an online shop based in Hertfordshire, is run by brother and sister Matt and Kathryn Brown and they may love old junk possibly even more than I do (did you miss my breathless post about the secondhand shops of Lewes?)

Oil painting of Mrs Palmer of Wrexham, framed oil on board, £59.95

Old stacking chair, £44.95

Japanese flip clock, £34.95

Parisian alarm clock, £34.95

Tiny German alarm clock, £24.95

The shop is stuffed with battered old cupboards, interesting oil paintings, a surprising number of lovely alarm clocks (don't you miss alarm clocks?), and a few things they've knocked up themselves using old materials (such as the wooden letters, below, made new in the workshop but from battered old bits of wood).

Wooden letters, £4.50 each

Kathryn and Matt have an eye for oddities as well as solid furniture basics with a well-loved look about them – and the pieces are either sold as they are, like this blue filing cabinet below, or tidied up with a splash of Craig and Rose 1829 paint (nice to have a change from Farrow and Ball...).

Do check out their Curiosities section on the site – the sort of random selection of second-hand things you don't often find online and reflects, no doubt, the home clearance sideline the shop operates. It's possibly not the stuff one might organically pick up at a trade antique market with a view to selling on (currently you'll find there a rusty old anvil, some ancient ice-skates and a miniature floral lavatory).

Blue wooden filing cabinet, £124.95

Every now and then (and I'm sorry to say we've just missed the latest) they also open up the workshop for a big sale, off-loading lots of the treasures they find in raw condition.

homestuffwithhistory.co.uk

Shopping: raiding the antique shops of Lewes

I had a lovely time recently visiting dear friends who have recently moved to Lewes, not far from Brighton.

It was brilliant to hang out and catch up (and eat fantastic fish and chips – well, just chips and a pickled egg for me – from their excellent local chippy). But what was almost as great? THE SHOPPING.

First off, I should highlight the one purchase of the trip (unusually restrained for me, and I didn't even buy it). It is this very beautiful and unusual etching of a duck in flight, which my boyfriend bought me for my birthday from one of Lewes's many antiques shops. I have put it up in the growing bird corner (see more on Pinterest), right by my side of the bed, so I can look at it while I'm lying there.

It appears to be in its original frame, as the artist details are on the back – it is by someone called Stuart N Pike, about whom I could find no information online, and it says it is etched onto calfskin. The mount is newer, made from some kind of thin wood. It's kind of odd, and I like it.

I also liked a lot of other things I saw. We spent ages at Lewes Flea Market, below.

It was packed with treasures.

I am still kicking myself about failing to buy this spectacular horse's head for £22. The rest of the stuff on this stall was a little dubious, I think it disrupted my usual shopping radar.

I can't resist things with compartments (anyone else?) and toyed with the idea of using these, above, to store shoes in by the front door. Not very practical since it would rule out all boots, hi-tops and heels. Couldn't think what else to use them for, so sadly they stayed put.

I have an inherited biscuit jar in the Hornsea Pottery range – like the coffee pot on the left of that glass shelf, above. I keep meaning to buy more Hornsey stuff when I see it cheap, like this (it was £6), but I am hoping I'll find a whole bundle of it together in a charity shop. We went to a beautiful cafe in a local park over the Easter weekend and all their crockery, on tables and displaying cakes and stuff on the counter was this gloriously homely brown, 70s Hornsea stuff. I was inspired, it looked fantastic.

This was another antiques emporium on the high street, it was over several floors and is the place the bird etching came from. A little less random than the flea market, it had carefully curated shelves of Fat Lava pots (below)...

... and collectible (and always pricey) Clarice Cliff china, below.

Next we went to Wickle, Lewes's smallest department store (possibly anywhere's smallest department store, in fact).

What a beautifully designed interior it had. Love the colours of the battered wood panels above, and the elephant's head.

It's got its own little cafe at the back of the shop.

And another at the front, just serving take-aways. What fantastic signage!

Spotted this clever idea for a children's light, too.

And ogled these colourful blankets. 

This is the exterior, modelled by Anthony, baby Rudy and Reggie the dog, looking a little disconcerted – Anthony is the other half of my creative friend Holly who has featured here before.

And aside from all that shopping, Lewes is just ridiculously pretty. Can't wait to go back.

Post by Kate

Object of the day: "Your Ideal Love Mate is..."

I'm not much for Valentine's day. But I can't resist these fantastic old cards from Pedlars – in fact I bought a set of 10 as a little Christmas present to go in a frame above the bed.

They're part of a vast stash of deadstock the shop acquired (so although they are originals, they're in good supply). But what are they?

These amazing love cards are from 1940s vending machines and originated in Chicago. You'd put in your pennies, and out one would pop, telling the romantic punter what sort of gal he or perhaps she might expect to hook up with soon.

I love the fabulously archaic and un-PC insights. "...she has something on her head other than a hat but never, never lets you know she's too intelligent." Well, quite. Whatever next.

And do you surround yourself with "eye appeal"? I do hope so.

Enlightened they aren't, but they're great though – like soothing vignettes from a Saturday afternoon MGM movie – and a personality and hairdo for every fantasy to boot.

A marvellously non-slushy Valentine's card don't you think?

They cost 70 pence a-piece (yes, really) and you can find them at Pedlars.co.uk 

Introducing: Retropolitan

Hello, it's Abi posting today. In case you don't know it, I want to tell you all about Retropolitan, a very fabulous online vintage store my stylish friend Scarlett pointed out to me the other day. 

And I'm very glad she did – it's a feast of unusual vintage pieces with a slant towards glass and vases (but it's by no means only glass and vases). Like these...

Above left, Riihimaki vase by Tamara Aladin, £50. Right, Czech glass by Pavel Hlava, £48

The shop is well stocked with beauties like these totally cute American pressed glass Scottie dog salt dishes, £13.95, above, that I didn't even know I needed, but now have
to have.

It's also got random treats like this gorgeous French botanical poster, above,£150...

...a cool telephone pad, £40 (I am absolutely certain Joan Holloway from Mad Men has one of these) and a slightly sinister ceramic bunny, £29, both above, and this 1950s plastic wine basket, £28, below.

Again, didn't know I needed this, but now can't imagine my life, or kitchen, without it.

But I think my favourite thing is this 1960s neon Emanuelle sign, £150. It's too fabulous for words and would bring a frisson of naughtiness to whichever room it landed in. If you miss buying this one, you can also get new illuminated signs made to order, spelling out whatever you like in a rather lovely font (and not as pricey as you might imagine). Find out more here. Or you could even make your own illuminated letters instead.

But back to Retropolitan. The website was launched six years ago by Lesley McNamee and she reckons her upbringing with antiques dealer mum and step-mum must have given her a taste for it as she says: “I'd work for them from time to time; I had Saturday stalls at Camden Market and Portobello in the early 90s selling vintage when it was called bric-a-brac!”

After working in the media for years Lesley took the plunge and started the site: “It was a big step for me to give up my nice salaried job, but I felt passionate that more people should be buying affordable, stylish and collectable pieces to add to their home. It's been a journey – and now I sell to Selfridges, Paul Smith and plenty of interior designers, but it gives me the most pleasure when someone falls in love with a piece I've chosen.”

So what are Lesley about her favourite finds? “I particularly love mid 20th century glass and European ceramics," she says. "West German ceramics in particular make great decorative statements and have wonderful glazes and bold shapes and colours – now's the time to buy them while they're still affordable.

"There's a great 1960s piece from Duemler & Breiden in at the moment [see left] that shows off the iconic drip lava glaze in a gorgeous yellow set against navy.”

The site has a lovely eclectic feel to it – I like mixing up styles and so does Lesley who's currently doing up her entire house. “I love Midcentury Modern – but I also love Arts & Crafts, and a little bit of Art Deco," she says. "So the clean modernist lines can get a little blurred at the edges. I'm a believer that it's OK to mix styles and periods as long as you have good taste – I'm calling my new kitchen's look vintage butcher shop chic!” 

Time to get collecting those German ceramics...

Visit the Retropolitan website