Modern bath, vintage looks

How to design a retro-style bath from floor to faucets.

Retro finishes
Retro finishes
For walls, there are two main vintage choices: tile and beadboard.

With tile, choose rectangular subway tile or 4-inch square tiles (6-inch and 8-inch square tiles have a more modern look). Handmade tiles or ones with a crackle finish add to the old-fashioned effect.

White-painted beadboard is a tried-and-true favorite, whether it is installed the original way in individual planks or as panels.

The best floor choices are ceramic or stone tile in a mosaic, basketweave, or checkerboard pattern (shown); an all-white or black-and-white palette is classic and keeps options open for other decorating choices. Glossy polished stone is more traditional than matte.

Another bath surface to consider is the countertop; there, white or gray marble best recapture the past.

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Change out that leaky spigot in record time. (more)
From everyday drips and clogs to remodeling the entire bath: How to find the right help for the job. (more)
A look at some bathroom designs that rise above mere tile and porcelain. (more)
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Market indexes are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer LIBOR Warning: Neither BBA Enterprises Limited, nor the BBA LIBOR Contributor Banks, nor Reuters, can be held liable for any irregularity or inaccuracy of BBA LIBOR. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2012 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer The Dow Jones IndexesSM are proprietary to and distributed by Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been licensed for use. All content of the Dow Jones IndexesSM © 2012 is proprietary to Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Chicago Mercantile Association. The market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2012. All rights reserved. Most stock quote data provided by BATS.