How To Save A Pepto-Bismol Pink Bathroom

Joanna Gaines, give me your strength. Christina El Moussa, your reno skills, please. I’ll need all the help I can get, because our new bathroom is pink. Very pink.

When Nate and I bought our house, we hit the jackpot. Most of the rooms were recently renovated, from new windows to central A/C, but one area was woefully neglected: the downstairs bathroom. It’s pink, and not in the trendy, questionable-marketing-ploy known as “millennial pink.” It’s a little closer to Pepto-Bismol, with the color covering the floor and walls, all trimmed in black. Take a look:

This was a huge trend in the ’50s — one we saw in many of the homes in our price range. And with blush and rose gold having a moment (and, okay, our budget not allowing a full-scale reno), we decided to stick with the tile. At least for now. The challenge, though, is making it work. I’m not crazy about the pink-and-black Parisian poodle look, which I’ve seen in some redesigns. I’m not afraid of kitsch, either — the first thing we bought for the house, before we even closed on it, was a flamingo shower curtain for the room! — but I also don’t want to turn the room into Margaritaville. Jimmy Buffett’s got that world on lock; he doesn’t need an imitator.

So, where do we go from here? One idea was copper-y and natural wood accents to warm up the room, along with geometric designs to play into the square tiles. Check out this shower curtain for inspo:

Another thought was to go Hollywood regency, bringing in the drama with black accents and banana leaves. After much debate, I started thinking about really leaning into the look, turning the tiny space into an over-the-top surprise that’ll make us smile whenever we walk in.

So I did some really amateur Photoshopping, just to see how things would look with a jolt of vibrant wallpaper. (I know, wallpaper seems like a poor choice for a bathroom, but considering this shower is almost never used, I think we can get away with it.)

First, a blush-and-white pattern from Walls Need Love:

Second, a mellow take on the Hollywood Hotel banana leaf motif from Chasing Paper:

Third, Wall Flora Shop’s Bismarck Leaves design:

Fourth, going uber-femme with this gray and pink number from Rocky Mountain Decals:

Fifth, trying out the metallic trend with Peonies by Chasing Paper:

Option 6, a brazen King Flamingo print from Walls Need Love:

And lastly, Chasing Paper’s Green Leaf print:

 

Right now, we’re settling somewhere in between, bringing in light wood and khaki colors to warm up the blush color, so it doesn’t veer frosted-lipstick mauve, while finding some accents to tie in the black trim.

Aside from potentially wallpapering the space, I’m planning on hemming curtains for the window (since even with frosted glass, you can still see right through to the neighbors — yikes!), cleaning the grout on the floor (or maybe retiling?!), and swapping out the vanity and overhead light for something a little more modern. Right now, I’m leaning toward the Hollywood Hotel vibe, with a few contemporary accents (round mirror, maybe a neon sign?!).

I like the idea of this space being the crazy, wild contrast to an otherwise tame house. I love flourishes of kitsch and personality; hence the sudden embrace of SO. MUCH. PINK. And flamingo.

What would you do with this space? Tweet me your ideas! I need them.