An Aussie bathroom has the internet divided, sparking debate about what is considered trendy and nostalgic and what design choices have been left in the past for a reason.
After the bathroom was posted to Reddit this week with the caption ‘Love or hate?’, over 880 comments have been submitted, ranging from adulation to outrage.
Among the top comments were those who loved the bathroom’s boldness.
One commenter called the design part of “a peak era for colour and texture. Love” [sic].
“So much character,” another said. “Way better than glass and rectangles”.
One commenter claimed Australian homes had lost their boldness and creativity, stating “I think colour died here about 15 years ago.”
On the flip side, others found the bathroom to be far too much.
“This bathroom would be a complete deal breaker for me, even if the rest of the house was absolutely lovely,” one commenter said.
Would you buy a home with this bathroom? Picture: Reddit.
Interior designer and The Block judge Darren Palmer weighed in on the debate, saying there was “a lot to love” about the bathroom.
“The original colour scheme, the elegant tiles on the floor and the colour featured basin and bathtub, it’s in beautiful original condition,” he said.
Mr Palmer said while trends come and go out of style, something that was once considered beautiful, even though it may not be current, has “inherent beauty”.
“Generally, the way trends come back around and into style is when contemporary designers see inherent beauty in past trends, eras and decades and reinterpret that beauty through a contemporary lens,” he said.
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The Block judge Darren Palmer said the bathroom was “a beauty”. Picture: Instagram.
While Mr Palmer said the bathroom was “a beauty as it is,” he made a few recommendations to elevate the space.
“To make it more attractive to a contemporary viewer, some layering of contemporary function with a large mirror or a restoration or elevation of the tapware would be perhaps more understandable and palatable to those that don’t love it as it is,” he said.
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A pink bathroom from The Block 2020 scored highly.
Pink bathrooms were inspired by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower during the mid-20th century.
The pink bathroom became a trend in Australia post-WWII, when First Lady Mamie Eisenhower’s love of a specific bubblegum-like shade, often called “First Lady” or “Mamie” pink, kicked off a trend for pink clothing, kitchens and bathrooms, according to TIME.
The trend has not faded into total obscurity since; during the 2020 season of The Block, contestants Jimmy and Tam’s pink-laden master ensuite scored 29/30, including a 9.5 score from judge Darren.
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In 2017, the sellers of this Lane Cove home offered the next buyer $25,000 not to renovate their treasured 1960s-era bathroom.
A similar pink and blue bathroom made the news back in 2017, when the seller offered buyers $25,000 to keep the bathroom in its original condition for a term of five years.
Based on photos from the home’s listing in 2021, the new owners kept their promise.
It is unknown whether the Lane Cove bathroom remains in its original state.
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