Deep Clean to Save Big
Old House Journal|January - February 2022
After we got a $50,000 estimate to gut and renovate the bathroom in our 1946 modernist house, I figured I’d tackle the 8' x 8' room myself.
By Barbara Rhines, Photography by Greg Premru and Barbara Rhines
Deep Clean to Save Big

Like the rest of our Bauhaus-influenced, International Style house, the primary bath was spare with clean, elegant lines. But the tiles and tub were deeply stained and dirty. The wall-hung sink had stains and rust, and the original chrome faucets were dull with age. Or so I thought.

The refreshed medicine cabinet, new sink on legs, and Deco-style tube light sconces make for a subtle transformation.

I went to work on the room myself after receiving a $50,000 estimate to gut renovate the space. After deciding on a black-and-white Art Deco theme, I did a little Googling and found a tip for freshening chrome: rub it with aluminum foil. (The tip called for salt water, but it wasn’t necessary.) I wrapped some foil around my finger, wet it a bit, and rubbed a faucet handle gently. The chrome gleamed like new. I was embarrassed that I’d lived with dull, water-spotted fittings for 15 years. Now I was inspired to save what I had.

Before: The tub was stained and peeling after the failure of an earlier attempt at repair — using paint.

This story is from the January - February 2022 edition of Old House Journal.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January - February 2022 edition of Old House Journal.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM OLD HOUSE JOURNALView All
THE Villa RENEWED
Old House Journal

THE Villa RENEWED

This house in Greene County, New York, has been faithfully restored, from its foundation and structure to exterior elements and trim inside.

time-read
2 mins  |
Renovation Lookbook 2023
walls & ceilings
Old House Journal

walls & ceilings

BY THE 1870s, the tripartite treatment was fashionable: walls divided into dado (or wainscot) below the chair rail, fill or field section, and frieze at the top of the wall.

time-read
2 mins  |
Renovation Lookbook 2023
lighting + hardware
Old House Journal

lighting + hardware

ANTIQUE, REPRODUCTION, or contemporary, lighting fixtures and lamps are among the most cost-effective ways to add drama or period style to a room.

time-read
2 mins  |
Renovation Lookbook 2023
CRAFTSMAN PATINA
Old House Journal

CRAFTSMAN PATINA

A smitten owner brings the Arts & Crafts aesthetic to a 1921 bungalow in Seattle.

time-read
2 mins  |
Renovation Lookbook 2023
furniture & decorative accessories
Old House Journal

furniture & decorative accessories

PERIOD ROOMS are the goal of a very small niche of old-house owners.

time-read
1 min  |
Renovation Lookbook 2023
wall & floor tiles
Old House Journal

wall & floor tiles

TODAY WE FIND TILE from small studios . . . carved relief tiles, subway tile and mosaics, glazes matte and iridescent . . . plus encaustics and California revivals.

time-read
2 mins  |
Renovation Lookbook 2023
A TRANSCENDENT BATHROOM IN OJAI
Old House Journal

A TRANSCENDENT BATHROOM IN OJAI

A seamless addition allowed for this timeless primary bath, which has been re-imagined as an upgrade dating to ca. 1930.

time-read
1 min  |
Renovation Lookbook 2023
CRAFTSMAN DETAILS IN A KITCHEN
Old House Journal

CRAFTSMAN DETAILS IN A KITCHEN

An excellent layout and period motifs distinguish this midsize kitchen in a bungalow-era house.

time-read
2 mins  |
Renovation Lookbook 2023
home design - HOUSES HAVE A PAST - AND A FUTURE, TOO
Old House Journal

home design - HOUSES HAVE A PAST - AND A FUTURE, TOO

THE BEST RENOVATIONS TOE THE LINE BETWEEN NECESSARY UPDATES AND ENOUGH SENSITIVITY TO ASSURE DESIGN INTEGRITY.

time-read
2 mins  |
Renovation Lookbook 2023
a farmhouse RESCUE
Old House Journal

a farmhouse RESCUE

Using a cache of salvaged finds, the homeowner, architect, and contractor together rescued a tumbledown farmhouse in Vermont.

time-read
2 mins  |
Renovation Lookbook 2023