Millennials are ditching ‘boring grey’ for this joyful mid-century color |
Everything old is pink again, to paraphrase a famous adage. This applies even in bathrooms. Neutral colors have ruled the interior design of powder rooms for quite some time. But some Millennials (and Gen X-ers too) are ready to swap the greys and tans for vintage pops of mid-century pinks, yellows, and bright greens.
While of course Millennials had their own brand of pink (which has been popular since around 2016,) they did often flock to neutral colors, perhaps for a sense of serenity. But as is the case for all generations, it can be fun to dabble back into the vintage pool.
Where did these bright colors come from?
In the piece “The Retro ‘50s Pink Bathroom is Back and Designers are Giving it a Deluxe New Twist,” Contributing Lifestyle Reporter Wendy Rose Gould shares the history of the design. “Pink bathrooms are an icon of mid-century Americana, rising in popularity from the 1940s through the 1960s. Pam Kueber, founder of the original ‘Save the Pink Bathrooms’ website (now called Retro Renovation), writes that pink was the single-most popular color for bathrooms in the 1950s. And that an estimated 5 million pink bathrooms went into the 20 million homes built in the United States from 1946 to 1966.”
The “Save the Pink Bathrooms” movement Gould is referring to was the brainchild of Kueber, who felt that builders and designers were getting rid of historical mid-century design too quickly. On her site, Kueber claims that, like other fans of the style, they were concerned that “original vintage pink bathrooms were being ripped out of post-war American homes way too hastily.”
This of course didn’t just apply to bathrooms. The site, as previously mentioned, became Retro Renovation. It gives all kinds of tips on how to bring kitchens, bedrooms, and dining rooms restored to a long, lost era.
Adding a modern twist
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But back to those bathrooms, the vintage color pops are coming back swiftly. In a piece for Better Homes and Gardens, E-design Consultant Maria Sabella shares that as is the case with most resurgences of old designs, there can be a modern twist. “When you think of retro bathrooms, chances are you picture floral print wallpapers and salmon pink tiles. While these iconic features are making an updated comeback (spoiler alert!), experts say nostalgic decor classics are returning in a more stylish form.”
She quotes design expert Daniel Siegel, who gives excellent tips on how to pair the old with the new. “When paired with clean lines, thoughtful lighting, and modern details, these retro touches feel timeless rather than trendy.”
Retro wallpaper patterns
While not everyone can re-tile a bathroom, especially renters or those who don’t have tons of remodeling money laying around, there are super easy ways to grab the vibe.
Wallpaper is one simple way to jump on the retro train. The article shares designer Thecla Glueck’s thoughts on the trend. “Layered thoughtfully, retro and vintage-inspired patterns bring intimacy and warmth, transforming the bathroom into a cocooning retreat rather than a purely functional environment.” She even adds specific patterns, noting, “Checkerboard in classic black and white marble or jewel-tone checks, small geometric shapes such as penny rounds or hexagon, pastel mosaics, floral, or softly faceted subway, are returning with a more restrained, contemporary lens.”
@cabmod.com Pink and blue were iconic in the 50’s ✨ #bathroomtrends #vintagebathroom #throughthedecades #1950s #timecapsule ♬ original sound – liminal space songs
Pink and blue were iconic in the 50’s ✨ #bathroomtrends #vintagebathroom #throughthedecades #1950s #timecapsule ♬ original sound – liminal space songs
Easy ways to bring in the look
Skirted sinks are also an easy way to bring back the mid-century flair. In another quote, Glueck explains how useful these can be. “They discreetly conceal storage and reinforce the idea of the bathroom as a thoughtfully designed room, not just a utilitarian space.”
Oval mirrors are mentioned as well, as something that can be mixed and matched into a room without commitment. The same goes for accessories like tissue boxes and perfume caddies. Pinks, buttery yellows, greens, and blues can all be mixed and matched to create a more vibrant feel without spending too much money.
A single door can open up a world of endless possibilities. For homeowners, the front door of their house is a gateway to financial stability, job security, and better health. Yet for many, that door remains closed. Due to the rising costs of housing, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of safe, affordable housing.
Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has made it their mission to unlock and open the door to opportunity for families everywhere, and their efforts have paid off in a big way. Through their work over the past 50 years, more than 65 million people have gained access to new or improved housing, and the movement continues to gain momentum. Since 2011 alone, Habitat for Humanity has expanded access to affordable housing by a hundredfold.
A world where everyone has access to a decent home is becoming a reality, but there’s still much to do. As they celebrate 50 years of building, Habitat for Humanity is inviting people of all backgrounds and talents to be part of what comes next through Let’s Open the Door, a global campaign that builds on this momentum and encourages people everywhere to help expand access to safe, affordable housing for those who need it most. Here’s how the foundation to a better world starts with housing, and how everyone can pitch in to make it happen.
Globally, almost 3 billion people, including 1 in 6 U.S. families, struggle with high costs and other challenges related to housing. A crisis in itself, this also creates larger problems that affect families and communities in unexpected ways. People who lack affordable, stable housing are also more likely to experience financial hardship in other areas of their lives, since a larger share of their income often goes toward rent, utilities, and frequent moves. They are also more likely to experience health problems due to chronic stress or environmental factors, such as mold. Housing insecurity also goes hand-in-hand with unstable employment, since people may need to move further from their jobs or switch jobs altogether to offset the cost of housing.
Affordable homeownership creates a stable foundation for families to thrive, reducing stress and increasing the likelihood for good health and stable employment. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs homes with individual families, but it also strengthens entire communities as well. The MicroBuild® Initiative, for example, strengthens communities by increasing access to loans for low-income families seeking to build or repair their homes. Habitat ReStore locations provide affordable appliances and building materials to local communities, in addition to creating job and volunteer opportunities that support neighborhood growth.
Everyone can play a part in the fight for housing equity and the pursuit of a better world. Over the past 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has become a leader in global housing thanks to an engaged network of volunteers—but you don’t need to be skilled with a hammer to make a meaningful impact. Building an equitable future means calling on a wide range of people and talents.Here’s how you can get involved in the global housing movement:
Speaking up on social media about the growing housing crisis
Volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build in your local community
Travel and build with Habitat in the U.S. or in one of 60 countries where we work around the globe
Join the Let’s Open the Door movement and, when you donate, you can create your own personalized door
Shop or donate at your local Habitat ReStore
Every action, big and small, drives a global movement toward a better future. A safe home unlocks opportunity for families and communities alike, but it’s volunteers and other supporters, working together with a shared vision, who can open the door for everyone.
Visit habitat.org/open-door to learn more and get involved today.
Many communities are trying to provide quality attention and care to their elderly residents. For example, seniors in Westlake, Ohio, can sign up for a program that provides frequent welfare checks. But when the police were sent on a welfare check for a 91-year-old woman after multiple unanswered phone calls, they couldn’t have expected a better, funnier result.
The woman was safe and sound in her bedroom, playing video games.
“Everyone was a little bit alarmed that she was missing these contacts,” Westlake Police captain Jerry Vogel told News 5 Cleveland. “It turned out to be okay. Everyone got a good laugh out of it.”
The elderly gamer was a part of Westlake’s “Are You Okay?” program for senior citizens and other qualified residents. Upon signing up, elderly residents receive a daily phone call to answer, ensuring that they are safe and okay. If the call goes unanswered, the police do a welfare check. After multiple missed calls, including a follow-up from police dispatch and one from the woman’s daughter, the police entered the woman’s home to find her trying to beat her record in a “bubble pop” video game.
The police and the woman both laughed in relief, and the woman thanked the police for checking in through the “Are You Okay?” service. To protect her privacy, the police shut off their body cams and aren’t releasing the 91-year-old gamer’s identity.
Seniors are a growing demographic in video gaming
While this welfare check ended in a funny result, the police shouldn’t have been too shocked to see a person over 90 playing a video game. In fact, seniors are a growing demographic in video gaming. An Entertainment Software Association report found that 28% of gamers in the United States are over the age of 50.
The reasons why more elderly people play video games are numerous. Some play video games involving hunting, fishing, bowling, etc., since they can continue their favorite pastimes regardless of their mobility or accessibility. Other older gamers play to connect with their grandkids or just younger people in general.
There are also studies showing and encouraging seniors to play video games for health benefits, including improving their social lives through in-person or online gaming. Some games are mentally challenging, helping seniors’ cognitive health as well.
@short_documentaries The gamer grandma🎧 #gaming #foryou #foryoupage ♬ original sound – Documentaries
The gamer grandma🎧 #gaming #foryou #foryoupage
So the next time you log in to play Call of Duty, Minecraft, Fortnite, or another game online, there’s a chance that one of the people you’re playing with could be a senior. Who knows? It could be a 91-year-old woman in Westlake.
These days, there’s a lot of love for the 1990s, especially among younger generations, who fantasize about the last decade before smartphones and social media upended society. In fact, a 2023 study found that 60% of American Gen Z adults “wished they could return to a time before everyone was ‘plugged in.’”
Kaity Broadbent, a microschool teacher and head of learning at Prenda, had a really fun lesson with her students by showing them the parallels in slang among Gen Zers, Gen Xers, and Millennials who were young during the golden era of the 1990s.
The interesting thing about her lecture is that it showed........