Make Your Retro 1940s Bathroom Pop with Color Using Vintage Chenille!

Loving chenille as much as I do, once I ‘clothed’ my upstairs bath in chenille, I simply couldn’t allow the downstairs bathroom to be naked, a/k/a chenille-less.  The 1940’s yellow wallpaper, just gorgeous with water lilies and elephant ear leaves, called out (to my ears – screamed out) for vintage chenille add-ons.

Chenille in the Shower…and Everywhere Else, Too

The shower curtain is a fabulous Cabin Craft spread, complete with fringe.  The warm yellow went well with the wallpaper – and it sure beat the drab sheer shower curtain that it replaced – one that always wrinkled no matter how much I ironed it.  The chenille bedspread is fantastic – durable, no need to iron and it adds such warmth and charm!

Since I had need for lots of smaller curtains, I decided they all had to match – and the yellow pops Morgan Jones bedspread cutter was the answer!

Vintage Chenille, the Solution to Every Home Decor Problem

The little octagonal window was always a problem.  Quite honestly, the reason it needed a “coverup” is because when I wallpapered, I took the octagonal trim off.  Dumb idea.

When I was done wallpapering, no matter how I tried, I just couldn’t get the little wood trim to match up like it used to.  I have great appreciation for skilled carpenters who can cut these odd angles and make them fit all together.  So I did what any other woman would do – cover it up!

A little tension rod did the trick and with leftover yellow pops, I put up little café curtains.  It adds just the right touch – makes it nice and cozy in the corner.  The sunlight makes the curtains glisten with its little specks of gold thread and the chenille curtains hug the little cactus plants in a warm embrace.

Because Everything Needs to Have the “Chenille Touch”

There is a little make-up area that needed the chenille touch, too.  I couldn’t put the wood cabinets all the way to the wall because there was baseboard.  So I had a little 1940’s vanity area made.

That’s an original Art Deco dresser mirror on the counter, flanked by two vintage 1940’s lamps in wonderful Jadeite green.  Another tension rod came in handy, between the end of the cupboard and the wall.  The little yellow chenille curtains hide a ton of odds and ends you need in the bathroom – but don’t want to look at!

Ah….my hamper/makeup stool.  A metal storage hamper, graced with one white rose.  I sprayed it a canary yellow to match the wallpaper and gave it a new topping with green and white chenille.  Bathrooms never seem to have enough space, even when they are larger, so having a hamper that also works as a vanity stool saves space – and I feel like a chenille queen when I sit on it in my 1940’s corner of the world!

The Boring Bathroom Window, Transformed in Vintage Chenille

Last but not least, the bathroom window….I had the everyday, ho-hum department store cotton ruffle tie back curtains, but they just didn’t seem to have the weight to highlight the wallpaper and the window itself.  The old Morgan Jones cutter spread was used right down to the last pop – and I used its fringe as tie backs.

The metal tie back holders are vintage – of course – a nice floral touch and oh-so-old fashioned looking.  And of course, vintage doilies top every shelf and table in my home, and the bathroom is no exception. Truth be told, they hide the dust quite nicely!

And the throw rugs…a Jadeite colored rug for the toilet area, adorned with soft pastel flowers.  A deep rich green chenille rug sits in front of the bathtub, adorned with a handsome swan.

Now my two bathrooms are decked out in chenille – two totally different color schemes and layouts – but both beautiful, cozy chenille corners of my home that let me take a step back in time…

And if you need some special fabric for your own project, browse our current listings of whole vintage chenille bedspreads (for those larger projects) as well as our smaller chenille fabric pieces. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, contact us…we have an extensive collection of vintage chenille, most of which is not listed, so we just may have something that suits you!

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