That’s awesome you stuck to your guns with the recycled tile—contractors can be so set in their ways. I totally get the “vintage charm” vs. “eco-friendly” struggle. I’ve had folks roll their eyes when I wanted to salvage old fixtures, but honestly, those little choices add up. The peace of mind is real, and you’re right, a few extra bucks now is worth it for something you love (and that saves water). Leftovers taste better when you know your bathroom’s got some soul.
I hear you on the eye rolls—my plumber practically staged a walkout when I insisted on keeping the 1920s sink. Ended up spending about $10k, mostly because I refused to let go of the clawfoot tub. Worth every penny for that old-house vibe, though.
$10k for keeping the original fixtures? That’s commitment. I get it though—those old tubs and sinks have a vibe you just can’t fake with new stuff. My last bathroom flip ran me about $7k, but I gutted everything and went with modern fixtures from scratch. Honestly, it probably would’ve been cheaper if I didn’t have to deal with weird plumbing behind the walls.
Curious—did you run into any issues getting the old tub refinished or plumbed in? I’ve had contractors flat-out refuse to touch antique stuff, or they’ll tack on a “pain in the butt” fee. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth the hassle, but you can’t argue with the final look.
Keeping the old tub is always a gamble. I once worked on a 1920s clawfoot and the refinisher needed three tries to get the enamel right—plus, the drain didn’t line up with modern plumbing at all. Ended up fabricating an adapter just to make it work. Honestly, it’s a lot more labor than swapping in new stuff, but if the look matters, sometimes you just have to eat the extra hours. Those “pain in the butt” fees are real though... I’ve had to charge them myself when a fixture fought back!
Yeah, those old tubs are a whole different beast. I had a client with a 1930s cast iron that she was dead set on keeping—thing weighed a ton and the enamel was chipped to hell. We tried reglazing it, but the finish just wouldn’t stick right the first time. Ended up having to haul it out to the garage for a pro job, which added days and a few hundred bucks nobody planned for. And you’re totally right about the plumbing... nothing lines up, and you can’t just run to Home Depot for parts. I’ve spent more time under old tubs cursing at rusty fittings than I care to admit.
Honestly, sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it, but when you see the finished room with that original tub as the centerpiece, it does feel pretty cool. Still, those “historic charm” projects always seem to come with surprise costs—labor, materials, even just tracking down weird adapters. It’s never as simple as swapping in new stuff, but hey, some folks really want that vintage vibe.
