Retro Flair

The Blue Space stocks a comprehensive range of bathroom, kitchen and laundry products, including tapware, showers, toilets, basins, baths, vanities and accessories. Our range spans trusted Australian and international brands such as Caroma, Bao Bath, Ingrain, Timberline, Phoenix Tapware, Nero Tapware and Meir, giving you options across every style and budget.

Yes. All products sold through The Blue Space meet the relevant Australian Standards and WaterMark certification requirements where applicable, so you can install with confidence knowing your fixtures are compliant for use in Australian homes.

Yes. Whether you're renovating an existing bathroom, kitchen or laundry, or fitting out a new build, our range is designed to suit both projects. We stock everything from budget-friendly essentials to premium designer pieces, including full suites from brands like Caroma and statement pieces from Bao Bath and Phoenix.

Yes. All products come with manufacturer warranties, which vary by brand and product type. Warranty periods and terms are listed on individual product pages, and our team can help clarify coverage for any item before you purchase.

We offer samples across tiles, cabinet finishes, benchtops and tapware finishes from a range of Australia’s leading renovation brands.

Retro bathroom design borrows from mid-20th-century Australian homes, think pastel colour, curved edges and rounded fixtures rather than the sharp angles of more contemporary looks. Coloured sanitaryware (soft pink, mint, pale blue or butter yellow), curved vanity fronts, and tapware with a rounded, cross-handle or bullnose profile are the clearest markers. It's a lighter, more playful style than heritage or classic looks, which lean darker and more formal.

The three styles overlap in era but read quite differently in a finished bathroom. Mid-century modern favours clean geometric lines, warm timber tones and a more restrained, architectural palette. Art deco leans into black-and-white contrast, symmetry and metallic detailing. Retro, by comparison, is softer and more colour-led, with rounded rather than angular forms and pastel rather than monochrome tones. If the goal is bold colour and curves, retro is the closer fit of the three.

Coloured basins, baths and toilets are a much smaller category than standard white sanitaryware in the current Australian market, so range and stock availability is more limited and lead times can be longer for a specific shade. Where a full coloured suite isn't practical, many retro renovations achieve the same effect with coloured wall tile, a coloured vanity cabinet, or coloured tapware and hardware, while keeping the sanitaryware itself white.

Cross-handle and lever-handle tapware with a rounded, slightly bulbous body reads more retro than the slim, squared-off profiles common in contemporary ranges. Chrome is the most authentic period finish, though warm finishes like brushed brass or gold are increasingly used to soften the look. Wall-mounted basin sets and exposed shower mixers also suit the era better than fully concealed, minimalist tapware.

Small-format tiles do most of the work here: penny round mosaics, scalloped or fish-scale tiles, and square tiles in pastel or two-tone colour combinations are all common. Curved tile trims and bullnose edges reinforce the soft, rounded feel of the style. Black-and-white checkerboard flooring also appears in retro schemes, though it's used more sparingly than in art deco design to avoid the two styles blurring together.

Not structurally, the plumbing and waterproofing requirements are the same as any other bathroom and follow the same Australian standards regardless of style. The main practical difference is sourcing: coloured or curved fixtures and period-look tapware are a smaller slice of the market than standard white, square-edged product, so it pays to confirm stock and lead times for any statement piece before finalising a tiling schedule or cabinetry order.