BATHING BEAUTIES BATHROOM REDOS ARE SHOWERING US WITH THE RETRO LOOK.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Staff Writer

Bathrooms are steaming up with '40s nostalgia.

White porcelain toothbrush holders, footed tubs, pedestal sinks and other classic fixtures are popular buys - especially in Southern California, says Bill Schankel, spokesman for the New Jersey-based National Kitchen & Bath Association that represents 8,500 manufacturers, dealers, designers and retailers.

``It's puzzling,'' says Schankel, ``as we've seen some decorating trends launched on HGTV, but in the case of old-fashioned bathrooms, we haven't seen anything that specifically accounts for the trend. Nor do we know why the West Coast is more interested in it than other parts of the country. Nevertheless, they are, because we have the regional sales figures.''

According to NKBA surveys, Americans typically replace their bathroom faucets, towel bars and decorating accessories every five years, adding new flooring, tile and counters every 10 years and finally replacing everything from the toilet to the tub every 20 years, spending an average of $11,000 for the total makeover.

The trend toward nostalgic design in the Los Angeles area could be related to the age of most houses, suggests Dave Glassman, spokesman for Restoration Hardware.

``Since many of the local homes were built during the '40s and post- World War II, they're ready for repair, and I think the baby boomer owners are keenly interested in keeping the integrity of the original home so they're looking for the details they might have remembered, such as glass rod towel bars, glass shelves and porcelain fixtures. However, that '30s or '40s feeling is also very traditional and functional, so it's appealing to an even broader range of people,'' says Glassman.

Footed tubs, a bathing staple of Victorian America, enjoyed a brief bout of popularity in the '60s. But retrofitting them with modern plumbing and new porcelain was expensive, so they often ended up as planters or oversize ice buckets.

This year, you can find them at most home improvement stores ready to hook up to existing plumbing with minimal effort. The designs are myriad, from the classic Victorian claw-and-ball feet with nickel, brass or chrome-finished feet at stores such as Restoration Hardware or more elaborate art deco designer details from American Standard, whose products are sold at Home Depot and specialty bath and plumbing stores.

The tubs are priced at $2,000 and up with endless accessories from telephone-style hand-held showers to shower converters that include the English hotel-style shower curtain around the tub with a goose-neck porcelain shower head.

Another free-standing tub making a comeback is the Shaker-inspired tub enclosed in a rectangular wooden box. According to NKBA spokesman Schankel, it may look impractical but the wood has been treated to be water- and mildew-resistant. Some designs, like those by American Standard, are big enough for two, which adds to its spalike quality.

In addition to home improvement stores, shoppers can now see high-end designs at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. The PDC is opening its doors to the public today and every Saturday during October, which is national Kitchen and Bath Month. In addition to complete bathroom displays, there will be a variety of demonstrations on the latest glass and tile products and a peek at Ultrabath and the Ultra Thermo-masseur, a new concept in Jacuzzis and whirlpool baths.

Spalike tubs continue to be popular, but there's a lot of buzz about shower heads this year.

``Multiple shower heads and massage options make the shower more than a place to simply freshen up each morning,'' says Gary Uhl, design director for American Standard. ``More and more, the shower is becoming a retreat where busy Americans can relax and rejuvenate.''

In addition to shower heads placed at different heights on facing walls, consumers are looking for shower heads that spin, twist and spiral, and mainstream companies such as Moen are offering them for as little as $60 at Target stores. According to Moen spokesman Tim McDonough, its new Revolution shower head takes ordinary water, spins it to create larger drops of water that make the shower feel warmer and give the sensation of a more expensive massaging shower.

Pedestal sinks, which were reintroduced in the late '80s, are increasingly popular in Southern California, where space is an issue. However, with pedestal sinks, you'll need glass or porcelain shelves and wooden cabinets - all of which add to that homey '40s feeling. At stores such as Pottery Barn, you can find free-standing floor cabinet styles that date back to the 19th century, with matching arched medicine cabinets to be filled with medicinal-looking glass jars to hold cotton balls and cosmetics.

Even mirrors are reflecting our nostalgia craze, and the newest designs are noticeably smaller, rounder and unframed. By removing the traditional sheet mirror over the vanity and replacing it with an oval Victorian-style mirror, says Home Depot designer Karen Thompson, you can easily and inexpensively update your bathroom.

Silvery finishes - chrome or nickel - look new again in the faucet department, where antique crossbar knobs have been modernized with ceramic valves instead of washers.

Even toilet shapes have changed, so be sure you get the right size toilet seat when shopping. Instead of the standard round toilet bowl, more and more manufacturers are creating elongated oval bowls.

``The shape has changed to accommodate the new, more efficiently designed plumbing systems that use less water per flush than round bowls,'' says Schankel.

Whatever style sink, toilet or tub you choose, the fashion-forward color is white, followed by beige and brown. Those neutral tones are echoed in shower curtains, rugs and towels, as well as wall paint.

But there's always room for a splash of color such as garnet, sea foam green or sunny yellow in towels, rugs and shower curtains to brighten up all that white tile and woodwork. Heck, there's even talk of wallpaper coming back, but think about small neutral-toned traditional prints instead of those foil-backed butterfly prints of the '60s and '70s.

BATHROOM BASICS

Here are the top design trends:

--Pedestal sinks

--White cabinetry

--Free-standing tubs

--Elongated toilet bowls

--Multiple shower heads

--Chrome and porcelain fixtures

--Shower curtains instead of doors

CAPTION(S):

12 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- 3 -- cover -- color) ON THE COVER

Steaming up the bathroom are retro-inspired faucets by American Standard, claw-and-ball foot tubs and pedestal sinks by Restoration Hardware.

(4 -- 5 -- color) Old-fashioned footed bathtubs, above, such as this Porcher design, and forged aluminum basins by Rohl, at left, are looking new again.

(6 -- color) A Shaker-influenced free-standing tub, left, by American Standard has water-resistant wood sides.

(7 -- 8 -- color) White wood cabinets, left, available at Pottery Barn, hold all the stuff that used to go under the sink. Nostalgic chrome faucets by Porcher, above add elegance.

(9 -- 10 -- cover -- color) Jacuzzi's new Gallery Corner collection includes a whirlpool bath, pedestal sink and matching toilet, above. To accent your '40s bathroom, you'll need porcelain shelves and glass canisters, below, available at Restoration Hardware.

(11 -- color) This Philippe Starck design, right, and others will be on display this month at the Pacific Design Center during National Kitchen and Bath Month.

(12) Restoration Hardware's new porcelain collection includes this toothbrush holder as well as porcelain-inset faucets.

Box: BATHROOM BASICS (see text)