Chrome fixtures for your retro bathroom - available today from Franklin Brass
Mid Mod Pam on Dec 11 2007 at 11:48 am | Filed under: bathroom
Adding the sparkle of chrome to your vintage bathroom can be inexpensive and easy- and it really adds to a 50s style bathroom’s overall charm. There is just something about chrome that livens up the space… that plays off and perks up the pastel colors you usually see in retro bathrooms.
Be sure to use chrome hardware to connect your toilet seat, for the little flush handle and of course, for your faucets. A light over the mirror, or two sconces, with chrome bases also are pretty much a 
“must”.
As for other fixtures - like the recessed soap dish, toothbrush holder and toilet paper holders as featured in the 1953 advertising above, it can be hard to find vintage pieces in pristine shape. The chrome just got too yucky.
Luckily, you can still get these items, with very little change over the past 50+ years, from Franklin Brass.
In fact - I am very very excited about their “bright stainless” Century line. This line should resist rust much better than chrome. It has more heft - important in the non-recessed pieces. And….drum roll, please….it offers the first towel bar that I find truly acceptable for retro renovation bathrooms — now superseding my previous “acceptable if we must” reco! Here is my overall recommendation for what to use:
From the Century collection, in bright stainless steel:
- Towel bar
- Towel ring, if necessary
- Towel shelf
- Towel pin
- Soap disk for sink
- Toothbrush holder for sink
- Recessed soap disk for tub with or without washcloth bar
- Recessed toilet paper holder (not shown here, but is available)
- Robe hook (looks like a nice one, does not protrude too much)
Now…there may be those who say that you cannot mix chrome
and stainless… that the finish-values will clash. That may indeed be so, and you might be able to talk me out of the mix. But I love the functionality and heft of these stainless steel fixtures and I would guess the “bright” has been added with the co-existence with chrome in mind.
In fact, in my kitchen, the two finishes co-exist all over the place, quite peacefully. If you really want all chrome, there are plenty of other pieces in the Franklin Brass line to complete a nice set, including a TP holder with a “concealed” cover as in
the ad, above.
I continue to research mirrors, stay tuned.
4 Responses to “Chrome fixtures for your retro bathroom - available today from Franklin Brass”
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Judi's Lexington ranch
Amy's San Diego bungalow
These look great. I haven’t been able to part with the original chrome fixtures (which have a clear plastic piece that fits in the soapdish) in my bathrooms, even though they are looking a little shabby, because I don’t think I could ever find a replacement that matched their odd combination of roundness and straight lines.
I have found incredible things like 50s tubs, sinks, medicine cabinets, bathroom fixtures, and tons of other stuff at my local Restore. This is a warehouse/store run by Habitat for Humanity; they take all sorts of house stuff, including things like 2 x 4s and siding, that they are given (lots of vintage stuff) or new things that are leftover from their building projects. The prices are really low. Here is the national website; they give a listing of all the Restores in the U.S. and Canada. http://www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx
I couldn’t agree with you more, about ReStore! I just went to the one 45 minutes away from my house on Saturday — and stayed 2 hours. They have INCREDIBLE stuff… it’s for a great cause… and at great prices.
It’s a great place, too, for Useless but Wonderful stuff, which I got a bit of.
Hey Femme1: Send your entry today!!!!
[...] Thank you thank you, Stephan! Original color - vast selection - great price. And, they produce the 1950s style wall-mounted & recessed china toilet paper, soap, and toothbrush holders (see toilet holder in top photo) also from original molds. Or you can use shiny stainless from Franklin Brass. [...]
[...] And, be sure to see my posts about great shiny stainless soap dishes and other fixtures. [...]