With the recent introduction of my easy-breezy category thumbnails, I am on a Resource binge. That is, I am all investigative reporter this week fixated on uncovering more restoration products that might provide just the perfect solutions for eager retro renovators. I want those category pages to ROCK. Today: A reminder that if you are looking for tile-in towel bars, soap dishes, toilet paper holders, and the like for your 1920s, 1930s, 1940s or even early 1950s bathroom, remember to check out the Chandler collection from Rejuvenation. This is “streamline” design, and it’s available in three colors: Black, white, and even jadeite green (swoon.) .
Hey, Bo Sullivan from Rejuvenation explained “streamline” vs. “deco” to me. Long story short: Streamline looks like it’s moving; like a big old steam engine plowing toward you. Deco is all decoratif…yes, decorative, with flourishes including geometrical designs.
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Back to the Chandler designs: I also like this collection because you can be all bathroom matchy-matchy with your sconces or above-mirror lighting. 
Rejuvenation also offers some chrome bathroom hardware as well, but nothing I’d call notably mid-mod.
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Link: Rejuvenation’s Chandler streamline porcelain bathroom fixtures.
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P.S. Rejuvenation gets double extra brownie points for using pink tile in their marketing. Save the Pink Bathrooms!
Greenswoon, indeed.
Please don’t forget about the 60s!
Oh, I won’t.
I stumbled across this collection after checking out Rejuvenation from another one of your posts. Although I grew up with a beautiful mid-mod black & white tiled bathroom, I think my 1940 bathroom cries out for some green porcelain. I can’t afford to undo the 1980’s white renovation blandness and get my clawfoot tub right now, but maybe a soap dish and cup holder will be enough to keep me happy for a while (and maybe a matching Selma light fixture).
I have the towel bar from this collection. I thought it was going to be an adhesive mount type, but it came with drill-in hardware that you then slide the ends over. Once we got it installed – in the tile in one end of the bathtub – I realized that since I’m not looking down on it, you can see the opening in the bottom of the ends that permitted it to be slid into place, which is not apparent in any of the catalog pictures. I was a bit irritated, but since the holes are drilled, there’s no going back. I console myself with the thought that the tub’s tile surround was pretty badly DIYed by the previous owners and we’ll eventually replace it.
Oooh!!! I’m in heaven! I almost wish my 1940′s black and white bathroom wasn’t original now! Maybe I’ll re-do the other bathroom the same, but in JADEITE!!!
I just wish I could find Jadeite hex or spiral tiles.
As for the drill-in hardware, hmm, that is an interesting point. Old bathroom tile was installed on a very thick (over 1″) layer of “mud” (concrete), whereas tile today is put on with Thinset. That old mud could hold anything into place! Unless it gets very saturated by a leaking Art Deco faucet and then crumbles apart and the tiles fall off! (not fun!)
BTW: If you want to create a truly vintage looking (1940′s) bathroom just be sure NOT to use those plastic tile spacers – the old tile was almost butt up against each other with almost no space for grout (you’d still grout it, but you won’t really see it). If you use those spiral tiles that already come on a sheet you might want to use a dark gray or black grout. My original floor doesn’t have spaces as wide as the modern tiles, but the thin spaces between are dark, not white (and it does not wash away, so I think it may just be the original mud darkened over time).
SALE!!!!!! They are having a sale on all the bath-ware- how timely!
I have quite a few vintage bath tiles that I would like to find a home for in various colors. The man from whom I bought my house was a tile mason in the 40s-60s. Do you know of anyone who would like to purchase them, or do you purchase? I have various colors and some soap dishes, towel bar parts, etc.
Susan — You can post these on our Forum: http://retrorenovation.com/forum … No buying/selling on the main blog, please, or it will be out of control.
Sure. Will do. Sorry, and thanks for the direction.
Do you have rectangular towel bar ends with a square slot for the towel rack? The size I want is about 5 and 1/2 inch by 3 and 3/4 inch, that is, larger than the same design you can get now in Home Depot. I think they were from American Standard.
brant, we don’t sell anything here. you need to search the stories…
I’ve been eyeing these items as I am preparing for my bathroom reno. Altho I love the idea presently, I am chickening out. I’m worried that I’ll tire of the porcelain look. LOL: Is there a support group for mid-century renovators to support us in taking these “gutsy” (non-contemporary) renovation stances? (PS: Rejuvenation has a bathroom sale on currently as well!)
Does the white porcelain yellow over time? I might muster the courage to do white porcelain…
Muster the courage! I just did, the white subway tiles with black edging looks wonderful. I put a hexagon tile floor with black small tiles in between, got it at HomeDepot, not expensive and gives my new bathroom character. Looking at this website, I mustered the courage and painted my walls soft pink and loooove it, even though I never loved pink before. Will be purchasing black porcelain towel bars and soap dishes etc. If I get bored, I’ll paint the pink walls blue, yellow or white…
Do it! It will look unique and special.
Lucia of Azusa
YAY, Lucia!!! It sounds beautiful! And remember: Pink = “Retro Botox”
Oh and I used light gray grout.
Does anyone know where to get those metal pieces that you screwed into the wall and then slide the porcelain fixture over? I have 4 old fixtures and only 3 metal pieces.