On my second visit to World of Tile — the epicenter of New Old Stock tile and accessories for your vintage bathroom — I spent more time admiring these sort of strange but very interesting 1970s (I think) bathroom sconces and fixtures including soap dishes, toilet paper holders and shelves. They are black porcelain ceramic… they have very organic, rounded shapes… I am pretty sure they are Italian, because so much of what’s in-stock at World of Tile came from Italy… the prices are totally fair… and I think they would look amazing in a 1970s or 1980s retro bathroom renovation.
Above: I don’t think this sconce gets a shade. Use a frosted bulb.
Here’s the whole set…
Dig the toilet paper holder.
Here is another bathroom sconce — chrome fittings with pieces of glass acting bolted on. There were glass shelves and towel holders to match these sconces. So sorry that I do not have more photos — second visit, head stillll spinning. Guess I need a third visit…
There was a series of this whole style, as well. Kind of… smoked glass. These could very well be from the 1980s.
I am betting the glass bathroom sconces came from the same manufacturer as the chandeliers in the next room. See this story for more photos of the Italian chandeliers.
Where to buy: World of Tile, Springfield, New Jersey
75 sets of MIB NOS ceramic towel bars, soap dishes & toilet paper holders, in 7 vintage colors 
Colored ceramic soap dishes and shelves for the tub and shower area — NOS from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s 
12 recessed porcelain ceramic soap dishes, TP holders, towel bars 
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I love it all! The sconces and chandelier are especially beautiful. It’s neat that even the chain of the chandelier has a stylized diamond shape instead of the standard oval. Thanks for sharing Pam!
I grew up during the 1970s, and I don’t want anything to do with the home or clothing fashions of that time again. One time through was more than enough!
I live in a 70s ranch (my second), and it’s being renovated in the vein of Prairie style (they share a lot of similarities). I mean really…marine blue bathroom fixtures? Brown walls inside and out? Glass moon globes and panel chandeliers? No thank you! You may keep it all.
I know that the style will eventually make a come back, and there will be someone out there who wants to refurbish a 70s ranch back to its ‘former’ glory (if you could call it that), but I will run as far in the other direction as I can get. lol
Yes, yes! I hear you! We are planning to demo the 1970s kitchen in favor of a 50′s kitchen…will anyone look back and lament the departure of my brown vinyl floor, creepy wood laminate cabinets and fake butcher block counter?
Everyone be nice, now, even about the 70s. SOMEONE loved this stuff.
Pam, you are right about the smoked glass set being from the 80′s. The 90′s, too. I wanted something very much like them for my bath remodel in 1992, but they were out of my price range at the time.
You keep showing this stuff, I am thinking I will have to take a vacation trip to New Jersey.
And soon! My kitchen plumbing has two leaks, the ugly laminate is coming up all over, I have stopped cooking because there is no work space, we no longer use the downstairs bathroom because it is so scary weird looking. Time for all that work I keep putting off.
I need to do it before I start my class in reupholstery. That is your fault, too. I keep seeing too many gorgeous pieces of upholstered furniture on the site, but in real life I only find things that need new fabric. I am going to fix that!
yay on you, taking a class in upholstery! send me pics of your projects!
We have a house built in 1950-ish. Bathroom is not a bright clean pink, but a pinkish brown or a brownish pink…..Maroon trim tile. Dealing with this color. I just wish it were really pink pink. Meem
World of Tile, World of Tile
Offers tile by the mile,
Now it has
elements of ’80′s style.
Lights, sconces, soap dishes
For the “’80′s phile”….
World of Tile, World of Tile,
The store that keeps on giving
Regardless of decade style!
World of Tile, World of Tile,
The store that still holds surprises
Regardless of decades of the style!
World of Tile, World of Tile,
We love you more,
Because of your
Never ending style.
yes, i smell a poetry contest coming on. an “ode to world of tile” poetry contest
I looked at my Ladie’s Home Journel yesterday…only to find an article praising the destroying of a PINK bathroom….only to replace it with one that looks just like everyone else’s. I don’t understand how anyone could want their house to look just like everyother home on their block, it broke my heart!
I fired off a letter to the editor stating all of the above…I hope they re-think that whole article. It just made me so sad!
Or maybe they will do an article on free-thinkers such as us…we LIKE to be different!
Do you know if the World of Tile is OK following Irene? There was a lot of flooding and damage in Springfield. I hope everything and everyone are OK!
I have not talked to them since Irene. Gosh, if that basement flooded, oh my!