Here is the latest wonderful oddity — “woddity” — to go into our archive: The Fiesta sink by American Standard. I have seen reference to it as early as 1966. Click on through for some additional, great colors, sculpted round designs (!) and strange lever thingy.
I also have seen it in variety of sizes and in 6 colors so far — white, as show in reader Justin’s kitchen (above)…in avocado (lead photo) spotted as New Old Stock at my Re-Store – and holey moley check out the vintage advertisement that I found on ebay (below): The sink also was available in what appears to be a limier green, a persian red — AND in orange and in a sculptured round bowl model. Yowza!
I also found a 1969 ad among my stash of vintage marketing material that gives a good look at a lever thingie on the back. It’s like an old “shift on the steering column.” What is this for????
Above: The text of the ad. Indeed, the marketers from American-Standard are comparing this to a speedster… I learned to drive manual on my Dad’s circa 68 Datsun truck — yes, a shift on the column. What a nightmare for a 16 year old — but I am a rockin’ Amazon woman warrior for the experience.
That original faucet design also reminds me of instruments of torture used in dentists’ office.
Indeed, you can still get a Fiesta faucet. No lever, though.
Here is another shot of Justin’s sink. No shift lever though! Hey, I see in Justin’s email, that he says, “The drain levers are much harder to find.” So: It’s a lever to pop up the drain???
Above: An ad from ebay classified from a while ago, which I saved. Gone now.
And above: The guts of the hole that holds all the faucet hardware. Come to think of it, the “idea” behind this design must sure have been to consolidate all the holes on sinks — up to 5 — into one. Control the chaos on the top of the sink — and minimize the need to make separate 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-hole versions to suit anyone’s need. Kind of a good idea, actually.
Thank you, Justin, for sharing your photos. I think this is a fabulous sink.
Glad to finally find out the name of this model. There is one featured in the Kitchen of the movie “Napoleon Dynamite”!!
This is just a guess, but the lever looks like it could be there to tighten the faucet unit down to the sink, or loosen it for access to what I assume would be flexible pipe connections underneath. Kind of like the levers on quick release bicycle wheels.
Maybe more likely is that the lever opens or closes a drain plug. I suppose it could be the switch to turn on the “food waste disposer” too.
In the ad is it the one lever on the back that we are talking about or the pop up button looking thing? Then there are what? 2 soap dispensers and a spray?
At first glance I thought the 2 soap dispensers were separate hot and cold knobs, but I think they seem to be soap dispensers. So I’ll guess hand and dish soap, a faucet spray and the button is for the disposal or drain control and the shift lever on the back is to turn the water on and off and between hot and cold!
I’ve never seen one of those in Delaware, but I’ll be on the lookout!
I got the impression from the ad that maybe the lever was for adjusting the water temp, as well.
As for the two soap dispensers, one might be for hand soap and the other for dish soap (at least, that is what I would do if I had two of them).
Looks like the lever was the water control. Other than placement, it’s a standard “left is hot, right is cold” arrangement. Forward is off and back is on. Simply a different placement than we are used to.
Pictured in the ad on the sink deck are a push-top soap dispensers (not faucet handles) and a lift-up drain control more commonly used on lavatory sinks, but a handy idea for a kitchen sink if you think about it. Also there is the standard vegetable sprayer.
Justin’s sink may be a different or later model with a more conventional single-lever water control. It’s also possible that the original faucet failed and was replaced with one that is more conventional. His soap dispenser looks to be a newer replacement as well.
We had an American Standard sink from the early 70s with similar push-button soap dispensers. There were two on the deck and one held soap while my mom used the other for post-washing up hand lotion.
Paul is right, just a variation on a theme. I found a plumbing supply co. that had parts diagram of both versions. The “stick” handle is the water faucet control, rear mounted instead of the more conventional top mounted. Fun to look at but I think the designer had too much time on his hands that day.
The one I have in my kitchen as pictured above is probably a newer model. I purchased the sink first off of craigslist. Then the fun part was to locate the faucet. I almost dropped the idea of using this sink, since I was having trouble locating the faucet for it. I finally went into a plumbing store that has been in business for a number of years here in the phoenix area. I talked to an older gentlemen who has also worked there for a number of years. He knew exactly what I was talking about. He went into the back storage room and pulled out this facuet that had been sitting on the shelf for at least 20-30 years. All it had was the base plate, faucet and sprayer. He did mention that it originally had levers to open and close the drains, but that they are almost impossible to find. The soap dispenser I picked up from Home Depot and just added it to the unit. I also added the little caps over the existing holes.
I’d like to leave dullsville behind!
The Fiesta in “The Wild One” ad is a different version than the one in the Re-Store picture. The “Shift Lever” is clearly the water control, you will notice that it fits into a cutout in the back of the control tower that is not present on the sink in the Re-Store picture. I would guess that the “Shift Lever” water control valve was an early design that was somehow flawed or impractical.
I’m totally digging the artwork on the ‘wild one’ ad
Great sink – that would be perfect for a peninsula or island!
We need more sinks like this – nowadays everything is so Dullsville!
Did you really have to show us that? I was happy with my current sink…. (note “was”).
We had one of these in a new house my parents built in 1972 in Dallas. I’d forgotten all about it. One side was large and deep while the other, smaller and shallower, was where the garbage disposal was located. The raised portion had a single-lever faucet, sprayer, drain stopper control and pump for liquid soap. It was similar (or maybe exactly like) the avocado one in the ebay photo above except “harvest gold” in color matching the Formica countertops plus all the latest Hotpoint appliances – double electric self-cleaning wall ovens, electric cooktop, vent-a-hood, garbage compactor and side-by-side refrigerator with thru-the-door ice maker. Earthtones galore…!
Hey,
Love the pictures. I have a FIESTA SINK in white. Yes, it has a 5 spot .one for faucet, sprayer, two soap dispensers, and and extra one you can use for water purifier or something else. I realize the quality is hard to beat, but we may remodel and sell…anyone know what it’s worth?
HAS ANYONE EVER SEEN A DOUBLE ROUND BOWL FIESTA? I HAVE ONE. I WILL POST THE INFO OFF THE BOTTOM AND A PIC IF SOMEONE REPLYS TO THIS. THANK YOLU.
JEFF