Today, a geeky story: The correct technical names (I think) to describe the distinct design styles of vintage bathroom sinks back in mid century America from the 1940s to 1960. In the auto industry, you would call these “body styles.” Looking at the shape of the mold used to create bathroom sinks, I count seven basic design variations, and show six of them in this story. Maybe these descriptors are still used in the bathroom industry today? All the images in this story come from a 1954 Kohler plumbing fixtures catalog in my personal collection.
The difference between lavatories and sinks:
Before I jump in, a discussion of the term “lavatories”. I am pretty sure that a lavatory is a meant to describe a sink in which you wash your hands or face. Not dishes. All lavatories are sinks. But not all sinks are lavatories.
In this story, I will refer to them as sinks, since I don’t think too many people use the old school name any more. But it’s cool to know the difference.
The difference between bathrooms and washrooms:
And while we’re on it, I might as well continue:
I was looking at another catalog, which seemed to suggest: A “washroom” is a room that includes a toilet and a sink — what we today commonly call a “half bath.” A “bathroom” dials up that definition to include a bathing receptable (what we would call a “full bath” today). Back in the day, once plumbing fixtures started going into toilet areas, homes first installed a bathroom. Many — probably most — houses had just one, full bathroom. As prosperity grew, washrooms were marketed as an add-on: As in, install a washroom (half bath) for visitors to use and to save steps.
#1 — Shelf style vintage bathroom sinks:
Above: Shelf style vintage bathroom sinks have chunk of decking at the top to hold stuff. The faucets are essentially wall-mounted. I will further declare this a: Straight back shelf sink. because, continue and you will see there is a variation:
#2 — Slant-back shelf bathroom sinks:
Above: I’m taking poetic license now. Forget that this is a corner sink, as per the Kohler page. I am calling this a slant-back deck sink because of the way that the faucet installs. I recently did a story on where you can still find slant back faucets.
#3 — Hudee rim vintage bathroom sinks:
Above: Kohler is calling these sinks for “building in”. I am queen of this page, so I call them “hudee rim sinks” reflecting the fact that they require a stainless still rim, or ring, to cover the edge of the sink where it meets the counter top material.
#4 — Tile-in bathroom sinks:
There are no tile-in sinks shown in my catalog. I *think* that these require yet another design or mold: The edge of the sink sits as high as a thickness of tile, so that it can be tiled in seamlessly.
#5 — Ledge style vintage bathroom sinks:
Above: A ledge sink looks to be evolved from the shelf sink. The faucet sits flat on the deck and takes up space there, so there is not so much storage space.
#6 — Flat-top bathroom sinks:
Above: Flat-top sinks seem even more “modern” to me. Sometimes ledge sinks had a short splash back — but not enough for me to bump them up to the Splash Back design category –>
#7 — Splash-back bathroom sinks:
Above: Splash back sinks are pretty. They have an integral back splash. I believe this look was a hangover from Victorian and early 20th century designs.
Further geeky distinctions among mid century vintage bathroom sink designs:
- I do not believe sinks that sat on top of the counter (sans hudee) were common until the 1960s. The slicing and dicing in this story stops around then.
- Sinks may have been made porcelain-enamel-on-cast iron, porcelain-enamel-on-steel or all china porcelain.
- Sinks may have sat on a single china pedestal or on legs, have been set in a vanity, or have been wall-hung.
- Legs were typically chrome, although we have seen other designs. I remember one that looked like scrolled wrought iron, as I recall.
- There were a few designs that were quite wide — 36″ — and incorporated, essentially, counter top space to the right and left of the wash basin. They sat in special vanities, were wall-hung, or sat on legs. For example: The American Standard Gracelynn.
- There were also sinks designed to protrude from a vanity counter top, they were hudeed in, or tile-in.
- Sinks may be corner sinks — and I tend to believe that corner sinks may have had any of the deck designs — shelf-, ledge-, flat-, slant-, or splash-back. Maybe not so much tile-in or hudee-ringed; but who knows.
- Some vintage sinks had integral faucet spouts — like the Henry Dreyfuss-designed Cranes. These also may have had different deck designs.
- Further, I will put dental sinks intended for residential use into their own category. Some of these even delivered water from under the rim to clean out the sink after.
- I will stop at the end of the 1950s for purposes of this analysis. Starting in the 1960s (I’ll guesstimate) we began to see even more one-piece sink/counter tops designed to plop right down on a vanity. There was push-button plumbing. And maybe more innovations. I need to find some Kohler catalogs from that period!
A Arp says
Do Hudee rings work with tiled countertops? I searched for pictures but haven’t found any.
pam kueber says
A Arp, contact Vance Industries. They still make the hudee rings. I’ve done numerous stories about them here on the blog (use Search). They should be able to tell you.
Robin, NV says
Yes they do. My green bathroom has a hudee ring and tile countertop.
A Arp says
Thanks, Pam and Robin! I don’t know how I missed that earlier comment about your tile countertop. Are there pictures of it up anywhere?
JKM says
My grandparents’ home had sinks similar to the Gramercy in both bathrooms. I remember the slender chrome legs and towel bars on each side. Each sink was white but one bathroom had light green wall tile with burgundy trim and the other had all light gray tile. Each had matching small hexagonal tile floors. They sold the house 35 years ago but it was on the market a few years back and the online photos showed both bathrooms and kitchen as originally designed, looking good as new. I was thrilled to see they hadn’t been destroyed. It’s in a great area and sold for almost 50 times what they paid for it new in 1949 but, luckily, it’s been owned by people who appreciate quality and timeless beauty. I wish it was still in the family…sigh.
tammyCA says
I remember in elementary school in the Midwest we said, “may I go to the lavoratory?” but, at home we called it the “washroom”. When I moved to the West I learned once not to ask in public places where the washroom was because people thought I meant the laundromat?!
I had to stop saying, “front room” (which we pronounced “fronchroom”) for living room and had to stop saying “ice box” for refrigerator.
I just now checked our 3/4 bathroom and it looks to be the ledge lavoratory sink without the legs….but, I just saw for the first time underneath two slots…wonder if they once had chrome legs?
Mike says
Great information. At some point I need to replace the faucet in my bathroom and I did not know what kind of sink it was or what the faucet was called. Now I know. It’s either the Gramercy or Hampton sink.
It’s in a pink and black bathroom-I’ve been meaning to send images.
dtrix says
This is great. Thanks Pam! have you ever done an uploader of just sinks?
Robin, NV says
That was my thought too. I’m quite proud of my green hudee ring sink with tile surround.
Kelly Wittenauer says
Sink uploader – great idea!
pam kueber says
yes – i feel a sink uploader coming on. <-- very amusing sentence
Robin, NV says
Is “sink uploader” an oxymoron?
Randall says
What a great resource. I am planning to remove a built-in sink cabinet in my 1925 Tudor (previous owner put it in waaaaaay back) which is still in great shape and reinstall it in my girlfriend’s 1957 ranch. Unfortunately the existing sink’s overflow is completely corroded so I will be on the hunt for a replacement sink. Fingers crossed.
Tom says
Hi Pam,
Yes, you have a tile-in sink in your list – #3! These sinks can be used with or without the rim. Hudee rims were developed to adapt tile-in sinks to laminate countertops. Eventually laminate took over the market and manufacturers started incorporating the rim into the sink itself.
kimberj says
We had the trailer sink in the basement half bath of our last home. Thank god they last forever, I don’t think we’d have been able to find something that small if it needed replacing.
Janet in CT says
The list looks really good to me, Pam! Interestingly, a friend of mine who went to Australia was telling me that you have to ask for the “toilets”, not the restroom or bathroom, or they look at you like you are nuts. The “bathrooms” as we know them are just that, a bathtub and/or shower, no toilet. My favorite old fifties motel in Bucksport, Maine, has those beautiful bathrooms in black trim with pink, yellow, pale green or pastel blue tile. They have been updating the rooms one at a time, and one improvement was to replace the old backsplash sinks. Last year I had told them to save the old sinks for me. Two weeks ago when we went up, I jokingly mentioned it again and Eddie said, there’s one in the basement right now waiting to go to the dump! My husband thought I was crazy but had to remark it was one really nice sink! Having probably been scrubbed constantly for sixty years, it is still beautiful! Made to last for sure! Such a little thing but I feel like I scored!
Jay says
Interesting! Today, for commercial / institutional use; architectural plans indicate ” toilet room” for facilities that have only a toilet and a lav. A room that has a bathing function is either a “tub room” or a “shower room”. This is so there is no confusion especially when specs and fixture counts are drawn up. But as you noted, the average person just refers to anything with a loo as a bathroom or 1/2 bath. Heck, my master bath has only a shower so a realtor would call it a 3/4 bath but to me it’s a bath room.
Also, today, I believe wash room and bath room are interchangeable. Just my observation from watching shows on that channel everyone loves to h***.
pam kueber says
That show that everybody loves to h*** has many many of its programs filmed in Canada. In Canada, everyone (well, most, in my experience) uses the word washroom to describe both.
Anna says
I think there is a distinction in Canada (at least here in Toronto)
A bathroom is in a private home
A washroom is in a public building
pam kueber says
When I lived in Canada (I lived there twice — in Toronto, then Oakville — for a total of six years), when someone was at my house and needed to go, they asked, May I use your washroom? I rarely heard any reference to bathroom. But — sounds like you are lifelong Canadian — maybe I am remembering incorrectly. Maybe I just hear washroom *a lot* and extrapolated to think I heard it *always*.
Chris says
I think maybe it may have been “restroom” that you rarely were hearing. In Ontario you hear people talking about their “bathroom” renovations or the house had x number of bathrooms. Washroom is used as the polite form of asking where the bathroom is located. Commerical buildings (malls etc) have signs directing people to the “washrooms” and occasionally the “restrooms” (especially if the company is US-based or along the main corridor highways) which makes sense because you don’t have true “bathrooms” in commercial applications. Rarely would anyone use the word ‘restroom’ in conversation though. In casual conversation between friends it would be something more like “we had to stop because little Johnny needed to go to the bathroom” That said, it’s universally understood what you mean using any of the three words and no one would think twice about hearing you use any of them.
Since a large percentage of the content for that channel you mention is filmed in Toronto using local participants, you’ll hear all three terms being used seemingly inconsistently.
Robin, NV says
For those of us in the Navy, it’s the head and they tend to have ledge lavatories. : )