Rerunning this post — because in the meantime I discovered these are called “Cinderella bathtubs.” Here’s Alice’s, too. There were “Cinderella windows”, too. Stay tuned on that one.

We are getting a clean start hehehe to 2009 with this post showcasing some simply wonderful bathtubs from the postwar period. Oh my gosh, look at this 1947 “neo angle” from American Standard … My dream bathtub, no question. But if I had one of these, there probably wouldn’t be a blog, because I’d never leave it. Read on for more vintage tubs … and 6 photos in all…

Above: A 1959 Kohler Mayflower, recessed. Kohler still makes the Mayflower model – it’s petite, but very nice! If I had the space, I’d use it – in pink, of course!

Doesn’t this 1959 Kohler Cosmopolitan just glisten! Notice the little rings holding back the shower curtain in all these images. I’ve never seen this before. Do you think people really did this in their homes? Or is it just for advertising, to show off the tubs while still featuring a shower curtain? Readers – any real-life examples found in your time capsule homes?

The copy is fun to read. I think that Amy’s little tub/shower may be the Kohler Standish “showering bath” mentioned here.

This post was originally published on Jan. 2, 2008.

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And you thought this blog is just about retro decorating? Think again, you have been reeled into the retro-universe, which is really just as complicated as today-world. Here – a lesson in evolutionary biology and how it, too, may have influenced our preference for that most iconic retro color, Mamie Pink. The Kohler ad pictured is from 1959. Ooh la la.

Girls prefer pink, or at least a redder shade of blue

A study in the August 21st issue of Current Biology, a publication of Cell Press, reports some of the first conclusive evidence in support of the long-held notion that men and women differ when it comes to their favorite colors. Indeed, the researchers found that women really do prefer pink—or at least a redder shade of blue—than men do.

“Although we expected to find sex differences, we were surprised at how robust they were, given the simplicity of our test,” said Anya Hurlbert of Newcastle University, UK. In the test, young adult men and women were asked to select, as rapidly as possible, their preferred color from each of a series of paired, colored rectangles. The universal favorite color for all people appears to be blue, they found. “On top of that, females have a preference for the red end of the red-green axis, and this shifts their color preference slightly away from blue towards red, which tends to make pinks and lilacs the most preferred colors in comparison with others,” she said. Read the complete study here.

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Since we’ve been on a bathroom roll, I thought that spotlighting these 1959 Kohler sinks – “lavatory sinks” with chrome legs and towel bars — would be fun. Aren’t the colors and designs just beautiful?

Here’s an entire suite (below). For those of you trepidatious about going too colorful with the fixtures and tile, this photo exemplifies how combining a two neutrals — in this case, white and gray — along with snazzy (low risk $) wallpaper and shower curtain can deliver a very stylish retro effect. If you want to buy new fixtures today – the grays tend to be lighter, but the idea still holds. As reader Laurie of 1951 Ranch Redo pointed out in the post about Sebastian’s Montreal bathroom recently, choosing towels with the dark accent trim also is a really nice touch.

sss

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Click image to enlarge

Wednesday night, 6:15 p.m…..I kind of had a bad day today, the very first bad day in a long time, as I am a pretty upbeat person and generally take everything in stride. So… when I turned to write the blog, I looked for something that would make me very happy. And it’s this 1961 illustration.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

1. The simplicity of the graphics and the way it focuses on the mom, the dad, the happy daughter. Life does not get any better than these kinds of moments.
2. The wallpaper. The geraniums in the window. The coffee pot – water running into it – in the sink.
3. The curtains. If I had double-hung windows that framed out like a picture window, I would definitely use this approach – two stacked rows of pinch-pleat cafe curtains. Sweet.
4. The cabinets. Notice that they are beaded wood doors, and see the colonial hardware. I imagine that they are oyster colored, like the oyster in the Omega post I did a while ago.
5. How it all comes together: The color combo, which is so unexpected today. The Colonial-meets-Modern look, overall. This illustration shows how very nicely it can be done.
6. Oh yes, and of course: the General Supply Company, 620 Lehigh Drive, Easton PA stamp. Provenance even.

I think that Kohler did a series like this. I’m on the lookout for the rest!

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