IMPORTANT UPDATE:
If you are the owner of an older porcelain enamel bathtub or sinks — or are considering buying one — please see my May 2, 2016 story Understanding potential lead hazards in old porcelain enamel bathtubs and sinks and ceramic tile of any age; this article focuses on raising awareness around three other potential sources of lead dust exposure in your home – old porcelain enamel bathtubs and sinks and ceramic tile of any era — and steps you can take to assess and, if required, address them.
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Tracy wrote recently to ask where she could find what we call a “Cinderella” bathtub.
Hi –
I currently live in a 1940s cottage style home, and love it. It has an odd tub in it, which through your web site I see it is a Cinderella tub. It’s white and I love it. My fiance and I will be moving into his home, a 1950s rancher. When we renovate the bathroom, we’d love to put a Cinderella tub. Do you have any idea where I could find one?….even if it needs reporcelained?
Thanks much
Tracy
On craigslist
Cinderella bathtubs
Tracy: These are no longer made today. You must find one vintage. Your best bet is craigslist. Big items like this are most likely to sell locally.
- AND: For complete answer to your question, read this original story on where to find vintage bathtubs and sinks and toilets.
- See this story for more photos and info on Cinderella bathtubs.
- See this story for all our stories mentioning Cindy’s.
- And check out their smaller siblings, vintage receptor tubs.
Coincidentally, one of these tubs just showed up on craigslist in Maine, along with a wall-mounted sink of the same model year and color. They mention the dimensions of the tub, a 1948 American Standard: 50″w on each side x 60-1/2″ diagonal from back to front face x 16-1/4″h. The two pieces are for sale for $100 total on craigslist in Maine. [link long gone]
Kohler Mayflower tub – now discontinued
Update: Discontinued. Meanwhile, you can also still find a Cinderella style tub made new. It’s called the Kohler Mayflower bathtub. Its dimensions are 48″L x 44″W x 14″H, but get this, the price starts at $3,900
I recently saw this “mini Cinderella” — a receptor tub — at my Re-Store
Duravit 1930s bathroom sink, toilet & tub 
Three-handle tub shower faucet sets — three affordable designs 
Small shower receptor bathtubs 
Understanding potential lead hazards in old porcelain enamel bathtubs and sinks and ceramic tile of any age 
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It’s the party pooper! What’s all the fuss? I stayed at a Victorian B & B in Lenox, MA a few summers ago and I guess I was annoyed that it was not disclosed that the room was not accessable from the rest of the house. I assume the rooms were originally maid’s sitting rooms off the kitchen. The bathroom was obviously in need of desparate repair, it was nasty and it had what I now know is a cinderella tub. I remember thinking what is this room hog, it’s neither a tub nor a shower. Again, I’ll say Some things are just best left in the past.
Well, no magic pumpkin or glass slippers for you, I guess! 🙂
I saw this ad on CL just the other day! I used it to make the point that you CAN use color in your bathroom. Look at the ad – dark floor, black 1/4 up the wall and butter yellow tile, and green fixtures.
These are kool but I don’t have room in my 5 x 8 throne room! I don’t think I could even get my tub out if something happened to it, so it will need to be re-porcelained.
I agree about ‘reglazing.’ I had a wall hung cast iron kitchen sink with built in backsplash and drainboard done, as well as a wall hung bathroom sink. The pieces were etched with something very nasty and sprayed with an epoxy base enamel. Both pieces started to chip and flake in the basins within a year, and rust started to migrate through the finish as well. I think the new finish doesn’t expand and contract with the repeated shock of hot and cold water running. While not pristine, I left my claw foot tub alone and am happy I did.
Tracy, Pam:
We have one of these tubs in our house. They’re also called “neo-angle” tubs–not sure where the name comes from, but it may help narrow your search. Good luck finding one.
I’ve been wondering … how easy are these to clean? I am short and don’t have a long reach, so those soaking tubs are irritating to me because you have to lean way over to get the far side.
I was at an estate sale at a Cleveland home right next to Lake Erie and the upstairs was no-access, but things were slow and the sale company owner whispers to me “Wanna see the upstairs? Go check it out.” So I head up and in this tiny two-story, the upper floor was a bedroom and a very roomy bathroom with flamingo pink fixtures including this same Cinderella tub. Everything was in good shape; the whole house just exuded a very happy vibe and I felt honored to be allowed to take the VIP tour. This was my first in-person view of these tubs, having pored over plenty of vintage bathroom fixture ads, and the color/condition was terrific. Great red formica kitchen counters, swanky basement bar…what a house!
Yowza, sounds great. Yes: Make friends with the folks who run the estate sales, and you may get some great VIP access. And yes, only ask “when it’s slow.”
So….what’s a “Cinderella Window”?
I already am forgetting, but as I recall: two horizontal mullions only.
Oh, I’m trying to picture that. There was a post about these tubs from 2009 that mentioned the windows and I didn’t see anything else about it!
We have one of these also(sort of a light pinky color), though it is not meant to fit in a corner. My father put it in the house when he built it in 1949. Still in perfect shape My wife loves it…and that’s a good thing since there is nothing out there that will fit in the same square feet that I can find. To put in any other tub, I would have to either add wall or remove wall.
Mobile home suppliers have access to the cinderella tubs with a variety of drain placements, colors sizes. They come with a variety of jets and heaters for the true soakers (extra charge). The .manufacturer and
salesman will often referred to this product as a garden tub. But sure about your measurements bringing it into the home. Doors can be a very difficult obstacle as well.
Mobile homes sometimes have tubs in them called ‘garden tubs” that are set into a corner like these Cinderella tubs. My grandma once lived in a mobile home with such a tub. It was made out of a plastic-y material, so it wouldn’t make a good replacement for these Cinderella tubs. I just mention it since it reminds me of that song about the Queen of the Doublewide — I guess she was Cinderella too!
We have a Cinderella tub in our 1964 time capsule house. It is aqua just like the first pictures, with a matching sink and toilet. I love it but I do find it a bit difficult to climb into this tub. The modern one looks a lot more accessible as it has one corner shaved off to make the tub part easier to access. You can’t climb over the wide parts, but they do make nice seats.
Ours had a shower enclosure built onto it, which I removed, then I had to find a shower curtain rod. I did find one on eBay but am still waiting to find out if it will fit right.
NOTE to folks trying to SELL: Put your listing on your buy/sell Forum: https://retrorenovation.com/forums
It’s free. No buying/selling here on the main blog, or it will be chaos. I do not approve buy/sell ads.
I have a cinderella tub. I LOVE this tub. Our house was built in 1960 and we’ve lived here 19 years. We remodeled the bathroom 18 years ago and I had the tub refinished a that time. It was pink and I had it finished in white. I use the tub every day. It has not chipped. I did have the inside bottom redone about 2 years ago because it was looking dull and worn (though no pink was showing). The refinishing was done by “World Wide Refinishing”. I never want to give this tub up. It originally had a shower head and curtain, but I eliminated that in the remodel. We created a nice tile surround that makes the whole corner beautiful.
My Mom’s house was built in 1948. She had a Cinderella or Neo Angle tub in pink, exactly as pictured in this ad
http://www.bambootrading.com/proddetail.asp?prod=4256
That bathtub was the most wonderful bathtub of all time! Sadly,
my brother didn’t appreciate the color and/or the tub, so he took it out.
I don’t think he knew or cared that he could re-glaze it in white and remodel the bathroom around this showpiece. He replaced it with a cheap tub, not the luxurious cast iron/porcelain he had! Too bad.
We have one of these tubs in the blue color. We took the matching sink (wall mounted w/ legs & towel bars) & toilet out (storing those), because they were not functioning well, even after much work & parts replacement. The bottom of the tub actually hangs below the floor of the house (open to the elements). The bathroom floor is vintage, tiny tile, in various shades of blue. There is white subway tile on the wall around the sink & tub. The enamel on the tub is in good shape, but has a buildup of soap on it that I have never been able to get off. I would take a pumice stone to it, but I’m sure I’ll scratch it. I would love to have it redone in white, but it would have to be done right where it’s at. Removing the tub would end up in totally redoing the bathroom floor.
I recently removed a Cinderella tub from an old house being remodeled. The new owner apparently did not appreciate the quality and craftsmanship of that fine old tub. It’s an American Standard neo-angle in white and great care was taken in its removal to maintain its good condition. I’d love to see it find an appreciative new owner…. Where is a good venue to sell such a treasure?
Craigslist
Oh dear Lord, it’s been discontinued. Now what?
Hi
In the bid stage of a custom home. I am a treasure hunter of anything odd, useful, and everything mid century. I found a pink Cinderella tub online and should I buy it, I would need to drive 10 hours one way to pick it up, They are going to get me full measurements. Here is my dilemma…I am tall, 5’11. I saw a tub like this in person and can’t recall how long the tub is? If it is 4 ft, well that would not fun! I would be 1/2 in and 1/2 out. Does anyone have a correct measurement of the tub? I have looked and can’t find that info.
Thanks!
I think your best bet is to wait for the exact measurements they are sending you. It’s conceivable there were different sizes from different manufacturers.
I have a white, square ‘cinderella’ kohler tub in my home, installed in about 1958. I am keeping it, as it is in excellent condition (!). However, anyone contemplating buying one of these tubs needs to know that many/all(?) of them use a decidedly non-standard bathtub drain. The drain is 2″ in diameter with fine threads, in contrast to the smaller coarse-threaded drains on pretty much every other tub. Kohler has parts but just to replace the bathtub drain and the exposed parts of the stopper and overflow costs over $500. I am still searching for alternatives as you might imagine, but bear this in mind if you go down this road.
Interesting… we just pulled a cinderella tub, sink and toilet all matching in the green out of bathroom in our 1952 brick ranch… currently sitting on the back porch. Guess I should sell them… I didn’t find your forums as mentioned above?
I shut down the Forum a few years ago. Head to craigslist!
Luke,
Where are you located? I may be interested!