I have been thinking a lot lately about whether it would be possible, today, to create a truly *timeless* kitchen and bathroom. That is: Focusing on the past 70 years, when our *modern* American way of life began after World War II: Make a list of all the pieces in a kitchen and then a bathroom that could put together so that, when you saw the finished room, you could not peg it, or any of the pieces in it, to a decade or window *when everybody did that.* Alas, I could not get very far in my little interior design parlor game. I wracked my brain and could think of only two products, so far, that met my rigorous criteria for remaining in pretty much continual use in residential homes… but without getting so *hot* that they ultimately crashed and burned into a sad pile of once-trendy *hideous* *dated* ashes.
My fascination with the timeless comes, I think, as the flip side of my conniption fit whenever someone spits out the word *dated* to describe a home feature that is perfectly functional but no longer popular. Oh, how I hate that word.
While dictionaries may recognize “dated” as meaning “unfashionable”, my issue with the word is that probably 99% of what’s in your home is *dated*. That is, show me a kitchen or a bathroom installed during any decade in the 20th or early 21st century, and I can give you a *date* for it. Continuing on: Tear out a *hideous* [sic / also hate] *dated* kitchen, and replace it with what’s fabulous today — and you will have a kitchen *dated* 2012… Which some homeowner about 20 or 25 years from now will think is *hideous* and spit on and call *dated* and rip out and replace with a fabulous 2022 kitchen… and the beat goes on.
I thought and thought and you know what I think: It’s virtually impossible to put together an entire kitchen or bathroom that cannot be *dated* — and therefore, won’t become “unfashionable”.
So, that leads back to the design ethic of this blog, which is kinda sorta: If you’re gonna have a *dated* kitchen, which is inevitable (I *think*), you might as well have it *dated* to the *date* of the house, which is usually extremely very difficult to hide, especially if there are other similarly *dated* houses all around it.
So what products are modern-era timeless, in my book?
The first two I identified were Elkay drainboard sinks and 4″ ceramic bathroom tiles. At certain points in time, both the Elkay sinks and 4″ ceramic bathroom tiles have been very fashionable… but I don’t think they were ever particularly un-fashionable — and never *hideous* (unless you are very rude).
Timeless kitchen sink:
The first product I’ll declare as timeless — and this one, even pre-WWII: Elkay stainless steel sink tops — which I believe have been in pretty continuous use since the 1920s… and 4″ ceramic bath tiles, also in continuous popular use since at least then.
Timeless bathroom tile colors:
Tile colors with relatively timeless appeal: “Spa” (Daltile) very light blue aka heron blue or robin’s egg blue… rose beige… bone… almond… light grey. White or self- trim. Decorative liner tile is less timeless; a solid liner tile, timeless.
Timeless bathroom vanity:
Update 2017: A modern-era timeless bathroom vanity looks approximately like this [story here]:
Carole says
I forgot to add….dated, horrid, unfashionable to me, blue bathroom fixtures from the 1970s (I have them in my house and absolutely hate them), but there again, as you’ve said in the past, some day, someone is going to want a time capsule 1970s ranch. Those blue fixtures might fit right in with what they have in mind. The ones in this house will no longer be in service, but I’m sure they’ll be able to find some to reinstall should they want to.
Elaine says
This just goes to show how different people can be. I have two 1963 bathrooms with blue fixtures, both sinks were broken, and I went to all kinds of trouble finding blue sinks and repairing the toilets to keep the blue fixtures. One is in ‘spa’ the other in ‘robin’s egg.’ The one has a Cinderella tub, too. Now, that is not timeless, but everyone who sees it thinks it is something special.
Pat Wieneke says
My first husband and I took a rose pink toilet outside, hosed it out and each reached in from a different end of the thing ( he reached up from the bottom. I wasn’t gonna touch there!) to get an ‘army guy’ out that had been partly flushed down it and stuck. We got him out and reset the toilet. Our daughter used it and the toilet flooded. So once again, we were on the lawn, reaching and twisting into the bowels of the toilet to put out a shampoo tube cap this time. This time the fix took.
Looking back, would I still go to such lengths to save my rose pink toilet ? Yes, but the kid who flushed the stuff down it is an adult now and I’d make HIM stick HIS hand in there not one of us.
pam kueber says
Excellent story! Parenthood!
Carole says
It’s really arbitrary whether or not something is considered ‘dated’.
If someone were to install the ‘trendy’ items of today, then a room probably will seem outdated in a few years. Trends change too rapidly. If you want classical styling you HAVE to look to the past, whether you want to or not. lol
I’ve decorated my kitchen with craftsman styling, white appliances, porcelain, and stainless steel sinks (**though I’m very unhappy with my American Standard porcelain sink that I spent $600 on), and though I still have back splash tiling to install, nearly ten years later people still comment about how up-to-date the room looks. Maybe I’ve succeeded, and maybe I haven’t, because there again, when it comes right down to it, I think classic styling is really based on personal opinion. Will people ever reach an agreement?
I know people who if pointed to what I consider real classics, such as pedestal sinks (my FIL hates them with a passion), clawfoot tubs, porcelain sinks, linoleum, and the like, would consider those things outdated in favor of more trendy styling.
Me, I’d love a 1920 styled kitchen. *sigh* lol I’d put in the old fashioned style stove (maybe an AGA), a Big Chill retro style fridge (price is a deterrent on those – doesn’t Frigidaire make one too?), and either a stainless steel or porcelain sink with drainboards. Yes, there would have to be cabinetry and counter space, but the ‘feel’ would be there.
I’ve loved reading what everyone has to say. This has been very interesting.
** I’m eyeing those stainless numbers with the drainboards quite seriously – if I can find one with large enough bowls that will fit the 38″ opening.
pam kueber says
In my parlor game, I recognize that *period* styles can be *classic*, but they are not necessarily *timeless* as per my threshold. They must have been popular in an enduring way, so that you can’t *date” them… Craftsman style – while classic for bungalows and A&C homes — went *out of style* — and in the 1990s, back in style. Aga’s: Yes, endured since the 1930s. I just don’t know how popular they ever really were in American kitchens…let me think about this one, it might make my list!
pam kueber says
Indeed, I’m trying to take the *arbitrary* out — by saying each element must have endured through time… never *horrid*
KKCG says
I as going to say oak hardwood flooring, butcher block counters (even though impractical, were, and still are widely used) and black and white checkerboard. Yellow kitchen were used in the thirties, it was the original color of our kitchen and the same color we painted our living room as a 1950’s color. For our 1901 Shingle Victorian cottage, we also went for the ‘accumulated over time’ look. (I saw we like my husband has any opinion <: ) A turn of the century exterior, 1920's inspired bathroom, 1940 dining room, 1948 master bedroom, 1950 kitchen, 1956 living room and all the way up to a 1969 French Provencial bedroom for my daughter, it all somehow works and flows all together all the while looking like its all been here since bought new to 'update.'
pam kueber says
Ok. Butcher block (real) countertops on the list. Even though they are impractical. I am not sure I agree with the black-and-white checkerboard. Have to think about that one.
Ally Cat says
For people who know they don’t want to roll dough on the BB countertop, I hear great reviews for treating the wood with a product called Waterlox, it takes a lot of the maintenance out of having wood countertops, but you can still sand and refinish them. For some reason, everyone I sell butcher block to imagines themselves master bakers, but I am suspicious that 1 in 50 really are. If one insists on oiling the wood, that’s where a portion of the kitchen, or an island makes sense…less surface to maintain. And butcher block can live side by side with laminate and look beautiful!
pam kueber says
I always thought that to roll dough, you wanted a slab o’ marble – not bb?
Ally Cat says
Very True, marble is a fave for bakers. Although it is very porous and needs sealing. Most people just seal it with granite sealers (but then you would roll dough cause of the chemicals). But I’m sure chefs have a sealing product out there or a method of cleaning that is food-safe.
Ally Cat says
Oops, I mean one wouldn’t roll dough on chemically sealed marble….
pam kueber says
Also, I like your idea about light yellow. Never *huge* never *horrid* always there humming along. I think this makes my *timeless* list more so than white.
Jocelyn W. says
I think white, glass-front cabinets are the closest thing I can think of to timeless in kitchen design.
I have a tub area that was (badly, sloppily) DIYed in 4″ white field tile by our house’s previous owners. I’ve been tempted to rip it out and replace it with subway tile with dark grout…but I realize I like that look because it’s the current style. So I wrestle with whether to do that (because I know it’ll start looking “dated”) or to just re-do it in field tile without the wavy walls (which is slightly more timeless but not as exciting a prospect to me).
This discussion reminds me of why I love wearing vintage clothing – because unlike new stuff, it’s not getting any more out of style than it already is! And having a wardrobe of garments from the middle of the century, I can bring them in and out of rotation as various decades are serving as the current fashion’s inspiration.
pam kueber says
White glass-front cabinets — I’m liking that. But what door style for the base cabinets??? Haha, I love this: “… it’s not getting any more out of style than it already is!” 🙂
Jan says
Pam, I think I totally agree with your short list of products that could be considered timeless (great “tough test!”) – especially the explanation for why the subway tile is not timeless (just ubiquitous nowadays), which I totally agree with. I wonder though – I really, really agree with 4″ tiles as timeless. That’s the first thing that came to my mind. But almost without fail, every single time I see or hear of a bathroom “update” (geez, I really cringe at “updated” and “dated,” too), the homeowners and any design people they might have on hand are all gung ho about ripping out the beautiful, quality 4″ tile, and replacing it with stuff that looks like a Lowe’s display. I can’t even count how many have said or intimated that the tile – no matter what color – is the ugliest thing they’ve ever seen (HGTV/This Old House types). So is 4″ tile only truly timeless for those of us who love the stuff?
Lauryn says
I think your point about “dating” to the era of the house is right on target. When we started the remodel of the kitchen in our minimal traditionalist cottage, we were not so much going for a certain look as we were trying to make the tiny kitchen more functional. I did not set out to do a “retro” renovation, in fact most of the design elements I was looking at were things that would have been much more suitable in a large farmhouse type kitchen. Which is HOW I ended up where we are now … all of the countertop options that were available just seemed wrong and though I was driving my husband crazy with my indecisiveness, our little house just seemed to be telling us, “no, not that, not that either”. When we stumbled upon the option of metal banded countertops, I knew that was what we were looking for. And thus, how I descended into the rabbit hole. But the kitchen (which will hopefully be finished this decade) looks like it’s been there all along (in part because we, thankfully, kept the original cabinets), while being significantly easier to work in.
But regarding your original question … do cast iron double bowl kitchen sinks fit into the timeless thing? It seems to me they span a long, long history and would fit in just about any kitchen. As would a good, standard cast iron bath tub.
pam kueber says
I thought about the double bowl cast iron sink – maybe. The problem is: Hudee ring or no hudee ring? Hudee rings were all the rage for a long time, then they weren’t, and they certainly aren’t now. Countertop installations were NOT common, then they were. https://retrorenovation.com/2010/11/11/where-to-buy-metal-rim-kitchen-sinks-note-kohler-bakersfield-sink-now-discontinued/ The Kohler Delafield with hudee ring… or a countertop model. And YES: Nice cast iron tub, like the Kohler Mendota: https://retrorenovation.com/2010/06/01/choosing-a-bath-tub-big-enough-to-soak-in-i-change-my-kohler-recommendation/
Lauryn says
Yes, I suppose the Hudee ring would come into play. We found a vintage sink that we were able to get a new ring for (the original being pretty trashed) but had we not been able to find that, I probably would have been okay with just a plain, drop-in double bowl. I do think there is a timelessness to white cast iron in whatever form … and love what you said about “tarting” up the white in other ways! (We are “tarting” up the kitchen with wallpaper and a red marmoleum floor.)
Martha says
Re: Cast iron double sink. We had the kind with the hudee ring when I was growing up. It was very easy to wipe off the countertop by running the sponge over it and push the crumbs into the sink and then wipe around the ring. In the ’80s they came out with those monsters with the big mounded edge and no hudee ring. You had to clean the countertop by pushing the crumbs over the edge of the counter. If you pushed them toward the sink, they’d get wedged into the thin caulk around the edge of the sink. I hated that sink.
I’ll take a stainless steel double sink any day.
Louisa says
Chrome hardware in the bathroom is pretty timeless. For a short while brass was trendy, but chrome is classic.
And what about black/white checkerboard floors? They appear throughout different decades and still seem fresh.
Marion Powell says
I totally agree about the faucets. And I like them in the kitchen too.
Remember brass faucets in the eighties? They didn’t last. Gold also had a run. Will oiled brass go the same way?
Beth says
I worked for a design-build firm for 2 years as the exec asst and design coordinator. When oil rubbed bronze received a sudden boost of popularity, I cringed. That was because I viewed it as the brass and gold of previous decades. It was already starting to fall out of favor with clients when I got laid off from there.
Me? Shiny chrome or brushed stainless will always work.
pam kueber says
Agreed: Chrome trim timeless — in both kitchen and bath. Thank you for the addition!
Anne-Marie says
Unfortunately, timeless can also be boring. You’ll never go wrong with white or beige bathroom tiles and white appliances, but unless that’s your taste you’ll get tired of them quickly. I think that when renovating, you need to do what’s right for your own needs at the time. If you want a purple counter top, go for it, especially if you are planning to stay in your home for a while.
pam kueber says
I agree that white and beige and grey can be boring — but you can always tart them up with wallpaper, paint, accessories, rugs, etc! I have rose beige tile bathroom with white fixtures and floor — my wallpaper is vintage atomic and the whole room POPS it’s a family favorite!
lexavline says
I think butcher block countertops are pretty timeless. I haven’t seen them in 1950’s kitchens, but I’m sure they’d look terrific on white metal or wooden cabinets. Was it in the 60’s that they started to appear in laminate form? I remember my grandmother’s kitchen was updated with them in the 70’s and my mother had them installed in our new kitchen in 1988 (still looking good!) Those were laminates, but the real wooden type seems popular now…
pam kueber says
A slab of butcher block in one part of the kitchen is Timeless. But not along the entire countertop – and also because, it is so hard to maintain, I would not recommend it.
Katie says
I have to disagree-I’ve got butcher block counter tops, and find them very easy to maintain. They wipe down easily, and if they do pick up any mars or marks, a little bit of very fine grit sandpaper takes care of the problem. Every so often, I wipe them down with ‘butcher block conditioner’ which is a mix of mineral oil and wax, which takes maybe 15 minutes. More work than tile, to be sure, but the light wood is so pretty and warm that I think its well worth it.
pam kueber says
Yes, bb is on the list. You all have turned me around.
Brian says
I agree with you on the 4-inch ceramic tile. I just finished a DIY remodel of the main bath in my 1954 Cape Cod, and I never considered anything for the walls other than 4-inch ceramic (although the trim is gorgeous copper-backed 1-inch glass tile from Susan Jablon).
Here’s the color selection story. I naively assumed that The Tile Shop would have a rainbow of 4-inch ceramic, since it’s the default size and material when one thinks of tile. But they carry only white, “biscuit” and maybe almond! The clerk told me nothing more was available, even by special order, because the store sells only the paltry palette of tiles manufactured for The Tile Shop. So we looked at Home Depot, which sported a placard with about 30 colors — but clerks at two locations told me “We can’t order any of the colors on that card.” Unbelievable. Same story at Lowe’s — gorgeous array of colors dangled before me, but “we can’t get those.” We finally special-ordered American Olean field tile in “matte mushroom” (not too far from rose beige) from a local tile outlet. (And because I overestimated how many times I’d mangle the cuts, I’m stuck with a couple of boxes of unreturnable extra field tile.)
As for kitchens: I recently sold my Queen Anne, built in 1900. The kitchen was created before the invention of newfangled gizmos such as “countertops” and built-in “cabinets.” The room has two windows that begin about two feet up from the floor — which means that when counters WERE added, they had to run them around the perimeter, with two notched bays for the windows. You could lean over the counter and peer down into the uncleanable abyss of dust and cobwebs in the window wells. Looking in the windows, you could see the unfinished backside of the backsplash. And yet this was the most logical thing to do. It would be unthinkable to rip up the facade to replace the windows with shorter ones (and not allowable anyway since I was in a historic district where such drastic change is forbidden if visible from outside). The authentic way would be to forgo counters and have what looks like a kitchen full of movable furniture bits. I don’t know what I would have done if I had had the money to gut that kitchen and start over.
Catherine says
Such great information on this site!
We also have a Cape Cod/Colonial style home, ours built in 1952. Our first floor bathroom has a ton of 4″ cracked mauve/peach tile that needs to be repaired/replaced. I definately want to keep the 4″ tile, but my husband can’t stand the color, and is threatening to tear it all out and start from scratch (which would be a very expensive endeavor and I’m afraid he would want something non-period authentic, like subway tile). Has anyone heard of bathroom tile refinishing? It is supposedly less expensive (and quicker) than retiling, and removes the need for regrouting periodically. However, the process is such that I think it looks a bit odd unless it’s done in all white (i.e. it turns the grout the same color as the tile. So if you refinish in, say, beige, the entire tiled wall is beige). I haven’t found any photos on this site of 1950s bathrooms done in *all* white. Were any 50s bathrooms ever done in all white, or were they usually white and black (or was that the thirties style)? Sorry I’m so confused. Just trying to stay true to 50s bathroom style. Thanks!
pam kueber says
Sorry, I don’t think you’re gonna see me writing about how to paint tile anytime soon; I can live with virtually any color of tile! For replacements, try World of Tile, Springfield, NJ. I have lots of stories on them.
Pat Wieneke says
Sure there were all white bathrooms. You can paint or paper the wall above the tile any thing you want, then. My master path in one of my houses, built in 1958, had white tile.
I know what you are thinking about. It is not paint. There is a company that makes like 80 different sorts of tub reliners so you do not have to ditch your cast iron tub when it gets ruined after 50 years of Ajax being used on it. The liner is an inch thick, is hermetically sealed ( with something nasty, I am sure) to the tub and is an exact duplicate of the shape of the original tub. They somehow can also cover the tile surround with the same stuff. I have seen it in displays. It looked OK in the white. It looked like the grout was picked to match the tile. I am sure, if I got up close I would say that it was not the real thing, but you could look into it and see if it will do the job and make you
AND your husband happy. It’s Luxury Bath Systems.