“…We had color in the bathroom; now we have the bathroom in color — a complete color ensemble, a new color charm…. six lovely permanent shades…”
1927 — That’s when Kohler first introduced a complete suites of sinks, tubs and toilets, in six glorious colors. I found this old catalog from 1928 that features beautiful, glowy photos of the bathrooms in the six colors — Horizon Blue, Old Ivory, Spring Green, Lavender, Autumn Brown and West Point Gray. Gorgeous! Golly, though, the Lavender fixtures in these illustrations sure looks like Pink to me. I asked Kohler archivist Angela Miller, and she confirmed, “Lavender does look pinkish in the literature, a little more lavender in person. Although, still more on the pink side.” So there: Among our first pink bathroom fixtures! And blue and green and yellowish and yes, even beige and gray. Continue clickin’ to see the rest of the historic bathroom colors, along with bathroom illustrations that suggest just how beautiful high-end bathrooms could be in the roaring ’20s, before the party shut down –>
The catalog says:
This is an age of color. Recent years have seen a remarkable increase in its use in interior decoration — and not alone for its mere decorative value, but for its effect upon happiness and well-being. Color in the world out-of-doors affects our moods, our outlook upon life. And properly employed within the house, it has a like effect.
The bathroom has, of course, shared in this growing use of color. Bright touches have appeared in towels and rugs and window hangings, and latterly, in shower curtains. It has crept into walls and floor, and sometimes to the very rim of the bath tub.
But there, in most instances, the color stopped. The most important things in the bathroom — the plumbing fixtures — were white. We perhaps got to thinking that they had to be white.
And the like was true of the kitchen and laundry.
Kohler Fixtures in Color: So the announcement of Kohler Plumbing Fixtures in color was really a major innovation. We had color in the bathroom; now we have the bathroom in color — a complete color ensemble, a new color charm…. six lovely permanent shades, of blue, green, gray, brown, lavender and ivory.
It’s so interesting to see the color combinations in 1927. Lavender and yellow and green — why not! Also, I love tile run this high all around a room… and a tub/shower that’s arched or built in: Yum.
Link love:
- See Kohler’s excellent timeline capturing the history of their color introductions — although the color rendered on the computer screen seems questionable.
- Thanks to archive.org for featuring this catalog.
dee says
My apartment still has the tub and sink shown in bathroom plan KA 🙂
Kate H says
“… with a combination shower, overrim supply with Nidecken mixer, and secret drain.”
“Combination shower” = bathtub with shower overhead
“overrim supply” = water spigots that are not attached to the tub
“with Nidecken mixer” = you can turn on the hot, turn on the cold, and the water comes out mixed from one faucet, rather than having cold water come out of a cold faucet and hot out of a hot faucet — maybe Nidecken is a brand?
but … “secret drain”?? What could that be?
Kate
pam kueber says
I think that secret drains are not visible – they are tucked in a notch in the bowl under the where the faucet it?????
Annie B. says
I would’ve had the Spring Green bathtub in ’27 and kept it filled with gin.
How I would adore a bathroom today in any of those colors, but especially that green.
Lauryn says
Oh my, oh my, oh my. These are GORGEOUS bathrooms. I adore the ones where the bathtub is in its own little alcove, especially that stunning arched one. And color!! Let’s hear it for more color. They seem quite decadent in many ways (so fitting for the ’20s), with most of them being the size of our bedroom! Love this post, thanks for sharing.
Brian T says
Save the Lavender Bathrooms!
Sarah says
Yes! Agreed! I have a 1964 lavender bathroom and I just love it! Lavender bathtub and toilet, wall tiles white, walls lavender and floor tiles white and lavender. Never seen another one like it! As long as I own the house it will be saved!
Jean Gough says
Yes, I have one! WIth lavender wall tiles in the tub accented with a lovely white with lavender vein trim near the top of the wall. I love it!
Jordanna says
That Spring Green! Oh. My. Gosh.
I love it.
Old Ivory is beautiful too but that jade green just… ooh. Such a cool colour. The reproduced green doesn’t look the same at all? Like, not even a little?
How amazing is that tesselated floor in that one “delicately bright” bathroom with the lavender fixtures and green and yellow floor? I’m not game, but its astonishing. The checkerboard floor in the pic below it, with the freestanding tub? Just wonderful. I would have that. I can’t figure out how they did the wall columns though, is that all tile? So Nero Wolfe.
Beth says
I always have wondered at what point in design history that home owners became afraid of COLOR. The illustrations are fantastic! I totally love the colors of the fixtures as well as the contrasting tile and decor. I think part of the “problem” now is that owners are afraid that they won’t be able to sell their home if they decorate as they wish. Too bad. My home is colorful and frankly, I don’t care what any potential buyers think. I love it so much, I don’t intend to sell anyway.
Carolyne says
Wow, are those beautiful bathrooms! I can report very accurate uses of those colors, as I briefly owned a 1930 Tudor in New Jersey that had the EXACT color scheme of the third picture, with lavender and green tiles, and the ivory/yellow fixtures. I remember thinking it was a bizarre mix at the time but the lavender was indeed lavender, but certainly veering more towards the pink side of the spectrum than the blue. The color in that picture (not the swatches) seems very accurate. The other bathroom also had beautiful original tile, in black and what looks like the “autumn brown” listed above. Had white fixtures though. Sigh. Didn’t own the house long though -turned out to be too big!
Valencia Bathe says
OMG! This must have been like magic bathrooms back then! Plus the way they display the floors shining like the Emerald City! How marvelous. Thanks for sharing! Really made me smile.
Lynne says
My first choice would probably Horizon Blue, but I didn’t see a large picture featuring that color. Second choice would be the Old Ivory.