Did they make glass mosaic tile in the 1950s and 1960s? Reader Christa wrote me to ask… I hazard an answer… and I provide some resources — for ceramic mosaics.
Christa wrote:
Hi Pam,
I hope you don’t mind my reaching out to you for a little tile advice. I need to do some tiling, and I was looking for tiles that will look as though they could have been original to the house – 1958. But I don’t need to match existing (the ones in place are from the 80s and best forgotten).
I found some Ann Sacks mosaics that I like. They are opaque glass 7/8″ squares with a bit of a brushy surface texture, similar to Bisazza but much less $$. I’m looking at the China White color way — you can see it here: http://annsacks.com/
onlinecatalog/program.jsp?cat= 268004&coll=268304&prg=2356504 My question for you is, do you know where I can find out more about the real mosaics used in the 50s and 60s? Would they have used the opaque glass (sort of like milk glass) or did they only use ceramic? I want the small 1″ (give or take) size with little or no pattern. Do you have any suggestions on where to look? I know about Chippy, but the website isn’t very good and I’m on the west coast so I can’t visit her.
Thanks in advance!
Q. Did they make mosaic tile out glass — or just ceramic — in mid century America?
A: I don’t know. Not for sure. Requires real research. But I *know* they made ceramic mosaic tile — I’ve seen lots of that… and on the other hand, I have never *yet* seen any glass mosaics. That said, it may be that an opaque glass small mosaic tile may not look all that different from a glossy glazed ceramic small mosaic.
In addition, many readers today like the look of the glass mosaics available today — they are so colorful, so pretty. So, they are incorporating them into their remodels to create a retro-modern mix.
Bottom line: Look around — and make the choice that’s right for you.
Christa mentions World of Tile. I do not think that any of the mosaics in Chippy’s mosaic room are glass. If you want to see fairly larged sized photos of the mosaic room and the designs available, see this story and go straight down to the slide show.
Where to get ceramic 1/2″ and 1″ mosaic tile “new”:
- My first go-to source would be the Daltile Keystones collection, with their 1″ mosaic size (there are other sizes, too). Daltile is widely available — I think you can get it from big box stores or from a tile store of any significance. I am guessing these are not too expensive. Several readers have used Daltile Keystones in their remodels — put Daltile Keystone into the blog SEARCH box and, voila! you will get to those stories.
- I also like the look of the 1/2″ Athena mosaics — when these first came out, I counted 41 colors.
- In addition, Daltile has an online tool that allows you to mix your own mosaic patterns. But, if you intend to use this — take the url with you to the store, because the stores don’t know about it, readers repeatedly report. Note, Lauren used the tool — her bathroom floor, which was designed to coordinate with the original wall tile — turned out great!
Lynne says
I have a 1942 home and am redoing the original bathroom. We’ve uncovered the original white hexagon tile in perfect condition, so we’re planning to keep it. We’re gutting the tile around the tub (tile not original but tub is and in great condition!). So I’m trying to pick tile for around the tub (up to the 8-foot ceiling) that will look like it belongs in a vintage home but has an updated look, too. Hard balance to strike. What I’ve come up with so far is large white mat finish tiles with an accent in a vintage color. The accent tile choice is proving the problem. I love lavendars and purples but don’t find a lot that works for an accent. Is lavendar or purple a good choice for a 1942 bathroom?
I’ve found a glass tile that is light green, light blue, and light yellow in long, rectangular pieces (comes in sheets). I thought the colors might be vintage enough to work. Do you have any suggestions for what tiles I could use for an accent that would bring color to the bath without looking like I haven’t updated the bathroom?
Thanks in advance!
pam kueber says
Lynne, why don’t you send us your question as a Retro Design Dilemma. Here are the instructions: https://retrorenovation.com/2012/07/17/do-you-have-a-retro-design-dilemma-ask-us/
Please note, for a 1940s bathroom, I would recommend 4″ ceramic wall tiles, not glass tiles. That is, if you want to be “authentic”. B&W has the best colorways: https://retrorenovation.com/search-results/?q=b%20and%20w%20tile
Lynne says
Thank you! I’ll contact them.
blu says
About the glass 1″ italian tile….. Yes they did make all glass tile in a variety of fab colors. I stumbled across the find of the year this last summer when I found stacks of venetian glass tiles made in the 50’s at an estate sale. I probably have more than 800 sq ft of amazing colors, blues, greens mostly. I have no idea what these gems are worth but I am going to sell the remainder of these tiles after I finish my master bathroom remodel. If anyone is interested in checking them out please email me and we can talk.
John says
Well I got on here all excited to provide an answer…. But it isn’t what I thought. I got the floor plans to my 1956 house, so much coolness gone! Anyway the fireplace had mosaic tile above the firebox and the long gone built in bbq had mosaic tile over the floating hood. These were both ceramic apparently. They are digital copies so its great to zoom in, but I will be printing them out. I have to remove the paint from the brick in the house… looking into dry ice blasting, the claims are that it is more gentle. Not sure if I should wait on the redoing the mosaic until after having it blasted…. That will be years away and I want so bad to do something now that is back to original. The floor plan also said it had a steel shelf for the mantel. I don’t know if that means the entire shelf was steel or if it was like modular shelving where the brackets are steel and the top is wood. I have to say the thought of a stainless steel mantel is something I really like the sound of.
michael says
Pam –
where did you take that picture? I am looking for brown hex tiles like the ones in the bottom right of the picture. I need to match them when I take down a wall in my retro ranch!
pam kueber says
World of Tile, tell Chippy I sent you. https://retrorenovation.com/tag/world-of-tile
Rebecca prichard says
Love the question! That’s something I would ask!
Amy Dietz says
My lovely time-capsule 1964 home has ceramic mosiac tile, and lots of it, just as shown in the Romany-Spartan ad. It’s very pretty and hard-wearing as a counter top. But at 2-inch square, it’s way too hard to clean.
Doug says
Christa,
If you are looking for a small non-glass mosaic, you might want to check out Merola Tile’s “Cosmo Pixie” (also known as “Posh Pixie”) collection. They are 5/8 inch tiles in either white, almond, brown or black that have slight variations in the color and a mix of glossy and matte finishes. Sources include Home Depot, Overstock and Wayfair. They’re less than $7 a sheet, which, if you’ve priced the “Athena Mosaics” is a great price. I just used A LOT of them in my kitchen remodel and think they rock.
http://merola.somertile.com/ProductCatalog.aspx?SeriesId=&Wall=False&FloorWall=False&Mosaic=False&Porcelain=False&Ceramic=False&Glass=False&Metal=False&TerraCotta=False&NaturalStone=False&Other=False&Color1=False&Color2=False&Color3=False&Product=pixie
Christa says
Those are beautiful but the glaze may be too shiny for me. Do you have pics of your own installation?
Doug says
Only some of the tiles have a gloss finish, so the overall effect is not that shiny, at least in the almond. I have photos but am not sure how to get them to you.
Kristen says
Yes! I had the opportunity to visit the Miller House, a MC masterpiece in Columbus Indiana recently. It was built in 1956 I believe. There was a beautiful glass tile backsplash original to the house. You can check out photos here:
http://www.imamuseum.org/visit/miller-house
Christa says
Gorgeous!
Christa says
Thanks for posting, Pam, and for all the information everyone. The Hillwood estate is just a wee bit fancier than my house. I’m starting to think the glass might be out of character with the honest and straightforward materials favored by MCM architects.
I did learn that the Trend line from Ann Sacks is made at a facility in Italy that has been making mosaic glass tile forever, including through the 50s, so someone must have installed them during that time although there are so few photos around other than mansions (again, probably too much for my little place). From what I can tell those old glass mosaics weren’t sold on sheets, and the tile setting would have been extremely time consuming, especially to get those extra thin grout lines that I love. Add in importing from Italy and that is one expensive, glamorous bath.
Another discovery, it’s apparently a PITA to clean. People who install this kind of tile apparently pay a maid to keep them sparkly and mildew free. Since I don’t have a housekeeper and tend to fall on the lazy side of the housekeeping bell curve, maintenance is a real concern.
The look I want is sort of like the post from last week for Mara’s pink mosaic bath (LOVE!), so now I’m looking at ceramic mosaic tile more closely. Specifically white mosaic walls and darkish brown-black floors. I want the open ceilings and big windows to be the focal points, the tiles will be a supporting player.
The hardest thing about this remodel is trying to see as much as I can so I know that I am making the right decisions. I truly appreciate all the information provided by everyone on this site. It really helps.
The existing bath was redone in the early 80s. It’s yellow and olive craftsman tile with thick 70s style grout, and it’s wearing (me) out. Since it’s not original I feel OK about redoing it, especially because I think my plan will be more appropriate to the architecture. My goal is to avoid all the oohs and ahhhs of gorgeous tile and find something that will look great for 40 years (by that time I should be dead and the next owner can worry about it). Most importantly, I’m getting a soaking tub to replace the old standard yellow tub with it’s 8.5 inches of water. The only one in our house who gets a satisfying bath in our existing tub is our 10 lb dog!
Elaine Schuster says
I put glass mosaic in my kitchen right behind my cooktop. It is not at all hard to keep clean. Make sure you use a good sealer on the grout.
Kate says
I used a glass coppery color tile mosaic for my kitchen backsplash:
http://retroranchrevamp.com/2012/08/22/house-tour-kitchen-and-tiki-lounge/retro-chrome-cooktop/
at first, I thought it was going to be too modern looking — but Pam reminded me that copper tiles were often used in backsplashes in kitchens — so I suppose my glass coppery tiles are kind of a more modern interpretation of those.
In the end, I like doing what is historically correct for my house as much as possible, but if you really really love something (like I did with these tiles) then why not. The backsplash makes me happy when I see it — and it is not such a large change that it would be difficult to undo in the future.
Christa says
Your tile looks both gorgeous and appropriate. Nice!