Can we find a low-flow, centerset faucet with retro style for Amber’s time capsule pink bathrooms? Amber has been longing for her own little piece of retro real estate for years and now she and her husband have finally found it — a 1960 house complete with two original pink bathrooms. Amber doesn’t want to change much (she’s taking our tips to Go Slow with any major renovations), but because she lives in an area that has water usage restrictions, she must replace both of the bathroom faucets with low-flow faucets before the city will turn on her water. The sinks in both bathrooms have single-hole centerset faucets — and Amber wants our help to find replacements for that fit the style of her vintage bathrooms.
Amber writes:
Hi Pam!
I’ve written you before, always lusting after the beautiful original bathrooms people post on Retro Renovation. Well, guess what? My husband and I are buying a new house, and it is everything we have dreamed of — a one-owner home built in 1960 with almost everything original and in great shape. And it has TWO pink bathrooms! However, where i live, we have an ordinance mandating that all houses built before 1993 be upgraded to “low flow” fixtures before the water can be turned on. The shower heads and kitchen faucet are fine (they were upgraded at some point) but I have to replace the toilets and bathroom faucets. I am not so upset about replacing the faucets because personally I don’t like the style of the existing ones (and I’m not even sure they are original – they look more 1970s/80s to me).
I am sad about having to replace the pink toilet – but c’est la vie. Thanks to your site, I found the Kohler Wellworth and I think that’s what we’ll choose. I’m interested in advice on what to use for the faucets, though. I saw the posts about Strom Plumbing and Elements of Design, but I think I will need to have an “all in one” instead of separate faucet and handles, since that’s what is there now. Pictures are attached. Would love any advice you or your readers can offer!
Kate and Pam’s ideas for a retro style single hold bathroom faucet
Amber, for your 1960s bathrooms, we think that a simple, chrome, single-lever handle faucet would be appropriate. And Pam says that heck, she doesn’t really have a problem with the acrylic orb handle — it’s retro — although it’s more difficult to manipulate and clean. Aesthetically, any of these bathroom sink faucets would look good, we think:
- Grohe Eurosmart Single hole 1-handle low-arch bathroom faucet in Chrome — $99 from Home Depot
- Grohe Sway Starlight Chrome 1-handle single hole bathroom faucet — $151.95 from Lowe’s
- Grohe Start Starlight Chrome 1-handle single hole bathroom faucet — $99 from Lowe’s
- American Standard Ceramix 1-handle monoblock bathroom faucet — $289 from American Standard
- American Standard Seva single hole 1-handle low-arc bathroom faucet — $95.97 from Home Depot
- Delta Classic 4in single-handle low-arc bathroom faucet in chrome — $62 from Home Depot
- Moen Zarina bath faucet — $ 160.32 available at Menards
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Meanwhile, we totally agree with Amber that the sinks in both bathrooms do not appear to be original. Nor is that vanity in bathroom #2. Very 1980s, we agree. Amber, if you think that down the line you may Retro Renovate the sinks — take them back to original style — we recommend that today, you spend the least amount of money you need to on the replacement faucets. For this — we recommend that your first purchase be a subscription to Consumer Reports, which does the best job that we know of in researching and then calculating cost/value of house fixtures. Heck — Pam says that when she was doing her bathroom and kitchen renovations, she researched pretty much all her purchases using Consumer Reports. She did not make *every* decision based on their recommendations, but she did depend on their research as another great input.
Another thought: If Amber thinks she may replace her sinks in the future — with one that may take a different configuration of faucet — a quick and easy fix for now might be to get an inexpensive screw on faucet aerator — like this Neoperl Faucet Aerator from Amazon.com. She will need to check with her county regulations to see if this will be an acceptable fix and will allow Amber’s water to be turned on — but this solution could be the most inexpensive and allow her to live in the bathrooms a while before deciding if she would like to keep or change her current bathroom sinks.
Many of the low-flow faucets are marked with the EPA’s Water Sense logo to show that they meet the EPA’s guidelines for water saving faucets. All of the above faucet choices were marked with the Water Sense stamp of approval except the Grohe models above — however they do have maximum flow rate of 1.5 GPM — which meets the requirements for a low flow faucet. Bottom line — double check to make sure that any faucet you choose meets the flow requirements for the county you live.
Megan says
There are dual-flush conversion kits as well that I *think* would work on any toilet, though Pam’s comment doesn’t bode well (given what I can remember of my 50s toilet tank innards vs. the new toilet innards in our house). If they’ll approve that type of low-flow option, it would be cheaper and far less wasteful for you.
Mike in FL says
Home Depot has some American Standard faucets that, while perhaps not perfectly MC in appearance, are not all that bad looking. They also seem to meet the low-flow requisite. Specifically, see their website for “American Standard Heritage Single Hole 2-Handle Low-Arc Bathroom Faucet in Polished Chrome Less Drain …Model # 5400.142H.002”.
KM says
I think some research might be in order. That faucet looks a lot like the original sixties one at my mom’s house.
But I also agree that it’s highly likely that the sink bowl is a 3 hole and that expands your options quite a bit
Ana says
Hi, Amber. Congratulations on the house and the lovely pink bathrooms!
One thing I recommend you do is (since the water isn’t on) remove the existing faucets so you can see the set-up. You might be able to do a 4-inch center set with 2 handles. Then you’ll have more retro-inspired options. I had to replace the faucets in my old house and I never found a single-handle style that felt really retro (that wasn’t hugely expensive).
Check out Moen faucets as most, if not all, are Water Sense and made in the USA.
Lyzzie says
Aww, how sad they will make you remove the pink toilet! This probably won’t satisfy the officials but other owners of retro toilets can “hack” them to be low flow just by putting a sealed soda bottle filled with water in the tank. The bottle displaces the other water that pours into the tank and tricks the fixture into thinking the tank is full thus using less water for each flush.
Sarah g (roundhouse) says
Yes! Love this solution, but I too wonder if they would be ok with that. As my mom always says “you never know until you ask!” ( that’s how we both own the houses we own today!) there may be someone willing to work with her. Maybe fib and say you plan to register the house as historic and not having original details may hinder the process?? Lol it could work… : )
Robin, NV says
When I was in grad school, my landlord snuck into my apartment and put a fire brick in the toilet tank to “save water.” All I knew was that it took two flushes to do the job. Then I opened the toilet lid and found this giant brick. Would’ve been nice if my landlord had mentioned what she’d done. Or asked permission to enter the apartment and do “maintenance” in the first place! Long story short – I’m not sure DIY water saving projects work that well. Best to stick with fixtures designed to save water.
Sarah g (roundhouse) says
Does the toilet really have to be replaced? Can’t the innards be replaced with low flow parts? The toilet itself is just a tank, a shell that can be modified right? I thought I saw this option when I had to replace my toilet’s parts. I don’t know if I’m out in la la land with this notion or not…
Lynne says
I very much agree here. The interior parts should be able to be replaced to low flow. I wouldn’t take out those pink potties until I had exhausted every possibility. However, my husband says no can do. The old toilets have a different tubing/siphoning system than the new low flow units. No such thing a retro-fit kit for an old toilet.
Robin, NV says
I believe Sarah is correct. Pretty sure I’ve heard of retrofit kits for toilets to make them low flow. Also, the sink can be fitted with an aerator that will make it low flow. But I guess it all depends on what the local ordinances require.
By the way – super excited to see Amber’s speckled pink tile. I have the same tile! Only mine is yellow. Maybe mine is original after all.
pam kueber says
I asked deabath once — they did not know of retrofit kits that worked. I’ll be curious to see what Amber’s building inspectors say about this.
Amber Rhea says
I have looked into this. First of all, a low-flow kit will not pass my county’s ordinance. Secondly, retrofitting an old toilet makes for a poor flush, according to my research. However, thanks to another Retro Renovation post, I found that one company – Gerber – still makes a pink toilet! I have been jumping through a lot of hoops to order one, but as of today my order was placed… now I just have to wait to hear how long it will take to arrive, and hope it’s within time for our plumber to do the work! But maybe that will be part of a future post I write for Save the Pink Bathrooms. I’ve been calling it “ToiletGate 2013!”
pam kueber says
You’re on!
Christa C says
I was a kitchen and Bath Designer for many years…and here is the skinny, as it were on retro fitting an old ( 5 gallon and above) toilet…have to go back a bit to the early to mid 90’s when the legislation passed to mandate less water use on toilets. For whatever reason , the plumbing companies, just thought that they could shrink the size of the tank down and everything would be fine. Well, they were very wrong…which is why “low-flow” toilets got a bad rap…they simply didn’t work. You can’t keep a design that was made to work with 3 gallons, or 5 gallons or 7 gallons of water…use 1.5 gallons and expect it to be effective. After many , many complaints and people having to double flush to get their toilets to work (not to mention, people going to canada to buy 3 gallon or above toilets there) … engineering was done, to widen and glaze the traps, redesign the rim jets, and revamp essentially the whole toilet. Now a low flow toilet does not need to be a pressure assist to actually work…and some toilets will actually work with 3/4 of a gallon of water. But the old ones…you can’t make them effective at 1.5 gallons…they just weren’t built for it.
pam kueber says
Thanks for that history, Christa. I remember the days when the first generations of low flow toilets were disasters. Since you don’t hear these complaints anymore — it indeed sounds like the reengineering worked — and that “retrofitting” does not.
Chad D says
Yeah, it sounds like what you needs is not a single hole faucet but a 4-inch center set, which means you have lots of options.
Another option is you might be able to just replace the aerator on the spout. I’ve followed an aggressively green builder in my area that replaces them to make faucets even lower flow than current standards. If you could do it that way it’s probably just a couple bucks a faucet. But new faucets would be an improvement anyway. I’ve always thought the single handle ones were hard to use.
Amber Rhea says
Even if we could just do the aerator, I still want to replace… personally, I cannot stand the acrylic knobs!
Chad D says
and even if you do change the sink tops later, you’ll probably be able to keep whatever you buy. I think most of the self-rimming sinks on the market are made for 4-inch centerset faucets.
Christa C says
there are also low flow aerators, which restrict water usage, to I believe .5 GPM. WOuld those work? Though I agree with Jay about the china bowl….it and the faucet look newer than the tile ( maybe 80’s) and could possibly have 3 holes ( 4″ center set) The cultured marble also…They appear to be stock sizes, so unless you have a custom home, I doubt the builder would have paid the extra to customize a single hole drilling. ( plus, it is possible to drill a cultured marble top if it so happens that the builder did….it smells bad, but that could be an option as well.
Diane of PA says
As Jay says— I didn’t realize that bathroom sinks had a low flow option?!I hate when the locals make you jump through hoops. Did they give you a time period like 90 days or so?
Amber Rhea says
I wish they would give a grace period! But they will not turn on the water if the fixtures are not low-flow and signed off by a plumber or home inspector. For this reason, most sellers replace the fixtures themselves before selling. But ours did not. So they are leaving the water in their name for one week after closing so we can get the work done! Thanks, Diane!
Jay says
I’m no expert but thought I would chime in before the work day started. There is a good chance that the sink has three holes under the existing faucet. Not everyone wants a single handle mixing valve faucet. I have one sink that has separate hot and cold handles and the other sink has a single handle. I think all faucets today are low flow, maybe other readers can verify that.
You have a contemporary sink so if not changing it out for vintage any single handle chrome faucet will look fine. good Luck!
Jay says
I’m referring to the china bowl not the one piece cultured marble sink top.
Amber Rhea says
Yes, it actually is three-hole. (I’m the Amber this post was written about!) Thanks, Jay!