I recently added a 1951 Formica “Vanitory” brochure to my collection. A Vanitory is a lavatory (to wash your hands) and a vanity (to powder your nose) — all in one. I love this brochure, because it not only shows 10 Vanitory designs, but also it clarifies that Formica Vanitories were not actually sold by Formica — they were an idea… a concept… the goal was to design your own. In fact, this snapshot of 10 Formica bathroom vanity designs also includes a “Vanitory Imagination Stimulator.” You gotta love the marketeer who came up with that one. Let’s take a look — and I’ve included a slide show of each Vanitory design 1000 pixels wide.
Questions and answers about the Vanitory:
What is a Vanitory? The term Vanitory is the name for a combination lavatory bowl and vanity counter surfaced with Beauty Bonded Formica.
What is the Practical Advantage of a Vanitory? It means room to be comfortable — a place to put things down — handy storage space — convenience of toilet accessories — and of course added beauty and color.
How many kinds of Vanitories are there? There is no limit on the number of sizes and designs of Vanitory units. A Vanitory is not a specific product but a basic idea for better living.
Why Formica in the Bathroom? No other material can match Formica for beauty and down right practicality. Its dozens of cheerful color patterns are super smooth and pleasant to touch. Formica is unharmed by boiling water, alcohol or cosmetics. It wipes clean with only a damp cloth — never needs refinishing or painting.
Does the Formica Company make Vanitory units? No, Formica makes only surfacing materials which are fabricated by a skilled craftsman in your town into a finished Vanitory to fit your own bathroom.
If you’re thinking about designing a retro style bathroom vanity for your bathroom, there are a lot of great ideas… err, imagination stimulators… here!
Slide show of vintage Formica Vanitory designs:
To view gallery, click on any image, it will enlarge, use the arrows below the image to move forward or back:
Jmb says
Wow! I love it! Really makes me rethink my decision to stick with tile in my 1951 bathroom.
Jay says
Great illustrations! Just don’t have the room. I’m still going for the banjo top with an inset bowl and the hinged portion over the toilet tank. Can’t imagine what it’s like to have a huge bathroom to accomodate these vanitories – like the name!
Lisa Compo says
I didn’t ever know that the portion over the toilet bowl had a hinge. I’ve never seen it close enough in photos. I always wondered how in the heck someone could work on their toilet if the counter top extended over the toilet lid. I thought it was poor design all this time. Yes, we learn something new every day—usually on here.
Joe Felice says
Well, not all of them have hinges, and, if the toilet tank is tall enough, it is impossible to get inside to do any work, so you have to end up taking the tank off of the bowl. I lived in a home with that problem. Fortunately, my hand is skinny enough to squeeze in there, and I know my around the inside of a toilet tank “by feel,” so I was able to make adjustments, and replace the valve & the flapper. However, trying to attach the chain to the flush lever with only-only hand is next to impossible. My newest 1.28-gal. toilet has a tank that is actually higher than the counter top, so that type of counter is precluded. Honestly, there is no reason for tanks to be so high. They could very easily be lower and squattier, since there is so-much room between the tank & the seat. If I had a one-piece counter banjo top, I would replace the toilet with a one-piece, low-boy type and be done with it. A friend found a Kohler at ReStore that had a $75.00 price tag, She offered $50.00 and they took it. I installed it for her, and the only thing it needed was a new flapper that cost a couple of bucks.
Lisa Compo says
Am I the only one who thinks the little rhymes are cute? The brochure has that write up at the bottom and puts the idea into a rhyme.
Mom always called them “vanitories”. I always thought that’s what they were called until I got older and heard the term “vanity”. Then I thought vanitory was something she made up. LOL Now I actually know the meaning behind it. We always had vanitories in our houses because the first house I remember living in was brand new in 1973 so we had plenty of Formica around. And of course, shag carpeting and velvet flocked wallpaper—but that’s for another day. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the brochure on here. It’s so much fun to look at these things–it does stimulate the imagination.
pam kueber says
Oh my gosh, I didn’t even notice those!
Robin, NV says
Personally, I love the yellow and lavender vanitory with the towel storage.
As we so often comment on this blog, a lot of the vanitories pictured would only work in a relatively sizeable bathroom. Both my bathrooms are quite small – just enough room for a sink, toilet, and tub. There’s absolutely no room for a vanity. How the original owner raised 3 girls in those bathrooms is a mystery. But then again, my mom grew up in a household of 5 girls (and 2 boys) with one full bath.
Lynne says
Okay, my imagination has been stimulated. But, I’m just not sure I’m going to be able to find “the skilled craftsman in your town” to build it!
I have to wonder where you can even find anyone who knows how to apply the Formica if you can get the base built. I’d love a custom vanity, or two, or even three. One with a slanted front!
I think I may start watching for those old 1950’s and 60’s woodworking DIY books at sales. They touted built in everything back then. There ought to be some cabinetry how-tos.
Robin, NV says
I watched an episode of This Old House where they applied laminate to a custom made storage unit. It’s really not that hard, just a matter of getting the right glue and following the directions. You’d need to cut the laminate to match the pieces of the vanitory – probably as you built it. The only potential issue might be in weird edges or corners but I would think anyone familiar with laminate installation could handle that no problem.
Joe Felice says
When I needed a “laminator” for my retro table top and breakfast bar with ribbed chrome edging, I just went online looking for people who work with laminated counter tops here in the Denver area. I sent them all e-mails, and only one responded that he would be able to get the materials and make my custom items, so, naturally, I chose him. He turned out to be very good, so I have since had him install all new kitchen counter tops with integral sink, shelves for below the end of the breakfast bar like they had back in the ’50s, and a new vanitory top for the master bath, also with integral sink. I love built-in sinks, because there are no edges or lips. Dirt doesn’t get stuck, and the entire top is able to be wiped down and everything just wisks into the sink. Of course, these types of custom fabrications are not inexpensive! My guy had me over to show me his workshop, which was really a converted garage in the back of his house, but he had more samples of metals and laminates than I ever knew existed. An added bonus was that he lives in a neighborhood of custom ’50s and ’60s homes, including a 1957 Alcoa showcase home. And I converted him to the appreciation of MCM designs.
Lisa Compo says
Your comment reminded me of something I have seen a few times and maybe has been a feature here. I do so much retro research it’s starting to blend together in my mind. LOL
Anyway, there is a guy in Florida who custom builds the vanity/vanitories with the slanted fronts. The bathroom pictured looks very nice. Thought maybe you’d want to check it out or at least it could give you a lead in the right direction. I really like the slanted front ones, too. Seems like it would give you a little more leg room.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-1960s-style-vanity-cabinet-custom-made-for-your-retro-bathroom-/281170042443?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41770a5e4b
Robin, NV says
Ooh! I love this. The price really isn’t that bad either, considering that you’re getting a custom piece. Shipping is really the only kicker.
Lynne says
Lisa! Wow! Thank you SO much for replying to my comment. I went to the link you supplied, and it is just exactly what I was talking about. I think I would have to contact the man about a custom size, but I thought his prices were really reasonable.
I would like to have mine in a walnut Formica wood grain!
Pam and Kate, I wish we had a forum for conversation. We could help each other out so much with ideas and information.
pam kueber says
Tried it before. No one participated. It was a supreme hassle.
52PostnBeam says
Really? I recall being quite the content creator in the old forum of 2009-2011-ish. I think Facebook may have replaced that arena.
pam kueber says
I had a second forum. That one?
52, as you know, running the Forum as it is, is difficult for me. I have spent literally THOUSANDS of dollars on it, too. I just cannot start another one.
pam kueber says
Also, readers, if you wanna chat with each other you can use the existing Forum under “All other stuff”: https://retrorenovation.com/forums/
Lisa Compo says
Is there any way to create a “Rolodex” (good retro thing) type of thing somewhere..or a tab that says “Members” and then those of us who are interested in being contacted by each other could sign up as members? We could sign in somehow for privacy, then it would have a little bio of us and our email address or something. I know we keep suggesting this…just trying to find a simple way of getting correspondence to each other. Thanks if you can think of something easy for us. 🙂
pam kueber says
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RetroRenovation?ref=ts
Lisa Compo says
Hi Lynne, You are very welcome for the link. I like the vanities he makes, also. Like a few people suggested, you may be able to find someone local to make one very similar to it. Heck if you are a good DIY or have a crafty hubby, I think it could be easily done…well maybe not finding the Formica or applying it skillfully enough, but it might be worth a try. I hope you can get some ideas or someone to make one for you..that would be great.
Tom says
Hi Lynne,
Any custom cabinet maker worth his salt should be able to make something that would suit you, including the Formica. My wife’s dad did that kind of work out of his garage for years and had enough business that he never really had to advertise, so you might have to really ask around rather than looking in the newspaper or whatever. If you have a wholesale lumber outfit nearby, ask them who their customers are and that should get you some leads!
Mary Elizabeth says
Lovely addition to your catalogue collection, and hence your readers’ electronic collection.
The picture in the brochure with the little girls at the two sinks remind me of a family story. My cousin Carol, who married and started a family early (age 19 and 20), designed and built her first and only house with her husband in the late sixties when she had two girls and a baby on the way. They did everything on their own, with family members helping in the construction (and offering unsolicited advice in the meantime). She must have seen the double sink “vanitory” in a magazine or brochure for Formica, because that’s what she designed for their main bath. I had never seen anything like it before, and several members of the family couldn’t understand why she needed two sinks in an oversized vanity counter and a large mirror over them. (“Why spend the money on two sinks in the same bathroom?”) She had the last laugh when she had three daughters in their teens! Two could be brushing their teeth while the third put on makeup. It was very practical. Even for a married couple without children, two sinks in the master bath is a great idea. Wish I could put them in one of my bathrooms, but I never have had room for them in any of my homes.
tailfin says
What a fun brochure and concept! I absolutely love the “Imagination Stimulator” too! I can’t tell from the brochure, but did Formica register the term “Vanitory” as a trademark?
JKM says
When I was little in the 1960s, the bathrooms in our 1964 house had extended Formica countertops that swooped back and extended over the toilet tank tops for a long, linear look. The mirrors above extended the entire length, which made average sized bathrooms seem twice as big. One had to lift off a portion of the countertop to remove the toilet tank lid. The builder’s imagination must have been stimulated. I think we must have had Vanitories and didn’t know it!
Olivia says
I wish the word vanitory had caught on. 🙂
Mike S says
“Vanitory” may have caught on if Igor had said it in some spooky movie. “Yes, master. If you want me, I’ll be in the vanitory.”
Kkmk says
Thanks for sharing this! The examples show a huge range of styles. A couple are fairly traditional, a couple look Eames-ish and the avocado beauty with a central storage area would fit on a Star Trek set. I also love the color combinations – orangey peach with forest green, royal blue and rust red, and yellow/light blue/gray.