Do you need a new bathroom vanity for your 1950s or 1960s bathroom — but want to keep the look midcentury authentic? Here are five authentic designs for single- and double-sink vanities from a 1952 I-XL Furniture Company catalog recently added to my collection.
These 1950s wood bathroom vanity cabinets are similar to many of the wood kitchen cabinets we see from the 1950s: They feature full-overlay, slab doors with what looks like a radius edge, installed with knife hinges. These are very much in the look of steel cabinets from the same era — except in wood.
The marketing copy says:
I-XL is featuring 5 standard models in the Lavanity Line of Bathroom Lavatory Cabinets….
… 4 popular off-shade tints of Willow Green — Citron Yellow — French Blue — Sandalwood — also White — Natural Finish — and Unpainted.
Lavatory bowls are offered in Spanish Buff — Sea Coral — Tusk Ivory — Spray Green — and White. Many patterns of Formica are regularly stocked from which to round out the color combination of your choice.
The one-piece Formica Tops are trimmed in mirror-finished stainlesss steel moulding — 1-1/2″ face on top, 3/4″ face on back splasher, with 1-1/4″ corners — stainless steel pressure moulding around stink well — water-proof mastic insures water-tight seal around bowl.
… Finish — … heavy coat of water-resistant penetrating sealer — over which is applied the undercoating and final coat of enamel, or shellac and varnish if Natural finished.
Trim — Appropriately large, clear plastic and chrome pulls enhance modernistic styling…. Towel bar of modern design may be supplied as an extra.
Standard sizes available were 25″ wide, 40″ wide and 55″ wide. Units are 21″ deep. Height with installed tops is 31-1/2″ high and tops have 1/2″ overhang.
Formica patterns mentioned included:
- Tan Moonglo
- Gray Moonglo
- Blue Moonglo
- Yellow Moonglo
- Red Moonglo
- Green Moonglo
- Red Linen
- Blue Linen
- Tan Linen
- Gray Linen
- Green Linen
- Mother of Pearl
- Plain Black
- Gold Linen
Above: The 1952 price list. Accounting for basic inflation:
- The smallest unit, $119.80 in 1952, would be about $1,078.82 in 2015.
- The largest unit, $180.20 in 1952, $1,622.74.
These things cost a chunk o’ change back in the day. But then, you did get the factory-painted cabinet, sink and steel-edged countertop.
Above: on the back of the brochure, entising kitchen cabinets, in the same colorways, although we call this style of door a 3/4 overlay.