Peerless now seems to be the only company manufacturing toilets in midcentury colors. This is an important resource for many Retro Renovators, fingers crossed the pipeline stays in place!
2021 UPDATE from Pam: Pastel colored sinks and toilets NO LONGER AVAILABLE from Peerless — sadly, it seems that the company closed down completely in Dec. 2020. Cross your fingers again, though, because I talked to the former distributor for Peerless, and they say they are looking for another option for pastel colored potties and sinks. They promised to let me know if replacement models do become available — so that I can let readers know.
I will keep this 2016 story up for historical purposes.
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Original 2016 story:
I contacted Matt Ford, President of Peerless Pottery, to inquire about which of their products were available in color. He replied:
The model of toilets we offer in colored pieces is (7160, 7660, and 7668) and we now have a nationwide supplier for us. The company name is Trumbull Industries. We offer Dresden Blue, Harvest Gold, Venetian Pink, Beige, Bone, Silver, and Biscuit.
Update May 24, 2016: Trumbull directed reader Ashley to find their products on this site: Bath 1. Ashley advises to also look on the homepage for discount codes. Thanks, Ashley!
Sinks in color, too — “maybe”
According to their catalog, Peerless doesn’t offer any of their sinks in colors other than white or bone, however when I asked Matt about getting their sinks in colors, he replied:
We offer all of them, however, availability is not very high since we do not have many requests. It would be best to call Trumbull Industries and have them place one on their next order. If they get enough requests they may begin stocking them.
Note the caveat: “If” they get enough requests they “may” begin stocking them.
Fortunately: We think that it’s going to be a lot easier finding a pink sink — vintage, than finding a working pink toilet vintage — and even then, a vintage toilet is likely not going to be low-flow.
So folks, if any of your are planning to build or restore a pink bathroom using new fixtures, there are your options.
- An UPDATE (2/26/2106) from reader ASHLEY: “We called Trumbull Industries and they directed us to Bath1, where they said consumers can purchase these retro colored toilets. We searched for “Pottery” and they came right up! They also have a 5% coupon available to use right now!” Thank you, Ashley, we see them!
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Repeating: 2021 UPDATE from Pam: Pastel colored sinks and toilets NO LONGER AVAILABLE from Peerless — sadly, it seems that the company closed down completely in Dec. 2020. Cross your fingers again, though, because I talked to the former distributor for Peerless, and they say they are looking for another option for pastel colored potties and sinks. They promised to let me know if replacement models do become available — so that I can let readers know.
Angela says
What about a bathtub to go with the toilet and sink? Contact that Peerless about that too?
pam kueber says
No bathtubs in colors made today that we know of. Vintage: That’s your answer. Start hunting.
Suzanne says
I grew up in a house that my parents built in the mid-70’s. One bathroom had a medium blue tub and surround, blue toilet, and dark blue sinks. Another bathroom had a green tub and toilet (not avocado but a little brighter) with cheery sunflower yellow sinks, and the powder room had a medium blue toilet and sink like the master. My parents love color and so do I! I know the trend now is white and gray everything with subway tile, but it seems like manufacturers could still keep some nice colors available by special order for those of us who don’t want to join the neutral party. I was able to score a pristine American Standard bathroom ensemble in pink from Craigslist about 3 years ago – tub, sink, toilet, wall tile, and even about 14 sq ft of brand new, custom cream & pink mosaic floor tile that the owner had decided not to install. Those items wait patiently in my garage until I have the time and money to take on my bathroom reno. It is nice to know there is still one place to get pink toilets, if I can get a good color match. The one-piece toilet that came with my set is a very cute, but very short – better sized for my 6-year-old daughter – and it has a round bowl when I would prefer elongated. Hopefully these will still be available by the time I get around making my decision!
Susie P says
Recently downsized and moved into my childhood home. Really want to keep the pedestal sink and flawless tub but the toilet leave much to be desired????
Any resources in New England for jadeite green toilets?
pam kueber says
Vintage. Ya gotta shop for vintage. Check out ReStores, salvage places and Craigslist.
Jason says
I would love to have a RR Delighful Jade vanity top like Kate’s, but I want a green toilet to match.
Melinda says
If you happen to be in northern NJ, Morris county ReStore currently has 2 different blue toilets, 2 yellow and the tanks only for 2 avacado green. Get ’em while they’re hot.
Demian Martin says
Does anyone know if it would be possible to re-porcelain a toilet using the same process as a metal sink? I have three perfectly preserved mid century bathrooms with color matched sink, toilet and tub. All great except the toilets are high flow and use long discontinued parts.
pam kueber says
I have never heard of this being done. Toilets are solid ceramic — the reporcelaining of tubs and sinks is over cast iron or steel substrates.
Rachel says
There are bags you can put in the toilet tank and a little fill interrupter valve to displace some water if you want to make a retro high-volume toilet a little more low-flow in the meantime. Cheap fixes that will save you some water. Better to keep the toilet imo if it’s that well preserved!
Chris says
I just skimmed over the headline photo for the story and thought it said Peerless Potty instead of Pottery. LOL!
ineffablespace says
During the time between when I bought my house (2011) and when I moved in and started on the bathrooms (2013), and now when I am starting on the third and last bathroom, Kohler discontinued colors Sunlight (yellow), Skylight (pale blue), Innocent Blush, (pale pink), Tea Green (pale green), the Mayflower corner bathtub, the Taboret line of fixtures designed in the 1960s or 1970s, and drastically reduced the number of items available in Ice Grey. Toto discontinued its color that corresponded to Kohler Ice Grey.
All of these colors were under consideration (the long gone original bath was yellow, the powder room pink, and other houses in the complex had pale blue. The Mayflower tub figured in one redesign. And one by one all the possibilities started to disappear.
I got one of the last cast iron Ice Grey bathtubs, and ordered some Taboret faucets as soon as they were discontinued as well. I am almost wondering if I should buy two Ice Grey toilets and stockpile one in the basement. (in any case I should buy at least one as soon as I post this because now that I talked about it they will probably disappear, too).
It’s disheartening really that in this age of near complete access to thousands of choices for everything, that all the thousands of choices for bath fixtures are white, or if you go with Kohler, white and various shades of gray for most fixtures.
And in reality, as far as my aesthetics are concerned it seems rather pointless to create a colored-fixture bath, because there are no pink, blue, yellow, or green bathtubs or sinks. The Peerless toilet will be a great thing for people who have vintage baths intact enough that all they need is a replacement toilet, but if you want to create a full bath with a matching suite of fixtures, you are outta luck.
It’s also very difficult to get a really high quality faucet or tub shower set that looks appropriately mid-century. They have appropriate looking inexpensive options available, but I would be concerned about the longevity of those.
It’s kind of ironic that Skylight (2012) and Innocent Blush (2014? 2015?) were two of the last colors to fall, and in 2016 a blush and a pale blue are the Pantone Colors of the year.
Mary Elizabeth says
Ironic indeed!
pam kueber says
You would be amazed at how many emails and comments we get each week asking where to find color toilets, yes, for replacement.
tammyCA says
Exactly. Now that we finally can redo our full bathroom all the pink fixtures are going or gone (and there ain’t been nothin’ at the restore here but leftover Tuscany & greige stuff). It makes no sense to have a pink toilet and possibly sink with a white tub and I’m never going to get a re-glazing again as that doesn’t last & just chips off.
Kathy says
I posted some two-handle shower options with pressure-balance or themostatic valves with midcentury styling in a previous bathroom discussion: https://retrorenovation.com/2016/02/08/restore-1959-vintage-bathroom/
I think most shower options are pretty decent as long as you have ceramic cartridges and avoid too much plastic trim. I started looking over a year ago, and am glad to see more options now than when I first started, perhaps a response to local plumbing codes that require anti-scald type features.
If you are worried about longevity, you can get a commercial grade fixture and add your own pressure balance valve installed between the shower handles and the shower head. There are quite a few options, but you have to be careful it includes a tub connection. Locke Plumbing and Chicago Faucet Shoppe are good sources of commercial grade fixtures, although most websites do carry them. Many commercial fixtures are utilitarian and rather mid-century in style.
Paul says
I’m fine as long as they don’t discontinue the colors altogether.
Mary Elizabeth says
This is useful information, as always, Kate and Pam. It is interesting that the color chart shows Venetian pink as a very pale pink color. I wonder if it is the same as the darker Venetian pink from the 1950s (aka “Bahama Pink” in some brands), which is in Kate’s pink bathroom and mine. Gerber changed the name of the color from Venetian Pink (which is the color of my sink) to Bahama Pink, which is the color of my toilet. People should try to get a color sample so they can tell before ordering.
Frances Caravana says
How do I get a sample of the pink color and is the toilet any higher than the original?
pam kueber says
Frances, contact the company to get this information….