Landing on our story about a house with six – yes, 6 — colorful vintage bathrooms, Staci wrote to ask:
Q: Where can we buy a vintage sink with the towel racks? We just bought an midcentury modern ranch and have to have the sink! TIA.
Answer: Where to find integral towel bars for your vintage bathroom sink
Sinks with the chrome legs and integral towel bars can be difficult to find — much more difficult than finding just the sink. I often see sinks at my ReStore Habitat for Humanity, but almost never with the legs or towel bars. Perhaps the old chromed items are just too beat up? Pitted or rusted? Or, just discarded in the hustle and rush of demolition.
That said, here are some ideas starting with those that would likely be least expensive:
- Get to know your neighbors — are they renovating? Maybe they have one they will give you.
- Scan craigslist like a maniac. This is probably your best bet.
- Put an ad in the “wanted” section of craigslist.
- Put an ad in the “wanted” section of your local newspaper, especially if it’s super local. This is how I found my sink with original legs, towel bars and faucet some 15 years ago. A woman in the next town over had it in her basement. We hauled it right into the back seat of my car. It cost me $65.
- Scour the ReStore regularly — maybe you can make friends with the management and they’ll watch for you?
- Ebay is always worth checking, especially for the legs and towel bars. Shipping a vintage sink is going to be expensive.
- Check salvage places in your local area. For an entire sink, the closer to home the less the cost — these things are heavy as well as fragile, and shipping will be a bear.
- Check salvage places further afar. Many have online shops and if you’re looking for something very specific I’d also call. One of our favorites is deabath.com.
- Buy new: Waterworks has this set of legs + towel bars, they ain’t cheap, and they don’t include the sink. These do come closest to the original midcentury look, though, and any other present manufacturer that I know of.
- Buy old beat-up and have the legs and towel bars rechromed professionally. I’m putting this last on the list, because I recall being told by readers that getting real re-chroming done is wicked expensive.
Where to buy new chrome sink legs:
You can buy just legs at a few places new today including deabath.com — go for the “Deco” style at the bottom of the page. Deabath also has sinks, and you could ask them to watch for a vintage set of legs and towel bars.
You can also find them on Amazon – Lasco is the brand, you shop elsewhere too. Also check Franklin Brass (Amazon links earn me a commission if you buy). Note, I don’t know how these compare in terms of “heft” to the vintage originals, but I will say: The vintage originals are pretty darned hefty, in my experience.
More research on where to find bathroom sinks for a midcentury home:
- See all my research on possible bathroom sink ideas in the Bathroom Help / sinks subcategory here.
Finally: Please note that old materials and products may contain hazards, so consult with pros to know what you are dealing with so that you can make informed decisions. For more info see our Be Safe / Renovate Safe page.
Lynne says
Tell your local plumbing companies! Call the local guys and tell them to keep watch for you. Same goes for the colored toilets, and kitchen sinks as well as bathroom. Usually they are glad to not have to put them in their own dumpsters.
Pam Kueber says
Great tip! Get to know your local plumbers — I love it!
Bill says
Your local plumbing companies may be able to drop off good used tubs, sinks and commodes at plumbing suppliers yards for reuse. Quite often the plumbers will need one just like it to fit the existing drains, soil lines or style to fit wall hangers. The suppliers usually let consumers get those for free.
Palm Springs Stephan says
Ebay. There are sets listed even now. Just bought a set myself a couple of weeks ago.
Mary Elizabeth says
Pam, as for your #7, I agree that both porcelain and porcelain on cast iron sinks are expensive to ship and likely to chip. For my 1970s green bath, I ordered two sinks before one made it through the shipping process intact.
Diana says
Purchased our clamp on towel bars at a salvage yard a number of years ago (free with the sink)! And the chrome legs at a local hardware store.
Allison says
Check craigslist using the search term “demolition”. This goes for anybody looking for old houseparts.
I found my 1950s birch kitchen cabinets and yellow bathroom fixtures not by using those terms but just looking for anybody selling demolition; found a guy about 3 hours from me who demos houses for a living, and has a whole ton of vintage stuff he never bothers to put in his craigslist ads (he advertises the newer stuff). I asked if he had what I wanted, he said yes and the deed was done. If he hadn’t had them, he said he would run across them sooner or later.
I’m also going to second the idea of a motorcycle shop; even if they can’t fabricate for you, they will likely know someone who can. Or just try a metal fabricator; take a picture of what you want and show it to them, with dimensions.
Aside from the chroming (which is not going to be nearly as expensive as that set of legs and towel racks- whew!) the construction looks pretty darn simple.
I have no doubts you could get these made by a skilled fabricator.
Lisa Compo says
Ohhh. What part of the country are you located? I’m hunting colored fixtures for the time capsule we are tinkering with and collecting goodies. Although it’s all original 1970, I want to back date it a little and change some of the white toilets to colors, still need 2 curved Geneva lower cabinets, hunting boomerang countertops etc…I’d like to contact your guy if near Cincinnati area.
I get so disappointed on CL sometimes because I see something great and people don’t respond about it. 🙁 Just tell myself it wasn’t the one for me. LOL Before we found our house there was a beautiful ming green toilet at our ReStore for a long time. I didn’t buy it having no current need, then when we got the house I wanted it so badly, but due to Murphy’s Law, it was gone and no more forever.
Does anyone know if you can get wallpaper reprinted anywhere if you have a sample of the original? Sellers left me some partial rolls, but it’s not enough to make repairs after we get to remodel the kitchen.
Carolyn says
Lisa, I just read something about Detroit Wallpaper Company – I have no prices, no nuttin’ but if you’ve got a minute to check it out? Maybe something else will pop up with it or just enter “wallpaper reproduction” to see what happens (and don’t be surprised if there are RR entries!)
Jay_1965vw says
Spoonflower print wallpaper as well as fabric. If you could digitise it you could get it printed. Good luck!
Pam Kueber says
Note, check Spoonflower’s Terms of Use. You may need to verify you have copyright permission etc…. I don’t know how this works….
TK says
A couple great-priced options I stumbled on in Virginia CL. Considered driving for the white one, but my own bathroom retro-renovation is at least 3 years off and I have no storage.
White Crane Drexel post-war sink with legs and one towel bar: https://lynchburg.craigslist.org/hsh/d/crane-drexel-sink-vintage/6374594006.html
American Standard light blue/gray sinks, one with legs and integral towel bar:
https://fredericksburg.craigslist.org/for/d/vintage-american-standard/6352758010.html
Carolyn says
I think the legs will be easier to find than the towel holder but Good Luck!
I would try plumbing supply stores and/or industrial/institutional supply stores. They might have reasonable facsimiles. They may not be bathroom sink legs but you might be able to jury-rig something from a lab sink or desk.
Contact your local high school and technical college to see if they offer welding classes – might be a class project. See if there are any “art” welders in your area.
If you’re brave, try a motorcycle repair shop – so, you get a funny look. Isn’t a “sissy bar” just an inverted hairpin leg?
This wish on your list might have to percolate to allow the universe to send it to you. And somehow or another, it will be right under your nose.
Steve H says
Craig’s List is a wonderful resource. That’s where my parents found a pink sink for their bathroom renovation. It was in perfect condition and free! In situations like that you have to act fast though. We purchased new chrome legs very inexpensively at a local plumbing supply store.
Cara says
Yes– demo sales! In S. FL, there are regular demolition sales of older homes and there are salvage companies that hold sales before the houses get crushed.
I got an old gray sink with legs and towel bars just recently, for $30. We had to remove it. There was a blue sink there, too, but I didn’t want it. I hope someone took it.
In my area I had a metal medicine cabinet stripped and re-chromed for about $250. Not sure about legs and bars, though.
David in Marietta says
Idea number 11 could be to look at estate sales in older homes. Picture might have a sink with towel bars or even going to the sale may turn up something. At times the house may be up for a renovation or demo and seller will be willing to sell the sink/or towel bars. Also check in craigslist under demolition, tear down, bulldoze etc. I have also searched down potential tear downs that are on the market and talked to the realtor to put my name in for things I may want.
Mary Elizabeth says
I was at an estate sale last week in which the 1950s home had the original pink and green bath–pink tiles, jade green toilet, tub, and sink with chrome, etc. I didn’t ask about it because I have completed my 1950s pink bath and 1970s green bath project. But I agree with David that one should always ask at an estate sale if those fixtures are for sale. Perhaps the house has already been sold to a flipper or perhaps the heirs of the estate are planning a total demo and will make a deal with you.
My other go-to idea, which has worked for me more than once, is to visit local mom-and-pop plumbing stores. They often have new old stock stuff stored in a warehouse that they can unearth for you.
Pam Kueber says
Great tips, especially the mom-and-pop plumbing stores!
Re estate sales: I still remember the time I tried the awesome vintage toilet seat right off the toilet. No go.