My stacks of vintage kitchen and bathroom brochures have been taunting me lately, so Ms. Scan I Am. This 1954 brochure from Crane is a beauty. Crane was top-of-the-line when it came to bathroom sinks, toilets and tubs. Gorgeous products! And, 1954 was an interesting year: America was just beginning to move into a new era of post-war styling, yet, with many of the same pre-war Streamline products.
Because these brochures were meant to be aspirational eye candy, there were very very talented interior designers working on the mockup rooms: They were fearless in their experimentation with spacial organization, materials, colors, pattern, scale — it was all so modern. The genesis of this blog was my collecting materials like this and scrutizining every single detail so that I could consider how to replicate these looks in my own house. So today: Let’s scrutinize some of the most beautiful and highest quality bathrooms of … 1954.
Above: We know it as a “Cinderella” bathtub, but in the Crane line, it’s the Neuvogue Receptor Bath. I love the color combination in this bathroom: Light blue, medium blue, coral and brown — warm, wonderful and today, unexpected.
The catalog cover was targeted at the Mrs.
Note the tropical wallpaper. Has everyone noticed how palm leaf frond wallpaper is So Popular again today. I *think* they know it’s retro.
The color palette in this one is very well done — while kind of “somber”, which keeps it pretty “neutral”, the designers added interest with materials, pattern and design. The color-values of the tile on the tub surround are particularly well done; the tile mix on the diagonal is pretty wild, but because the colors are toned down and used only around the tub, the overall effect does not “scream”.
It’s milady-from-the-cover’s bathroom: A before and after! Again: Lovely colors. That green is one of the most timeless colors ever.
This bathroom is a harmony of neutrals, anchored by beautiful Crane French Gray fixtures. Note the mix of materials: Ceramic, glass, wood, cork, vinyl, grasscloth, laminate, chromium, boucle.
Above, indeed: “Even the Smallest Bathroom has Room for Charm.” Because, golly, this is how big most everyone’s house was, in 1954.
Crane bathroom colors in 1954:
- Pale Jade
- Citrus Yellow
- Shell Pink
- Persian Red
- India Ivory
- Sun Tan
- French Grey
- Sky Blue
- White
Interestingly, this brochure has no Mamie pink bathroom. In ’54, Mamie madness was only really getting started; buckle up.
Above: Interesting that Crane would sell you a wood-look laminate vanity too. Note, they seem to have postformed the Formica countertop right around the usually-tiled- or hudeed-in sink. The text explains:
The Modular Unit illustrated here has two Crane Criterion lavatories with a Formica counter-top. Base cabinets include hamper, drawer, utility, and lavatory…. Modular cabinets are made of wood and have a laminated plastic bonded facing which provides a beautiful and practical finish. The top and sides are available in a selection of attractive patterns and colors.
Crane sinks, toilets, tubs and hardware from 1954:
Above: Note they have a Swing-Away Tumbler and Toothbrush Holder. Surely this must have been made by Hall-Mack. But who knows!
Thank you, Crane bathroom designers of 1954, for all the great ideas! You must have been mighty proud, and deservedly so.
Carol says
The blue bathroom with the pocket door for the toilet and curtain for the tub dressing area is GENIUS! I’ve always loved the T shape, although, I’ve always seen it done with a shower. Thanks so much for the blue bath pic. I like this much better than a Jack and Jill bath for 2 bedrooms to share.
Max says
The bathroom in my 1926 house had been renovated in the late 1980s and was pretty boring and beige. The original bathroom in the house would have looked something like the “before” picture in the Crane catalog. I was planning on a blue themed bathroom, and was lucky to find a Crane Oxford toilet in sky blue from 1950 at a local Habitat for Humanity store. A few week later, at the same store, I found a 1948 Crane Oxford lavatory, also in blue. I don’t know if the two pieces originally came from the same house and were put out for sale separately, or were from different houses due to the different dates. It was a very nice coincidence for me to find them, especially the small lavatory that was needed to fit in the existing space. The Crane fixtures are nicely made. I rebuilt the Dial-ese cartridges on the lavatory faucet and it has worked without a problem since being installed a few years ago.
Several visitors have commented on how they like my “new” blue bathroom, I like having a bright and cheery colored bathroom in my house.
Carolyn says
“Updating an old bathroom” – that’s funny! Again, everything old is new again.
It’s a wonder you get anything done, Pam. I’d be reading and poring over this stuff for hours. I couldn’t pick a favorite on a dare.
Wendellyn says
Love the sliding door idea. I believe they call it a “Pocket Door” today. I wish more houses had a compartment style bathroom, today. Our 1965’s Master bath is very simple. First area which is open to the bedroom has a large vanity, small sink, pocket door for the toilet and shower area. No storage for washcloths or bath towels? What the previous owners did was put a cabinet above the toilet to hold wash cloths and towels. Amazingly the half bath in the lower level has a huge closet. We guessed for beach towels for the now filled in pool! Some things just never make sense…..
CarolK says
I’ve seen pocket doors in a house that dates from the 20s or 30s. I think they’re charming. I’d love to put one in our “master” bath which is mostly a master bath by being the en suite to the master bedroom. I don’t think we could although we could install a barn door type door. The idiot that renovated out bathroom some years ago installed an elongated toilet where you can’t open the door fully. He had the whole floor open so why didn’t he move the toilet? He could have moved it to an entirely new location or just turned it so it faced the window. I would love pocket doors between our dining room and living room.
Mary Elizabeth says
I, too, was impressed with the design of the baths, particularly the T-shaped layout with the sliding doors that fits in a mere 5’X7′ bathroom.
My favorite colors (besides the pink) are the Pale Jade and the Citrus Yellow. Bring back those colors, “sanitary wares” folks! Are you listening?
Elizabeth from Texas says
I adore colored fixtures! My contractor informed me that “they” still sell colored fixtures and showed me a website with ten different colors. Unfortunately, they were each merely a different shade of beige or grey. NOT what I had in mind! But at least one company still sells blue and pink toilets and sinks, and I’m thankful for that!!
Pam Kueber says
Yes: Peerless: https://retrorenovation.com/2016/02/15/pink-gold-blue-beige-toilets-where-to-buy/
ShariD57 says
Yes indeedy – “50 shades of ‘Greige'” – how inspiring!! Not…..?
Sorry – sort of – I just couldn’t resist….?
Robin, WA says
I bought the Elayne sink in India Ivory from our local builders resupply last year for $10. I would really love to find the toilet and tub to match. I was actually out this weekend trying to find them! How timely this article is! My house was built in ’55, so this is perfect.
Pam Kueber says
that Ivory color is DIVINE!
Robin, WA says
When I saw the sink sitting in the dirt in their back lot, I knew I had to save it.
Phil says
Thanks for posting this Pam. I enjoyed seeing the difference between the US Crane fixtures and those we had in Canada.
I was recently surprised to see Criterion fixtures advertised here in Canada too around the mid-1950s but most of our Crane fixtures were a bit different from those that were sold in the States.
Mary Elizabeth says
Phil, thanks for the information on the variations of fixtures in Canada. Somehow I thought North America had one set of standard styles in each company.
Phil says
I found a few Crane ads in French Canadian publications
This ad from 1958 shows the lucite handles that were newly available on the regular Crane Dial-Ese faucets. There are plenty of interesting ads and houses from an interesting rural neighborhood of Beloeil QC on pages 38-47
There are also other ads from Crane’s various subsidiaries such as Canadian Potteries and Port Hope Sanitary in the same issue of that magasine. Crane Canada also had Warden King heating equipment.
http://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2673725?docsearchtext=cannel%C3%A9e
For those who don’t mind the French text, there’s a lot of stuff to find on this website!
Here’s a search for “Crane Criterion”. “La Revue moderne” from September of 1951 shows a Criterion sink. Other links show other Crane stuff.
http://numerique.banq.qc.ca/resultats#0000164898f0000000380fp2270041
Here’s an ad for the toilet I have at home! http://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2673799?65
Phil says
The second link I posted above didn’t work, hopefully this one will.
http://numerique.banq.qc.ca/rechercheExterne/encoded/Y3JhbmUgY3JpdGVyaW9u/false/P/desc/W3sibm9tIjoiY29ycHVzIiwidmFsZXVyIjoiUGF0cmltb2luZSUyMHF1w6liw6ljb2lzIn1d/Toutes%20les%20ressources/false/false/eyJmaW4iOnsiYW5uZWUiOjIwMTgsIm1vaXMiOjUsImpvdXIiOjd9LCJkZWJ1dCI6e319
Carmen G. says
I really enjoy the creative layouts; space saving while paying attention to traffic flow and use. These days (new home) bathrooms seem to all have the same set up which doesn’t support privacy, multi-use, or traffic flow.
Siobhan Greene says
Amen to that! I would love a larger tub, shower combo! Love the colors.
Paige says
I love how we avoid the vile word ‘toilet’ throughout the entire brochure!
Old color print was so vibrant. Thanks Pam!
Anna says
Because I used to read the huge loose-leaf plumbing catalogues that my dad brought home from work (!), I know that a lavatory is a sink and a water closet is a toilet, or in this case, a ‘closet’ is toilet.
So every time I see the current designery usage of ‘water closet’ as a separate room for a toilet in a huge bathroom, I think, big deal, I have a toilet too.
p.s. my parents’ house has two Swing-Aways