Pam here. Since Jan. 1, I’ve been tenaciously focused on doing a lot of technical clean up of the blog. This has included going through stories in draft form. And ack! How did I not publish this one? It wasn’t a draft — it was finished and waiting for me! Kate completed it more than two years ago as part of our series about the history of various colors used in bathroom sinks, toilets and tubs. Hence, Kate gets the byline all these many months later! So let’s see her take us through the color lavender in bathroom sinks, bath tubs and toilets in the 20th Century. – Pam >>
The color purple in 20th Century bathroom fixtures
Purple is one of those hues that is either loved or loathed when it comes to home decor — a color even more polarizing than pink. So it should be no surprise that it’s not easy to find a lot of examples of pastel lavender bathroom fixtures in the historical resources we tap. Diving in, I found evidence of lilac / lavender / light purple sinks, tubs and toilets in catalogs spanning 1927 to 1949. But then, we also have some reader and other examples of 1960s bathrooms with lilac bathroom fixtures — so they must have endured to some degree beyond.
Let’s take a look at what we find in the catalogs:
Kohler — 1927 Lavender
A few years ago, Pam wrote about the very first year — 1927 — that Kohler offered its bathroom fixtures in colors besides white. “Lavender” was in the new palette — but is it pink or purple? You be the judge.
Above: Lavender fixtures from a 1928 Kohler catalog from the MBJ collection/archive.org.
Above: We see Kohler’s color lineup 1936 Kohler catalog from the MBJ collection/archive.org which offered a both a distinct pink and Lavender. Lavender appears to have been a focus color as indicated by the larger swatch size above.
Above: In this 1948 Kohler catalog from the MBJ collection/archive.org, we see the whole palette for the year, which includes Lavender. However, by 1949 Peachblow’s popularity overtook that of Lavender and I no longer saw it in Kohler’s color lineup.
You can see by this extensive color timeline on Kohler’s website, that once Lavender was dropped from the color lineup in the 1940’s it was out for good, even while other colors such as pink, blue and green ducked in and out of their color history.
American Standard Lavender — Orchid of Vincennes spotted in 1930
Above images: 1930 American-Standard Orchid of Vincennes bathroom fixtures from the MBJ collection/archive.org.
Eljer — Royal Orchid spotted in 1939
Pam spotted this 1939 Eljer catalog in the MBJ Collection on archive.org that lists ‘Royal Orchid’ as one of their offerings.
Crane — Lavender spotted in 1940
In 1940, Crane offered a Lavender along with Orchid Pink, India Ivory, Citrus Yellow, Pale Jade, and Sun Tan as part of their lineup. Images above from: 1940 Crane catalog from the MBJ collection/archive.org.
But… I spy a 1970s Kohler purple tub:
But wait! We DID see a lavender or purple or lilac by any other name would be so sweet among the new old stock featured in this story! But but but it’s not on their timeline! Unless… is that really the Pink Champagne” as also seen in the back of the photo but with the color doing funny things on camera?
Lavender bathrooms in readers’ houses
Above: Sarah has a lavendar bathroom in her Gilbert Spindel ‘Round House’.
Okay, it’s tile not fixtures, but it’s lavendar in Alexa’s father’s 1951 apartment.
And here’s another vintage Lavender bathroom sighting was featured on the blog: This 1960s bathroom that was discovered because the owner was doing some remodeling in their kitchen and bathrooms and was willing to sell these vintage parts on Craigslist.
For those hoping to recreate their own purple potty palace, remember: Because Lavender is such a rare midcentury bathroom color, if you do happen to spot a grouping of fixtures and accessories out in the wild at your local ReStore or salvage yard, it is best not to think about it too long, because who knows when another lavender fixture — let alone a set — will show up.
See our other stories about vintage bathroom colors:
- The color green in kitchens and bathrooms sinks, tubs and toilets from 1928-1962
- The color pink in bathroom sinks, tubs and toilets – from 1927-1962
- The color blue in bathroom sinks, tubs, and toilets from from 1927-1962
- The color beige in bathroom fixtures 1927-1962
- The color red in bathroom fixtures through 1950
Jayme Gaines says
I recently found a lavender toilet and tiny sink on Craigslist for my tiny 3/4 bathroom remodel. Underneath they are stamped Feb. 1951. I paid $100 for both. I wasn’t actually looking for them, I was looking for a white toilet for our main bathroom upstairs that the previous owners had remodeled and installed a h****** [edited] new toilet. Now I can use the old original toilet from the remodeled bathroom in the upstairs main bathroom.
Maria says
Just last week I saw a free ‘40’s style lavender Pedestal sink and toilet set on Craigslist. With the note “sadly I still have the tub”. Boy would I’ve loved to have owned that bathroom!
Mary Elizabeth says
Wait, does he mean he’s sad to have the tub or it’s sad he can’t sell it to you? If someone buys the toilet and sink set and has a white tub, something can still be done in the rest of the room to pull it all together, such as a lavender and white shower curtain, lavender in the rugs or floor tiles, etc.
Michael says
My 1964 house has a lovely master bathroom in lavander. I’ve never seen another one in real life. it gets comments every time. Some good some bad. But we love it
Maria says
OMG! I would love to see a picture of it! I’ve alwayloved the colored tile and never saw a lavender one!
Jean says
I still have my beautiful lavender bathroom. Sink, toilet, tub with custom white/ lavender tile work, original wallpaper and linoleum in a yellow hue. Gorgeous.
Mary Anne S says
Jean, I would love to see photos of your lavender bathroom. I have a lavender pedestal sink that I got at the Habitat Store several years ago. Waiting to install it when I find the perfect place. I have friends with a 30’s bungalow that has the original 4 inch lavender hex tiles on the floor, beautiful!
Jean says
Mary Anne,
I’ve offered to send pics in to Pam, but she hasn’t taken me up on the offer as of yet. My house has so many original and beautiful features!
Jean
Felicia says
The color palette of that 1927 Kohler catalog bathroom is absolutely exquisite–the teal surround works wonderfully with the lavender fixtures. If anyone actually ever had that plan built, how very lucky they must have been!
Qabbott says
My parents bought a 1966 Deluxe Modular Home (Not Mobile Home) and the main bathroom had the lilac fixtures- tub, sink and toilet. The lavette had a light blue sink and toilet. Mom had lots of fun with purple towels, etc. etc.!
Ronald Nadeau says
Oh my gosh! I miss colored TP so much!!! I wish I could get the lavender and the aqua to match my bathrooms!!
CarolK says
I think it went out in the 70s when some people reacted to the dye in the TP. I’m not sure if the dye was environmentally bad as well,
I’ve read (maybe here) that colored TP is still available, but at a price and you have to know where to look,
Stacy says
I don’t know why my reply was under the wrong name, Oops!
Oh I know it went out…but it needs to come back! I have seen some available but the colors are too neon. Not thepretthy pastels I remember.
Retroski says
I remember it! From the 1980s. I remember playing with and stacking the colored rolls of pink, white, yellow, and blue pastel Scott’s TP rolls! I just liked the colors.
In my current house there is an ancient (late 80s/early 90s, my guess) roll of colored, printed TP in the basement toilet.
And fun to see the last one in the series pop up. I was just looking at some of the other retro colors just last week.
matt says
I rolled a 1935 lavender (Orchid) toilet through a reuse store here and all the women who saw it said, “Ooooh!” and all the men said “Ewwww!” Polarizing, until the matching pegleg sink went to a buyer in NY who had to replace his original one in a 1933 bath, which went with a bubble gum/hello kitty pink tile mixed with what I’ll call Orange Creamsicle for lack of a better word. The oldtimers were not shy about color…
Wendellyn Plummer says
Our house was built in 1965. The “hall” bath had Lavendar fixtures except for the sink. Evidently at some point the sink failed and was replaced with a white sink and contemporary vanity. In 2016 we bought the house and I began my search for the Lavendar sink. It took two years to find the right size and color which I did ebay. It was a bit pricey, but I didn’t want to wait another two years to maybe find a sink. Now, I am just waiting to find the right person to build a period sink base
Primrose Road says
Don’t wait! There’s tons of inexpensive but well designed/well built mcm furniture that’s easy to repurpose. None of my bathrooms have vanities, per se, but used desks, bureaus, etc for a fraction of the cost of new.
Crystal Smith says
My parents built a house 1964-65. It had a beautiful lavender bathroom. I knew several people with lavender bathrooms. This was in Northeastern Ohio. Maybe color preferences were regional since very few lavender baths have shown up on this site. My mom ordered lavender toilet paper by the case from a local department store! Younger people don’t know that toilet paper and tissues used to come in colors! I still love pretty bathroom colors!