I just had a good call with B&W Tile, which has updated me that all mid century tile colors are now available again and that there are no minimum orders.
In June, info was that the classic vintage colors were being discontinued… then, that they would only be available in larger minimum orders… and it was not clear whether some colors would be discontinued. So, that was sad news for those of us who loved all those straight-from-the-40s-and-50s tile colors!
Now: Good news that all the colors are back and available. B&W says to ask about lead times, though, as they may not necessarily carry stock.
Over the years, B&W Tile has been a favorite go-to manufacturer for vintage-colored 4×4 field tile. Their Mamie Pink was just about perfect — Kate used it in her glowy wonderful bathroom. As I recall, the company once told me their colors had been in production for decades.
If you are in need of retro color square field tile, there also are a few other companies that make pastel lollipop tile colors that are either (1) pretty good or (2) close enough considering we are a niche market. My list (see the bullet below) spans mass market to high-end custom retailers. Some of these companies have tile available immediately — for example see my update story on some mid century colors from Daltile now available at Home Depot for as little as $2.50/s.f. Others have lead times. Do your research well ahead to time so you know what’s available and how long it’s going to take to get your order.
Thank you, B&W, for the update — and for continuing to offers these classic colors!
- B&W website is here <<
- Note, Clay Squared also sells B&W Tiles and has lots of info on their website.
Here’s some new old stock and retro plumbing supplies and fixtures
https://www.etsy.com/shop/AardvarkRatnick
Not sure what happened to my first comment, but last I checked, the price on these tiles had gone up to over $12/ sq ft. So sad since I’ve had my heart set on these for years!
I have a 1940 Cape Cod house in Northern Illinois with a galley kitchen. Unfortunately the previous owners tore out the original kitchen. The only thing that remains is 2”x2” salt and pepper tiles on one side of the kitchen. I’d like to have a backsplash composed of similar tile on the other side if possible. The closes thing I’ve found is B&W 12W Salt and Pepper tile. Unfortunately mine has more gold flecks in it. I have one tile that popped off. It’s hard to say for sure because of the thinset but it looks like the manufacturer was Olympia (and that the tile is actually 4”x4” but made to look like four 2”x2” squares). However, Olympia wasn’t in business until 1956 (not 100% sure if this is correct) so the tile might not be original but installed in the 60’s or 70’s? I really like it. It looks retro to me. Any insights are much appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Andrea, I know the kind of tile you are describing, I have some in my attic from an estate sale — harvest gold, American Olean, as I recall. I don’t know the era when this style was popular, yes, it could have been later.
I tend to think you are going to have to find this vintage. Several companies that specialize in vintage are listed in our round up story >> https://retrorenovation.com/2019/01/22/12-places-to-find-4-x-4-ceramic-bathroom-tile-in-vintage-colors/
Finally, B&W also told me that they are also going to gear up to do color matching. You could also ask them whether they could replicate your tile.
Good luck!
Thanks Pam! I really appreciate your reply. Good to know that B&W plans on doing color matching. In the mean time… I’ll keep looking. Hopefully there some out there somewhere!
This changes everything for two bathrooms I’m planning now! Yay!
I’m glad to see these coming back. One of the bathrooms in the first house I bought was pink with a gray bullnose border. I still miss it.
Oh my goodness! That is the best news I have heard today! When the new owners took over, they had said they were not going to make any more retro tiles. I don’t know what changed their minds, but I am so glad they did!!
I am putting the finishing touches on my new bathroom and bought my tile at B&W Tile. Since I live in Los Angeles, I was able to go there in person – there certainly seemed to be a huge assortment of fun colors available. I had been a little worried by what I had read – but the whole experience was a breeze.
Love these tiles! We’ve used the pink and mint green to restore 1965 bathrooms and the light blue to create a powder bath for a 1963 house from scratch!
This is awesome news! I sent a message a few months ago abut us redoing our kitchen a looking for 4X4 tile. Next up will be our master bath.
That is great news! Next year I will finally be able to retire (I am in my 60s) and I have my sights set on buying a retirement ranch house in a neighborhood that was built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. There are quite a few mostly original houses there and I will use your fine library of resources to make sure I keep my house in tip top vintage condition. Harvest Gold (or Golden Harvest) is my favorite color and I aim to keep that color going strong in my house especially in the bath and kitchen.
Hooray for harvest gold!
My daughter’s harvest gold wall ovens are still going strong, although there are some glitches (like the auto-clean feature in one no longer working. So she is going to need to replace them sometime soon. There are some available but the wrong size for the space and no harvest gold. So sad!
Note: A comment came in about self-cleaning ovens. I did not approve it because it got specific with recommendations. Readers: On issues like this consult with your own professionals / do your own research.
Maybe an auto body shop could paint new (white) appliances harvest gold? A friend’s husband does classic car restoration, and he sprayed their washer and dryer to match the vivid red of her Coca Cola collectibles.
Good idea to investigate — note, I tend to think that for high heat surfaces you’d want to be sure to talk to professional.