In the early days of plumbing, everything was white: The sink, the tub, the toilet. And there’s a reason for that. When you think of the color white, what do you think of? Clean? Sterile?
That’s exactly what manufacturers wanted you to think, and it’s why many of the first products were white. A Kohler associate publication from 1928 explains:
“Take the case of plumbing fixtures. There are only two reasons why they remained white so long. One was that white was thought to be the appropriate color to symbolize cleanliness. The other was habit. The plumbing world got into a rut of white fixtures…” Kohler of Kohler News, February, 1928.
Along came the 1920′s, a decade known for its fashion and fun – an age of color. Suddenly, a room such as the bathroom could be beautiful as well as functional. Colors first began showing up as accessories: Towels, rugs, curtains, etc.
Then, in 1927, Kohler Co. asked the question, “Why not color in plumbing fixtures?” Kohler introduced six colors that year: spring green, horizon blue, lavender, autumn brown, old ivory and west point gray.
This new color selection positioned Kohler as a leader, the first to introduce vitreous china and enameled cast iron products in matching colors. Customers could finally purchase a full, colorful selection of bathroom products.
Ads in the December 3 issue of the Saturday Evening Post and the December 17 issue of Liberty magazine were the “official” announcement of the new Kohler colors.
Kohler went on to add the industry’s first jet-black plumbing products in 1928, which were showcased in a Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibit in 1929. However, during the 1930′s, with the U.S. in a Great Depression and World War II on its heels, Kohler slowed much of its color production for a couple decades.
Stay tuned for our next installment on color, as we dive into hues of the 1940′s and 1950′s.
28 Comments
This is wonderful. I spent a few delightful hours touring the museum at the Kohler Design Center last fall, and the old advertising images were so evocative — colorful reflections of every decade. Readers of http://www.daily5REMODEL.com may see references to this blog post soon.
I have enjoyed the colors of old bathroom in my homes I have lived it, it will be exciting to be able to get replacement fixtures to match existing… especially efficient toilets in colors to match existing Bathtubs without having to change out all the original fixtures! Thanks
Kathleen:
When you begin changing the fixtures out one at a time you will never match the original color ever. In order for all of your fixtures to be the same color you must order them and then wait until the production run is fulfilled for your color to be produced only then will your fixtures be color true because they were manufactured from the same lot number. I hope this helps.
People are still interested in the colors. I wish that you guys could incorporate some of the former colors into the current color charts… Thanks Tim Millwood
Those colors are great! I guess it took a while to evolve to Harvest Gold and Avacado.
As showroom manager of a decorative plumbing showroom,it has been very interesting to see how colors come into vogue and slowly sunset in popularity. I have noticed in the past 10 years or so people seem to often play it more safe with color,often times choosing white or biscuit.
I wonder if the time will come again when homeowners will choose a different color for each bathroom as was the case in the 1990′s. What is going to be the next “HOT” color that will supplant biscuit???
I have had the same experience as Kathleen – many of the rentals I lived in during my college days had pink bathrooms and I would remodel in a heartbeat if that were available today at an affordable price!
So many purchases are made online now, why not take advantage of that and offer colors that way? The retail giants may be a bit skittish in stocking with a bunch of different colors and using up their limited stockroom space, so a color of the month could be featured and available at stores and the other colors could be ordered and drop-shipped? Just a thought…Love the info, Thank You!
We just bought a house that was built in 1974. We have an orange sink and black toilet in one bathroom. A brown sink in the kitchen. The main bathroom is completely pink with pink toilet, pink bidet, the man’s pink hair washing type sink with soap dispenser and microphone style sprayer and the woman’s pink hair washing type sink with a round sprayer! Everyone wants to come see our pink bathroom!!
The colored bathrooms are so cool, the pink bidet must be awesome! I have 2 kohler bidets in my house, one is tea green with gold fixtures and the other is white with oil rubbed bronze fixtures. I’d love to do a pink bathroom with the brushed gold faucets. I have a vintage kohler magazine ad with pictures of a pink bathroom, including the bidet. I love it!
I’d like to say how sad I am that you’re discontinuing the Ankara suite. I wanted that for either my next house or remodel.
I work in the Pottery Glazeroom at Kohler of Kohler. I’ve been lucky enough to see and make alot of colors for Kohler since being in the department since 1977. Kohler is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition in the colors that we have, and are producing!
The history of Kohler colors is US design history; however now we would associate this palette with spring and colored eggs. In 1930, the names of the colors were evocative of other experiences. Is there a history of color naming?
I grew up in a house with a yellow bathtub, toilet and sink, complemented by chocolate brown and yellow formica and cholate linoleum tile, and yes, chrome fixtures. The tub and toilet have been replaced, but the sink and countertop and custom birch cabinet are still in fine operating order — more than 50 years after they were first installed. I am sure the fixtures were Kohler. Was it “lemon” yellow?
What is also interesting to me is that we love our wall to wall vanity mirrors, but they are no longer in fashion. Let’s stop renovating to achieve a 30′s look and consider the more functional 50s-70′s!
Hello–this is Mark at Kohler. Thanks for great comment! You can browse the history of Kohler colors here: http://bit.ly/xycIhD Let me know if you’d like more info–happy to help.
I had a beautiful burnt orange sink installed in 1975! It was wonderful. If it was available today, I would do it again.
Hi Sue–this is Mark at Kohler. We currently do not have any plans to revive our discontinued colors, but you might try Peterson’s Plumbing (406-682-7385) and Unity (603-465-9400). Both of them sell discontinued Kohler products. Happy hunting!
I lived in a house that had black fixtures in the bathroom. Not only were the fixtures black but so were the walls. The one wall that wasn’t painted had a black and gold veined mirror. But it was a big room and could handle the dark color. The ceiling, floor and woodwork were white. I really loved that bathroom.
Since that time I have had small bathrooms and have not been able to be that bold.
I have a 1930′s home. Would LOVE to do the bathroom in West Point Grey!!! Any chance of this Kohler color coming back?
Hi Corinne–this is Mark at Kohler. We currently do not have any plans to revive our discontinued colors, but you might try Peterson’s Plumbing (406-682-7385) and Unity (603-465-9400). Both of them sell discontinued Kohler products. Happy hunting!
I had a light seafoam green sink and toilet when we put a new bathroom in our house back in 1985, I was tired of white at the time. We just remodled this past year by putting a granite top in greens and black and I purchased a Kohler tea green sink that matched the toilet I had. Everyone says it is a perfect match. The vanity we had was built in solid oak and still looks brand new. I replaced the knobs on the vanity with chrome New chrome vanity lights and a mirror. I had a dark bronze before. I love the new look. My next project is the shower.
Sirs:
I would give anything if you would re-release gold fixtures. My house was built in 1968-69 and the one bathroom is in that color with amber tile floor and vanity top. It is really breathtaking and one of the reasons we bought this house. The bathroom fixtures need to be to be replaced (my grandson dropped the commode lid and broke it into two pieces) but I cant’t stand the thought of white fixtures and biscuit doesn’t do much for me either.
Please, please, please!!!
Janet
Love, love, love these colors and the wonderful ads!! There are many who would buy these fabulous colors, if only they were offered.
i’m obsessed with getting an orange toilet + sink
I am glad you are writing about colors in the bathroom. Our house was built in 1968. We have
two bathrooms; pink toilet and sink in one and baby blue toilet and sink in the other. You
help putting passion into my way of looking at our bathrooms. I am looking at them with
new eyes now and say: I love the color in our bathroom. Thanks.
Reene
But there is a problem with colored fixtures. My blue bathroom needs a new toilet seat. It’s going to look pretty bad with a white one, but that’s all I see in the stores.
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Kohler offered 5 different colors in vitreous china in 1927. I have beautiful 27″x22″ Pedestal sinks in vitreous china In ALL 5 Colors. Most are dated 1930 with the model #,size and date, and KOHLER USA on the underneath side of the sinks. They also have the original faucets. They are all for sale. Graham Plumbing Supply, 1-800-888-7827,Raytown MO.
Katie- You might consider a wooden toilet seat. You could have a painter (or DIY) match the blue of your toilet and paint the seat in a washable/wipeable enamel paint.
I have a lovely teal 1951 tub with matching sink (a blue sink too) Am trying to find them a new home. They are in great shape. I also have a tub of matching tile-maroon, teal, and blue. I really don’t want to send them to scrap. UGH! t.ritenour@gmail.com for pics and location….They are beautiful but we had a water issue and had to pull them out. Gotto love the Kohler product that withstands the test of time.
I have purchased many diferent Kohler colors for Kohler Plbg Distr’s in the past 24 years and feel Lavender from back in the 20′s would be a great color to bring back and reintroduce.