To help you remember, here’s a look back to some of the most colorful examples of popular Kohler bathroom suites from the 1960s and 1970s — before white sinks, bathtubs and toilets once again dominated restroom decor.
Kohler lavatories: Boldly-colored sinks in decorator shades (1965)
Kohler color with a decorator surprise — lavatories in new accent shades
Expresso with Suez tan for a warm, rich look. What a beautiful beginning for bathroom decoration that says nice things about your taste.
The lavatories make a center of interest around which to build your whole decorating plan. And the Suez tan stands softly in the background to make it all come handsomely together.
Accent colors are offered in Radiant, Farmington and Tahoe enameled cast iron lavatories.
JADE WITH CERULEAN BLUE — QUIETLY DARING. Just the right shades to make an unusual combination both compatible and imaginative — lovely to live with.
ANTIQUE RED WITH WHITE FOR PURE DRAMA. The bright splashes of red give you endless opportunities to use adventurous, contrasting accessories and decoration.
CITRON WITH SUNRISE YELLOW. These colors live together in absolute harmony so you’ll love them forever. Yet they offer a decorating surprise that guests envy.
BLUEBERRY WITH ARGENT GRAY FOR ELEGANCE. Imagine what happens when you add accessories and colorful towels in cardinal reds, rich golds and cool blues.
Sixties sinks in accent colors (1966)
Perk up your bathroom with Kohler lavatories in Accent Colors
Fun to be different? Sure it is — that’s the accent color idea.
Instead of going all the way with “a safe, neutral shade,” let your lavatory provide a bold, bright note of contrast.
Play red against white or accent a soft blue with a deep, rich jade. Or do as we’ve done here — use two accent colors, and double the excitement.
Five Sprightly New Tones help you make the most of the accent color idea. Antique Red. Citron. Expresso [sic]. Blueberry. Jade. Each in three lavatory models — oval, round, rectangular. New beauty in enameled cast iron.
Diamond-Bright “Flair” Fittings add the crowning touch. Clean of line, crystal-clear, these new acrylic fittings keep their sparkle.
ALSO SEE: 28 vintage pink bathrooms: See some wild bubblegum-era midcentury home decor of the 1950s & 1960s
Vintage avocado green bathroom suites (1967)
KOHLER’S BOLD LOOK STARTS WITH AVOCADO, THE “GO-WITH” COLOR
A bold new play of color for bathrooms and kitchens! Avocado fixtures go beautifully with any background — the more so with bold room accents to set off their timeless warmth.
Add the crowning touch of new Flair fittings with the golden look: amber acrylic on polished brass. Bring Avocado into your kitchen, too, with Kohler’s spacious new self-rimming sink, the Lakefield. Avocado!
ALSO SEE: Retro pots & pans in the best ’70s colors, like avocado & harvest gold
Retro sixties Harvest Gold Kohler bathroom suites (1968)
Bold colors! Including the color of the year… new HARVEST GOLD!
Bold shapes! A six-foot bathtub… the new Caribbean. And a shampoo center that doubles as a baby bath, too! The Bold look of Kohler!
Lavatories, bathtubs, faucets and more (1968)
BOLD GOLD! New Flair fittings, by Kohler, present a gem-like beauty: diamond-bright acrylic and 24-carat gold electro-plate. As you see in the main illustration, they’re quite at home with any color, from new Harvest Gold, to vibrant Tiger Lily.
BABY’S TURN NEXT! Now it’s shampoo time. And so convenient at the Kohler shampoo center, the Lady Fair, with its wide, roomy basin, its easy-rinse spray arm. Makes an ideal baby bath, too. (You can use it for the lingerie later.)
ACCENT COLOR LAVATORIES! Bold contrast for new Harvest Gold and Kohler pastels. Rimless design for clean appearance, easy installation.
THE WORLD’S MOST COMFORTABLE BATHTUB is the Kohler Caribbean: a full six feet of stretch-out relaxation. Recessed grip rails. Slip-resistant Safeguard bottom. Choose any exterior treatment: sunken tub, paneling, tile, plastic laminates — even run the carpeting up the sides!
THE BOLD LOOK IN KITCHENS. In a sink that makes sense. A big basin for dishwashing; a tidy size for scrapings. No-rim design looks neater, cleans easier, saves installation costs. The Lakefield, by Kohler. Now in 12 colors including new Harvest Gold. (Shown: Tiger Lily)
Vintage ’60s blue Kohler bathroom suites (1969)
The bath goes bold with New Orleans Blue! A new Kohler color, pure as the note from a blues cornet.
New Orleans Blue joins the other Kohler blues: Cerulean, a delicate pastel…and Blueberry, a deep accent. It’s the rebirth of the blues. Bold shapes, too!
MORE: Vintage flower-shaped bathtub stickers – Rubbermaid non-slip appliques from the ’60s & ’70s
The Caribbean, a big (6-foot) luxury tub that installs anywhere: island or peninsula…in a corner… sunken. Do anything to its exterior. Brick… laminates… paneling… bring carpeting up the sides. Safety features? Grip-rails and Safeguard bottom.
For a quick-change artist, there’s the Lady Fair, too. A shampoo center, baby bath, and lavatory basin for every member of the family… with hose-spray and swing-away spout.
Kohler Originals Lavatories in a bold array of flower garden colors (1967)
More colors, shapes and convenience features for every bath and powder room.
(A) Radiant in Antique Red.
(B) Farmington in Blueberry.
(C) Man’s Lav Grooming Center in Tiger Lily.
(D) Boutique in New Orleans Blue.
(E) Round-basin Radiant in Espresso.
(F) Lady Vanity Shampoo Center in Fresh Green.
(G) A new shape, the Rondelle in Pink Champagne.
(H) Oval Farmington in Sunflower, a new Kohler Accent.
ALSO SEE: Check out these 10 fuzzy toilet covers from the ’70s to see totally retro bathroom decor
The enameled cast iron Endurables (1975)
There are products designed to wear out. And there is that which endures. Kohler enameled cast iron endures. Beautifully.
Vintage green toilet that also saves water (1975)
Toilets, showerheads, faucets reduce normal water use 30 to 50%. Efficiently.
Kohler can help you save big on water, water heating, and sewage bills. For example, a Kohler Wellworth Water-Guard toilet can save a family of four as much as 12,000 gallons of water a year. Kohler flow-control shower-heads can reduce the annual amount of water; daily shower uses by 5,460 gallons.
Proportional savings are yours from Kohler flow-control faucets for lavatories and sinks. That’s water saved without loss of efficiency. If you’re building or remodeling, plan to save over the years with one or more of these Kohler water-saving products.
(A) City Club showerhead in gold electroplate. (B) Wellworth Water-Guard toilet shown in Fresh Green (C) Chrome Alterna faucet with walnut patterned inserts.
Fresh Green. New color from Kohler. (1971)
Go on a bathroom decorating safari. As far as your ideas take you — with Fresh Green leading the way.
It’s vibrant. Verdant. Green that goes lush and wild, for the look of a jungle clearing. Or goes sunshine and innocence, to create a spring garden.
Retro blue-grey bathroom furnishings (1978)
Sometimes you need to get away. Away from a world that’s too hard, too fast, too sophisticated. You need a trip to the country. And now Kohler can take you there with Country Grey.
Country Grey recalls things that are warm. And open. And honest. Like kittens and shawls. Fireplaces and weathered fences. That’s country, pure and simple.
That’s Country Grey, simple and pure. A color so perfectly natural, it naturally works with other colors. Imagine how it looks with the pinks, reds and oranges of a sunset. The infinite greens of a forest. Or the blues of a clear mountain stream.
DON’T MISS: Remember retro toilet paper that had colors & patterns?
Black Black Kohler bathroom suite (1972)
Introducing Black Black. Stunningly neutral. Totally elegant. Compatible with everything. Lets you live with tomorrow’s decorating changes.
Vintage earth-toned bathroom suite (1974)
Kohler originals — The Steeping Bath for deep-down comfort. Plus a happy mix of Kohler colors. Great ideas!
Introducing the Steeping Bath … a luxurious 20-inch-deep bath with contoured back, arm rests, grip handles, Safeguard bottom. 13 colors and white. Pictured in Expresso — an accent color.
Also shown, the Man’s Lav in Sunflower, Kohler’s newest accent; Rochelle toilet, Caravelle bidet in Mexican Sand, Alterna faucets in brushed gold electroplate. Fixtures in three harmonizing colors add decorating drama.
MORE: Retro ’70s powder rooms with power color
Colonial inspired bathroom (1976)
Colonial Interlude — featuring Kohier’s newest color: Parchment — the off-white with character. A subtle decorator color.
And nostalgia comes alive in the Birthday Bath, an enameled cast iron bathtub with “Antique” faucets, ball and claw feet in 24-carat gold electroplate.
Notice the sweeping lines of the Rochelle toilet: the Caravelle bidet; Pennington lavatories with “Antique” faucets. The best of what was surrounds the best of what is.
Kohler’s Whirpool bathtubs (1978)
If Kohler didn’t made the best whirlpool baths you can buy, we wouldn’t make them at all.
Retro red and orange bathroom sinks & gold faucets (1975)
Bold color, smart styling, and luxurious 24-carat gold electroplate faucets ass up to a look of distinction only Kohler can give.
Vintage bathroom fixtures for all ages (1975)
Harmony of color. Distinctive styling. Long-lasting quality. Plus water-saving. That’s also Kohler.
For the young, Kohler combines bold, vibrant Tiger Lily with the natural earth-tone of Mexican Sand as a perfect complement to their decor and lifestyle. Rich. Alive and youthful.
For the young of heart, Kohler matches the quiet elegance of New Orleans Blue with the deep luxury of Blueberry. Soft. Sophisticated. And safe… with slip-resistant bottom and safety grip handles on the bathtub.
That’s Kohler. A name for all generations.
Kohler’s desert-inspired bathroom design (1976)
Desert Spring — A world of sun, sand, eternal enchantment. Where warm earth tones complement Kohler’s plumbing fixtures in Expresso.
Step into the 6-foot luxury of the enameled cast iron Caribbean bathtub with elegant Roman spout, safety grip rails and Safeguard bottom.
Touch the quality of the Man’s Lav and Lady Vanity shampoo centers with Alterna faucets in 24-carat brushed gold electroplate. Consider the styling of the Rochelle toilet & Caravelle bidet.
Desert Spring. Kohler can make it your special place.
Kohler’s green retro bathroom furnishings (1979)
The sun streams through the Aspens in the early, of the morning. The silver-green of the leaves casts shadows across the grey of the trunks.
And Kohler captures the ever-changing freshness with a color from the very edge of the forest: Aspen Green. An intriguing, yet subtle color to use throughout your entire bathroom or kitchen.
NOW SEE THIS: 60 vintage ’60s bathrooms: Retro home decorating ideas
One Response
Ah, Harvest Gold. The color of my childhood! The bathroom and kitchen of my parents’ home featured this color all over the place. Even the exterior of the house was Harvest Gold! What an ugly color!!