Most 1920s Texas bathrooms had an Art Deco style.
America in the 1920s was known as "The Roaring Twenties," when there was a boom in the economy and people enjoyed a high quality of life. This was the age when jazz emerged and black-and-white movies were made. Texas in particular enjoyed this newfound wealth with its high production volume of oil that fueled America's automobile industry. Texans' homes began to be more stylized and bathrooms were given much importance as opposed to the simplicity of earlier decades. Imitating the look of a 1920s style Texas bathroom is easy with a few important elements.
Flooring
Tiles were the most commonly used flooring material in the 1920s. The Art Deco style was all the rage, and black-and-white tiles arranged in a geometric pattern was most often seen. Single-line placement of tiles was also used along with tiles with decorative borders. Most middle-class homes used tiles made of porcelain with a 1-inch hexagonal shape. Other materials that were used in the 1920s, but not quite as popular, were wood and linoleum.
Sinks
The most commonly used sinks were the wall-hung rolled-rim china sink and the single-post pedestal sink that most middle-class homes used. Another kind of sink was the marble-topped vanity and porcelain sink that was attached to the wall with brackets and supported by two nickel-plated legs in front. However, it was more costly compared to the other sinks and was less commonly used.
Bathtubs and Showers
The single sided bathtub that was placed into the bathroom corner was the trend that replaced the economical claw-foot tub. It was completely surrounded by tiles and either installed up on a deck or down into a recessed corner of the bathroom. As opposed to earlier setups where shower stalls were installed in a separate unit, showers were now integrated with the bathtub.
Walls
Various wall finishes were used during the 1920s, including tiles, glass and wallpaper. The tile used in the bathtub enclosure and flooring was also used on the walls. Some walls were also painted with murals and printed wallpaper was an option for those who could not afford to hire an actual painter to paint wall murals.
Color
In the 1920s, all plumbing fixtures were colored white. It was not until the late 1920s that manufacturers such as Kohler and Crane and Standard offered a wide range of colors like black and pastels. Bathroom color palettes tended to be light neutrals such as ivory, beige and pale pastels. As the Art Deco movement became popular in the mid-'20s, color also became bolder with color schemes such as black and yellow.
Accessories
Glass- and marble-topped vanity tables were commonly seen, as well as wooden medicine cabinets. Antique perfume bottles with atomizer bulbs were adorned on the vanity tables. Shower curtains were predominantly black and white or yellow. Frosted glass was also used on cabinets and medicine drawers.
Tags: also used, commonly used, 1920s Texas, Deco style, homes used, marble-topped vanity, middle-class homes