1950s Style Toilets

Availability

• Many original 1950s-style toilets remain in good working order in the ranch-style homes constructed during this period. Authentic toilets from this period also can be purchased from salvage yards, flea markets, Internet auction sites and dealer inventories. Some of these authentic fixtures, especially ones that have been removed from their original locations, require refinishing or retrofitting to comply with modern building standards, advises the website Info.com. Some retailers make reproductions of 1950s toilets in the original colors but with updated plumbing.

Design Heritage

• The colorful toilets and bathrooms of the 1950s are ''a wonderful part of our home design heritage,'' according to the Save the Pink Bathrooms website. The website, dedicated to preserving historic midcentury bathrooms, was launched in response to the homeowner haste to rip out 1950s baths and replace them with less colorful fixtures and tiles. Pink -- perhaps the most iconic color associated with the toilets, tiles and sinks from this period -- was in homage to Mamie Eisenhower, first lady from 1953 to 1961. Mamie adored pink, wore a pink rhinestone gown to her husband's inauguration and redecorated the White House private quarters in pink, according to Save the Pink Bathrooms website.

Water Consumption

• A downside of salvaging an original 1950s toilet is its inefficient use of water. According to the Consumer Research website, toilets manufactured in the 1950s used more than 3 gallons of water with every flush. It wasn't until 1994 that the first water-efficient toilets hit the market. At the time of publication, most new models use 1.6 gallons of water per flush. The most efficient toilets use only 1.28 gallons or less per flush, but some of them have weaker flushing power than the early models.

Design Tips

• Whether you love or hate your 1950s toilet, designer Joan Kohn recommends celebrating the authenticity of its design. Kohn, author of ''Joan Kohn's It’s Your Bed and Bath: Hundreds of Beautiful Design Ideas,'' suggests incorporating accessories from the period into your bath design. Examples include a vintage radio, Andy Warhol print, vintage magazine covers, framed advertisements or even a 1950s chenille bathrobe hanging from a hook. To keep the space from looking outdated, add modern elements as well, Kohn suggests.