05/15/2026
WHO REMEMBERS THIS TILE? (first photo)
And where do you remember seeing it??
We now know more about the history of ceramic tiles than I ever expected to. 😂
We have a knock off of this specific tile in a project we are wrapping up. (Fingers crossed y'all, because every time we think we are wrapping this particular project up, John finds a new issue that needed a fixin' and as of yesterday! 🤞🙏)
This first tile is a 1960s Romany "Spice Green" wall tile. Probably spice because its got little flecks in it, if you look close. Romany tiles were a prominent line of ceramic tiles produced by the United States Quarry Tile Company (USQTCO) and later the United States Ceramic Tile Company (USCTCO) in Canton, Ohio (ironically, where my paternal grandparents moved to when they left coal country and my Grandpa went to work for US Steel).
Romany tiles were peaking in popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s, known for their durable, glossy, and vibrant, colorful, and sometimes beveled, finishes, these tiles were staples for residential, commercial, and institutional applications.
This (second photo) is the bathroom we are currently working to remodel. The previous owner of this property probably had this bathroom remodel done in the early 1980s, according to family. But plastic wall tile was used that were produced as early as 1950 as an alternative to ceramic, commonly referred to as polystyrene tiles or by brand names like Stylette, Tilecrest, and Wilson. These tiles were popular for mimicking the glossy, marbleized, and pastel look of Romany ceramic tiles, but at a much lower cost.
Fifty years later, much of the glue used to affix the tiles to the walls has yellowed with age and became brittle. While working on the floor in this same bathroom to repair some extensive water damage, it became apparent we would either have to reglue all the plastic tiles, or maybe upgrade t if we wanted to keep the same look but have a longer lasting material. (I'll blame our floor tile guy, because he made the floor look so good the walls started sticking out.)
We chose to upgrade to something that would be durable for the next life this bathroom will see, but we wanted to keep the same vintage design and vibe the previous owner had.
Well, that’s an easier and cheaper task said than done. While some of the Romany tiles are still available from vintage tile dealers, using vintage tile would increase the cost about 10 times. So, we had to go on a quest to find a mid-century modern tile that was similar, because no one currently makes an exact replica of Spice Green, and having any made specifically for the project was also quite pricey.
So, we found a good deal on some discontinued tile made in the same color wheel as mid-century modern tiles, and I cannot wait to reveal the amazing results of this remodel and what our plans are.
(I am so in love with this whole project and almost wanna live there myself!)
