model unit bathtub, Alexandria Hotel (via awecelia)
Someone in Los Angeles made a killing in 1936 selling bathtubs and tile. This is a model bathroom, post 2007 renovation, in the Alexandria Hotel downtown.
To think! I caught the bus across the street from that place for five years and all I knew was that it smelled like piss, was on an episode of the X-Files, and was home to welfare families. I didn’t realize that it had THE EXACT SAME tile and bathtub as Dan’s aunt’s house where we currently live. The same tile, not coincidentally, that’s used in the house next door to us.
I know why they haven’t ripped it out. We ripped the tile out of one of our bathrooms and our kitchen because after 70 years, the cracks were too much. It turns out back in the day? They took their mud jobs fucking seriously. There’s a three inch bed of cement under that tile. The problem is, in Los Angeles that cement will crack eventually. The older the house, the bigger the cracks. Once the underlayment cracks, the tile cracks and nothing is water tight.
The black tile behind the taps is where they obviously tore out old fixtures to be replaced and since no one has this exact shade of aqua/turquoise/jade green tile, the only thing to replace it without ripping out tons of concrete is black.
Also, that’s our same tub. And inset soap dish with handle.
Dude, that tile guy’s descendants are still living off the proceeds of his 1930’s boom time. And actually, I know where they can get more of that green tile if they want it.
