The California sun glints off the cherry-red signage as palm trees sway gently in the background, creating a quintessentially SoCal tableau that belongs on a vintage postcard.

More than 70 years ago, an auto parts maker had an it’s-so-simple-it’s-brilliant idea — replace your car’s oil filter with a roll of toilet paper.

Designed by Cathy Chapman, a salvaged pine header crowns the range while walnut countertops carry up the wall as the ...