These 50s Kentile flooring samples were recently on ebay. I bid on them all, but won just one set. Alas, I have been trying to cut back on building the “Museum of Pittsfield” collection, as my oh-so-patient husband calls it. I’ll tell you, I already have quite an exhibit ready to send cross-country!
Aren’t these incredible? It is so sad that pickin’s are so thin in terms of replicating them today. If you are in the market, be sure to check the “Flooring” Category (in the column just to the right) for the variety of choices still available.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi,
I was lucky enough to find an entire 2-color batch at a Goodwill once, and they went down in my kitchen! I learned that they cannot be layered over other vinyls, etc., so a fresh topping of plywood was required.
Ronn at FUTURES Antiques
Hi Ronn. It’s nice to hear from you. I need to scan my actual samples and put them into a post. They are SO BEAUTIFUL!
OMG, which one did you get? I’m drooling over A and E.
Call me kooky but I’m kind of liking the whole patchwork look of all sample pictures. Especially the first two. If you have an area where it is possible to use this type of pattern…why not?
Too tacky?
These are beautiful. But they look a lot like the asbestos-tile floor we had to remove from our 1950 home, which we replaced with a Mannington VCT checkerboard floor. Are these tiles asbestos-free?
I’ve read that all tiles made before 1981 contain asbestos. The only real danger in having these tiles in your home is if you break them up trying to remove them. Then asbestos fibers can get into the air. Also…if you do have them in your home, you should keep them waxed or sealed. If you have something like a desk chair with rollers on it that constantly wear down the tile, the tile can degrade and minute amounts of asbestos will be in the dust and in the air. (The reason I know this is because the old academic building I work in has these tiles, and we have to get them waxed at least once a year and use a floor mat to keep our office chairs from eating into the tile and releasing asbestos.
Be careful…they are all asbestos…:(
These were just 2″ sample squares that I had no intention of using, they were just for color/design reference. I agree - consult with an expert when determining what’s in your own vintage flooring.
To replicated the look using new products today, I like the 12×12 VCT tiles available from Azrock Cortina. There are some great streaky/slubby designs in great colors. Congoleum also makes some streaky tiles available in their commercial line. And Amstrong’s Imperial Excelon has some great designs, too. All these are listed on the Fast & Easy Flooring page.