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Formica boomerang in aqua, skylark & coral — being discontinued

pam kueber - Updated: August 18, 2021

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

UPDATE (Oct 2011): Click over to –> this story to get an update on all three sources for boomerang laminate.

If you are planning Formica Boomerang countertop in aqua for your kitchen renovation, you’d better order now. Alas, if you were planning the skylark (light blue) or coral, it’s already too late. Following up on a reader tip, I checked in with Formica, which replied: Formica Skylark blue and Coral Boomerang were discontinued last month. Aqua Boomerang is scheduled for deletion in January. After January 2011, Charcoal Boomerang will be the only remaining Boomerang pattern. Formica further explained that discontinuing a line is almost always based on sales volume. The discontinued Boomerang patterns, although well known and loved, were not keeping up with sales expectations. On a side note, Formica said, a pattern is always available for at least four years. The Charcoal Boomerang has been identified as the best seller, so it is still being produced. Boo hiss, I am a sore loser, in this round, to the colorless colors of the Greige Nation.

Readers, note that I bet, as we speak, product manufacturers like Bars & Booths are stockpiling the Formica Boomerang in the aqua and blue colorways. So the good news is that these colors likely will remain available for some time. The bad news, though, is that these places charge $400 a sheet — compared to the $75 price tag for this laminate currently at big box stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Menards.

I might even stock up on some spare sheets in case there is ever an Unfortunate Incident involving my aqua boomerang countertops.

Get while the gettin’ is good…

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71 comments

Comments

  1. Adam Richards says

    That’s awful they’re discontinuing the skylark! It would be great if some individual with deep pockets would start a company dealing in reproduction mid century laminates. All the classics would be available: linen, skylark, cracked ice, gold fleck… in all colors. But there just doesn’t seem to be a mainstream market for it… yet. Maybe in the next decade or so the economy will pick up, and the mainstream will “discover” mid century modest and redo their homes in the style… to go with our country’s new found optimism for the future (much like the post war years).

  2. Pencils says

    Grrrrr! We’re not ready to do our kitchen yet, and I hadn’t decided whether to do the boomerang or not. Maybe I should figure out how much I’d need, order it, and put it away until we do it or not. I can always resell it on eBay, right? How many sheets would I need for a kitchen with less than seven feet of counter? (No, not kidding. Small kitchen–and I have an island with butcher block.)

  3. Gavin Hastings says

    My favorite original Boomerang; aka Skylark, was white with charcoal and pink shapes. Unfortunately in never re-appeared.
    Hopefully, Formica will return to the archives and bring back another graphic. They seem intent on solids, minerals or woods and the display board looks as if it belongs in the paint dept. Not happy.

  4. Cynthia says

    Well, dang…maybe this explains why it’s taking so long to get the Boomerang countertops for our bathrooms. We are doing Coral in our master bath and Aqua in our powder room. Thankfully, the Aqua just came in and was installed today. The Coral was supposed to be in last Friday, then today, and now they are saying maybe Wednesday. Hmmm…do you think my contractor is holding out on me here??? I hope not…my entire master bath is planned around that Coral Boomerang countertop — coral and gray tile, gorgeous handmade vanity (now painted coral) that we rescued from a 1947 home nearby that was being torn down, light coral walls, etc.

    Now I am not going to SLEEP until I see that baby installed…keeping my fingers crossed…

    Oh, and I agree that if enough people demand it, maybe the Boomerang will come back…in a rainbow of colors!

    • Natalie @ Chadwell Chronicles says

      Ordered mine today! They said they should be in on Monday or Tuesday next week. I ordered the Skylark (which was discontinued 8/2/10 as was the Coral). However, there are still sheets in stock. Your local Formica distributor just has to call the regional warehouse to see what’s there. And from what I understand, if you order 8 sheets of either the Coral or Skylark, they will make it for you until 12/31/10. I am sure that your Coral ones will come though. You just need to get on your contractor and tell him to keep calling the local Formica Distributor. If you want to know who that is, call 1-800-Formica and they would be happy to tell you. Then you can call them and ask them to check to see what’s going on. I hope that helps and gives you some encouragement.

    • Pencils says

      Wow, that sounds pretty. I hate the gray tiles in my downstairs bath, but they might be nice with coral laminate.

  5. Joe says

    I guess that 4×8 sheet of Aqua I have in my garage just went up in value. I’ll have the bidding start at $500. HAHA!

  6. rebecca says

    Gak! I am SO glad my husband and I got Skylark boomerang in our kitchen this summer! It was the last thing to go in, and we waited for a month without a kitchen for it. WORTH. IT. We love it. Go forth and order it, people! 😉

  7. Annie B. says

    Perhaps, in four years, the Retro Revolution will have gained enough momentum to inspire another “comeback” of the Boomerang laminates. It’s my guess that the only reason the charcoal gray colorway is being continued for now is its resemblance to granite. (I will withhold my opinion of granite and Griege out of respect for our Mod Goddess, Pam.)

    I might have to order a sheet of Skylark and a sheet of Aqua and frame them for posterity.

    • Mariah says

      I know, me too! It is in our ‘someday’ file of home improvements. I read this and I am already sitting here figuring out how we can rearrange our budget to buy it now (the aqua) and install it. That would mean the new counters go in before we get a new stove or a much needed new floor for the living room!

  9. Shane Walp says

    I vote they make the boomerang in green-gray-brown to match the apocolyptic color swatches everyone thinks is so pretty. I painted my LR in Pearl Gray. Does that make me an honorary Greige member??!?!

    • Sara in WA says

      No, I don’t think they’ll let you join with Pearl Gray. Sounds too nice. Sorry, maybe next time. 🙂

  10. Natalie @ Chadwell Chronicles says

    Ahhhh! I was hoping you wouldn’t blog about this until next week when my counters were already ordered! I found out about this last week and I am working frantically with my contractor to get these babies ordered and in my house. I am actually just ordering the sheets and will be holding on to them until we remodel the kitchen late this year/early next year.