Today, I present 1960s polka-dot Formica Girl in a catfight smackdown against Medusa, the gorgon sister whose monstrous gaze turned mortal men to stone. Guess whose side I’m on? Warning: Uncharacteristic and generally-frowned-upon rant follows.
I have been looking at vacation condos in Florida recently. Everywhere you turn it’s: Granite on the countertops, bigggggg slabs o’ faux stone ceramic on the floors and backsplashes and even UP THE WALLS and not just on the bathrooms walls either. Shoot me.
All these baked surfaces are hard, cold, and they echo. The scale is usually way off. Moreover, the mass of stuff I’ve seen is just cheap crappola Applied All Over the Place. Sorry for my french and for breaking my rule about “not making anyone feel bad for their decisions.” But this mass hypnosis of the American public — which seems to go hand-in-hand with the Greige Nation — is just a crying shame. I am Very Tolerant about design choices. I really truly am. But this fixation on putting granite, faux-stone ceramic, stone and marble on every surface is Not Good. It is Not Attractive. I was not really aware of how bad it was, until I went condo shopping. Stop, America, stop!
I am a big fan of “mixing things up” when it comes to surfaces. Ceramic and/or marble and/or even some granite in the house is fine — in appropriate measures. Wood floors, cork, linoleum, VCT, carpet, rugs = Yes, there are so many choices, mix it up, have some fun! For midcentury modern and modest houses alike, laminate countertops are what’s *authentic* to the period. They usually suit the unpretentious character of the house.
Close your eyes to Medusa. Embrace Formica Girl and all her life-giving polka dot loveliness. Thanks to Formica blog for giving me permission to use their lovely photo. I’m sure they weren’t expecting this.
JKaye says
I have been having my own version of this rant all week, as I have been out looking at dishware. So much of it is of Shrek proportions, with coffee cups the size of cereal bowls, and cereal bowls the size of mixing bowls. I guess it is designed to look the proper scale in these granite-filled McMansion kitchens. But I have a modest-sized 50s era kitchen, and these monster-sized cups and bowls just look ridiculous, and take up too much room. I know I could be hitting the thrift stores or antique malls looking for retro era dishware of the appropriate size, but sometimes, if I am in a store shopping for something, and decide to drift over into housewares to pick up few “normal-sized” cereal bowls, I want to be able to do that! (Whoa, too much coffee this morning from a mop-bucket-sized cup!)
gsciencechick says
If you’re looking for something newer, try Corelle or Fiestaware.
Gail says
Exactly! Those giant plates and glasses won’t fit in my 50s cupboards, and are even hard to fit in new dishwashers. And silverware is bigger now too. No wonder I am fat, filling up a big plate and polishing it off with a big fork!
Pyrexmaniac says
buy vintage……it’s 100% environmentally friendly and the quality is usually higher and the cost is usually lower than the gargantuan new stuff.
chris says
I’m with you — except when it comes to the size of the coffee cup. The bigger the better!
🙂
Jackie says
Crate & Barrel is carrying reproductions of the dinnerware designed by Eva Zeisel in 1952. It doesn’t come in all the cool colors that you could get back then, but the scale might be better. Anyone know if they’ve sneakily “upsized” these pieces?
Zoe says
Hi Jackie, FYI, I don’t think the Hallcraft Zeisel dinnerware, which Crate & Barrel has reissued, ever came in any colors other than white. You might be thinking of the Redwing Town & Country pattern, which came in all the lovely 1960s colors (grey, dusk blue, forest green, sand, peach, rust, chartreuse, and last but not least gunmetal). The dinnerware C&B carries now was always white, although the original dinnerware did come with different floral patterns on top of the white.
And to answer your question, I believe the reproductions are to the same scale as the originals.
(I’m a big fan of Zeisel T&C, obviously — it was my parents’ wedding dinnerware and though they lost several pieces over the years, I have been replacing it — one piece at a time, along with vintage Russel Wright Iroquois pieces (which hold up much better to daily use). And it is all just the right size for my mid-century modest ranch house kitchen!)
Joe says
Pam, There are some original condos here in Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach. If you have not looked in this area, you should. There are several great 50’s/60’s architecturally significant buildings on the beach. There are also a lot of houses that are original. One on my street just sold after the original owner died. Of course the buyer “renovated”. I thought of you when I saw the turquoise cabinets on the trash pile.
Jane / MulchMaid says
Joe, that’s an arrow in Pam’s heart!
Annie B. says
Someone said “granite is good” and all the lemmings plunged off the cliff. Chalk it up to extreme lack of imagination and the need for “confirmity” (just made that up).
Thank you for your thoughts, Pam. I hardly ever get this worked up, but I share your feelings for granite in excess. The cold, hard slabs make me think of a morgue.
However, in the spirit of the RR community, I respect the design choice of those who enjoy granite. To each his own.
Ryan says
Agreed! When we were choosing the finishes for our new-build home (sadly, not in the MCM style — we’ll do our best to furnish it MCM, though) we chose laminate counter tops in a pattern that did not resemble any natural stone. Why go with laminate and try to fake it?
chris says
Hey Pam! I assume you are looking at condos to purchase?
You need to look at houses!!!!!!!! Depending on where you are, Florida has LOTS of little jewels!
I am in GA and I have friends who live in FL — plus a friend who intends to buy something for vacation in Florida.
According to them, there are many, many untouched little pieces of history in the different beach towns!
Stacy says
Lived in Florida for 8 years, and those little cottages are what I miss most. Many of them were built in the 50’s and 60’s. My husband and I used to rent one to get away for the weekend. I definitely prefer them to condo living.
Elaine says
I totally agree! Houses are the way to go in Florida. I found the perfect FURNISHED 1963 time capsule. I couldn’t convince DH to look at a space age looking ranch on a golf course. It was soooo cool, too, with huge windows and vaulted ceiling in the living room. I could see it with Eames furniture and sputnik chandeliers…
neca says
In looking for a home in south Florida last year, we saw a lot that had been rather shoddily “upgraded” by investors (or banks). My husband and I are in the midst of unrenovating our 1973 florida home to something that better suits our taste and lifestyle. Of course, I will cry when we decide to move and I have to leave my boomerang laminate behind!
J D Log says
Hey Pam sometimes it’s just good for you to have a good rant or shout it’s a great stress release and your not alone in your views that’s for sure.
My heart goes to the polka-dot Formica Girl after all I do not want to be turned to stone or even worse a granite countertop
Kate H says
I’m telling you: Group Think has taken over. It’s like suddenly everyone wants to be the Flintstones in the Town of Bedrock. Sad, and unless everyone recycles the granite to headstones or something I don’t know what we’re going to DO with all of it when people get tired of it.
Preston says
Kate, It is as if you were reading my mind.
I agree whole heartedly with the Flintstones analogy. Masonry has its place….just not every place. Give me some color choices.
Yabadabadooooo
kate mckinnon says
Recycled into headstones, PERFECT.
I am weary not only of all of the cold, unpleasant surfaces, particle board cabinets, toxic carpeting, but of the background idea of emulating wealth. The whole marble and granite thing smells more of palace emulation than a good way to live. Which is in a way, what you are saying.
Can we live without so much pretension, and pretend, and go back to celebrating well made simple things?
Someone put a hideous marble tile floor in my pretty old 1950s ranch kitchen, and oh, do I look forward to the day I can tear it out.
kate mckinnon says
Also, where I can get some POLKA DOT FORMICA?
: )
pam kueber says
yup
Lauryn says
Kate, I can’t tell you how much satisfaction I got out of removing the cold, hard, awful tile in my kitchen. It was a lot of grunt work, but I was so happy to be rid of it, for so many reasons. So have fun when you finally do it!
gsciencechick says
Sorry, Pam. I guess most of these condos were bought by investors to flip, so that is probably what you get.
I’m coming out of the closet to admit we have blue pearl granite on our kitchen counters and bartop area. It does work for our otherwise retro-inspired room, and we enjoy it every day. It’s also not a huge area, either.
pam kueber says
gsciencechick, I am sure your countertops are beautiful! We had them once in a 1980s house that we leased — and I liked them. My rant is about EXCESS.
gsciencechick says
Thanks, Pam. We don’t have granite in the baths because it didn’t seem to go with the simple scale of the rooms. Just some good ol’ retro-inspired cultured marble, LOL, but I like it!
James Owens says
Amen sister!