Linen laminates were among the most popular in the 1950s — I will even surmise the most popular choice for kitchen and bathroom countertops. Continuing to fill out our historical archive, I organized my collection of vintage laminate sample ships… pulled out the document linens… and scanned. Today — close ups of 12 colorways of linen laminate — eight from Formica, four from Textolite. Above: Formica Green Linen — which I am betting was the most popular color. This green is perfect for a midcentury kitchen with wood kitchen cabinets. Sigh.
Above: Formic Tan Linen laminate. Note the weave of the Formica. It is not too sharp / edgy. My “problem” with the linen laminates on the market today is that they are too pokey-looking — sharp-edged industrial rather than soft-edged domestic.
Above: Formica Primrose Linen laminate.
In her thesis — the best most comprehensive history of Formica and its patterns that I know of — materials expert Grace Jeffers (and good friend) says that Linen was one of the first patterns that Formica introduced after World War II. It was instantly popular.
Above: Formica Powder Blue Linen laminate.
Above: Formica Pink Petal Linen laminate.
Super mega thanks to Robert of ElectraChime for sending me the box of Formica paper samples that this pink chip came from. What a generous contribution to my archives! xoxo
Above: Formica Lipstick Red Linen laminate.
Above: Formica Gray Linen laminate.
Above: Formica Charcoal Linen laminate.
Textolite Linen Laminates:
Above: Textolite Daffodil Linen Laminate.
I have only four samples of Textolite linen laminates. It’s hard to tell from such small samples, but it appears the patterns are different — I’d say the Textolite linen weave is less tight… with more chunkies simulating natural irregularities you’d find in a linen thread. I like the Textolite pattern better than the Formica pattern but, seriously, this is splitting hairs. Or threads.
Above: Textolite Tan Linen Laminate.
Above: Textolite Panama Linen Laminate.
Above: Textolite Gray Linen laminate.
Six places to find linen look laminates today:
- I don’t think any of them are as perfect as the vintage (paleeze, why the need to reinvent, when the original is perfect??)… but we have written about at least six companies offering modern day spins on linen laminates — available today. IMPORTANT TIP: Scroll this “tagged” list to see all the separate stories — they are not agglomerated, they were written one-by-one over time as various companies rolled out their designs.
ineffablespace says
This is an older post so I don’t know if this will even be seen, but Neolith, which is a sintered compact, or porcelain, surface has two “Textile” offerings that look a lot like Irish Linen. Black or white only:
http://hgstones.com/product-tag/neolith-textile/
pam kueber says
Thanks. I wish they weren’t so darned… greige.
Patti Cannan says
I have the Formica tan linen in my kitchen now, and it is loving worn out! Many spots where the pattern is rubbed out after 57 years of scrubbing. It’s in my main bath, too. Gray boomerang is in the half bath (yay me!) I bought an untouched 1957 ranch back in October. It’s so nice to live in a house where you can look about and think “I don’t want to change anything!!” Though…I’m waiting for Wilsonart’s Betty to be released….!
Jenn says
The house I grew up in had that Lipstick Red linen formica in the kitchen. One more retro detail from that house that I can verify….it also had a pink master bath and a yellow 2nd bath! The longer I read this site, the more awesome, retro details I realize that house – a late 50’s ranch – actually had.
pam kueber says
ahhhhhh
Jamie@PaperedHouse says
What a great list of samples! I’m about 99% certain that we have the Formica lipstick red color in part of our kitchen. Sadly, it has been faded by years of sunlight and now it’s more of a orange/coral. But we still love it!
Jason says
That Linen pattern was even good enough for the Queen! A few years ago I toured HMS Britannia, moored in Edinburgh, Scotland. I remember seeing the linen laminate used heavily in the galley, laundry and crew areas. (Like as wall paneling, in addition to just counters). Mostly yellow and teal. Looked real sharp!
Mary Elizabeth says
Oh, my! The stamp of royal approval on laminate for all of us Anglophiles. Woo-hoo!
ineffablespace says
The Irish Linen has certain attributes that are lacking in current similar laminates. The Linens are both full representational–they could have been developed from a silkscreen of a photograph of linen–and yet they act as complete abstract because the colorations are simple, and “solid”.
Some of the newer ones have a pattern that is slightly too rigid and grid-like, some of them are too abstract and just a bunch of cross-hatched lines, in essence. The Jonathan Adler stuff is okay, but I find it derivative of the original and a little too harsh and flashy color-wise to work well with the more modest mid-century style of kitchen…too slick for knotty pine or 3/8 partial overlay slab doors, for sure.
pam kueber says
I very much agree. They should just replicate the original 50s designs already. Ugh.
Brandon says
I agree about the Jonathon Adler linen laminate. We ordered samples and they’re all too harsh. I don’t know if it’s time or something else, but the older laminates have a softer look. The bright colors pop without beating you down. We are redoing our kitchen in colors very similar to the powder blue and petal pink. We wish they still made those!
Jill says
Oh how I wish I had known about RR back when I ripped the worn Formica out of my knotty pine kitchen. Sorry to say I installed granite and although it looks ok I would be ecstatic to have put in one of these linen look laminates especially the green!
Anastasia says
OMG That green is amazing & yes would go great with the wood in my kitchen (Even though it’s a rental, it doesn’t have to look like it)
The petal pink is also lush. But My daughter LOVES the powder blue. (The teen boys could care less, lol)
Heidi Leasure says
My grandmother’s kitchen was done in the pink. That stuff stood the test of time. I have a cabinet that was removed from her kitchen with the pink Formica. Sadly, when her house was sold about a year ago, the new owners ripped it out and painted the oak cabinets white. It was a beautiful kitchen that had worn like iron. I was so sad to see that they had done that.
Joe Felice says
I think flecks and gold veins would have been more popular from what I recall.