Formica — Retro Renovation

Bathroom vanities made from laminate

Posted by: pam kueber • December 5, 2009

bathroom vanity made from formica When considering bathroom or kitchen cabinetry for a mid-century remodel, I like to remind folks about laminate. This is a material with nearly infinite design choices… it’s relatively affordable… well-constructed, it can last a long time… and it’s authentic mid-century. Over on Very Vintage Las Vegas, Uncle Jack spotlights Heidi and Scott’s mid-century bathroom and kitchen renovations, where laminate was used beautifully. Heck yeah there is more →

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Retro bling: Men’s ties in boomerang laminate design

Posted by: pam kueber • August 17, 2009

boomerang-neckties Reader Lee B. shares this find: Men’s neckties in fabric replicating our favorite Formica Boomerang laminate. $42 from the Brooklyn Museum. The site notes that the boomerang, or skylark pattern, was first designed by Brooks Stevens in 1950 and updated by Raymond Loewy in 1954. The intertwined shapes are called ‘biomorphic,’ and reflect the nation’s fixation at the time with atomic particles & aerodynamic styling. Thanks, Lee. Mr. Retro Renovation is for sure going to get one of these for Christmas.

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1960s laminate: A short history from Wilsonart

Posted by: pam kueber • September 10, 2008

More today from the Wilsonart laminate history archives. In the 60s, laminate colors got, at one end of the spectrum richer and earthier – and at the other end, pop-art bold. Some of the defining trends from the period, this article says:

Color TV was introduced in 1965, bringing us closer in touch with design inspiration from other cultures.
The Mediterranean look – more specifically, Spanish Colonial — gave us both colors and textures like faux leather. “Corinthian leather!”
The op-art, pop-art world was a-flutter. Hence, the iconic oranges, yellows and lime greens of the period.
We loved faux everything. The future is Plastics.
Oh yeah: Squint and you can see avocado green and harvest gold… two colors that stayed with us well into the 70s.

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1950s laminate – Wilsonart provides some history

Posted by: pam kueber • September 9, 2008

As follow up to my post yesterday – with a round up of all the laminates for bathroom counters that are on my radar today – I also recently found this great little history of laminate in the 1950s, from Wilsonart. 2011 update, Wilsonart has taken story down, but here are a few highlights:

Laminate was so popular in the 50s, that a chrome-and-metal dinette cost four-times more than a wood dinette.
Plastic laminate was desirable for its impermeability – easy to clean up.
Another reason for the bright, exuberant colors of the 50s: Colors were rationed in the 40s during the war, when the color du jour was battleship gray.
Speckled laminate — also known as lame’ — was made with real glitter, which was invented in the 30s.
Marble and wood-grain were popular – with many choices still available today.

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Retro style laminate for your 50s or 60s bathroom counter top – an updated catalog

Posted by: pam kueber • September 8, 2008

: Arborite Arctic Angora

: You know I like this pink one!

: I have this one in one of my bathrooms. It is beautiful. Matches a soft blue tile perfectly.

: These three Wilsonarts are my favorite. They are not online or on display – you have to special order them. I hope they are still available.

: I really like this one, too, for the linen texture, which I think is spot-on 50s. Might only be available in Canada – beg, cry, get hysterical

: Remember how, heading into the 60s bathrooms took a real turn toward the “Roman”? All these marbles and onyx’s definitely lean you right into that trend.

: The name says it all: Classic

: May possibly be available only in Canada. Check. Cry. Beg.

: Hmmm. Maybe for a bathroom. For sure good for a kitchen. This is a reproduction of a European design. Also available in a darker grey.

: Maybe. For a really “fun” bathroom. Wall tiles — should match, e.g. PINK of course!

Maryland Nancy is searching for laminate for her bathroom reno, and alerted me that the colorful Nevamar swirlie’s are discontinued. Alas. So, I did another survey — and here is an update of the laminates landscape for bathroom vanity countertops, as far as I can determine. Scroll over each image with your mouse to see the name of the design, and the manufacturer. You can also click on each image, and the name/manufacturer are there just below the image. Heck yeah there is more →

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Atomic Turf green and Atomic Orange laminate from Formica

Posted by: Pam Kueber • April 8, 2008

$Graphics Continuum-Formica 40 Tiles \$ $Graphics Continuum-Formica 40 Tiles \$

Seems like I’m starting the week off with the spotlight on RESOURCES! I was checking out Formica’s site recently – and saw these two new laminates. They both have a nice retro groove, underscored by their names, Atomic Orange and Atomic Turf. Back in the postwar era, there were a number of laminates that had a scratchy-burlap feel. These two remind me of those.

Update, July 2010: Janice used the green Atomic Turf in her kitchen — I love it! Check out complete information about here retro-inspired kitchen here.

Update: Sept. 2010: Erik writes to let us know that Atomic Turf has been discontinued. Drats. If this is what you want, you still might try contacting Formica to see if anyone has any stashed away.

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Magbot shows us her awesome all-formica dinette

Posted by: pam kueber • March 20, 2008

Magbot writes:

Pam, I’ve been following your saga since you first found your kitchen cabinets (can’t recall how I found out, probably mentioned in some other design blog), and swooning over your gorgeous reno. I fervently hope to someday redo a mid-C ranch as impeccably as you have. Heck yeah there is more →

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50s bathroom: Vanity made with Formica laminate, very cool from ’52

Posted by: Pam Kueber • March 14, 2008

I’m having kitchen and bathroom withdrawal, so for Friday how about this most excellent bathroom lav – courtesy Formica, 1952. Seems to me this is something we could absolutely replicate today. Also, a great solution for a small bathroom – if you need the storage space but want the ‘lightness’ of a vanity that does not create a huge square block in the middle of your space.