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Random multi-color slate flooring — an authentic mid-century choice

pam kueber - Updated: November 3, 2020

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

Jeff recently reminded us that random multi-color slate flooring is a wonderful choice for a mid-century home. To be sure, I see this floor all the time in homes I visit from the 40s 50s 60s and 70s. It’s usually in porches, breezeways, or foyers — spots that require a very durable, waterproof flooring material.

(But, I do not see this in kitchens and bathrooms. This floor is, I believe, traditionally used as a transition between the outside and inside, rather than a floor you’d want to live on all day long. That said, in a big open concept contemporary in a hot climate, I can see it being used throughout the house.) Jeff is purchasing his at Vermont Slate Depot, where as today, 10 sq. ft. costs $16.75 plus shipping. I also have seen this floor at my big local stone supply store, the same place everyone buys their patio pavers. So, you may be able to get it locally, as well, and save on the shipping. Design tip: That white grout shown in the photo is not what I’d choose. It will show dirt instantly. I’d have to eyeball it, but at minimum would start with medium gray.

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  1. Anita says

    Pam,

    my 1963 house has natural slate slabs in the entry. I would love to pull up the fake-cork vinyl (dark! ugly! 1980s!) in the dining room and kitchen and replace it with slate tiles like these. Would it be too inauthentic with the large amounts of knotty pine in these rooms (including wainscoting)?

    • pam kueber says

      I don’t know, Anita… The thing about tiles in the kitchen is that they are hard underfoot. Although in warm climates, they can be cool, which can be very desirable. What is your house telling you to do?

      • Sandy says

        The house I grew up in had these in the kitchen. I don’t recall them being too hard underfoot. They never showed dirt and were very durable.

  2. Audrey says

    Call David at Vermont Slate and he will send you some color samples to ensure you get the color you want. Of course, they don’t all “match” as they are a natural stone and there are color variations.

  3. Audrey says

    I have the mutli-colored, irregular, original Vermont slate floor in the entryway of my 1964 trilevel house. I just (last weekend) completed ripping up the industrial sparkly title in the adjacent laundry/bath combo room. I ordered from the vermont slate company and got a really close match to a 48 year old floor. It looks great, and updated, but maintains the original style and integrity of the home.

  4. Diana of Mt. Lebanon says

    Jim, sorry I took so long to get back to you, you may not see this, but hopefully you will. We ended up getting actual slate tile for our basement room entrances. We used Stout flooring, they ordered the slate for us (but I can’t remember where they got it). I went with the slate tile because after I researched our front entrance, I determined the front entrance had slate. Anyway, I highly recommend Stout flooring; they did an amazing job installing this slate. If you use them, you will need to be persistent in finding this tile, they didn’t know where to look, I had to guide them.
    Diana

  5. Valerie E says

    The University of Michigan has large tiles in this Versailles pattern in the hallways of the Michigan League (a Collegiate-Gothic building from the 1920’s) and outdoors on the sidewalks of the Law School. The grout between the tiles outdoors is pretty messed up, but the stone looks pretty great for being walked on by the whole town for over 80 years. I don’t have a mid-century home, my house was built in 1920, but I am planning on buying this for my foyer. Many of the craftsman and Tudor revival kit houses from the 20’s-40’s here in Ann Arbor have this tile in the entrance and on the front porch.

  6. Laura says

    I currently have the multishaped multicolored old slate floor it has this coating on it, is the coating what is making it multicored? It looks kind of bad, it is probably from the 1940s and some of the top coat is chipped off leaving some white. I want to either replace it or ideally just get the ugly (in my opinion) multicolored coating off. Any ideas?

    • Jenny says

      The slate itself is different colors all the way through. Blue-black is the most common color, but slate also comes in red, grey, and green. I’m a little puzzled that where it chipped off it’s white, though; maybe you have vinyl, or tile that’s intended to look like slate? Most of us like the multi-shaped multi-colored slate! Hopefully you’ve learned to love it too.

  7. J Goad says

    Thank you for your comments. My wife’s Dad laid this “New England” slate floor with the random colours in 1952. Absolutely first rate! When we saw the tile on the Vermont slate Depot site we knew we’d like to order it.

    My question concerns the US and our Canadian Visa. We would have to pay the entire cost on our visa and then pick up the tile at a trucking depot. We do not have a way to check the quality of the tile. It could be broken in shipment or not what we see in the picture.

    Does anyone hav e any comments about the Vermont Slate Depot and this order re. across the border into Toronto, Ontario?

    We’d appreciate any advice.

    Seniors

  8. Audrey says

    Thank you, thank you, thank you, for posting this! I have this tile in the entry way and in front of the fireplace of my 1964 split-level and have been looking for more. Excellent!

  9. donna says

    we have this classic in the entryway of our 1965 brick rancher. one of us wants to replace it, but the other (me!) wants to keep it. there’s nothing wrong with it (except it needs a little caulk along the threshold) and it fits the the house so well.

    thanks for your awesome site! (i’ll send you pics of our new marmoleum checkered & bordered kitchen floor here soon. my Capel braided rugs came in; they are perfect. just need to get the camera out and take the shots.)