Yes, the company that makes Naugahyde — the name most synonymous with vinyl upholstery — is still alive and kickin’ and selling hundreds different colors, textures and designs of this classic mid century upholstery material.
According to a research trail I took along the wiki, Naugahyde was developed by the U.S. Rubber Company and registered as a trademark in 1936. U.S. Rubber had longtime roots based in Naugatuck, Connecticut, which was the rubber capital of America, it seems, dating all the way back to 1847. Naugatuck –> hence, the name “Naugahyde.” U.S. Rubber was such a major force that it was one of the 12 companies in the first Dow Jones Index, when it was created in 1896. U.S. Rubber became Uniroyal in 1961, is now owned by Michelin, and today has its corporate offices in Sarasota, Florida. But, naugahyde is still made in its longtime manufacturing location — Stoughton, Wisconsin.
Jump over to the Naugahyde product page, and you can see company offers a very large selection of Naugahyde styles and colors specified for all kinds of modern-day uses: medical offices, boats, commercial establishments, recreational vehicles, and more. To be sure, Naugahyde and its competitors producing vinyl-coated fabrics are ubiquitous in the world today, given the durability and functionality of this product.
Naugahyde in retro colors and styles
Of course, Naugahyde also can be used in homes. For example, take a look at the 85 colors in the Millennium Spirit line — these colors seem to have been developed with the retro market in mind. However, I can’t judge the texture based on the thumbnails. Before you buy – it’s always wise to see a sample first. Also, don’t miss the Zodiac line — all sparkly glitter like our vintage Schwinn banana-seat bicycles. I had one in purple and remember it well.
BUT, you cannot buy Naugahyde directly from the company — it sells wholesale only. In a post I did last year, Jan recommended Decorator Supply as a place to get Naugahyde online. Note: I did NOT do formal research on other places — but even with slap-dash googling, I quickly turned up quite a few. I recommend (1) researching what you want on the Naugahyde website, then (2) typing in the product line name, number and color (play around with this) to find online merchants. Again: Get a sample before you buy.
Naugahyde is not the only game in town. I found this company — C.F. Stinson — last year; I also have spotted Spradling online (wholesale only -but good for research.)
Finally, some vintage Naugahyde love in this story: 35 colors of vintage Naugahyde