“Fake butcher block countertops” are another one of those original vintage house features that I often hear called “hideous” on other websites. (Crikey, how I have come to seriously dislike that word — it is overkill, please refrain.) I, on the other hand, not only have “no problem” with butcher block laminate, I am 100% on its side, especially for late 1960s and 1970s homes. I even put some in my house. I asked Formica, and they report that their butcher block laminate — the pattern shown at the left — has been in production since 1972. How is that for enduring! I did some research, and found only two manufacturers that still make 1970s-era butcher block laminate:
- Formica 204 Butcherblock Maple (pictured above) and
In fact, I ordered butcher block laminate for the countertops in two areas of our house. Now, don’t be put off because neither place is glamorous like a kitchen. But, first, we ordered butcher block laminate to make a countertop in my husband’s basement workroom. It sits on top of two old Ikea playroom storage thingies that weebit no longer used — as I recall, we paid $75 or less for this piece of countertop from Home Depot. I’m kind of fuzzy on the details, but as I recall, at the time we put this in, Home Depot carried this countertop as a stock item — you could walk right out the door with it. (Everything back there is faux granite.) I’m also fuzzy on the maker of this laminate. I’m thinking it’s Pionite. Reason being: When I was finishing up our kitchen, we had aquamarine cabinets left over that I installed in the garage. We needed countertops made to size for those, and, yes: We ordered butcher block laminate, again. I’m pretty sure they were Pionite (now discontinued), for some reason that’s what’s stuck in my brain, and I tend to be good remembering silly details like that. For the two sections in the garage — manufactured to our size specifications and including a corner turn — I think we paid around $150.
As we know from trying to buy Formica boomerangs: Anytime you can buy laminate or laminate countertops for the Big Box stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards, etc.: You are going to save big bucks vs. going to a specialty place.
And above: Wilsonart Truss Maple 7972 appears to be a sleeker version of butcher block. And here’s the look in dark oak.
Hey: Butcher block laminate is “authentic” — and the price is right. Don’t let anyone else sway you because it’s “dated.” Didn’t you hear: The ’70s are B-A-C-K.
jacque says
I have this countertop and it is INDESTRUCTABLE!!! I have put burning hot pans on it with no scorch marks left behind and I even slice and dice and the counter and no scratch marks! I am completely blown away by how nice they still look for having been installed in the 70’s!
pam kueber says
well I wouldn’t recommend that, but thanks for sharing!
cynthia says
in the late 70s i loved faux butcher block (i’ll call it fb block for short). i had a set of fb block bookcases in my first apartment as a very young newlywed, bought from the “door store” – remember that chain of mod rta furniture? and used fb block counters for the kitchen remodel of my first house,(paired with medium oak slab door cabinets from merrillat, and almond appliances – very “in” back then! all in laminate, of course. since beige, brown and other earth tones were all the rage back then, fb block was a “natural” match for 70s color schemes by the way my first sofas were parsons style done in haitian cotton which was super popular in the late 70s!
JKaye says
I like the faux butcher block. A few years ago we looked for a piece at the ReStore. Couldn’t find any, but we did find a piece of the almond from the 80s that Annie B. referred to, and it now is on top of the 60s era wooden cabinets in our kitchen.
mobile_home_dude says
Responding to one of Joe’s comments: Isn’t laminate flooring simply a version of formica that we walk on? My mom had it installed in her kitchen about 7 years ago and I’ve never told her that it looks almost like her formica butcher block counters. Even mom has commented how slippery it is, She had to get rubber backed rugs to prevent the rugs from running all over the floor. My first thought when I heard of laminate flooring was “Formica on the floor? Won’t that be slippery?”
Kelly says
I’m a big lurker here and this is my first post. I just wanted to thank you for posting this! My husband and I bought our first home a few months ago – a 1966 raised ranch. The previous owners were the original owners so we have a lot of vintage decorating in our house. The kitchen counters are exactly this butcher block laminate! I don’t know if it’s original to the house, but before your post I had no idea what the name for it even was. So, thank you for educating me once again! I *love* this blog! ;o)
pam kueber says
Well, howdy do, Kelly, and now that you have come out of “big lurker” status and I have moderated and set free your first comment, you can comment galore! Welcome into the party! 🙂
Kelly says
Aw, thanks Pam! :o)
Joe says
What’s amazing to me is the amount of memories brought back by just a glance of a butcher block formica sample! As a kid growing up in the 70’s, I spent a ton of time in a lot of homes in the then-new subdivisions and nearly every kitchen had this. It reminds me of how much more FUN and COLORFUL things were back then: kitchen appliances in coppertone, avocado and poppy; Sears’ Merry Mushrooms and Corningware Spice O’Life kitchenware; Armstrong and Congoleum no-wax vinyl sheet flooring in wild and colorful patterns; people made “sun tea” and homemade yogurt; and, last but not at all least, EVERYONE had something cooking every day in a Crock Pot sitting on their butcher block formica countertops. Today, I know far too many people who mock and ridicule the use of formica in a kitchen; all they know is stainless steel/granite/subway tiles/laminate flooring and decorating the rest of the house in shades of greige. I’ll take daring to be different any day over doing what everybody else is doing. It’s very entertaining for me, when my friends who hate laminate and fake butcher block tell me how much they LOVE my marble countertops, and I have to tell them that it’s Wilsonart Laminate in the Italian Marble pattern, circa 1987 (which still looks brand new despite daily heavy kitchen action).
MCM is Grand says
Well said!
jeanne says
I make sun tea! 🙂
Annie B. says
Joe, you just made my day.
Thank you!
Laura's Last Ditch--Vintage Kitchenwares says
It sure is a whole lot more classic than granite! Viva vintage, even the “dated” stuff! In 10 years it’ll look better than their granite, and those with it will get the last laugh.
lynda davis says
We built our contemporary house in 1977 and most of my friends used the laminate butcher block counter. We decided to install a real 2″ maple butcher block counter. Our kitchen designer thought we were crazy and so did my friends. Well…the friends have all replaced those laminate counters and we still have our real wood counter. I say go for the real wood, it is a 70’s look. I got the idea to use wood from a popular magazine.
Elaine says
I have had real wood, in my case it was pine in a completely knotty pine house, and I loved it. The wood was durable and repairable, and it always looked good.
jeanne says
Confession time. I never wanted to admit this on this here blog, but here goes…
The first house my husband and I bought (in 1981) was built in 1948. We replaced the red (not sure if it was linoleum or laminate) countertop that had metal edging with a fake butcher block laminate counter top. *blushes* I wallpapered the kitchen in a modern/country plaid wallpaper (wedgewood blue background). I hung a pot rack on the wall above the stove. “Country” decor was popular in the early 80s, and the butcher block sort of went along with that style.
On a positive note…you sure cannot beat the wearability and longevity of laminate!
pam kueber says
We all committed such offenses to the RDGs.
MCM is Grand says
Before becoming a convert to MCM, I tore out and disposed of a perfectly good NuTone Bathroom fan…….Pam, I think “confessions” could be a stand-alone post on this blog!
paula says
I had this in the house I just left. The house was built in the mid-80s but since it was built by a single older man the finishes were more 70s than 80s (which I was thankful for). That laminate was in perfect condition when I got there and perfect condition when I left! I don’t know who made our laminate but it wore like iron. I am not a careful person, I prepared a lot of meals in that kitchen, my kids spent a lot of time in that kitchen, but there wasn’t a single injury to that laminate anywhere. I wasn’t crazy about it against the wood cupboards (not enough contrast in color for my taste) but both were just so well constructed, so sturdy, I couldn’t bring myself to change either of those things.