On Saturday, I went trolling around for treasures. I stopped at the new Re-Store in Pittsfield. Usual story: I found a light for $10, a 4-switch vintage wallplate for 25 cents, and just as I was about wrap it up, I spotted the real treasure: 80 inches of gold sparkle laminate, kind of hidden under a pile of wall cabinets among a used kitchen cabinet set. Happy dance. It’s in excellent shape, barely needs a cleaning. It’s 20″ deep — perfect for what I have in mind for the window wall in my office remodel. It cost just $8, and it even fit in the car once we put the seats down, no return trip with the Ranger required.
I actually had a run-in with sparkle laminate just an hour earlier. During my troll, I had first stopped at Scott’s on East Street, to see what was new in flooring and tile. Yes, you can see kitchen and bathroom tile and flooring on the internet, but it’s not like seeing the actual product samples in person.
As the very last minute, I wandered back to the kitchen section at Scott’s, for a quick look at the laminate. Crikey, I got really excited when I saw the White Sequin Formica on a ring. DID FORMICA RE-INTRODUCE IT WITHOUT TELLING ME? Alas. No. The kitchen designer said that the ring was old. And she gave it to me. I think it might be from around 1994, there’s a patent or copyright date on one of the chips.
Note, though, my counter top from the ReStore is not Formica White Sequin. I compared the two, and my laminate has additional colors of sparkles. I am going to guess Textolite — because Pittsfield was a GE town and Textolite was made by GE. But who knows.
READ THIS, gold sparkle laminate-wanters:
No, you cannot buy gold sparkle laminate new anywhere from anyone. Not in the western world, as far as I know.
But if you go trolling regularly… and you keep your eyes peeled… you can still find it vintage, maybe.
Na na na na na na. I have a gold sparkle laminate kitchen counter.
P.S. Sparkly dress worthy of sparkly counter top is NOS vintage from an estate sale at a nearby Lenox mansion. It has the original $125 sales tag still hanging from the sleeve (can you see it) — Truly Expensive way back when. I think I paid $5 or so. I am pretty proud of my treasure-hunting skills, these days, can’t ya tell.
Anne says
It’s all so sparkle-tastic, so sparkle-tacular- I love it! Thank you for the smile this morning!
Amy in Sacramento, CA says
Congrats on your great find, Pam! I love that feeling! (Nice to know the countertop has found the right owner, too.) 🙂
Kate says
Nice find Pam! I recently found a section of white laminate countertop with gold starbursts on it at my local restore for $5, I almost bought it, but it was pretty beat up. Someone wrote on it with pen, broke a bunch of pieces off the edge, gouged the middle of it…if there had been a 24 -36 section in good condition, I would have brought it home with me, but alas, there was not. 🙁
Stacey says
That wonderful dress is upstaging the countertop! OK, how many retro outfits do you have? Have you shown these on your blog yet? (You could work it in with a post on closets – the small closets in most mid-century home fascinate me – so small!)
Elaine says
Oooh, if I found that I probably would have keeled over from excitement on the spot. It is wonderful! The dress, too. I am still fussing over what to put on my countertops in the time capsule and that sparkle would just float my boat perfectly.
Annie B. says
If you should ever wonder why I call you “Pamazing”………….
Tell me you didn’t get the sparkle countertop and that stunning dress on the same day?? My feeble heart couldn’t stand the excitement.
pam kueber says
No, got the dress a few years ago. I love your nickname for me, of course. 😉
Nate says
I find it so funny that you are donning that beautiful sparkly gold dress…barefoot! 🙂 Do you have a cleaning tiara that you wear while vacuuming? If not, I’ll have to find you one! Love it!
pam kueber says
Well, golly, yes, I think I need a tiara. But only if you find it in a Dumpster Dive, okay?
Lauryn says
And when you have your tiara, you will have to dance while you do all of your projects, just like the woman in the Westinghouse film you posted the other day!
Just another Pam says
I thought exactly the same thing when I first saw the photo, Nate. You know it’s a truly stellar find when formal wear is required for the presentation. Too bad Pam wasn’t pregnant and standing in the kitchen, that would be retro ;o)
natalie says
JEALOUS.
i have sparkle counter tops in both the kitchen (white/gold) and the bathroom (PINK/gold) but they are so worn out/stained/warped. the ones in the kitchen are coming up off the counter in places and they are so worn the there isn’t any flecks in the most used spots. 🙁 the sparkles in the bathroom look green because it’s worn down so much. and somebody left a shaving cream can on the counter for approximately ever and there’s a nice rust ring. 🙁 anyway.
get a close up pic! i can’t see the sparkles! 🙂
pam kueber says
Natalie, I just added a close up of my sparkles for you!
Janet in CT says
Pam, from close-up, I can see that is definitely the same formica in my kitchen. Textolite hmm. Never even heard of it.
pam kueber says
Here is my Textolite story — I have chips! https://retrorenovation.com/2009/05/12/vintage-countertop-laminate-from-ge-textolite/
lynda says
Try a little ZUD on that rust ring. It should take it off. Just don’t rub too hard or you will scratch the counter. It comes in a powder or a liquid. It is online, but you should be able to find it in your local stores.
Janet says
Hey, Pam, that is what is in my hosue too! I don’t have alot of counter space, it being a late forties cape, but not only do I have it for the counters, but all the backsplashes are the same for twenty inches up to the cabinets! By the way, when we were in our first house that we bought in 1978, Phil had to take the furnace apart to repair it. Inside and wrapped around the fan, he found a complete ring of formica samples dating back to when the house was built by his grandfather in 1958! I can’t believe that the fan ran all that time and that it didn’t clatter something terrible. I saved it but moved in 1991 and have no idea where it went since then but I do remember it was neat with alot of boomerang samples.
Rick says
Congrats. Pam, That’s what my folks chose in their first new home built in 1961. Pink kitchen and that white, gold fleck Formica®.