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.
Brian T says
So now when somebody says, “Pam, if you love gold-flecked Formica so much, why don’t you marry it,” you can show them this picture of the happy couple and say “I DID.”
Michelle Drenckhahn says
My house has an original still installed. With full backsplash…. 🙂
it is worn a tad but I still love it!
Kat says
Great find! How perfect that it was found by someone who will cherish it!
Uncle Atom says
Great score Pam! Note to Formica Co. Lurkers: give us this stuff again! There is a market for it.
Dottie says
As if I didn’t adore you enough already, you found that amazing gold laminate counter AND wore a matching spectacular gold ensemble! Well played, lady–well played!
Lisa says
Pam: First of all, the dress is fabulous! Second, glad you got your sparkle countertop. A few weeks back, I posted some photos of the mid-century bathroom in the apartment I’m renting. The countertop and cabinetry are all sparkle laminate. Yummy!
Rick S says
Pam,
great job finding your treasure. I don’t think any of us would have thought the Formica gold sparkle would 1 day be rare and hard to find. My grandma’s kitchen counters/backsplash and table (seated 12) were gold sparkle. Her kitchen was remodeled in about 1945 and she got her first stainless steel sink and gray and burgandy tile floor.
She still had the wood stove for cooking and heat. Electric stove came in the late 50’s.
rick
Suzanne says
Yay! Nothing like finding treasure. I love the sparkles. When I did my final walkthru for the house I bought, there were still many items from the owner that her son did not yet haul away. I asked him what he was going to do with them. He said, give to Goodwill. I told him that I would take anything he did not find any sentimental value in. There were 4 maple chairs, a padded rocker (also in maple), maple buffet, hutch and writing desk, plus tons of dishware & glasses. He could not believe I loved them…along with the old wallpaper. I sure hope he doesn’t change his mind and decided there is value in his mother’s old pieces.
Laura Richardson-Gentry says
One of the reasons I bought my house (among many) was that I loved the g9old sparkle laminate in the kitchen. Did I say i LOVE it??
Congrats on your fabulous find!
Janet says
First off, I apologize for hijacking this topic to promote something of great interest to me on the formica subject we are discussing this morning. I have a turquoise vinyl sided buffet that I found in Maine years ago, currently buried/stored out in the garage. I have never seen one other than a couple similar ones at the same shop in Maine. Imagine my amazement to find a similar one in gray formica on craigslist this morning for Niagara/Toronto area. I think you would all be really interested in seeing it so check it out. This one is mostly formica whereas mine is vinyl wrapped on the sides but it does have similar etched glass sliding doors. I would guess it is the same company and possibly Canadian made? Has anyone seen one or does anyone have one? I think it is SO retro fifties with that gray formica. Pam, if you find this to be inappropriate, I understand if you feel the need to remove this post.
http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/atq/3160884286.html
pam kueber says
np, Janet. I have seen a few of these in my time. Very cool.
Just another Pam says
I’ve seen them in grey, white, red, black and be still my heart…barely looking to have been used…..pink….the table, 8 chairs, the cabinet and the d@mn you fate….sold sign. To some evil tourist from Hog Town (Toronto) just to make it sting a little more. Saw one in red and grey once with the matching rocking chair….too cute.
Never turquoise though but I know they made them so maybe yours is from Canada or, not for the first time, both our countries were making them.
Janet in CT says
Pam and Pam, I have never thought to search under “formica” and did so in the Toronto area and found several of them! I now think they may be made by a different company from the one that I have. Mine has tall swing-out sections on each side with shelves on them and are more rounded/contoured with fancy feet. Kind of the same idea but a more sophisticated modern look. Love them though! The turquoise vinyl on mine has silver quilted looking threads through it and is really cool!
hannah says
Hi Janet – I’M IN MAINE!
Question: Which shop is it that you’ve seen these? Please tell me it’s in the Portland area!
Comment: LUCKY YOU! 🙂
Janet in CT says
Hannah, sorry – I found it at the Big Chicken Barn up in Ellsworth. Because my husband metal detects and takes two or three detectors on vacation, we go up in a pick-up truck. We also found a gorgeous Heywood-Wakefield modern bedroom set and a set of six rush seat ladderback chairs up there that we hauled back. He keeps saying we should take the car so he isn’t always hauling stuff back down here! We saw THREE more buffets on subsequent trips in maybe a four month period, which appeared one at a time. One was that dark teal green and off white, one was a weird light limey green and pale yellow and the third and last one we saw was gray and red and was a western looking saddle style look with the tack trim all around it! I like mine the best of them all. The same dealer had all four and I can’t help but wonder if they got them from the estate of someone who sold or collected them. I really need to unearth mine and take some photos of it. It sits buried in the garage with alot of the furniture I couldn’t fit in this smaller house when we moved, filled with turquoise dishes, Pyrex and glasses.