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.
Jennifer says
I keep posting comments on old posts as I dig through your archives. First off, COOL dress.
But a question–have you cut your vintage countertop? Could it be done? I have found a countertop that would probably work with my new (to me) pink kitchen cabinets–about a day’s drive away. But it would need to be cut to the correct length and a hole cut for the sink. Can it be done? Is it worth pursuing this piece of countertop?
Wendy says
I’m sorry to learn that the gold sparkle laminate is no longer made. My 1961 ranch has pink sparkle kitchen countertops, a yellow sparkle counter in the main bathroom, and white sparkle top on a built-in vanity in the master bedroom. It’s a bit worn, perhaps, but I am NOT getting rid of it!
pam kueber says
Very highly desirable! Lucky you!!!
Catherine says
We have one long countertop that is gold sparkle, unfortunately it has a few decent scratches and is missing the end cover piece. When the last owners updated the sink area I guess they couldn’t match the sparkle, its sort of a gold swirl. I was going to try to match it, but after reading the blogs realize it probably won’t happen. We are building a new/old house (new construction, lots of old stuff!) and are doing a 50’s/60’s kitchen, my grandmothers 50’s O’Keefe and Merritt range, original metal cabinets, and a just purchased yellow “cracked ice” 4 seater kitchen table. Sure wish we could get the gold fleck but we’ll find something to match. thanks for the great blog!
Abs says
Come visit me…My grandma picked out my countertops in 92. It’s all gold sparkle!
pam kueber says
I’m jealous!!!
DonnR says
I recently ran across a shaped piece of white/gold fleck laminate from a local antique store. If not the same it is a very close cousin to Pam’s 80″ find.
It measures 15″ x 18.75″ and has rounded corners. The unusual part is the fact it’s double sided, someone must have glued two pieces back-to-back. I’m wondering if they could have come from holes cut for a sink and were scraps. I see this happeneing with modern stone/solid surfacing and the home owner uses the scrap piece as a cutting board….but that’s all supposition.
In any event, it’s now sitting ON TOP of my 1980s counter (with oak edging, bleah) in an otherwise 1961 house.
Sara Campbell says
Mine is up for grabs in Erving, MA. Somebody come take it out! It is U-shaped, a good 10 ft long with sink in the middle, with short arms wide enough for the dishwasher. I can give you measurements.
Abigail Grotke says
Hi Pam,
We just moved into a house with the gold sparkle laminate on the walls in the kitchen! It is in great shape and we love it. The countertop however is a white laminate probably from the 1980s that we want desperately to remove (our coffee and wine stains are too much for it). We’re trying to figure out what to replace with and what colors. The cabinets are original wood, painted white. Any suggestions for what might look good with this? Looking at silestone and corian but open to other suggestions! The new colorful formica patterns clashed a bit too much.
Katie says
I am renovating a 1966 rancher in south Carolina and while I’m a fan of keeping some of the original details I don’t want the place to look like a time capsule. I am probably going to pull out a small piece of this from the master bath ith a white sink with th metal rim and it out. Not sure if anyone might be interested in it when the time comes!
Jennifer Waite says
We had this in my childhood home, and I WANT IT, WANT IT, WANT IT. 🙁 I remember my dad had even fixed a board to match (maybe with matching contact paper if that exists) that my mom put over the stove for more counterspace at parties, and I just thought he was so smart for it.
Eliza says
Hey Pam.I need some of your expertise! My kitchen flooded. (Water heater was in attic!). All kitchen is now gone. I have some pics of my great 50’s kitchen. We’re about to begin the redo and I want it just like it was. I need to know what kind of countertop I had. Again: I have pictures. Can you help me, please? Thank you so very much!