Hold on to your horses Retro Renovation readers — thanks to a tip from reader Hannah, who is constantly alerting Pam to fabulous vintage items listed on Etsy (xoxox we love you Hannah — will you be our Valentine?) — we were able to get permission from Etsy seller MichelleAndHerDog to bring you 70 pictures of vintage Wilsonart laminate samples — now being offered as key rings. There are several gorgeous patterns — including 17 sparkle and satellite colors. Oh what I would give to be able to order that aqua glitter laminate today. So c’mon folks, the gallery is loaded up with 70 samples to see — let’s take a cheery walk down retro laminate sample lane, shall we?
From what I can gather, the difference between glitter and satellite seems to be that satellite has some “veins” of glitter intermixed through the sparkles.
Below is a listing of the names from the swatches featured in our slide show, sorted by category:
Glitter
- Aqua glitter laminate
- Beige glitter laminate
- Charcoal glitter laminate
- Cocoa glitter laminate
- Coppertone glitter laminate
- Flame glitter laminate
- Frosty pink glitter laminate
- Powder blue glitter laminate
- Pumpkin glitter laminate
- Red glitter laminate
- Wintergreen glitter laminate
Satellite
- Beige gold satellite laminate
- Aqua gold satellite laminate
- Frosty pink gold satellite laminate
- Powder blue satellite laminate
- Primrose gold satellite laminate
- White gold satellite laminate
Spinet
- Blue spinet laminate
- Charcoal spinet laminate
- Coral spinet laminate
- Grey spinet laminate
- Light yellow spinet laminate
- Pink spinet laminate
- Light green spinet laminate
Wood
- American walnut laminate
- Black walnut laminate
- Bleached mahogany laminate
- Blonde Ash laminate
- Blonde Maple laminate
- Brown pickled birch laminate
- Flaked limed oak laminate
- Light grey ash laminate
- Maple laminate
- Oriental walnut laminate
- Light American walnut laminate
- Platinum walnut laminate
- Rattan laminate
- Red striped mahogany laminate
- White birch laminate
- Tan limed oak laminate
- Spice brown walnut laminate
Pearl
- Dark grey pearl laminate
- Green pearl laminate
- Light grey pearl laminate
- Red pearl laminate
- Yellow peal laminate
Linen
- Green Irish linen laminate
- Grey fine linen laminate
- Grey Irish linen laminate
- Red Irish linen laminate
- Yellow Irish linen laminate
- Tan fine linen laminate
- Tan Irish linen laminate
Marble
- Grey and coral marble laminate
- Light pink marble laminate
- Light tan marble laminate
- White marble laminate
Solid
- Solid beige laminate
- Solid black laminate
- Solid charcoal laminate
- Solid cocoa laminate
- Solid flame laminate
- Solid powder blue laminate
- Solid pumpkin laminate
- Solid red laminate
- Solid white laminate
- Solid wintergreen laminate
Other patterns
- White batik laminate
- White festival laminate
Any way I could get some of this frosty pink sparkle laminate for my bathroom remodel? Pretty please?
The gallery below is all loaded up with these sparkle and satellite patterns as well as the popular Irish linen, a cool spinet pattern, pearl, marble, wood and solids. Let the fun begin.
A huge thanks goes out to Etsy seller MichelleAndHerDog for letting us feature the photos of her fabulous laminate samples.
Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge and you can also read my captions… move forward or back via arrows below the photo… you can start or stop at any image:?
52PostNBeam says
I bought the “white spinet” from this seller a year or so ago, and then months later found a little curved shelving unit with the same pattern! It’s the exact same color combo as Formica’s “white skylark” (boomerang).
Most of the Wilsonart designs are slight variations of Formica’s popular patterns of the time. I don’t know who is copying who, but suspect Formica is the leader. I have a great collection of Formica chips – they call their glitters “sequin”, and the “satellite” ones with glitter and veins are called “spindrift.”
I will email you the photo of white spinet.
Paula says
I had to take my laptop down to the basement to check. I think we have flame glitter on our bar (which is very coral pink) and lt. grey ash on the cabinets. So much yumminess! I wish they would bring some of these back!
Kate says
Oh my! I love the flame glitter — you are so lucky to have that on your basement bar. 🙂
Paula Webb says
It is more of a corally pink. It is the reason we bought the house. That and the pink and white vct. I really need to take some pictures and post them
amy pie says
aqua glitter or satellite, exactly what i need. or pink, or yellow or white. sigh. story of my life, born too late.
Lauryn says
These are so fabulous. I just bought one of the counter top I wanted for the kitchen but couldn’t get. Not quite the same thing, but fun nonetheless!
MissyN says
If you want one, they are going fast! Esp. the glitter ones…many seem to be already sold…
Jay says
Oh wow! Imagine my surprise when I saw the very first picture – Aqua Gliiter. Brought back some memories. In my last house, this was on the counter the sink was set in. There was also a separate little rolling cabinet that was topped in it with an attached fold down shelf. The rolling cabinet was perfect so I kept its aqua laminate but the counter and sink were badly worn so they were replaced. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Jay says
Oh, and I’m pretty certain the yellow Irish Linen is what I removed from my current kitchen – at least what I could see of it, the surface was badly worn. That Spinet looks good! Too bad time has passed them by, these are nice all-over patterns with great colors. They were available at least into the 60s because that’s when the kitchen in my last house was fitted with the Aqua Glitter.
Audrey says
had an opportuinty to meet the owner of the place years ago, was an outside rep for industrial supplies, he was sweeping the back area of the facotry very polite, nice man. We chatted for a bit, after a little while I asked him of he was the guy in charge or the plant manager with a soft laugh he said I am the janitor, president, owner and some times the bottle washer, & oh by the way I sign the checks arround here! I laughed & said I figured that since you had the time to talk to me! Your ded give away was your Rolex watch and expensive loafer shoes, thought the plant workers did not dress like that! He laugh then gave me a wonderful tour of the factory, it was a great sales call. I was also looking for a small piece of Wilson art to put behind the tiolet as the wall in the old house I was living in at the time had crumbled, when I told him I was the one putting it on not myex he looked at me with big eyes and said “You” well ,well missy in that case you can have it for free, I don’t get many women who even know how to hadle this stuff much less install it!” (LOL) Needless to say when on the way home just smiled and enjoyed the comment! It was not sexist on hispart I gather his wife does not do an remodel (this was about 30 years ago) Love love the pinks and the turquoise blue speckles samples shown! He also appreciated the fact that I treated him with respect wheile talking to him (I did not see his watch and clothes at first, (long pants, long sleeves) said most sales reps ignore the janitor, trying to get to the plant manager, I replied most janitors will introduce me to the plant manager if I treat them right. The other thing i used to do was bring homemade choc chip cookies ya know the one with the burnt egdes in a zip lock plastic baggie look them right in the eye tell them it was bribery and that I want their business! LOL Ya know it worked! Lot cheaper and faster than those “business stupid lunches” LOL Cant wait to buy some more Wilson art but this time will go through the front doot not the loading dock!
Charmaine says
OMG! That aqua glitter specimen is my MCM main bathroom counter top! How cool. Love that people are trying to keep/save these awesome pieces of vintage splendor!
Sara says
Ooooh, I like the Spinet ones! Especially the light green and coral, and of course the pink. So sad that most all of these are unavailable today.
Robin, NV says
Oh my gosh, I so want Aqua Glitter for my kitchen. This stuff is exactly what I want to buy. The colors are fun but not crazy, simple but not subdued. Is anyone else imagining those wonderful pinks in a bathroom?
Let’s launch a letter writing campaign to Wilson Art begging them to bring back some of these great colors and patterns. I’m so tired of faux marble/stone laminates.