A short pause today, to reflect upon and ogle the linoleum pattern that we believe was The Single Most Popular resilient floor pattern in midcentury American houses: Armstrong No. 5352. So far in my research, I have found No. 5352 in Armstrong catalogs as early as 1935 and reader Scott says that it was still being sold at Sears in the mid-1990s! That is quite a run!
March 2020 update: Armstrong Flooring is reintroducing the 5352 design — dubbed Heritage Brick — this year. Read the full story here.
- Also read my 2020 story on the history of this pattern — from my interview with Mark Zeamer of Armstrong.
Originally, Armstrong No. 5352 was available as real-deal “Embossed Inlaid Linoleum”. Mark Zeamer told me (in interview story listed just above, “The 5352 pattern lasted a long time in many different commodities, starting out in linoleum to Coronelle to felt-backed Imperial Solarian and then jumped to vinyl into the 1970’s. It was in the 70’s that it was revived as a Rotogravure printed product in Sheet Goods and Tile.”
I have been reading Jane Powell’s excellent book, Linoleum (affiliate link). “Inlaid” means that workers actually sifted different color mixtures — up to 38 different colors per design! — onto the linoleum-sheet-in-progress. “Embossed” means that the entire piece was then pressed to create texture — in the case of No. 5352, the divits suggesting grout. Incredible workmanship required for such a “humble” material.
Here’s more detail on how embossed inlaid linoleum was manufactured, as described by Armstrong in 1949 (above):
- WIDE COLOR RANGE: As many as 38 colors may be used in a single design of Embossed Inlaid. The use of mottled colors creates unusually rich effects. Armstrong’s Embossed Inlaid Linoleum patterns have long been famous for their wide color range and their subtle shading.
- DISTINCTIVE DESIGN: A finely granulated mix is sifted through stencils onto the backing material. The intricate stencil shapes reproduce every line of the artist’s design and make possible the beautiful patterns available…
- KEYED TO BACKING: An adhesive coat on the burlap or felt backing helps to bond the mix and backing securely together under the pressure and heat of the giant presses.
- DURABILITY: Under the repeated pressings, the granulated linoleum mix is formed into a dense, unified sheet. After the final pressing and long baking in the maturing stoves, Embossed Inlaid has the long-wearing quality for which Armstrong’s Linoleum is known.
- STREAMLINE EMBOSSING: The top face of this press has an embossing plate which depresses parts of the design, creating a textured effect…. The unique streamlining of Armstrong’s embossing assures ease of cleaning.
Precautionary Pam notes: I also want to relate that in her book, Powell says that while linoleum is known today for its use of renewable resources (cork, linseed oil, namely), heavy metals such as lead may have been used in the manufacturer of old linoleum. In particular, she points out that lead and other heavy metals such as cadmium and chromium may have been used in the pigments used for coloration. Resilient flooring made from other materials may have contained other hazardous materials such as asbestos; check adhesives, too. So — Precautionary Pam repeats: Be sure to test the materials in your old houses for vintage nastiness like lead, asbestos and more — get with your own properly licensed professional to determine what’s in your house and its layers, so that you can make informed decisions about how to handle. For more info and links see our Be Safe / Renovate Safe page.
Armstrong 5352 — why was it so popular?
Back to Armstrong 5352: Why was it so popular? I will theorize that 5352 resonated for decades because so many American kitchens were “traditional” in overall character, year in and year out. This floor design — with its warm, essentially neutral colors — and with its evocation of timeless brick flooring — would have fit into many a kitchen.
Armstrong pointed to its versatility, describing it as a “Tile effect with a warm informal look. Good choice for a small room, hall, den, kitchen, living room, or dining room.”
I am pretty sure that 5352 lasted well into the 1970s, at a minimum — see the photo below, Jon & Trixi found it in their 1960s house, covered up. By then, the material likely changed to vinyl or some sort of vinyl composite; test this old stuff and adhesives underneath for vintage nastiness such as lead and asbestos, too, please.
To be sure, I can envision it successfully complementing dark wood cabinets and avocado and harvest gold appliances, too. Armstrong No. 5352 had legs. Oh, how it wish it were still available today!
These old linoleum floors — amazingly amazing.
UPDATE: Reader Hannah sent this photo of vintage Armstrong linoleum in the 5352 pattern and left this comment on the Retro Renovation Facebook page:
I have two partial rolls down in the basement a friend gave me. It was left in HER basement when the original owners sold them the house. Not sure what I want to do with it though. It’s not enough to cover any floor we have. I just knew I WANTED IT!
Carolyn says
We discovered 5351 while removing poorly installed Home Depot ceramic tile in the kitchen. What a shame it wasn’t salvageable. We went with vinyl unfortunately nothing as awesome as the original. The contractor was quite exasperated with me and mistified by my selections.
Jay says
Me Too for wishing the pattern was available! I would like the 55 green and beige shown above. I guess Armstrong felt the pattern was so last century and had worn out its welcome. I wonder what the % of new kitchen flooring today is still rolled vinyl flooring. So many people opt for wood and ceramic tile floors. Vinyl and linoleum hark back to another era.
Kathie says
My parents have it in their kitchen which was built in the 70s and in my home that I rent, it is under the boring beige carpet in my den. I would love to pull the carpet up. I love it!
Scott Nimmo says
I worked at Sears in the flooring department in the mid-90’s and it was still in the line at that time. Also, I believe it was on the kitchen floor of “The Cosby Show”.
pam kueber says
Thanks for this info, Scott!!
At minimum 1935… all the way to the mid-1990s — that’s quite a run!!!
Scott Nimmo says
I remember being shocked that is was still around because I knew that design had been installed in my great-aunt’s house and my great-grandparent’s house in the early 60’s. However, by mid 90’sI think it was probably a vinyl product and not true linoleum anymore. I actually have a piece of this that is on the bottom of the storage area in my Frigidaire Flair range that was put there by the original owner. They must have had some left over from when their floor was put down.
Robin, NV says
Scott – you’re right, it was used in the kitchen of the Huxtable house:
http://www.amstudy.hku.hk/goodtimes.html
Good memory!
Bob Connor says
This pattern also made an appearance in the Apollo 13 movie, the scene in the kitchen where everyone is waiting for the astronauts to reenter and the women drop a big tossed salad on the floor in front of the KitchenAid dishwasher. I think it is right after the scene where James Lovells mother asks Neil Armstrong “are you boys with the space program too?”.
pam kueber says
Cool!
Annie B. says
Armstrong No. 5352 just says, “Home”.
HeatherB says
We have that in our entryway as well. Our house was built in 1955.
Jon Hunt says
Our kitchen, I believe, is a 5351, and I love it. And yeah, if they re-released it, I’d redo the kitchen with EXACTLY THE SAME STUFF.
Eartha Kitsch says
Such a classic. I wish they’d rerelease it. I’d use it in a heartbeat.
Robin, NV says
Me too! I’d love to see the array of colors it was available in. I bet every one of us is thinking “Oh yeah, I remember that stuff.” I don’t think we ever had it in our houses but I knew lots of people who did.
Janet in CT says
After I put mine in, my sister put the brown version in her thirties house and it looked beautiful with her brown cabinets. I know it came in a green which was much greener than the one above, and a blue, but I don’t recall the others if there were any. Maybe an orange? I have seen that but I don’t recall if Armstrong produced it. That would have been popular in the seventies.
Lisa says
I had this pattern in gold/mustard in my 1970’s house in Columbus Ohio. At the time I hated it and longed for a hardwood floor. My husband said we would only talk about changing it when it wore out. “No reason to rip out a perfectly good floor.” Well, it never did wear out as long as we lived there ( in spite of my secret mission to help it wear out!) I think the only time we put a dent in in was when we moved a 30 cubic foot refrigerator. Oh, and when we lived there we had 5 kids and a dog. We never did wear it out. Wish things now lived on like that.
DIane in CO says
Me too!
Sophia says
My mom has 5331, the Dutch Colonial! It is in a house built in the 1880s, but I don’t know when the kitchen was renovated. The kitchen has a Big built in cupboard in the wall between the lichen and dining room that is probably original, but the sink is a metal unit with 1 cupboard and one set of drawers with a stainless sink and countertop. THere are no other cabinets in the kitchen
Julia B. says
We have 5352 in our front entryway. In addition to holding up well after so many years, it’s great for hiding the dirt!
Janet in CT says
I totally agree with the dirt hiding ability of this floor! We put the red brick one featured above in the kitchen of our first house in 1978 and it was wonderful! Once a year I would strip and recoat it and it looked like new! The only drawback was that it was kind of dark but when we moved, I put a white floor in to brighten up my next kitchen and what a mistake! It always looked dirty, showed everything, and I hated it! I wouldn’t hesitate to use this floor again but they don’t make it any more, do they?
pam kueber says
No, they don’t make it any more. Why do I suspect they discontinued it one day before retro interest reignited in earnest.