I was up at Miller Supply Co. in Pittsfield recently, picking up a framing project, and while I was there I got to talking with Steve Miller, the owner. Miller’s has been in Pittsfield for decades. I asked him whether something in an old store display was still available (it wasn’t), and then I thought to ask: What do you have left that is really really old? One of the items he pointed me to: Vintage Ceiling Glitter — in silver and gold. He has just a half dozen or so containers left and, “When it’s gone, it’s gone,” he said. Ceiling glitter: Yes, that was sure another “thing”.
But I have some pressing questions:
- Golly, how do you install it? I see from the plastic container cover that guns were used — that, I get. I can go online today and see guns for blowing ceiling glitter. But “throw by hand”? You must be kidding me. What a bloody mess? How in the world? You must not only need to wear goggles but also a zoot suit. And the stuff is expensive — wouldn’t you want to collect the excess and put it back in the gun? But then, that means your entire room would need to be 100% dust free, or else you would be also collecting dust, putting into a glitter gun and spraying it on the ceiling. Maybe there is no excess? Maybe it ALWAYS sticks, as long as the surface is tacky enough (see question below).
- Does it go on flat ceilings? Or popcorn ceilings?
- How do you ensure that the surface is all tacky? Do you spray paint fast with a spray gun canister thingie then quick quick quick get the glitter gun up and get the glitter on? Or, do you paint the ceiling with oil paint — which takes longer to dry and therefore is tacky longer — and then put up the glitter?
- What happens if you screw up?
This is a very intriguing product. I would love to figure out the answers to all these questions and maybe even try it — for the record — on a ceiling.
As you can see, this ceiling glitter was made, most recently at least, by Zinsser. That’s the same company that today is famous for all kinds of wall preparation solutions. I believe they are owned by Rust-Oleum. Sure enough, when I googled a bit trying to look for ceiling glitter sold today, I only found examples from Zinsser, and all the listings that I found were sold out.
Like I said, if you are in the market, you can buy the last remaining stock from Miller Art & Frame, Pittsfield, Mass. link is here >> http://www.millerartandframe.com/There is not much left, though.
UPDATE: Reader Mark quickly identified another source of ceiling glitter and glitter guns available today. He wrote:
Check this out: Glitter gun here (glitter also available on the site)
Everything you need, both professional (pneumatic) & DIY (hand-crank) guns available, as well as glitter…
Thank you, Mark!
When were glitter ceilings introduced?
Some readers questioned whether this effect was truly “mid-century” — but we are pretty sure we have provenance back to the mid-1950s, at least. Mark says that his true storybook ranch, built in ’56-57, had glitter on the ceilings (befitting a “Cinderella!”) and Ranger Smith says the foyer of his ’61 ranch had glitter on the ceilings, too. I would guess-timate that glitter ceilings were fairly popular throughout the 1960s and even into the Liberace 1970s, but then interest faded. Even so, they seem to have been continually available.
I NEEEEEEEEED a glitter ceiling!
The glitter chunks in my relatively-old Zinsser are pretty big – notably bigger than my crafty glitter. The label says that this ceiling glitter is all-aluminum.
I may use my two containers for artsy fartsy crafty projects. More likely, I will keep them in my my museum-of-Pittsfield-hoard. My precious……
Before they moved from North Street to their new (very googie) location on West Street, Miller’s carried a lot of wallpaper. After they moved, which is after I truly discovered them, I raided their basement for many rolls of their new old stock vintage wallpaper. I have installed several patterns in the house. I adore Miller Supply Co.
Eartha Kitsch says
Definitely 50’s. I know of several ranch houses and cottages in my neighborhood that have original glitter ceilings from the early 50’s and they are still gorgeous.
JKaye says
Hi. I can recall acoustical ceiling tiles that had glitter embedded in the surface. Not a lot, just a speck here and there.
Heidi Swank says
Glittered ceilings were very common in houses here in Las Vegas. And with the resurgence of interest in this era, people are reglittering their ceilings. 🙂
In fact, a local bar called Atomic Liquors was recently restored complete with glitter on the popcorn ceiling. I’m not sure who the owner had do it, but there is a guy in town who has a glitter gun for this purpose. Be happy to get you in touch with the owner of Atomic Liquor!
Steve says
Here’s another place where it’s available in a 1 pound bag:
http://www.hardwareworld.com/G501-Clear-Glitter-1-Lb-Bag-p38H052.aspx It says that a 1 pound bag will cover about 500 square feet (Hopefully the moderator won’t think me a spammer this time and delete this post like the last one).
pam kueber says
“Backordered”. I really don’t think that Zinsser makes this any more.
I deleted you before because that website just led down an empty spammy rabbit hole, as far as I could tell.
Best source so far: See Mark’s find, in Comments.
Thanks!
Ranger Smith says
Ah yes, ceiling glitter! Our house was built in 1961 and had acoustic or popcorn ceilings. As an extra fancy-schmancy touch, the foyer had glitter in the ceiling.
All the “popcorn” has since been limited to microwave only.
pam kueber says
So there you go: 1961 IS MID-CENTURY!
Mark VanCleve says
Our true “Cinderella” ranch (Southern CA) was built in ’56-’57 & had glittered popcorn ceilings…
I still have some small pieces of it I found.
Ranger Smith says
And thus I am “mid-century” as well. 🙂
Jay says
Pam, if you are feeling crafty, I envision that it could be glued to styrofoam balls and cones for mantle or table holiday decor. Hint Hint!
Teresa says
Oh, dear… like sunken bathtubs and livingrooms, it was quite the ‘thing’ during the 60s. Hate to admit it, but my parent’s exterior stucco even had some type of clear glitter added. My father worked for a housing developer and I clearly remember it being mixed into the popcorn ceiling mixture and sprayed on the ceilings. It was a much requested option for the Cinderella style homes which tended to be loaded with foo foo style details.
Maria says
My husband grew up in a construction family, and tells me that the glitter was put on tacky, popcorn ceilings with a hand-cranked gun that looked like this: http://bigrehab.com/sites/bigrehab.com/files/u1/popcorn-ceiling-glitter-gun.jpg
Says he’ll “never forget” how many hours he spent following behind his dad (wielding the popcorn tub/sprayer) with the glitter gun…
pam kueber says
Can you ask him, was there a lot of waste? Did it all stick? Did he “collect” and re-load the excess that did not stick somehow? If so, how?
Jay says
I always wondered how these ceilings were finished. Thanks!
I don’t remember being in any houses with these types of ceilings, just the plain popcorn which was a big thing in the 80s and 90s as a do-over for rowhouse ceilings.
MichellePK says
My husband used to install these ceilings with his dad, who was a contractor. He says the popcorn ceiling was sprayed on. Then, while it was still wet, they used a hand-cranked glitter gun to apply the sparkles. As for how to control it, he says it definitely took some practice to get even coverage in the right amount. Basically, the speed of the cranking and the distance of the gun to the ceiling are the controls. Some clients liked a LOT of glitter; other preferred a more subdued effect.
Chris says
My grandma had this in gold on her popcorn ceilings in her Spanish Ranch house built in 1972. With dark panelled walls and shag carpet, it was pretty cool!
Tracey C says
My aunt’s and uncle’s new house in Branson, MO (built in the late 60’s/early 70’s) had the blown-on textured ceilings with glitter. The ceiling resembled a beautiful, shimmering cloud. (They also had the dark paneled walls and very, very light green shag carpeting.)
I remember that my mom loved it so much that she wanted to try it in our MCM house in Winston Park in Palatine, IL (Chicago suburb). She couldn’t afford the expense of having a contractor blow it on the ceiling so she found a product that she mixed into the paint and then painted the ceiling with the glitter. Maybe she applied it with a special paint roller…don’t remember. The ceiling sparkled but it wasn’t as prominent as the sprayed on glitter yet it was more affordable. I think you can find a similar product today in the big box stores.
She also painted our walls with a “textured paint”. The paint had different colored “blobs” in it and it had to be applied with a special roller….I want to say “Frieze” so that the blobs of color would not be smashed onto the wall. The background paint color was white and the textured color “blobs” were black, subdued gold and a platinum. The walls had texture and looked like wall paper from a distance. This was in the early ’70’s before everyone was faux painting their walls. I wish I knew the name of the procedure. Anyone out there know about this type of paint and roller????? I was about 12 yrs old and I really remember how excited she was about it and how different it was from all of the gold walls in the neighborhood:)
Douglas Camin @ House on Rynkus Hill says
Just looking at the packaging – it has a barcode on it, so it has to be newer than roughly the early 1980s, and the logo for Zinsser is their current one, not a vintage one – so I don’t think this is very old vintage. It may have only recently (in the last decade) been discontinued.
I found the same thing as Dale – you can still find this out there in the wild pretty easily.
I haven’t ever encountered a ceiling with glitter on it myself, but I would expect you would mix this in with the popcorn ceiling mixture. You apply popcorn ceiling stuff with a “gun” that shoots the chunks at the ceiling so they stick and then dry.
Jay says
Even with a bar code, if the product is from the 80s, it’s old; it has probably hit or passed the quarter century mark which is an indicator of age. It’s just not the “vintage” old of 50/60s which I now consider very old and I am only referring to stuff not people as stuff is readily disposed of for the newest.
Douglas Camin @ House on Rynkus Hill says
Jay – I would agree, however I was just stating that for dating purposes, this isn’t a mid-century vintage product, and the product (from other manufacturers) is still available. 80’s products are certainly vintage too!
pam kueber says
I don’t know the date when glitter for ceiling was introduced. Glitter counter tops — around 1952. So glitter for ceilings could have existed in the mid-century era, too!
I know it says up top o’ the blog that I’m about “mid century” but I cover early 20th century and post-modern too! Anything “vintage” really, which now takes us to 1989 if you use the 25-year rule. WOW
Jay says
OOPS! Didn’t mean to start a ruckus, vintage in general just means old or year of age. I consider everything in my house to be vintage (not necessarily 50/60s) including myself, having just passed the double 5.
Dale says
Jay – I suppose ‘old’ is in the eye of the beholder. Being born in 1959 I don’t consider the 80s old. ‘Old stock’ for a store perhaps, genuinely old, no.