2014 was a great year for reissues of classic midcentury product designs. Still, there are three very basic products — I’m trying not to be greedy — that I would love to see brought back to the market, mass produced for cost, quality and availability. My list is based on seven years of blogging about midcentury modest and modern homes, hearing about what Retro Renovators need and have been excited about whenever the products come up.
1. Glitter laminate:
The absolutely positively #1 item on my list is glitter laminate.
Update, March 2018: Susan has brought this back! See the complete story here.
Made with deco paper — with real glitter inclusions, just like they were starting around 1950 all the way through the early 2000s — yes, this stuff was available for more than 50 years, non-stop. Today, this deco paper is still available — I have personally seen where it is made! Laminate manufacturers: I won’t even be greedy and ask for different colorways. Just give us a white (check the historic examples to get the rightish white) with gold glitter. The white field glitter laminate will solve for MULTITUDES of Retro Renovator kitchens and bathrooms.
Alas — this neeeeds to be a production laminate — it can’t be digital special-order run. As far as I know, the metal glitter cannot be replicated with current on-demand digital printers. That means this must be done with paper with real glitter inclusions. Laminate manufacturers must buy minimum (lotsa) size rolls of the deco paper… once they make the laminate, the sheets must be stored flat, in climate-controlled warehouses… and then there’s the whole marketing machine to get it out to the public. Note, I also tend to think that laminates made with deco paper (on a rotogravure press or as in the case of sparkle laminate, with real inclusions) are nicer looking — the ink saturation will be more intense… AND production laminates are much less expensive than on-demand digital prints because they are mass produced.
Pretty please with sprinkles on top: Will some laminate manufacturer take a big gulp and take a market risk on this? We’ll buy it! Maybe there are enough of us!
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2. Double-bowl, dual-drainboard, metal-rimmed, cast-iron kitchen sink:
Number two on my list: A double-sink, double-drainboard, hudee-rimmed, porcelain-on-cast-iron kitchen sink. The photos above show vintage Kohler sinks from our story about 16 vintage Kohler kitchen sinks.
And above: A 1956 ad for the Kohler “Clearfield” sink — now we know its name. Thanks to ebay seller splittinimagecards for giving us permission to show this photo of this ad for sale, we love having it for our archive.
Note, we love the hudee-rimmed Kohler’s Delafield sink currently available today — it’s a go-to recommendation for a replacement kitchen sink. But oh dear Kohler, can we have a design with drainboards?
Hey, I’d even settle for a double bowl with one drainboard. OR, a single bowl with one or two drainboards. Must have the metal rim, though!
3. Armstrong #5352:
Armstrong Floors, can we have #5352 — believed to be the most popular flooring of all time — back, please? Unbelievable: This floor was made from at least 1935 through to the mid-1990s — 60-some years!
This classic rich brick red color would be fine if we can have only one color. But if you can do other colors, how about something light and creamy (predominantly warm, rather than cool)?
Note: I am not saying Armstrong #5352 floor should be paired with a glitter-on-white laminate countertop. To me, the brick red screams “put me in a warm cozy midcentury modest kitchen” with a rich-colored countertop. But maybe I’d pair glitter laminate with a light, creamy colorway of the floor.
Updated: Like in Lori’s kitchen, photo below, thanks, Lori! Well, she says that floor originally had green squares, but they’ve faded with use. Still, you get the idea of how a monochrome meet-up between a beige 5352 floor and the glitter laminate could look:
And another update:
Reader Jan provided this photo (above) and the history:
Re: the Armstrong Brick flooring among the things we’d like to come back – I found this photo of the side porch at my grandmother’s house. This photo was taken in the late 1950s. My mom can’t remember when this floor was put down – she was born in 1934 and just always remembers it being there. I remember that it was a green colorway -very pretty! (The dogs are Come Here on the bench, Buster in the middle and Kilts on the right – Kilts was a full Scottish terrier and mom to the other two, who were “accidents” with a neighborhood dog – before spaying and neutering was the right thing to do!)
Thanks, Jan!
Some historical images from our files:
What do you think of my list, readers?
I’m wary of pushing our luck by being *too greedy*…
but for the “next wave” of we-wannas, what else?
Amanda chaik says
I know that one of the articles mentions that deco paper (used in glitter laminate) is still produced. Does anyone have a source for this?
Linda says
Pam, your website has given me a new appreciation for my early 1960’s kitchen and pink and grey bathroom. I remember my grandmother having what I now believe to be Congowall by Congoleum about 2/3 of the way up her kitchen walls – anyone know of any products that give the look of that? It was sort of faux tile with a row of cap along the top (hers was pale tan/beige with a dark red, almost maroon cap and accents).
pam kueber says
That would be wallboard. It was quite common. Made by Armstrong, Congoleum, etc., in lots of colors and designs.
Kristen has it in her kitchen, I believe.
You can still buy paneling / plastic, I believe, that looks like tile today. But it is no very colorful. Very basic.
Or — tile! It will last a lot longer … see our Bathroom Help / Tile category for resources on where to get colorful tile — you still can!
Roberta says
I have that exact glitter laminate on our master bath countertop!
Cathy C says
Have the counter tops in my kitchen. We had the red brick look flooring but got rid of it about 20 years ago. It was cracked, had pieces broken out, etc. Couldn’t be saved. Would love to have a sink like that again. We had one in a place we rented in the early 70s. I loved it!
Jerry Burton says
The Armstrong flooring, 5352, if they started making that tomorrow, I would run to Lowe’s or Home Depot and order it, to do my kitchen.
Mom and Dad had this put into their rancher house, in 1964, when it was built.
Joanne says
I grew up with glitter laminate in my kitchen! If they brought it back I’d switch out the laminate I have in there now for the glitter in a heartbeat!
Rhon says
Yes, yes, yes! I vote for the glitter counter tops. For all the vintage traveler trailer folks redoing their vaca home on wheels. The retro patterns they make now just don’t have the right feel. Aqua and gold glitter for me please and thank you!
Lori says
We have glitter laminate in our kitchen and bathrooms – GOLD and AQUA GLITTER! I imagine they were pretty glorious in 1964. Sadly the kitchen counters are beyond worn, but the bathrooms are still in pretty good shape.
Annette says
I would love the glitter countertop and the double sink/double drainboard!
Hillary says
My 1949 kitchen has laminate counters that have gold flecks on a white marble-look background rather than plain white, and the original floor (which was still exposed though terribly worn when we moved in in 2002) was the Armstrong floor above, but in a brown/beige colorway. The original sink is still there too, but it’s just a double bowl with hudee ring, no drainboards. We’ll be putting it up for sale soon and I hope whoever buys it respects the original features!