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  • Home » Kitchen Help Category » Flooring » 1970s style kitchen flooring: Kahlo by IVC

    1970s style kitchen flooring: Kahlo by IVC

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    Posted by: Pam Kueber • October 10, 2018

    Oh happy day, another patterned vinyl sheet kitchen flooring — with real color — new to the market: Kahlo from IVC. Again, I’d need to see it in person, but this looks like it really has color — even more so than the similar-look Mannington floor that I featured last week. This IVC flooring now really truly reminds me of the flooring that was put into my kitchen in 1976! 

    There are two other colorways as well. But they don’t have a retro look, so never mind.

    I also kind of like this Serra design in the IVC lineup. Very light and neutral, but hooray not gray. Not really retro. But, if I were designing a contemporary, or country, or eclectic interior, and I wanted a flooring with pattern but also with flexibility, it might make my shortlist.

    • See all my flooring research here.

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    Comments

    1. Allison says

      October 11, 2018 at 6:29 pm

      Gosh, that is just darn pretty, no matter what decade you favor. Wish I needed some.

      I am amused by the latest trend I see in housing and design sites of some really gaudy, busy patterns in cement floor tiles, which every one seems to be swooning over.

      If you fibbed and told these swoony folks that these pictures on Houzz they’re admiring as ultra on trend were actually vinyl flooring from the 70s, the cries of “Horrible! Outdated!” would be deafening. Proving, perhaps, the theorem that everything old is new again.

      Reply
    2. Tarquin says

      October 12, 2018 at 10:47 am

      Thanks for finding this, Pam. I checked out the IVC website and there seems to be a few other retro options. The Bertram, Marble, Modus, Nero, and Parador all work for a particular color or style. It’s cool to see different patterns.

      Reply
    3. Midge Brock says

      October 13, 2018 at 11:50 pm

      I love this flooring! Yet, I am secretly glad that I didn’t know about this earlier this year, when I had my new kitchen floor put in -If I did, I would still be trying to choose! (BTW, I put in Armstrong’s commercial BBT “Azure” which is a perfect match for my “Aqua Spin Drift ” counters)

      Reply
    4. Toni says

      October 14, 2018 at 8:20 am

      I wonder how that Orangery would look as a backsplash…

      Reply
    5. Judy Meinhold says

      October 14, 2018 at 1:39 pm

      About seven years ago I went looking for flooring for my whole house. I walked into the flooring store, walked around, beige as far as the eye could see so I asked the salesman where they kept the tiles with color! I assumed there must have been a whole other room where they kept the non-beige tile. Nope. Same for kitchen backsplash tile. I’m so happy to see color again!

      Reply
    6. Cissy says

      October 18, 2018 at 4:26 pm

      As a child of the 60’s, I am so pleased to see homeowners using colors in their homes again! Color sets the rooms mood and theme you are trying to convey.
      I was sick and tired of looking at gray and white interiors, throughout the homes on pinterest, decor videos, and magazines.
      So, I am sending a huge thank-you to all of you lovely people for using colors in your interiors once again!

      Reply
      • GlenEllyn says

        October 19, 2018 at 2:52 am

        Same here, Cissy. Give me color! Please! I like gray but it’s so overdone now, and too often it looks cold and lifeless.

        I can’t wait until I can replace my dingy, yellowed, kitchen floor. It’s quite a small room so I’m contemplating what would look good in such a small area. I’d love to do a colorful pattern but I’m concerned about whether a pattern such as this one will look good, or will it overwhelm the space?

        Reply
        • Pam Kueber says

          October 19, 2018 at 8:30 am

          Adding pattern to a small space can work wonderfully — if handled deftly. Layering color and pattern can make a small space seem like the inside of a wonderful jewel box.

          I think it could be fabulous — but again, you’re going to need to be careful about color/pattern/scale harmonizing throughout the room. It’s hard to help without seeing all the elements — this is what you learn by trial and error, including looking at lots of photos to see how a beautiful room is put together. I know that this response isn’t really all that helpful, because I’m not giving you rules, but… it can be done.

          Also, I will say, that since this pattern is not super large and is not super saturated with color, it is less likely to ‘overwhelm the space’ — because it’s on the floor. The darker denim color in the line — now to me, that one IS overwhelming the space — because its color is so pronounced. https://www.ivcfloors.com/product/kahlo-574/

          All those rugs out there with large scale geometric patterns in high-contrast colors: Those overwhelm the space.

          The idea is to select colors and patterns and scale — and even ’empty’ space, to rest — so that your eye is dancing around a room — not getting stuck on any single element.

          See this story about how to handle color in a bathroom, it may be a bit helpful: https://retrorenovation.com/2015/10/05/five-steps-choose-bathroom-colors-infographic-guide/

          Reply
    7. Jon says

      October 22, 2018 at 11:49 pm

      Here is something very similar, but in a more 70’s style brown!
      https://www.mannington.com/Residential/LuxuryVinylSheet/Decorative/Deco/130392

      Reply
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