Is the diversity of flooring choices starting to improve? It seems to me that these days, I’m seeing more than just flat gray stone after flat beige stone after flat greige stone flooring options pop up in manufacturers’ lineups. Like: This 1970s flooring design from Tarkett — okay, it’s stones in stones, but I recollect that this is what a lot of 1970s flooring and even mid-to-late 1960s flooring looked like. Above: Tarkett Mexican Agate Blue.
I recall that some 1970s flooring had this look
Above: Tarkett Mexican Agate Aztec Bronze. It’s nice to to have the two colorways — the Aztec Bronze provides a good option if you want to work within the cream/beige/gold and warm gray families. The other, the Blue, offers fans of cooler gray walls a complementary option, and I love that pop of … what will I call it: azure.
There’s even a room shot. Note: The 1970s were very brown. These walls aren’t quite brown — I’d say they have a golden or copper cast — gold walls were all the rage in the 1990s. I like gold walls.
You know I have a sweet spot for stone-look vinyl sheet flooring. I like its quiet movement — the fact it has pattern, but pattern that does not take over a room. There’s just something… primal, perhaps… about walking on stones, albeit faux, like this that is almost the very definition of providing ‘visual gravity.’
Another floor, featured in the past, that is one of my favorites for a mid-to-late 1960s flooring heading into 1970s flooring is Karndean’s Michelangelo. It comes in five colorways, including some true color-colors, and is available as a tile (rather than as sheet). Jessica installed the blue colorway in her kitchen here.
Jeffrey Meuler says
Boy that brings back memories put hundreds of yards of that in
Elizabeth from Texas says
I love those colorful rock floors! xoxox
R Anderson says
BTW we built both the 1975 and 1990 houses new. The builder’s selection on the 1st house was limited to a certain selection so in ’75 both linoleum and vinyl versions may have been available, but we were limited to a lower priced flooring. It was still available by order from Armstrong from the flooring dealer, at least, but may have been out of production, it was a very popular choice and a lot was made no doubt, so some may have still been lying around in warehouses!
Mary says
Thank you for featuring this! Please more 1970’s!
My husband and I are always looking for remodeling products for our home built in 1975 in Houston.
We are currently looking for the solid wood panels that are in our home. The previous owner took one out and put in a door to the back yard. Very awkward location and obviously an “add-on”. If you or any of your subscribers know of a company please let me know.
I can provide pictures of what we are looking for if there is a link.
JC Clark says
1960’s and 1970’s were linoleum not vinyl. Linoleum needs to be waxed and is made from cork and linseed oil. Today’s vinyl is a no wax finish from petroleum products. Linoleum is available but costs 4-10 times more than vinyl.
Pam Kueber says
I disagree. 1960s and 1970s were vinyl and vinyl composite.
True linoleum was more 1950s and prior.
Ma got tired of waxing the linoleum. The new vinyl sheet flooring, with its forever no-was gloss, was a real gift. Just polish it up with some Future now and then, and you were good to go.
R Anderson says
Actually you’re both right! Vinyl might have been available but our 1st house in 1975 had Armstrong’s classic 5352 in linoleum, and yes we did get sick of stripping and waxing! Our 2nd house in 1990 also had 5352, but in their Shinyl-Vinyl line, a premium product. Same pattern as the original but in a no-wax vinyl and a more pebbly surface, not smooth like the linoleum. My Aunt’s house built in 1956 also had the original 5352 linoleum, it was our inspiration to use it. Nowadays we’d take it either way, come on Armstrong bring it back!
Pam Kueber says
Ooooooooh, 5352 we love you.
Tarquin says
All this talk of flooring makes me remember the Mop & Glow commercials. The lady in the kitchen simply squirted some Mop & Glow on the floor, mopped & by the end of thirty seconds the kitchen floor looked like a sheet of glass.
Pam Kueber says
Yes, Mop & Glow! I am quite sure I used plenty of that over the years – as a youngster thru teen years I cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms every Saturday morning!
Mary says
If you are a fan of “Men” you might remember Don winning a Cleo award for his commercial for a mop and glow version of a product that had a boy under the kitchen table while his mother used the product.
Bill says
I had Hopalong Cassity linoleum in my bedroom when little up to 1962 when my parents got rid of all the linoleum thru out the house since it had black patches where turning feet had ground away the top printed cover and us kids wouldn’t reset the small throw rugs that covered those after we kicked them away. They replaced it using the VA tile squares that had the color and design all the way thru the vinyl which made wear less obvious plus individual squares could be replaced after getting mangled up. One could get 6′ wide sheet commercial vinyl that was the same way but it was rather expensive. The 12′ wide sheet vinyl came out later in the 60’s and was less expensive since the pattern was printed on paper covered with a thick clear vinyl for protection. The early 12′ stuff wore like iron so they began making it cheaper along with lowering it’s price. The cheap vinyl was usually what I found on top of stone and Moorish patterns. Figured the homeowners were told by the realtors to cover that up before putting the house on the market.
Tarquin says
“Hop-along Cassidy flooring???” – HaHaHa, that’s funny. Someone is actually selling it NOW on Ebay for $360. Hurry & get it while it’s still there. This is a rare find, for sure!!
Eliza says
We have tile like that in our foyer, and while I like it, it seems rather difficult to clean. It’s hard to tell where it’s dirty, which I guess can be a bonus in some ways but I’m forever scrubbing at spots then realizing “hey that is actually part of the floor”.
Pam Kueber says
Reminds me of the story: We were in a rental house for a while once. It had splotchy gray granite countertops. My husband hated them because he could never find all the crumbs. To the extent that I “loved” them, I loved them because I couldn’t see any of the crumbs.
Wendellyn Plummer says
One of the homes we had was built in 1978. It had the faux brick vinyl flooring. Ours was in the red and brown tones. My daughters house built in 1971 had the same flooring only in the green and yellow tones. Her husband removed the flooring and put in a hardwood floor, our house was sold, so I have no idea if the original is still there.
Ree says
Rhoda, thank you for the website for Atrafloor. Their patterns are amazing! It would be worth the expense to splurge on some of these patterns for a small bathroom, entry way, or other similar space. A few of these patterns would fit into a mid century decor.
rhoda ciraolo says
I agree Ree. I spent a lot of time on there imagining where to use those patterns So much fun and color.
rhoda ciraolo says
There is a website out of Britain that sells vinyl flooring in all kinds of fun patterns that ships worldwide. It is atrafloor.com and is on the expensive side, $69.00 per square meter but so many unique colorful patterns.
Laura says
Seems I remember their was a Moorish influence in the patterns of flooring in the 70s.
Pam Kueber says
Yes, that, too, I think, such as: https://retrorenovation.com/2010/11/06/persian-tile-flooring-in-a-resilient-sheet/
Allison says
What’s funny is that all these wildly patterned “Moorish” cement tiles you see featured everywhere these days on shelter sites like Houzz look like kissing cousins to the Mediterranean sheet vinyl patterns so roundly despised from the 70s.
There is just something people find satisfying in condemning a decorating look as “dated”.
Pam Kueber says
Indeed. These are ‘on trend’ today.
carolyn says
Yea! Now I know what that tiny scrap in my entry is called! Mine’s in green, I’d say avocado.
Bill says
The 60’s and 70’s brought us the Mediterranean Style that featured these faux stone and Moorish patterns on sheet and square vinyl flooring. Quite a few homeowners didn’t liked either style after they had to look at it for a while so had something better looking installed on top of it. I can’t remember the number of houses where I dug up old worn vinyl flooring and found it was laid atop those u*** [edited] styles that were still in excellent condition.
Tarquin says
I think the reason there was so much of this floor was because it was a builder’s floor & it was up to the new owner to upgrade. Back then it was no big shakes, but NOW I love it when I see it. I would get it if I knew it was good quality & held up.
carolyn says
My Moorish flooring is from 1974 or 75, installed at the entry so has had 44+ years of use and abuse. The avocado colors are still fresh and show no signs of traffic patterns.