Vintage Plastic Laminate Styles


Starting in the 1950's, plastic laminate was a popular design choice for countertops and cabinet fronts on kitchen, bathroom and even garage cabinetry. But over the years, this practical and affordable material fell out of favor, as new countertop materials like Corian, marble, granite and concrete became the new "modern" choices for savvy consumers. But un-expected desires emerge as we age, and now that baby boomers are clamoring for the comfort and security of places and things from their youth, "over-looked" possessions like mid-century homes and cute vintage canned-ham travel trailers from the 50's and 60's are becoming popular again. As buyers search for classic family homes and vintage camping trailers from the 1950's to lovingly restore back to their comfortable "Leave it to Beaver" familiarty, these restoration projects often include a search for vintage or retro laminate to return vintage cabinetwork back to it's midcentury Jetson's style. Unfortunately, the major producers of plastic laminate products, like Formica, Wilsonart and Nevamar dropped all of those wonderfully iconic star-burst, boomerang, cracked-ice and splattered-paint patterns from their catalogs years ago. Today, finding sheets of original laminate in the vintage styles from our youth can be difficult, but there are laminate options available if you're willing to look hard and be creative.

What We're All Looking For
Even up until the 1970's, wonderfully retro laminate patterns were still available from lumber yards and cabinet shops across the country. But as consumer tastes changed toward wood grain and simulated stone patterns, the "old" styles were seldom ordered, so manufactures began dropping these classic 50's laminate styles from their catalogs. Wouldn't you love to find a stack of plastic laminate sheets in one of these great mid-century patterns (click image to enlarge):?
Vintage Plastic Laminate
Vintage Plastic Laminate
Vintage Plastic Laminate
Vintage Plastic Laminate
Vintage Plastic Laminate
Vintage Plastic Laminate
Vintage Plastic Laminate
Vintage Plastic Laminate
Where to find Vintage Plastic Laminate Patterns Today
Although sources for vintage laminate patterns and designs are limited, there are some options if you're willing to do a little searching. Here are some suggestions for finding vintage laminate styles for your mid-century home or trailer restoration project:
  1. Online sites Yes, sometimes full sheets of original vintage plastic laminate come up for sale on websites like ebay and etsy. Search every day and try several different search terms like; 'vintage formica', 'vintage laminate', 'old plastic laminate', etc. Last year I found a full 4x8 sheet of original yellow "cracked ice" Formica that someone had listed on ebay for $250. Yeah, sounds pricy, but old laminate is rare so be prepared to pay for that rarity.

  2. Recycled Building Materials Stores Most towns have at least one shop where they sell old appliances, fixtures, furniture, hardware, etc. that have been salvaged from derelict or demolished old homes. Stop by often. You never know when somone will drop off a sheet of old plastic laminate, and their prices are usually very reasonable. Also let store employees know you're looking for vintage laminate and ask them to call you if somthing comes into their store.

  3. Old Lumber Yards and Hardware Stores If you stumble upon an "old time" lumber yard or hardware store that looks like it's been there forever, stop by and ask the clerk if they have any old sheets of Formica or other brand of plastic laminate gathering dust out in the warehouse. It's a long-shot and it might take some friendly persuasion, but hopefully they'll remember seeing a few old sheets of laminate that have been there for years, that they'd love to get rid of. You might just get lucky.

  4. Vintage Plastic Laminate Wanted! Sadly, every day a home renovator somewhere, tears out that "old, dated 50's Formica junk" as part of a well-intentioned kitchen or bathroom modernization project. Don't let that old Formica countertop or wall paneling end up in the landfill. Place a "wanted" ad in your local newspaper advertising the fact that you're looking for old laminate sheets, counter-tops or wall paneling. A contractor or homeowner just might see your plea and give you a call and save themselves a trip to the junkyard.

  5. Re-Purpose an Old Table or Cabinet This may make some antiques purists cringe, but you might consider buying an old dining table or cabinet that has a wonderful sheet of vintage plastic laminate on the top, and using it as a "donor" for your project. Search Thrift Shops, Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, etc. When you find a table or cabinet with a laminate surface large enough for your purposes, you can cut up the top to fit your dimensions and attach some retro polished aluminum trim around the edge. It's also sometimes possible to remove the plastic laminate from the wood surface it's glued to. Use lacquer thinner and a putty knife slid between the laminate and substrate. Gently pry up the laminate, a little at a time. Go slowly and keep the lacquer thinner off the top surface of the laminate.

  6. Mix, Match, Patch Sure, it would be great to find several 4x8 sheets of vintage Formica, but the odds are slim. So get creative! If you find a piece of usable plastic laminate, but it's not large enough for your restoration project, consider using this piece in conjunction with one or two other pieces of laminate in a different pattern or color to cover your table or counter top. You can even combine pieces of vintage laminate with pieces of new laminate. I've seen vintage trailer restorers glue the vintage laminate down the center of a table top and then glue down a sheet of new plain white laminate on either side to cover the rest of the table top. The laminate must be cut with perfectly straight and chip-free cuts, and you need to make sure the pieces are similar in thickness, but the end results of a "mix and match" laminate job can be very retro.

  7. Use Flooring For some reason, it's a lot easier to find flooring in vintage patterns than it is to find plastic laminate in vintage patterns. New flooring in great retro patterns, is available from many sources and a lot of vintage trailer restorers are using "sheet goods" flooring to cover table tops and counter-tops. Applying the flooring is very straightforward and the results are often quite stunning and professional looking. The main drawback to these flooring products is that they're softer than plastic laminate and an accidental knife slip while preparing a meal, can leave a permanent cut or scratch in the surface.

Consider Using A New Plastic Laminate Pattern
Although plastic laminate manufacturers no longer produce the old laminate patterns from the 50's and 60', they recognize the demand for retro laminate styles and have introduced some new patterns and designs in the last few years to address the market for "retro plastic laminate styles":

1. Formica: Formica used to carry a huge selection of beautiful patterns and designs back in the 1950's and 1960's, that are no longer available. But to address the vintage market, in the early 2000's they introduced their "Classics" collection which was a special group of retro laminate patterns that featured an iconic "boomerang" pattern and came in 4 different background colors (click image to enlarge):
Formica - Coral #6941-58
Formica - Skylark #6940-58
Formica - Charcoal #6942-58
Formica - Aqua #6959-58
After several years they dropped all of the colors except for the "Charcoal Gray". As of now, it looks like none of these "boomerang" laminate colors from Formica are available (had I known they were going to do that, I would have bought a bunch of sheets and stashed them in the vault!). The good news is that Formica now offers some colorful new laminate patterns that recall the era and may be perfect for your restoration project. You can order free samples of any of these laminate patterns from Formica's website, and you should be able to order full sheets from most Home Improvement Centers (e.g., Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) and Lumber Yards (click image to enlarge):
Formica - Aqua Dotscreen
#6615
Formica - Citrus Halftone
#6619
Formica - Tangello Dotscreen
#6617
Formica - Gray Ellipse
#6614
Formica - Tangello Halftone
#6620
Formica - Red Ellipse
#1913
Formica - Blueberry Halftone
#6618
Formica - Mint Dotscreen
#6616
Formica - Blue Greek Key
#9492
Formica - Blue Malachite
#9495
Formica - Charcoal Lacquered
Linen #9491
Formica - Charcoal Greek Key
#9494
Formica - Charcoal Malachite
#9496
Formica - Creme Lacquered
Linen #9488
Formica - Green Lacquered
Linen #9489
Formica - Orange Lacquered
Linen #9490

2. Wilsonart: Like Formica, Wilsonart offered a full line of colorful and iconic laminate patterns back in the 50's and 60's, but these great patterns were discontinued as consumer demand waned. Fortunately, Wilsonart now offers an extensive new line of retro plastic laminate patterns that are fun and colorful and styled after some of their original mid-century offerings. You can order free samples of any of these laminate patterns from the Wilsonart website, and you should be able to order full sheets from most Home Improvement Centers (e.g., Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) and Lumber Yards. Note that the 7 patterns below labeled "New" will be available on 2-01-16. (click image to enlarge):
Wilsonart Laminate Pattern #Y0407
Wilsonart Laminate Pattern #Y0406
Wilsonart Laminate Pattern #Y0405
Wilsonart Laminate Pattern #Y0404
Wilsonart Laminate Pattern #Y0411
Wilsonart Laminate Pattern #Y0409
Wilsonart Laminate Pattern #Y0408
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0125
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0043
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0066
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0036
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0249
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0007
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0003
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y00043
Wilson Art Laminate Style #Y0004
Wilson Art Laminate Style #Y0034
Wilson Art Laminate Style #Y0185
Wilson Art Laminate Style #Y0131
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0221
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0044
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0239
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0076
Wilson Art Laminate Design #Y0123
Wilson Art Laminate Design #Y0133
Wilson Art Laminate Design #Y0042
Wilson Art Laminate Design #Y0122
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0235
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0002
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0012
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0014
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0016
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0234
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0072
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0071
Wilson Art Laminate Design #G8049
Wilson Art Laminate Design #Y0073
Wilson Art Laminate Design #Y0068
Wilson Art Laminate DesignPattern #Y0236
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0074
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0067
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0075
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0134
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0035
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0207
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0064
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0065
Wilson Art Laminate Style #Y0031
Wilson Art Laminate Style #Y0077
Wilson Art Laminate Style #Y0045
Wilson Art Laminate Style #Y0127
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0063
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0041
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0038
Wilson Art Laminate Pattern #Y0272

3. Nevamar: Like the other laminate manufacturers, Nevamar has been around a long time, but has discontinued their old vintage plastic laminate styles. As part of your search for retro plastic laminate patterns, check out some of the designs now offered by Nevamar. You can order samples through their website (click image to enlarge):
Nevamar Laminate Pattern
Maize Shibori #SH2002
Nevamar Laminate Pattern
Papier Flambe #PR1001
Nevamar Laminate Pattern
Manhattan Glitz #MH4001
Nevamar Laminate Pattern
Royal Allusion #ALV004
Nevamar Laminate Pattern
Sienna Essence #ES2003
Nevamar Laminate Pattern
Manhattan Glamour #MH6001
Nevamar Laminate Pattern
Blue Shimmer Haute #HLB001
Nevamar Laminate Pattern
Vision Vava #VA2002

4. Pionite: Pionite is another large supplier of plastic laminate, so as part of your search for retro plastic laminate patterns, check out some of the designs now offered by Pionite. You can order samples through their website (click image to enlarge):
Pionite Laminate Pattern
Curry Fiber #AY102
Pionite Laminate Pattern
Crisscross #AT660
Pionite Laminate Pattern
Celery Fiber #AV751
Pionite Laminate Pattern
Graveyard of Atlantic #AG611
Pionite Laminate Pattern
Gray Santos #AG291
Pionite Laminate Pattern
First n Main #AG031
Pionite Laminate Pattern
Vanilla Fiber #AW871
Pionite Laminate Pattern
Atlantic Azur #AB085

5. Lab Designs: Although not as well known as some of the other laminate manufacturers like Formica, Lab Designs is another large supplier of high quality plastic laminate, so as part of your search for retro laminate patterns, make sure you check out some of the styles offered by Lab Designs. You can order samples through their website (click image to enlarge):
Lab Designs Laminate Pattern
Black Pearl #PE027
Lab Designs Laminate Pattern
Silky Pearl #PW027
Lab Designs Laminate Pattern
Cypress Boutique #PV221
Lab Designs Laminate Pattern
Nutmeg Tesseract #PT075
Lab Designs Laminate Pattern
Sesame Tesseract #PT079
Lab Designs Laminate Pattern
Apple Tesseract #PV169
Lab Designs Laminate Pattern
Ebony Retro #PE033
Lab Designs Laminate Pattern
Beige Organica #PT090
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