The iconic kitchen from The Brady Bunch TV Show featuring Formica in earth-color laminates of Pumpkin and Avocado.[/caption]If you're a baby boomer or child of the 60s & 70s, TV shows such as the Brady Bunch probably evoke a bit of design nostalgia. Those mid-century modern TV kitchens inspired many imitators and weren't complete without Formica® countertops. This year, Formica® , the inventor of laminate, celebrates 100 years, a huge milestone in a fickle culture where trends tend to dictate home style.
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Photo courtesy of Formicahttp://www.formica.com[/caption]
Today, decorative laminate commands renewed respect, on trend again in kitchens with bold new colors and patterns. To celebrate its centenial birthday, Formica launched a new line of laminate, The Anniversary Collection, with 12 new graphic patterns in four collections.
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Red Ellipse Formica countertop from the Anniversary Collection. Photo courtesy of Formica
http://www.formica.com[/caption]
Ellipse™ is the most emblematic of Formica’s Anniversary Collection, incorporating the “hidden oval” Formica brand logo as a nod to the company’s century of surfacing residential, commercial and industrial spaces.
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Endless Greytone Formica countertopPhoto courtesy of Formica
http://www.formica.com[/caption]
Formica’s storied history begins in 1913 when Herbert A. Faber and Daniel J. O’Conor discovered that high-pressure laminated plastic sheets of synthetic resins could be used as an insulating material for electrical and industrial uses in place of the mineral mica. The inventors coined the name “Formica” as a literal riff on “For Mica.”
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Photo courtesy of Retro Renovation[/caption]In the early 50s, Formica advertised heavily to brand its laminate for household use. Through the years, the company’s advertising campaign has been a barometer of the American household reflecting the culture and sentiment of quintessential American life. The vibrant colors, whimsical designs and advertising, embodied America’s spirit of innovation and optimism.
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Photo courtesy of Formicahttp://www.formica.com[/caption]
Browsing Formica’s collection of vintage ads available on the website www.formicaforever.com and on its pinterst board is like opening a time capsule of our collective life and times. “Great advertising in the 50s accounted for the overwhelming perception that Formica laminate is for kitchens only,” says Renee Hytry Derrington, Vice President of Global Design for Formica Group. Today, Formica actually sells more laminate in commercial markets around the world than for the kitchen.
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Photo courtesy of Formicahttp://www.formica.com[/caption]
By 1978, the Formica brand was so popular that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sought to cancel the Formica® brand trademark, charging that the word “Formica” had become a generic term. Ultimately, the FTC dropped its efforts to cancel the trademark and today Formica remains synonymous with decorative laminate.
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Photo courtesy of Formicahttp://www.formica.com[/caption]
Used in both high-end and budget-conscious design, Formica laminate is one of those rare products that straddles all spectrums of design. During the 2013 design and trade show season, Formica in woodgrain attracted a lot of attention as an on-trend material in kitchens and baths.
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Black Walnut Formica countertopPhoto courtesy of Formica
http://www.formica.com[/caption]
Designer Alexander Butler used Formica in a wood grain pattern to create this seamless, ultra-modern kitchen with the look of wood yet without the maintenance issues associated with wood.
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Kitchen in Formica woodgrain pattern, designed by Alexander ButlerPhoto courtesy of Formica
http://www.formica.com[/caption]
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Kitchen in Formica woodgrain pattern, designed by Alexander ButlerPhoto courtesy of Formica
http://www.formica.com[/caption]
There's also a lot of buzz about faux natural surfaces in the design world. Countertops, such as laminate, fabricated to look like marble, concrete, stone, metal or wood are showing up in the latest kitchens, favored for their durability and affordability. One example is Formica's 180fx® patterns that mimic the scale, color variations and veining of a full-size natural granite slab. The laminate is printed five-feet wide by approx. 4.5’ long with no repeats. Other large-scale examples are the Anniversary Collection’s Endless™ and Ellipse™ with a pattern repeat every 500-700 sheets, the equivalent of 1.3 miles.
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White Ellipse Formica countertopPhoto courtesy of Formica
http://www.formica.com[/caption]
For more on the Formica brand’s past, present and future, check out the commemorative website www.formicaforever.com
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