Beautiful but deadly. Mid-Century Modern colors by Kentile, a Brooklyn based company which lasted nearly 100 years before asbestos forced them into bankruptcy. Today, a search on the company turns up far more hits for respiratory disease then floor tiles, but you'll still find a few folks trying to match colors and patch-up the floor in the ping-pong room.
Kentile had an eight-story tall sign visible from the Gowanus. It rusts there still, I guess, a reminder for product safety and essentially a gigantic memorial for the workers and homemakers who lived with Kentile.
By far the most popular and familiar Kentile floors were the dapple-like pieces shown in the ad below. They epitomize the 1950s, but don't scuff your feet too hard and stir up the fibers. Don't grind them up when you remodel either. I think they were trying to create a vinyl marble, or a marbling effect. To me, the patterns define the era as much as the beautiful plywood furniture…and I grew up within a few miles of the Herman Miller company and my folks dragged me along to the now famous company tag sales, so I know. Of course, even then, Kentile was the stuff you pulled up to create an even more modern look…or covered with shag. You can connect with other trendy retro-renovators HERE
The colors in this salesman sample box have names as pretty as the colors.
Sagebrush
Burnt Orange
Bangkok Pink
Hot Canary
Avocado
Bristol Blue
Terra Cotta
White
Black
Kentile Salesman Sample Set of Solid Colors Designer Palette Vinyl Tile No Date
Collection Jim Linderman
Jim Linderman Books (and Affordable Ebooks) are HERE at Blurb.com
Want to see a "smart" woman and "wise" woman put floors down the easy Kentile way?
Retro Modern Mid Century Cat FOLK ART ?
Retro Modern Mid Century meets a whittler or amateur woodworker in this pair of folk art cats. Hilarious. The form is as familiar as an Eames chair, but these folky felines were apparently made in the basement. Abstracted American Caticus.
The American Pet Products Association say there are 86.4 million cats in the United States. As you can see from the quick screen grab below, there may be that many sculptures as well.
Pair of handmade (signed) abstracted cat carvings of pine, circa 1950 Collection Jim Linderman
